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Sila (murthi)
Encyclopedia
Shila,
Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST
refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu
) aniconic representation of Vishnu
, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki
.
They are more often referred to as Shaligram Shilas, with Shila being the shortened version. The word Shila translates simply to 'stone' and Shaligram is a less well-known name of Vishnu. The origin of the name is traced to a remote village in Nepal
where Vishnu is known by the name of Shaligraman.
is equally represented with such abstract symbols of God such as the saligrama. Furthermore, Hindus have found it easier to focus on anthropomorphic icons, as Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita
, Chapter 12, Verse 5,
.
fossils) are worshipped as manifestations of Vishnu Himself, identifiable from other stones by special markings, believed to resemble Vishnu's paraphernalia such as mace, conch
, lotus and disc (chakra
). Narasimha
deva, Varaha
deva and Vamanadeva are popular forms of worship. They are either black, red, or mixed in colour and are usually kept closed in a box and are only brought out for daily worship (puja). The Shilas are usually hereditary and are passed down through many generations, never being purchased or sold.
According to Vaishnava belief, the worshipper of a Shaligram Shila must adhere to strict rules, such as not touching the shaligrama without bathing, never placing the shaligrama on the ground, eating only prasad
, and not indulging in bad practices. In most Vaishnava temples the main deity is usually decorated with a 'garland' mala, specifically an Akshamala
, of 108 Saligrama Shilas.
, Vishnu had reunited with Laxmi, His wife. Sarasvati, also wanted to be Lord Vishnu's consort. Once in anger Sarasvati cursed Laxmi. Sarasvati's curse changed Lakshmi into a tulsi plant and forced her to live on earth forever. Vishnu, however, intervened and modified the curse, saying that Lakshmi would remain on earth as tulasi until the river Gandaki flowed from her body. In the meantime, He would wait by the riverside in the form of a stone to take her back to His abode. This stone was the shaligram shila, which thus remained on earth as a representative of Vishnu. The shila deities and the tulasi plant are thus always worshipped together as Vishnu and Lakshmi.
through the latter's works. Specifically, his commentary to the verse 1.6.1 in Taittiriya Upanishad
and his commentary to the verse 1.3.14 of the Brahma Sutras
suggest that the use of Saligrama in the worship of Vishnu has been a well-known Hindu practice.
The largest and heaviest shaligrama can be seen at the Jagannath Temple
, dedicated to Vishnu, at Puri in Orissa
. The main ISKCON temple in Scotland
, called 'Karuna Bhavan' is famous for housing the largest number of Shaligram Shilas outside of India
.
The Lord resides in many places in which he may be worshipped, but of all the places Salagrama is the best.---Garuda Purana
Any person who has seen Salagram Shila, paid obeisances to Him, bathed and worshipped Him, has achieved the results of performing ten million sacrifices and giving ten million cows in charity.--- Skanda Purana – Hari-bhakti-vilas
“Any shila from the place of shalagrams can never be inauspicious though cracked, chipped, split in two though still in one piece, or even broken asunder.”--- Brahm Puran
“Merely by touching a shalagrama one becomes freed from the sins of millions of births, so what to speak of worshiping Him! By Shalagrama puja one gains the association of Lord Hari.”--- Gautamiya Tantr
“Shalagramas do not require installation ceremony. When one begins the worship of shalagrama, however he should start with elaborate puja using all articles. The worship of shalagrama is the best form of worship, better than the worship of the sun.”--- Skand Puran
"Devotees should take the charanamrita mixed with Tulasi leaves from the shalagrama in their hand and sip it, sprinkling the balance on their heads.“---Gautamiya Tantr
“All those holy rivers awarding moksha, such as the Ganga, Godavari and others, reside in the caranamrita (bath water) of shalagrama.”--- Padm Puran
“Shalagrama should not be placed on the earth or ground and worshiped.”---Sammohan Tantr
“In puja of shalagrama it is unnecessary to call the Lord for worship or request Him to return His abode upon completion.”--- Bhagavata Purana
“It is impossible to fully explain the importance of Tulsi leaves (Holy Basil) in the worship of shalagrama, as Tulsi is the most beloved consort of Hari in the form of shalagrama.”--- Brihan-naradiya Purana
