[sri ramanuja] 'Saala-grAmam' .

[Guest guest]

The 'Saala-grAmam' , as everyone knows, is the 'svayambhu' sacred fossil stone highly venerated in the worship of Vishnu-Narayana. (The commentaries of Sri Sankara bhagavat-pAda contain several references to it.) The name probably comes of the ('Saala-grAmam' gathering) spot which was marked by a dense growth of the tall 'saala' trees. The fossil stone is also described in the Purana literature as 'chakra-SilA' and 'sudarSana-SilA', and is held to make for unlimited merit ('puNyam') when presented or received in all ' vaidika' ceremonies like birth rites, weddings, funeral rites, pilgrimages etc. The Padma Puraanam avers that the stone is 'svayam-vyaktam' (sui generis) and hence there is no pre-requirement of consecration ('pratishThA') for worship. The Puraanam says,

 

"Saala-grAma SilA yatra, yatra dvAravatee tathA,

tulasee-kAnanam yatra, tatra san-nihitO hari:"

 

[Where there is the Saala-graama stone, or the (marine pre-coral fossil of) dvAravatee, or the clump of 'tulasee' / basil plants, Hari is there in established presence.]

 

'Rudra' does not stand for 'rough', even though the 'brAhmanam' contains the declaration, "rudrO vai krUra:" (Rudra is ruthless, cruel). The name comes of 'rud', meaning to cry and wail. "rudati iti rudra:", he wails, that is why. Also, "rOdayati iti", he drives people to tears of agony. "aksha" (seed, nut) is different from "aksharam" (letter of the alphabet). The explanation contained in the posting given below is therefore fanciful.

 

I have noticed in a science shop in the Mall of Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, very large spiral 'Saala-grAmam' collections on sale. The English connotation for it is 'ammonite' stone, after the spiral-shaped horns of the pre-Christian Egyptian deity of that name.

 

The 'Saala-grAmam' fossil is generally available upstream of river Gandaki and west of the divya-dESam Muktinath-SaalagrAmam (hymned by Tirumangai Aazhvaar), but the fossil field is far extensive beyond this site, almost equal to the Tethys sea which, in a geological upheaval millions of years ago, threw up the Himalayan range of mountains. The fossil is also available in the Lahul-Spiti district of the Himachal Pradesh State and perhaps in the eastern region of Ladakh in Kashmir. (The name of Tibet, situated in the region, is said to be the popular form of 'tri-vishtapa' signifying the three-fold geo-layers formed during the upheaval. The name could well suggest faint racial memories of the Boar-incarnation, varAha-avatAra, when the Lord dug into the oceanic depths and hoisted the submerged earth. Hence the name of the site, Baaramullah, corruption of Varaaha-moolam ~~ this name occurs in Kalhana's Kashmir chronicle of Raja-tarangini ~~ situated on the Indian line of control in Kashmir.)

 

Please do visit the Government of Tamil Nadu handicrafts emporium 'poompukAr' in any city, to buy SPURIOUS 'saala-graamam' stones made of cement mixed with black dye and stamped with spiral or web design !!!

 

Best wishes from

T.S. Sundara Rajan

(Srirangam)

 

 

ramanuja, vanamamalai,

"SubaShree Ranganathan" <subasri.ranganathan >

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 10:57:03 +0530

[sri ramanuja] Doubt about Saalagramam

 

 

Dear Devotees,

 

I am having a doubt about meaning of Saalagrama Silai.

 

Why it is called Saalagramam.

 

As I know:

Rudraaksha means : at it is very rough surface, rudra as Sanskrit word for Rough,

It is used to chant or count aksharas,

 

The combination is Rudraaksha.

 

So In this manner is there any meaning for Saalagramam also?

 

Kindly let me know.

 

aDiyan

Ranganathan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Sunderrajan,

Thank you for your informative article on the Salagrama Silas. It is intersting to note that the name Baramullah

is a corruption of the term Varaha Moolam. There are other names in Kashmir which allude to Lord Vishnu

viz. Ananth Nag, Shesh Nag etc

Though such fossils are available in many places beyond the Gandaki river basin, probably only those collected

from the Gandaki river basin are said to be fit for worship and are called Salagramams. Is it not so?

Actually the coral etc from the sea are all fossils and the ocean is a veritable mine for fossils. All such

fossils are not Salagrama Silas.

Adiyen,

Dasan,

Ramanujam

 

 

 

 

________________________________

> ; vanamamalai; ramanuja

> CC: sdeivachilai ; aravindat (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net

> try_surangam (AT) sancharnet (DOT) in

> Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:00:58 +0530

> [sri ramanuja] 'Saala-grAmam' .

