Significance of Shalagrama

Author : Smt. Gayatri Sudarshan Rao, Chennai

Among many cultural practices handed down to us by our ancestors, there are certain rituals which are to be performed on a daily basis in order to please our Lord Hari. These rituals bestow intangible benefits. We commit a lot of misdeeds through our mind, speech or actions. The ill effects arising out of those misdeeds are all forgiven and vanquished by one such priceless practice – worship of the Sālagrāma.

Sālagrāma is a black coloured fossil that appears as a stone. It is the fossilized remains of a marine mollusc called ammonite. Sālagrāmas are usually found along the Gandakī river of Nepal and in the river beds along the Himalayas. River worms called Vajra kīṭa whose teeth are said to be harder than the granite stone, form chakra-like structures in or on the Sālagrāmas. There could be 1 to 8 chakras either on the inner or the outer surface of the Sālagrāma. Depending upon the structure of the chakra, the Sālagrāma is classified as Narasimha, Trivikrama, Nārāyaṇa, Janārdana, Sudarshana, Rāma, Ananta, Vanamāli, Vishwambara, etc. Though our Lord Hari is present in every atom, there are certain substances in which His presence is observed in abundance. Sālagrāma, tulasi leaves are few such things where the Lord’s presence is certain, pure and in plenty.

A very simple way to obtain the Lord’s grace – Perform ablution and wear clean clothing. Place the chest containing the idols of the Lord on a surface cleaned with cow dung and adorned with rangoli. Light 2 lamps in front of the chest. With complete surrender to the Lord, comes calmness in our mind. Visualize the Lord in the Salagrama within the chest with utmost devotion. Place one Salagrama, 2 Chakranike and an idol of Krishna on a plate. Recite the Purusha Sookta and anoint all the 3 with clean water from the conch. This water that touches the Lord in the Salagrama becomes Tīrtha (sanctified water). This water is consumed thrice – the first time is to cleanse the body, the second time is to guide our mind in a pious way and the third time is to redeem us from our sins.

One who worships the Sālagrāma with sincerity earns the following merits:

• The merit earned by worshipping 1000 lingas on the banks of the River Ganga and the merit earned by residing in Kāshi for 8 yugas are earned by offering worship to a Sālagrāma for one day.
• Inside the Sālagrāma where Lord Kēśava is residing, Mother Mahālakṣmī, Lord Vāyu, Bhārati Dēvi, Saraswathi Dēvi, all the deities and all the 14 worlds are also present. The highest of the demigods, Indra wishes to shake hands with the one who touches the Sālagrāma for performing worship. – Padma purāṇa
• The Lord is pleased and grants all the desired wishes of the one who worships or prostrates to the Sālagrāma.
• The ancestors of the one who makes offerings to them near the Sālagrāma are pleased and derive the satisfaction of offerings made at Gaya.
• The sins committed through mind, speech or deeds are all cleansed just by the sight of the Sālagrāma with devotion.
• Realizing the presence of Lord SriHari inside the Sālagrāma, listening to His glory, praising Him, meditating upon Him and prostrating before Him, liberates the clan of the doer from the cycle of birth & death.
• One who does not worship the Sālagrāma is considered blind even if he has eyes to see, dead even if he has life to live, poor even if he has all other riches.
• One must first worship the Sālagrāma to become eligible to make offerings to the Lord through fire (yajna).
• One who donates Sālagrāma understanding its significance, he is considered to have donated 7 fertile worlds filled with green vegetation.
• The place where the Sālagrāma is kept is akin to a holy region where Lord Madhusūdana resides. – Bruhannāradīya purāṇa
• When one worships the Sālagrāma with devotion, the Lord is pleased and comes to the call of His devotee, cleanses all his sins, elevates him to higher positions and bestows him with real happiness and knowledge. There is not an iota of doubt about this – Padma purāṇa

To the Lord who created us, to the one who protects us every single second, anytime and anywhere like the mother’s womb protecting the child, to the one who fulfills even the smallest of our desires, to the one who forgives even the gravest of sins committed by us, to the one who loves us eternally, the ways in which we can show our gratitude are very simple. One such ritual was described here. If not so far, let us begin practicing it right from now. After all, the richest possession a man can have is the Lord’s compassion.

Gayathri Sudarashna Rao