“He who takes the charanamrita of shalagrama destroys all sinful reactions at their roots, even the killing of a brahmana.”--- Skand Puran
“By taking the remnants of foodstuffs offered to shalagrama, one will get the result of performing many sacrifices.”--- Skand Puran
, chakra, gada and padma
arranged in a particular order - is worshiped as Keshava
. With the change in the order of the four symbols, the name of the shaligrama stone is also different and the images of such deities also have similar setting of the four symbols. The various orders and names are given for the twenty four permutations. These are well known names, which are the different names by which Lord Vishnu is known in the Hindu pantheon. The various versions of the saligrama shilas or stones vis-a-vis the order of the four symbols are:
1.Shanka, chakra, gada and padma - Keshava
2.Padma, gada, chakra, shanka - Narayana
3.Chakra, shanka, padma and gada - Madhava
4.Gada, Padma, Shanka and Chakra - Govinda
5.Padma, shanka, chakra and gada – Vishnu
6.Shanka, padma, gada, chakra – Madusudhana
7.Gada, chakra, shanka and padma – Trivikrama
8.Chakra, gada, padma, shanka - Vamana
9.Chakra, padma, shanka, gada - Shridhara
10.Padma, gada, shanka, charka - Hrishikesh
11.Padma, chakra,gada, shanka - Padmanabha
12.Shanka, chakra, gada, padma - Damodara
13.Chakra, shanka, gada, padma - Sankarshana
14.Shanka, chakra, padma, gada - Pradyumna
15.Gada, shanka, padma, charka - Aniruddha
16.Padma, shanka, gada, chakra - Purushottama
17.Gadha, shanka, chakra, padma - Adhokshaja
18.Padma, gada, shanka, charka - Narasimha
19.Padma, chakra, shanka, gada – Achutha
20.Shanka, chakra, padma, gada - Janardhana
21.Gada, padma, shanka, chakra - Upendra
22.Chakra, padma, gada and shanka – Hari
23.Gada, padma, chakra and shanka - Krishna
24. Shanka, charka, padma, gada – Vasudeva
Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
) aniconic representation of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki
Gandaki
Gandaki may refer to:*Gandaki River, Nepal*Gandaki Zone, Nepal...
.
They are more often referred to as Shaligram Shilas, with Shila being the shortened version. The word Shila translates simply to 'stone' and Shaligram is a less well-known name of Vishnu. The origin of the name is traced to a remote village in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
where Vishnu is known by the name of Shaligraman.
Use
Although Hinduism is commonly represented by such anthropomorphic religious murtis, aniconismAniconism
Aniconism is the practice or belief in avoiding or shunning images of divine beings, prophets or other respected religious figures, or in different manifestations, any human beings or living creatures. The term aniconic may be used to describe the absence of graphic representations in a particular...
is equally represented with such abstract symbols of God such as the saligrama. Furthermore, Hindus have found it easier to focus on anthropomorphic icons, as Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, Chapter 12, Verse 5,
.
Worship
The Shilas (AmmoniteAmmonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
fossils) are worshipped as manifestations of Vishnu Himself, identifiable from other stones by special markings, believed to resemble Vishnu's paraphernalia such as mace, conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
, lotus and disc (chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
). Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
deva, Varaha
Varaha
Varaha is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to...
deva and Vamanadeva are popular forms of worship. They are either black, red, or mixed in colour and are usually kept closed in a box and are only brought out for daily worship (puja). The Shilas are usually hereditary and are passed down through many generations, never being purchased or sold.
According to Vaishnava belief, the worshipper of a Shaligram Shila must adhere to strict rules, such as not touching the shaligrama without bathing, never placing the shaligrama on the ground, eating only prasad
Prasad
Prasād is a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity and then consumed...
, and not indulging in bad practices. In most Vaishnava temples the main deity is usually decorated with a 'garland' mala, specifically an Akshamala
Akshamala
Akshamala, is a garland of beads, made of pearls, bones, shalagram shila, dried seeds, berries, or sometimes of skulls. It is the attribute of many gods and deities in Hinduism. In general, an Akshamala is composed of fifty beads, corresponding to the characters of Sanskrit alphabet, the 'garland...
, of 108 Saligrama Shilas.
