Monday, December 1, 2008

शालिग्राम पूजा

Puja of Shri Shaligram Shilas

The Skanda Purana also says that shalagrama-shilas do not require installation. When one begins the worship of shalagrama-shila, however he should start with elaborate puja using all articles. The worship of shalagrama-shila is the best form of worship, better than the worship of the sun.

The Gautamiya Tantra says devotees should take the caranamrita mixed with Tulasi leaves from the shalagrama-shila in their hand and sip it, sprinkling the balance on their heads. If somebody refuses this caranamrita it is as if he has killed a brahmana. The Padma Purana explains that all those holy rivers awarding moksha, such as the Ganga, Godavari, and others, reside in the caranamrita of shalagrama-shila.

In the Sammohana Tantra it is written that shalagrama-shila should not be placed on the earth or ground and worshiped. The Shrimad Bhagavatam mentions that in the worship of shalagrama-shila it is unnecessary to call the Lord for worship or request Him to return His abode upon completion.

The Brihan-naradiya Purana warns that if one worships a shalagrama-shila and doesn't offer Tulasi leaves, then his house is considered equal to cremation ground. There Shri Narada Muni says it's impossible to explain the importance of Tulasi leaves in the worship of shalagrama-shila, as Tulasi is the most beloved consort of Hari in the form of shalagrama-shila.

In the Skanda Purana Lord Shiva tells Parvati that one who takes the caranamrita of shalagrama-shila destroys all sinful reactions at their roots, even the killing of a brahmana. Elsewhere the Skanda Purana states that by taking the remnants of foodstuffs offered to shalagrama-shila, one will get the result of performing many sacrifices.

Note:The worshipper of Shaligram must keep the leaves of Tulsi beside a Shaligram or it must be put in the pot in which grows the Tulsi plant because Shaligram without Tulsi is regarded incomplete, as described in scriptures.

शालिग्राम महिमा

शालग्रामस्तोत्रम्
श्रीगणेशाय नम: ॥
अस्य श्रीशालग्रामस्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य श्रीभगवानृषि: ।
नारायणो देवता । अनुष्टुप् छन्द: । श्रीशालग्रामस्तोत्रमन्त्रजपे विनियोग: ।
युधिष्ठिर उवाच । श्रीदेवदेव देवेश देवतार्चनमुत्तमम् । तत्सर्व श्रोतुमिच्छामि ब्रूहि मे पुरुषोत्तम ॥ १ ॥
श्रीभगवानुवाच ॥ गंडक्यां चोत्तरे तीरे गिरिराजस्य दक्षिणे । दक्षयोजनविस्तीर्णा महाक्षेत्रवसुन्धरा ॥ २ ॥
शालग्रामो भवेद्देवो देवी द्वारावती भवेत् । उभयो: संगमो यत्र मुक्तिस्तत्र न संशय: ॥ ३ ॥
शालग्रामशिला यत्र यत्र द्वारावती शिला। उभयो: संगमो यत्र मुक्तिस्तत्र न संशय: ॥ ४ ॥
आजन्मकृतपापानां प्रायश्चित्तं य इच्छति । शालग्रामशिलावारि पापहारि पिबेत्तु स: ॥ ५ ॥
अकालमृत्युहरणं सर्वव्याधिविनाशनम् । विष्णो: पादोदकं पीत्वा शिरसा धारयाम्यहम् ॥ ६ ॥
शंखमध्ये स्थितं तोयं भ्रामितं केशवोपरि । अङ्गलग्नं मनुष्याणां ब्रह्महत्यादिकं दहेत् ॥ ७ ॥
स्नानोदकं पिबेन्नित्यं चक्रांकितशिलोद्भवम् । प्रक्षालयति तत्तोयं ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति ॥ ८ ॥
अग्निष्टोमसहस्त्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च । सम्यक् फलमवाप्नोति विष्णोर्नैवेद्यभक्षणात् ॥ ९ ॥
नैवेद्ययुक्तां तुलसीं च मिश्रितां विशेषत: पादजलेन विष्णो: । योऽश्नाति नित्यं पुरतो मुरारे: प्राप्नोति यज्ञायुतकोटिपुण्यम् ॥ १० ॥
खंडिता स्फुटिता भिन्ना अग्निदग्धा तथैव च । शालग्रामशिला यत्र तत्र दोषो न विद्यते ॥ ११ ॥
न मंत्र: पूजनं नैव न तीर्थं न च भावना । न स्तुतिर्नोपचारश्च शालग्रामशिलार्चने ॥ १२ ॥
ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं मनोवाक्कायसंभवम् । शीघ्रं नश्यति तत्सर्व शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् ॥ १३ ॥
नाना वर्णमयं चैव नानाभोगेन वेष्टितम् । तथा वरप्रसादेन लक्ष्मीकांतं वदाम्यहम् ॥ १४ ॥
नारायणोद्भवो देवश्चक्रमध्ये च कर्मणा । तथा वरप्रसादेन लक्ष्मीकांतं वदाम्यहम् ॥ १५ ॥
कृष्णे शिलातले यत्र सूक्ष्मं चक्रं सुदृश्यते । सौभाग्यं संततिं धत्ते सर्वसौख्यं ददाति च ॥ १६ ॥
वासुदेवस्य चिह्नानि दृष्ट्वा पापै: प्रमुच्यते । श्रीधर: सुकरे वामेहरिद्वर्णस्तुदृश्यते ॥ १७ ॥
वाराहरूपिणं देवं कुर्मागैरपि चिह्नितम् । गोपदं तत्र दृश्येत वाराहं वामनं तथा ॥ १८ ॥
पीतवर्णस्तु देवानां रक्तवर्ण भयावहम् । नारसिंहो भवेद्देवो मोक्षदं च प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ १९ ॥
शंखचक्रगदाकूर्मा: शंखो यत्र प्रदृश्यते । शंखवर्णस्य देवानां वामे देवस्य लक्षणम् ॥ २० ॥
दामोदरं तथा स्थूलं मध्ये चक्रं प्रतिष्ठितम् । पूर्णद्वारेण संकीर्णा पीतरेखा च दृश्यते ॥ २१ ॥
छत्राकारे भवेद्राज्यं वर्तुले च महाश्रियम् । चपटे च महादु:खं शूलाग्रे तु रणं ध्रुवम् ॥ २२ ॥
ललाटे शेषभोगन्तु शिरोपरि सुकांचनम् । चक्रकांचनवर्णानां वामदेवस्य लक्षणम् ॥ २३ ॥
वामपार्श्वे च वै चक्रे कृष्णवर्णस्तु पिंगलम् । लक्ष्मीनृसिंहदेवानां पृथग्वर्णस्तु दृश्यते ॥ २४ ॥
लंबोष्ठे च दरिद्रं स्यात्पिंगले हानिरेव च लग्नचक्रे भवेद् व्याधिर्विदारे मरणं ध्रुवम् ॥ २५ ॥
पादोदके च निर्माल्यं मस्तके धारयेत्सदा । विष्णोर्दृष्टं भक्षितव्यं तुलसीदलमिश्रितम् ॥ २६ ॥
कल्पकोटिसहस्त्राणि वैकुंठे वसते सदा । शालग्राम शिलाबिंदुर्हत्याकोटि-विनाशन: ॥ २७ ॥
तस्मात्संपूजयेद्धयात्वा पूजितं चापि सर्वदा । शालग्रामशिलास्तोत्रं य: पठेच्च द्विजोत्तम: ॥ २८ ॥
स गच्छेत्परमं स्थानं यत्र लोकेश्वरो हरि: । सर्वपापनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥ २९ ॥
दशावतारा देवानां पृथग्वर्णस्तुदृश्यते । ईप्सितं लभते राज्यं विष्णुपूजामनुक्रमात् ॥ ३० ॥
कोटयो हि ब्रह्महत्यानामगम्यागम्यकोटय: । ता: सर्वा नाशमायांति विष्णुनैवेद्यभक्षणात् ॥ ३१ ॥
विष्णो: पादोदकं पीत्वा कोटिजन्माघनाशनम् । तस्मादष्टगुणं पापं भूमौ विंदुनिपातनात् ॥ ३२ ॥