>

> The 'Saala-grAmam' , as everyone knows, is the 'svayambhu' sacred fossil stone highly venerated in the worship of Vishnu-Narayana. (The commentaries of Sri Sankara bhagavat-pAda contain several references to it.) The name probably comes of the ('Saala-grAmam' gathering) spot which was marked by a dense growth of the tall 'saala' trees. The fossil stone is also described in the Purana literature as 'chakra-SilA' and 'sudarSana-SilA', and is held to make for unlimited merit ('puNyam') when presented or received in all ' vaidika' ceremonies like birth rites, weddings, funeral rites, pilgrimages etc. The Padma Puraanam avers that the stone is 'svayam-vyaktam' (sui generis) and hence there is no pre-requirement of consecration ('pratishThA') for worship. The Puraanam says,

> "Saala-grAma SilA yatra, yatra dvAravatee tathA,

> tulasee-kAnanam yatra, tatra san-nihitO hari:"

> [Where there is the Saala-graama stone, or the (marine pre-coral fossil of) dvAravatee, or the clump of 'tulasee' / basil plants, Hari is there in established presence.]

> 'Rudra' does not stand for 'rough', even though the 'brAhmanam' contains the declaration, "rudrO vai krUra:" (Rudra is ruthless, cruel). The name comes of 'rud', meaning to cry and wail. "rudati iti rudra:", he wails, that is why. Also, "rOdayati iti", he drives people to tears of agony. "aksha" (seed, nut) is different from "aksharam" (letter of the alphabet). The explanation contained in the posting given below is therefore fanciful.

> I have noticed in a science shop in the Mall of Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, very large spiral 'Saala-grAmam' collections on sale. The English connotation for it is 'ammonite' stone, after the spiral-shaped horns of the pre-Christian Egyptian deity of that name.

>

_______________

Use Messenger to talk to your IM friends, even those on

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[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha,

 

 

Dear Sriman,

 

The following link gives more information on

SAALAGRAMAM.

 

http://www.divyadesamonline.com/articles/salagramamtypes.asp

 

Adiyen

Sampath kumar dasan

 

 

--- Ramanujam Varada Srinivasa Thatta

<acharyatvsr (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

 

>

> Dear Sriman Sunderrajan,

> Thank you for your informative article on the

> Salagrama Silas. It is intersting to note that the

> name Baramullah

> is a corruption of the term Varaha Moolam. There are

> other names in Kashmir which allude to Lord Vishnu

> viz. Ananth Nag, Shesh Nag etc

> Though such fossils are available in many places

> beyond the Gandaki river basin, probably only those

> collected

> from the Gandaki river basin are said to be fit for

> worship and are called Salagramams. Is it not so?

> Actually the coral etc from the sea are all fossils

> and the ocean is a veritable mine for fossils. All

> such

> fossils are not Salagrama Silas.

> Adiyen,

> Dasan,

> Ramanujam

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> > ;

> vanamamalai;

> ramanuja

> > CC: sdeivachilai ;

> aravindat (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net

> > try_surangam (AT) sancharnet (DOT) in

> > Thu, 23 Nov 2006 11:00:58 +0530

> > [sri ramanuja] 'Saala-grAmam' .

> >

> > The 'Saala-grAmam' , as everyone knows, is the

> 'svayambhu' sacred fossil stone highly venerated in

> the worship of Vishnu-Narayana. (The commentaries

> of Sri Sankara bhagavat-pAda contain several

> references to it.) The name probably comes of the

> ('Saala-grAmam' gathering) spot which was marked by

> a dense growth of the tall 'saala' trees. The

> fossil stone is also described in the Purana

> literature as 'chakra-SilA' and 'sudarSana-SilA',

> and is held to make for unlimited merit ('puNyam')

> when presented or received in all ' vaidika'

> ceremonies like birth rites, weddings, funeral

> rites, pilgrimages etc. The Padma Puraanam avers

> that the stone is 'svayam-vyaktam' (sui generis) and

> hence there is no pre-requirement of consecration

> ('pratishThA') for worship. The Puraanam says,

> > "Saala-grAma SilA yatra, yatra dvAravatee tathA,

> > tulasee-kAnanam yatra, tatra san-nihitO hari:"

> > [Where there is the Saala-graama stone, or the

> (marine pre-coral fossil of) dvAravatee, or the

> clump of 'tulasee' / basil plants, Hari is there in

> established presence.]

> > 'Rudra' does not stand for 'rough', even though

> the 'brAhmanam' contains the declaration, "rudrO

> vai krUra:" (Rudra is ruthless, cruel). The name

> comes of 'rud', meaning to cry and wail. "rudati

> iti rudra:", he wails, that is why. Also,

> "rOdayati iti", he drives people to tears of agony.

> "aksha" (seed, nut) is different from "aksharam"

> (letter of the alphabet). The explanation

> contained in the posting given below is therefore

> fanciful.

> > I have noticed in a science shop in the Mall of

> Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, very large spiral

> 'Saala-grAmam' collections on sale. The English

> connotation for it is 'ammonite' stone, after the

> spiral-shaped horns of the pre-Christian Egyptian

> deity of that name.

> >

>

_______________

> Use Messenger to talk to your IM friends, even those

> on

>

http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=7adb59de-a857-45ba-81cc-685ee3e858fe

>

 

 

 

 

 

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