SAlagrAma.

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There are two books on Salagramam by SrI Ramachandra Rao, edited by Kalpatharu

Research Academy, Bangalore. There is also a Ph.D. research thesis by Alan

Shapiro from Univ. of Columbia. There are also a few other books, e.g., one by

M. S. Krishnamachari, on Salagama-s. These books deal with the subjects raised

in the various postings on Salagramam in great detail.

 

1. While it is always good to perform rigorous worship for Salagarama-s, it is

also indicated that Salagramam worship is specially adapted in its simplicity of

worship requirements. The same rigor that applies to the worship of a deity in

the temple, or the worship of a moorthi of perumal in the form of a vigraham in

a house, does not apply to the worship pf salagramam. While an intentionally

careless worship of sAalagrama is not implied by the above statement, it is also

my understanding that even a simple offering with devotion on a daily basis is

accepted as part of the sAalagrama worship. I can summarizse the scriptural

declarations for this from these books if anyone is interested.

 

2. Both the purchase of a salagrama for a price, and the selling of salagramam

for a price, are forbidden according to the SAstra-s. Ideally, it is best to

obtain them for wroship from a recognized AcArya. Getting them from temples

etc., should be done with very great care. The reason for this is partly that

those who deposit sAlagrama-s in the temple may do so because they may have had

a reason to part with the sAlagrama-s in the first instance (e.g., some bad

effects after getting them in the house etc.). This is specifically mentioned

in SrI M. S. Krishnamachari's book.

 

3. After having read the mUrti lakshaNa-s in some detail from the above books,

having talked to a few vaidika-s who have performed regular ArAdhana for

sAlagrama-s in different houses in India as part of their function as

officiating priests, and having seen a few sAalgrama-s myself, it is my

considered opinion that the identification of sAlagramam mUrti-s is a skill that

is attained only by bhagavad and AcArya anugraham, and no amount of reading of

books or write-ups can enable one to identify the mUrti-s. I am given to

understand that there are very few people who have been gifted in this area, and

so resorting to reading the definitions for mUrti-s is just an exercise in

learning, but is not useful in practice. The following site has lots of

photographs of actual sAlagrAma-s from various Hare Krshna devotees, which is an

excellent reference who want to look at actual mUrti-s, with their names

identified by these devotees.

 

http://www.hknet.org.nz/sstp-NEW.html

 

4. The pronunciation of the word "sAalagrama" or sAligrama" is an interesting

area to study. The tem can be derived based on the SAla vRksha-s which abound

in the place where the sAlagrAma-s were found, the bees (vajra-keeTa-s sa _ aLi

- referring to bees) that are considered as the source of the divine cakra and

other inscriptions found in the sAligrama, sAra-grAva (the sacred stone), and a

few other derivations. Again, the different books advocate different

pronunciations. It is best to follow whatever one's AcArya advises.

 

-Krishnamachari

 

 

 

 

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