Shalagram Shilas

[Darji]

Not that I am to this point yet, but I am a little interested in this, but there seems to be a problem.

Apparently you are not allowed to "BUY" nor sell a Shalagram Shila, there are quite a few sites offering them for a "donation" how does this work?

Also I understand there are a lot of fakes and defaced Shalagram Shilas that are broken open to show chakras and then buffed.

So with use not being allowed to by one, and there being so many fakes, how does one come across these?

[sambya]

firstly no one except a male brahmin is allowed to touch a shalagram shila ! even a women born in a brahmin family cannot touch a shila . in orthodox families they dont even touch the asana where a shalagram sits . even a brahmin kid cannot touch a shila uless he gets his gayatri .

personally i have seen people , who without having a upavita have started archana of shalagram . in one such family the shila got stolen and in another family , the family head suffered financial losses and eventually a heart attack !! not that i believe in an avengeful god , but im just stating the unsuitable nature of shalagram worship for everyone .

another point to be mentioned is , shalagrams which shastras describe as worthy of worship is hard to come by today . the critereas are ----- small , shiny , black , round , flat based or one which doesnt roll around when placed on a seat , with one or more than one dwars (opening) inside of which there may be one or more complete chakras . sadly indiscriminate lifting of shilas from gandaki river has practically made such perfect shilas 'extinct' .

the ones that are sold today , after being split into two are termed as vaddha-chakra shilas in shastra . a vaddha chakra means 'trapped chakra' or a shila in which the chakra is not visible . this kind of shila is not worshippble and brings sorrow to all . however in present day shortage of shalagrams , people have started worshipping such shilas too !

shalagram shilas are elaborately described in some puranas and many tantras . different puranas have completely different things to say about them . it is only in skanda purana where we come across an injuction in prohibiting the sale and purchase of a shila . other puranas are silent on the issue . it is suprising to note that vaishnavas who lays stress on this prohibitory injuction of not buying a shalagram do so on the basis of a purana which they term as rajasic( their preffered puranas are classified as sattvick by them) and reject on other occasions !!

on the other hand one tantra does mentions that shalagrams can be purchased . the best ofcourse is to get it from a brahmin or a guru as a gift . the second means is to pruchase it , according to this tantra . im forgetting the name right now , i have to search in my books .

personally i see no cause as to why a shila cannot be pruchased . disrespect , and treating a shila as a showpiece or a ordinary commodity might be offensive , but if a devotee buys a shila out of love to worship him , then there's absolutely no cause why vishnu should fume and send him to hell . infact that would ruin the very essesnce of hindu philosophy !!

experience alone can save you from fake shalagrams . some fake ones are indeed accurately made with dwar and chakras inside !!

[Sahasranama]

personally i see no cause as to why a shila cannot be pruchased . disrespect , and treating a shila as a showpiece or a ordinary commodity might be offensive , but if a devotee buys a shila out of love to worship him , then there's absolutely no cause why vishnu should fume and send him to hell . infact that would ruin the very essesnce of hindu philosophy !!

My personal belief is that "Na vaasudeva bhaktanam ashubham vidyate kvachid." I am not able to differentiate which shilas are suitable for worship and which are not. But as they are a form of Vishnu, I do not believe that any misfortune will come from worshipping the wrong shilas.

I have also read in the padma purana that shalagrams should not be touched by women. Other sources say that women and people from all castes can worship the shila.

In the vishnu yaamala tantra it is said:

Na shudra bhagavad-bhaktas
Te tu bhagavata matah
Sarva-varneshu te shudra
Ye na bhakta janaardane

The devotees of Bhagavaan should not be considered shudras, they are known as bhagavatas. From all castes, those are the shudras, who are not devoted to Janardana.

[sambya]

My personal belief is that "Na vaasudeva bhaktanam ashubham vidyate kvachid." I am not able to differentiate which shilas are suitable for worship and which are not. But as they are a form of Vishnu, I do not believe that any misfortune will come from worshipping the wrong shilas.

I have also read in the padma purana that shalagrams should not be touched by women. Other sources say that women and people from all castes can worship the shila.

In the vishnu yaamala tantra it is said:

Na shudra bhagavad-bhaktas
Te tu bhagavata matah
Sarva-varneshu te shudra
Ye na bhakta janaardane

The devotees of Bhagavaan should not be considered shudras, they are known as bhagavatas. From all castes, those are the shudras, who are not devoted to Janardana.



correct . even i believe in that maxim , but still i would like to abide by some rules . like for example narasimha shila is not to be worshipped by anyone other than a pure bhramachaari . now , i know of my limitations and wouldnt want to do that untill i attain to that stage of pure brahmacharya . lord ofcourse cannot get offended , but the ugra forms might not suit me . its all about compatibility .

about women touching shalagrams , i have already mentioned in the above post . yes some scriptures did say that shalagram shila can be worshipped by any one , even mlecchas(as far as i can remember) . but that is traditionally interpreted as worship undertaken by a women , having apointed a brahmin priest who does the main archana in her behalf . here the puja or the shalagram sthapana takes place in the name of that devotee lady . the sankalpa vakya is read in her name .

i believe that a suddha bhakta is higher than a chandala , as shown by mahaprabhu .

if someone can rise to that stage of perfection he or she naturally developes the adhikaar to touch a shila . but then again , at such high stages , it is usually seen that the person refrains from doing anything that might go against shastras and set a bad precedent to the society .

[Sahasranama]

When I read about this, out of concern I told my mother and sister not to touch the shilas. But then I told the family priest about this and he said it was nonsense. He is not a very knowledgable person, so I don't take his words very serious. But I do have some doubts about this matter.

[Darji]

See this is another subject that needs to be brought to light for use beginners that have no access to a guru or pandit to learn what rituals we an and can not do.