Source : http://khapre.dyndns.org/portal/url/mr/stotre/vishnu/z70719152506

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Myths about Shaligram

The Agni Purana mentions several types of shalagrama-shilas whose worship brings unhappiness and never happiness. These include a shila with a mouth like that of a snake, a broken shila, one with cakras facing each other, with a circled cakra, a shila with a producting navel, a tawny-coloured shila known as Narasimha, a shila with many lines inside the circle, and a shila unidentifiable due to its confusing markings.

As for the shalagrama-shilas that bring misfortune and sadness, as mentioned above, one should understand that this is only for worshipers impelled by material desires. But for one free from material desires there is no harm to worship these shilas. Thus in the Brahma Purana the Supreme Lord Vishnu states that any shila from the place of shalagramas can never be inauspicious though cracked, chipped, split in two though still in one piece, or even broken asunder. Lord Shiva also confirms in the Skanda Purana that even if a shila is cracked, split, or broken it will have no harmful effect if it is worshiped with attention and love by a devotee. It further states there that the Supreme Lord Hari, along with His divine consort, Lakshmi, live in the shalagrama-shila that has either only the mark of a cakra, a cakra along with the mark of a footprint, or only a mark resembling a flower garland.

It is written in the Gautamiya Tantra that merely by touching a shalagrama-shila 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.

Worshiping shalagrama-shila is more satisfying to Lord Narayana than the worship of His Deity form along with Lakshmiji in the temple. By adoring Lord Hari in the cakra of a shalagrama-shila one receives the same benefit as performing the agnihotra sacrifice and giving the whole world with all its oceans in charity. The lowest of men covered by lust, anger, and greed will attain the highest abode of the Supreme Lord Hari by worshiping shalagrama-shila. One who adores the shalagrama-shila as Govinda will never fall from the
heavenly planets up to the end of the universe - even without serving holy places, giving in charity, doing sacrifices, or studying the scriptures, persons who simply worship a shalagrama-shila will still achieve mukti.

A shraddha ceremony done in front of shalagrama-shila will satisfy many generations of forefathers and grant them residence in deva-loka for hundreds of days of Brahma (kalpas).

Even if a person lusty or angry by nature worships shalagrama-shila with devotion, or even carelessly, he will get liberation. Those who speak Hari-katha in front of shalagrama-shila need not fear Yamaraja or repeated birth and death. In Kali-yuga one who devotedly worships shalagrama-shila with prayers, kirtana, and musical instruments, will live eternally in Hari-dhama.

The area within a radius of twenty-four miles from where a shalagrama-shila is worshiped is counted as a holy place (tirtha). The fruits of japa, charity, sacrifices, or any other religious activities done in that area will be multiplied millions of times.

Source : http://www.rudraksha-shakti.com/shree_shaligram.html