Tips for Keeping Shaligram Shila

How the Shaligram Shilas are Kept

The spots where salagrama-stones are found within the Nepal territory. Actually there are four spots in the river within Nepal jurisdiction, where the sacred stones are picked up. Until recent times, the spots were leased out to private enterprises, and the palace of the Maharaja reserved the right to appropriate what it considered as the most precious and valuable stones; other stones were given over to the lease-holders.

Note:

1. An even number of salagrama stones must be worshipped, but they must not be only two; an odd number of them is never worshipped, but one only is regarded best.

2. If a person worships daily twelve salagrama-stones with devotion, his merits will increase, and sins will be destroyed.

3. It must always be presented freely by a teacher or well-wisher with the words peace, may it be good to you; it should be received with reverence in the cupped hands and placed on ones own head, as a mark of acceptance.

4. Even as the fire lies latent in wood, and bursts out when ignited, Vishnu pervades the salagrama-stones and appears when the stone is worshipped.

5. A salagrama-stone continues to be worthy of worship even when it is broken. Split or cracked, it does not lose its auspicious nature. Only the mark of the discus must be present in the stone.

6. A salagrama-stone damaged in any way will not become unfit for worship; it is not always sacred and worthy; nothing can be a deterrent for its worship.

7. If you are worshiping more than one Shaligram, make sure they are in even numbers. This means you should have either two, four or six Shaligrams. Place a tulsi mala around them or offer fresh tulsi leaves every where. It is important to remember that even the water that has touched the Shaligram becomes 'amrit' (holy water), while you are bathing it, has tremendous properties. If you drink this water, it can help bring relief from various physical ailments and poor health so you can lead a more healthy life.

8. Whether one has real devotion or not, if he worships a salagrama-stone with prostration before it, he will surely get emancipated from the cycle of phenomenal existence.

9. The person who offers a daily service for the salagrama stone will be freed from the fear of death, and he will cross over the stream of births and deaths.

10. A regular worship of the salagrama-stone, bathing it in curds, ghee, milk or water will cause untold merit.

11. In the salagrama-stone abide the three realms, and all the immovable and movable aspects of creation; and hence Vishnu resides in it.

12. The gifting of a salagrama-stone is also described as most meritorious.

13. One who with delight in his mind worships a salagrama-stone placing it in front of him, will instantly obtain the merit of performing a million sacrifices.

14. When excellent men worship a salagrama-stone, the area of a yojana (three miles) all around that spot, would become as holy as all the sacred places of pilgrimage together in one spot.

15. Even the worst criminal who has committed countless sins will instantaneously get purified by sipping water in which salagrama stone has been washed.

16. Also Tulasi leaves, sandal paste, discus, Gomati-sila (stone from Dvaraka), conch, bell, salagrama (stone from the Gandaki), lamp (sikha, flame of light) a vessel of copper, uttering the name of Vishnu and sipping the water in which the salagrama has been bathed these nine will burn down the mass of sins.

17. As Vishnu abides in these stones, all the gods dwell there, all the benevolent spirits and indeed the fourteen worlds reside in these stones.

18. Hence, we have it as an assurance from Vishnu himself that whoever worships the salagrama-stone even once will surely be liberated: and also will obtain all prosperity here, while alive.

19. Gifts given and rituals observed in the vicinity of a salagrama-stone will be infinitely meritorious, for where that stone is, is indeed a sacred place for miles around. And whatever comes into contact with the sacred stone will at once be purified.

20. Worshipping the salagrama stone with articles like milk, ghee and curds, bathing the stone with them, will entitle the devotee to dwell in the heavenly realms for countless years.

21. In Skanda-purana (Kartika-masa-mahatmya), Siva tells Skanda that all the three worlds in their entirety and he himself abide in a salagrama-stone and a mere glance at it is meritorious, and much more so worshipping it.

22. Texts also say that it is rarely that one procures a salagrama; the possession of the sacred stone speaks of the merits of the person; he should consider himself as extremely fortunate, and worship it diligently.

Must Read ..

Identification of Natural Shaligram
Puja and Mantras
How to keep Shaligram Shilas
Ledgends associated with Shaligrams
Benefits of Shaligram
Importance of Shaligram
Types of Shaligram
Types in Garud Puran
Types as in Praanatashanitantra