One of my friend visited my house and saw our saligramam we need
to reconfirm and wish to know what type of saligramam we have in our house. And wish to know the name etc.,
But as below mentioned saligrama is Vishnu's, how Iyers who are generally Shaiva like us having the same. I have seen my grant father, father praying rudram while performing pooja. Do sivalinga will also have holes in it ???
Is it necessary we need keep close the saligram and Linka after Pooja and archana?? Iam having close room for my temple so I never closed after pooja. Kindly
clarify
A Devotee
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Salagrama is a small roundish black stone with a small hole and has some distinctive marking like Chakra or shankha etc. These Salagramas are worshipped as Vishnu himself.
A home with a Salagramam is regarded as a temple. Nitya Abhisheka and Aradhana is recommended for the Salagrama. The Salagramam when properly worshiped will nullify the evil effects of black magic within a radius of 5 miles from its location.
You can read the origin of Salagramam from my book Shri Maha Sastha Vijayam - the first chapter of Sastha Jananam - ie the river Gandaki originated from Mohini Avatara Vishnu's body - so the sacred stones from this river is considered as vishnu himself. Its actually the shell of the worms in the river Gandaki and its body is covered by a stone cover or shell known as Vajrakita and they came to be called as Salagramas.
gandakyAs cha iva dEsE cha sAlagrAma Stalam mahat
pAshanam tad bhavam yath thath sAlagrAmam iti smrtham
Near the Gandaki River, there is a big place called Shalagram. The stones which appear in that place are called Shalagramam
There is a detailed work called Salagram Kosha - which explains the significance and varieties and methods of worship for a Salagrama.
Each house may a have a different Salagrama as per the family tradition. You may esquire your family elders regarding this. Iam afraid that I cannot judge which salagramam you are having without seeing it personally. From the description you are giving, I think its general Maha Vishnu Salagrama.
The Salagramas used for puja at home generally has a hole. Having the rekhas, marks etc is not a must. Please note that even if it has a crack or split, it is still auspiciousa and can be worshiped. If it is broken into two - it can be worshipped as two separate Moorthis. And this is directly opposite in the case of Shiva linga - even if there is a small crack in a Shiva Linga it should not be used for worship.
And coming to an important question - How Iyers are worshipping Salagrama ?
IYERS ARE NOT SHAIVAITES !!!
Iyers or Smarthas are people who treat every God as a manifestation of one Supreme being. Just because Smarthas adore Bhasma(vibhuti) and associated with Adhi Shankara, most of the people (including Iyers) are of the opinion that we are Shaivaites - which is not at all true.
Smarthas are people who believe in One Supremacy and worshiped it in different forms. We dont differentiate between Shiva and Vishnu. Adhi Shankara taught this principle. And you can see the Stotras of Shankara that he praises Vishnu than a staunch Vaishnavite.
Each Smartha House had a complete Set of Panchayata - which includes -
1.Shiva Linga
2.Vishnu Salagrama
3.Ganapati Sonabadra
4.Surya Spatika
5. Devi Swarnamuki
According to the family tradition one deity may gain primary position and other are placed around it.
Please read my article on Panchayatana Puja
We dont differentiate between Shiva and Vishnu and So its no wonder worshipping a Vishnu Salagrama by an Iyer.
Even the Shringeri Acharyas worship the Nrisimha Salagrama which is handed down in the lineage by Adhi Shankara himself. The Shri Chankr at Kamakoti Peetam, Kanchipuram is engraved on a Salagrama Stone.
Strict Acharas has to be followed regarding Devata Puja. Worshipping framed pictures and doing Yatha Sthanam after the puja is totally a different procedure.
But these Salagramam, Shivalingam etc has Nitya Sannidyam of the Devatas and even a small Anachara may result in adverse effect. Thats the reason our ancestors were very careful in handling with these and so closed the Puja gruham immediately after the puja
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