Legend of Shaligram

Legend of Shaligram

Shaligram/Salagrama is an iconic in character. However in comparison, the linga may be a natural object like the bana-linga found in the river Narmada, or carved by man in stone, gems or clay or any material. But Salagramas are always only those which are naturally found in the river Gandaki; they are never made by man.

It is interesting to that the great Samkara (632-664 A.D.) mentions in his Vedanata-sutra-bhashya the worship of no other god other than that of Vishnu, and that too in his Salagrama aspect (1,2,7 yatha salagrama harih; 1,2,14 salagrama iva vishnoh; 1,3,14 yatha salagrame vishnuh sannihitah, tadvat), and not in iconic forms. There is a wide-spread belief that the aniconic salagrama must necessarily accompany the iconic representations; and the worship offered to the salagrama takes precedence in the worship offered at home or in temples. It is a fact that in the Vishnu shrines, salagramas are invariably placed in close contact with the mula-murti, which worship is offered. Even in the celebrated temple of Vengadam (Tirupati-Tirumalai), the group of salagramas always kept at the feet of the main deity in the sanctum partakes of the principal worship daily; administrating a ceremonial bath to the salagramas is an important detail.

Salagrama is actually the name of the village on the banks of the river Gandaki, where the holy stones are picked up. The name is derived from the hut (sala) of the sage Salankayana, who beheld the form of Vishnu in a tree outside his hut (cf. Varaha-purana). This hut was on the banks of the Gandaki, and it was in that particular spot that these sacred stones were found in abundance. The stones were therefore called Salagrama.

The river Gandaki is a very ancient river; and the geologists say that it existed even before the formation of the Himalayan ranges. It rises beyond the Himalayan ranges, probably in Tibet, and flows (in the north-south direction) into Nepal, which is the southern valley of the Himalayas, and India. The situation of the birth of the river is given as North 27 27 and East 83 56; it courses in the south-western direction, and joins Ganga in a place called Bhavatyapur in Bihar. It is an important tributary of the river Ganga. It is called Salagrami or Narayani in Uttar-pradesh. It was known to the Greek geographers as Kondochetts.

Understanding the Legend of Shaligram

Shaligram or Salagrama occupies a distinctive place in the sacred traditions surrounding Vishnu worship. The original account on this page emphasizes that Salagramas are naturally occurring stones associated with the Gandaki River and are distinguished from images or sacred forms made by human craftsmanship.

The tradition also connects Shaligram with the worship of Vishnu in an aniconic form. The historical and textual references preserved in the original article describe the place of Salagrama in temple and household worship and its association with ceremonial bathing and reverence.

Gandaki River and the Origin of the Name Salagrama

According to the traditional account presented here, the name Salagrama is associated with a place on the banks of the Gandaki where sacred stones were found. The page also preserves the story connecting the name with the hut of the sage Salankayana and the traditional belief that Vishnu was perceived there.

The Gandaki, also referred to in the article as Salagrami or Narayani in certain regions, is therefore an important geographical and sacred element in the Shaligram tradition.