Legend
Tulasi, also known as Holy Basil is closely associated with the origins of Shila worship. According to the PuranasPuranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, Vishnu had reunited with Laxmi, His wife. Sarasvati, also wanted to be Lord Vishnu's consort. Once in anger Sarasvati cursed Laxmi. Sarasvati's curse changed Lakshmi into a tulsi plant and forced her to live on earth forever. Vishnu, however, intervened and modified the curse, saying that Lakshmi would remain on earth as tulasi until the river Gandaki flowed from her body. In the meantime, He would wait by the riverside in the form of a stone to take her back to His abode. This stone was the shaligram shila, which thus remained on earth as a representative of Vishnu. The shila deities and the tulasi plant are thus always worshipped together as Vishnu and Lakshmi.
History
Historically, the use of shaligrama (or salagrama) shilas in worship can be traced to the time of Adi ShankaraAdi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
through the latter's works. Specifically, his commentary to the verse 1.6.1 in Taittiriya Upanishad
Taittiriya Upanishad
The Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the Taittiriya school of the Yajurveda...
and his commentary to the verse 1.3.14 of the Brahma Sutras
Brahma Sutras
The Brahma sūtras , also known as Vedānta Sūtras , are one of the three canonical texts of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. A thorough study of Vedānta requires a close examination of these three texts, known in Sanskrit as the Prasthanatrayi, or the three starting points...
suggest that the use of Saligrama in the worship of Vishnu has been a well-known Hindu practice.
The largest and heaviest shaligrama can be seen at the Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple (Puri)
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat and Nath...
, dedicated to Vishnu, at Puri in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. The main ISKCON temple in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, called 'Karuna Bhavan' is famous for housing the largest number of Shaligram Shilas outside of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Puranic quotes on Shalagram
With Keshava in the form of Salagrama shila reside all the devatas, asuaras, yaksas and the fourteen worlds.--- Padma PuranaThe Lord resides in many places in which he may be worshipped, but of all the places Salagrama is the best.---Garuda Purana
Any person who has seen Salagram Shila, paid obeisances to Him, bathed and worshipped Him, has achieved the results of performing ten million sacrifices and giving ten million cows in charity.--- Skanda Purana – Hari-bhakti-vilas
“Any shila from the place of shalagrams can never be inauspicious though cracked, chipped, split in two though still in one piece, or even broken asunder.”--- Brahm Puran
“Merely by touching a shalagrama one becomes freed from the sins of millions of births, so what to speak of worshiping Him! By Shalagrama puja one gains the association of Lord Hari.”--- Gautamiya Tantr
“Shalagramas do not require installation ceremony. When one begins the worship of shalagrama, however he should start with elaborate puja using all articles. The worship of shalagrama is the best form of worship, better than the worship of the sun.”--- Skand Puran
"Devotees should take the charanamrita mixed with Tulasi leaves from the shalagrama in their hand and sip it, sprinkling the balance on their heads.“---Gautamiya Tantr
“All those holy rivers awarding moksha, such as the Ganga, Godavari and others, reside in the caranamrita (bath water) of shalagrama.”--- Padm Puran
“Shalagrama should not be placed on the earth or ground and worshiped.”---Sammohan Tantr
“In puja of shalagrama it is unnecessary to call the Lord for worship or request Him to return His abode upon completion.”--- Bhagavata Purana
“It is impossible to fully explain the importance of Tulsi leaves (Holy Basil) in the worship of shalagrama, as Tulsi is the most beloved consort of Hari in the form of shalagrama.”--- Brihan-naradiya Purana
“He who takes the charanamrita of shalagrama destroys all sinful reactions at their roots, even the killing of a brahmana.”--- Skand Puran
“By taking the remnants of foodstuffs offered to shalagrama, one will get the result of performing many sacrifices.”--- Skand Puran
Sale and purchase of Shalagrama-shilas prohibited
The Skanda Purana warns that no one should buy or sell shalagrama-shilas. One who puts a price on a shalagrama-shilas, sells a shalagrama-shila, gives his opinion on its value, or examines one with a view to estimate its sale value, all such people will live in hell until the time of universal destruction.Configurations
A shaligrama - which has the marks of a shankhaConch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
, chakra, gada and padma
Lotus
- Botany :*Lotus , various botanical taxa*Lotus *Lotus Flower, Nelumbo nucifera- Motor cars :*Lotus Cars, a British motor vehicle manufacturer**Team Lotus, a British Formula One racing team that competed between 1954 and 1994...
arranged in a particular order - is worshiped as Keshava
Keshava
Keshava is a name of Krishna from within Hindu tradition.The name appears as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu sahasranama.Lord Keshava is venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck, or ill omens...
