SaaLigraamam, (Response, to, Sri, Mahesh's, query)

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SrI:

SrImathe Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

I am too small for writing anything on SaaLigraamam. However, dog licking

the Ganges river does not belittle or pollute the purity of the river:-)

 

It is adiyEn’s bhagyam to write few words on SaaLigraamam.

 

This is from Sri Madhuranthakam Swamy centenary malar.

 

SaaLigraamam is one among the eight swayam vyaktha kshEthrams. Among the

swayam vyaktha sthalams, SaaLigraamam is said to be the most important. This

place is in Nepal, 60 miles of west of KaatmaNdu on the bank of the river

Gandaki. This is on the way to mukthi Narayana kshEthram which is 100 miles

off.

 

The saaLigraamams are found in this river Gandaki, one of the main

tributaries of the Sacred Ganges. There are many types of saaLigraamams.

There exist saaLigraamams with or without holes, and house matsya, kUrma or

other avtaars of Lord Sriman Narayanan.

 

Agamas and saasthrAs have said that the Lord VishNu on His own, dwells in

these SaaLigraamams and no AvAhanam is required for the same. There is also

a SaaLigAmam sthOthra manthram. Shri Bhagawan is the rishi of Shri

SaaLigrAmam sthOthra manthra; Narayana is the deity; Gayathri is the

chandhas;

 

Given below is an extract from English translation of SaaLigraamam sloka

mantra (appeared in Centenary malar of Sri MadhurAnthakam Swamy) written by

Dr. T.D Muralidharan, Assistant editor of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai.

 

Yuthishtira said:

 

Oh PurushOtthama, God of Gods, I want to hear it all a to what is the best

of worship of Gods. Please tell me.

 

Shri Bhagawaan said:

 

The land, as extensive as ten yOjanAs (100 miles) lies extended as the

Northern bank of Gandaki river and at the south of the Lord of mountains. It

is a great land.

 

One who desires expiation of the sins perpetrated since birth, he should

remove (completely) the water of SaaLigraamam. Salutations to you (who

removes the water from saaLigrAmam after bathing).

 

One should hold the water (thus obtained from washing the Feet of Lord

VishNu) in his palm and drink. It drives away untimely death. It destroys

all illnesses. The water sprinkled on human beings burns away even the sin

of killing a brahmin.

 

One obtains the same benefits of performance of 1000 (agnishtOma) yaagams

with agni and 100 vajapeya sacrifices, if one consumes the food offered to

saaLigraamam (i.e. Lord VishNu)

 

If one bathes Saaligraamam (Lord VishNu’s Feet) with water and offers

thuLasi leaves at His Feet, he would obtain the merit equivalent to crores

of puNyams.

 

Even if a saaLigraamam is broken or cracked, or burnt in fire, there is no

harm; He is Blemishless; Faultless; There is no demerit in Him.

 

Worshipping saaLigraamam qucikly destroys any sin arising out of

brahmahayta, or any sin arising out of body, mind and speech. It will confer

all benefits on you, when you worship saaLigraamam.

 

The saaLigrAmam is arisen out of Sriman Narayanan. It has developed a wheel

within it by its own action. It has the capacity to grant boons.

 

One should always take the water from the Feet of Lord VishNu

(saaLigraamam); the flowers and thuLasi leaves bedecked on Him should be

placed on one’s head; food offered to Him should be consumed along with a

thuLasi leaf.

 

A little portion of saaLigraamam will absolve you from even the killing of

one crore jIvAs. (*doesn't mean you go ahead killing:-) *)

 

One should always meditate on saaLigramam and worship Him. Best of the

brahmin should repeat this everyday.

 

Such a person will go the ultimate place where Sriman Narayanan resides; He

will be absolved from all sins and reach Sri VishNulOkam.

 

One who performs the worship of Lord VishNu through saaLigraama shila, he

will obtain the desired empire. He will see all ten avtaars of Lord VishNu.

 

All sins performed in crores of one’s lives are destroyed by sipping water

from the Feet of Lord VishNu (i.e. saaLigraamam). No water should be

dropped.

 

I have not covered the translation fully and I have mentioned only few

points from the above article to drive home the point that SAALIGRAAMAM

WORSHIP IS THE BEST AND ONE NEEDS TO DO AT ANY COST.

 

PLEASE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT what harm it would bring as you do not know the

type and nature of SaaLigraamam. No harm would happen to you. How can there

be harm by doing a good holy deed? Also we perform with SathvIka tyAgam and

for Bhagawath preethi.

 

[One who has undergone Samasrayanam, is required to perform ThiruvArAdhanam

everyday. Due to unforeseen circumstances, should one go out of station (on

business trips), then his spouse or other faimly member can just open the

KoilAzhwAr (the Box where PerumAL is placed) and offer food...

Alternatively, Saaligraamam can be kept in a container of rice.. ]

 

One should learn from AchArya (or from a srivaishnava scholar) as to how to

perform SaaLigrAma ArAdhanam and then start.

Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Narayana Narayana

NarayaNa dAsan madhavakkannan

 

 

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