For All the Others! [was Importance and usuage of shaligram

May 14, 2005

I appreciate your taking the time to respond. It is late, and I am

not able to understand the meaning from the story as it was first

related, even with your additional interpretive notes. I am not

familiar with its meaning, or its symbology. There may even be

parallels to this story in western scripture, but I don't recognize

it. If you are willing, can you relate the meaning of the story as

you understand it without the Gods and the spoiling of chaste women?

Can you tell a story that depicts the spiritual truth you know to be

in this story, but by using other elements to convey that depth?

, "mahahradanatha"

<mahahradanatha> wrote:

> What does that mean exactly, if it's metaphorical??

>

> Jalandhara means the bearer of the net.

> A net is the magic power of illusion (or Maya shakti) also

symboling

> the cycle of rebirth.

> The wielder of the net is the same as the possseor of maya. Visnu

and

> siva indra and others also are possesors of the Magic power of

the

> Jala (Net) (not only the demon jalandhara-he is a demon because he

is

> attached to magic powers)

> It is because of the special kind of magic only a Bearer of Jala

has

> that deities can appear in stone or plants.

> Jala and Mayashakti are the same that is why the women appear in

the

> legend. Shankara in his commentary to svetasvasara Upanishad

said:

> jalavan mayavitih arthah The wielder of the net is the posseor of

maya.

>

> This is sufficent explanation i belive to understand the story.

>

> You must understand that story that have happenend in the world of

the

> gods long ago are marked like signs to be forever present in our

world

> now.

May 14, 2005

The story was rather incorrect. The story is that Vishnu was cursed to become a

worm, the worm is now fossilized in the Shalagra. The fossil looks like the

Sudarshana chakra of Vishnu, plus the Shalagrama is interesting in both

substance and character, being only found in one river on earth - the Gandaki.

The Shalagrama is black, like Krishna - Shayam, or Kali -Shayama. Shalagrama

have traces of many minerals in them. The Vishnu turned worm was said to be

adamantine because it could eat through rock, the writers of the myth not

understanding the process of fossilization.

A Shalagram is unique in my perspective as they feel like very hard tar, and

have gold traces in them, as well as mercury, sulfur, and other elements making

them somehow alchemical. People pour panchamrit over them during pujas and then

drink it and it's said to be very holy. We cannot make a meaning out of the

story for you MA, you must find one yourself and not get so offended, first, at

one person's retelling, and second, at the not mysogynistic but rather merely

pro-male position of the story. I can't tell you why it's best to sometimes

follow the scriotures in these things, because usually I am an iconoclast,

however, not caring I once gave a shalagram to a woman, and very soon her

marraige of ten years was destroyed, and she started going out with her husbands

best friend, furthermore they both are huge coke addicts now and she lost her

position in charge of a company, and so I now don't make that mistake again.

I have my own belief about both the linga and the shalagram and that is that

they store traces of dna, and or some complex mineral and earthly gene info

which if life is destroyed or capsized can be restored to life through

electrical/static lightning charges and so on thus making them holy in a way

beyond words and stories. Like amber.

-

Mary Ann

Saturday, May 14, 2005 2:35 AM

For All the Others! [was Re: Importance and usuage

of shaligram