. With the change in the order of the four symbols, the name of the shaligrama stone is also different and the images of such deities also have similar setting of the four symbols. The various orders and names are given for the twenty four permutations. These are well known names, which are the different names by which Lord Vishnu is known in the Hindu pantheon. The various versions of the saligrama shilas or stones vis-a-vis the order of the four symbols are:
1.Shanka, chakra, gada and padma - Keshava
Keshava
Keshava is a name of Krishna from within Hindu tradition.The name appears as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu sahasranama.Lord Keshava is venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck, or ill omens...
2.Padma, gada, chakra, shanka - Narayana
Narayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
3.Chakra, shanka, padma and gada - Madhava
Madhava
Mādhava may be*a Sanskrit patronymic, "descendant of Madhu ".** especially of Krishna or Parashurama as incarnations of Vishnu, see Madhava *** an icon of Krishna...
4.Gada, Padma, Shanka and Chakra - Govinda
Govinda
' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
5.Padma, shanka, chakra and gada – Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
6.Shanka, padma, gada, chakra – Madusudhana
7.Gada, chakra, shanka and padma – Trivikrama
8.Chakra, gada, padma, shanka - Vamana
Vamana
Vamana is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the Fifth Avatar of Vishnu, and the first incarnation of the Second Age, or the Treta yuga. Also he is the first Avatar of Vishnu which appears with a completely human form, though it was that of a dwarf brahmin. He is also sometimes known as...
9.Chakra, padma, shanka, gada - Shridhara
10.Padma, gada, shanka, charka - Hrishikesh
Hrishikesh
Rishikesh , also spelled Hrishikesh, Rushikesh or Hrushikesh, is a city and a municipal board in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as The Gateway to the Himalayas. Rishikesh is surrounded by two other...
11.Padma, chakra,gada, shanka - Padmanabha
Padmanabha
Padmanabha may refer to:* Padmanabha , one of the aspects of Vishnu or God with a lotus issuing from his navel on which Brahma sits...
12.Shanka, chakra, gada, padma - Damodara
13.Chakra, shanka, gada, padma - Sankarshana
14.Shanka, chakra, padma, gada - Pradyumna
Pradyumna
Pradyumna is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is one in 24 Keshava Namas , praised in all pujas. It is also the only name in Sanskrit with all the 3 letters joint...
15.Gada, shanka, padma, charka - Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
16.Padma, shanka, gada, chakra - Purushottama
Purushottama
Purushottama means "Supreme Purusha", "Supreme Being". Purushottama is also one of the names of the Vishnu. According to the Bhagavad Geeta, Purushottam is explained as above and beyond kshar and akshar purushas or as an omni-potent cosmic being...
17.Gadha, shanka, chakra, padma - Adhokshaja
18.Padma, gada, shanka, charka - Narasimha
Narasimha
Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...
19.Padma, chakra, shanka, gada – Achutha
20.Shanka, chakra, padma, gada - Janardhana
21.Gada, padma, shanka, chakra - Upendra
Upendra
Upendra is a cine actor, director, script writer and singer. Born in a middle class family at Koteshwara near Kundapura, he belongs to Kannada speaking Kota Brahmin community. Upendra started his career off with famous director Kashinath as a writer and an assistant director...
22.Chakra, padma, gada and shanka – Hari
Hari
Hari is an Avatar, another name of and , and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit "hari" sometimes refers to a colour, green, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki. It is the colour of the Sun and of Soma...
23.Gada, padma, chakra and shanka - Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
24. Shanka, charka, padma, gada – Vasudeva
Vasudeva
In Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap....
External links
- Darshan of Rare Shaligram Shilas
- Articles about shaligram
- Website for information on Shaligram Shilas
- Information about Shaligram Shilas