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76) Saalagraama nivaasaaya SrI
venkatEsaaya nama:
The Lord may be present
everywhere, but there are certain places and objects which can boast of His
constant and preferred presence. One of these is the Saalagraama silaa or the
Saalagraama stone, which is to be found in and around the river Gandaki in
Nepal. On its banks is also located a beautiful temple of the Lord, adulated
by Sri Tirumangai Azhwar, known by the same name (Saalagraamam) or as
Muktinaath. Azhwar is so enamoured of this particular sannidhi that he
constantly counsels his mind to reach and reside at this hallowed
kshetram--"Saalagraamam adai nenje".
The beauty of the Saalagrama
murthy is that unlike idols, in which the Lord's presence has to be sought and
obtained through appropriate mantras, the Lord resides constantly in the
former, obviating any necessity for time-consuming and difficult rituals to
ensure His presence. This makes the stone the easiest form in which the Lord
could be worshipped, by even a lay person who doesn't have knowledge of
rituals.
Saalagraama moorthies are of
myriad varieties, many having in them small holes adorned by cirucular,
discus-like patterns, made in them over hundreds of years by an insect known
as Vajrakeetam. It is indeed wonderful to see some of the moorthies with signs
of the Sudarsana Chakra, the Panchajanya shankha, the flag, a lotus etc., all
of which are symbols of Sri Mahavishnu.
The very presence of this
Saalagraama sila in the house brings to it all auspiciousness, both material
and spiritual. Water in which the stone has been bathed is capable of curing
even the deadliest of diseases. Conversely, scriptures say that a house in
which the Saalagraama sila is not there is equivalent to a cemetery,
irrespective of its other adornments and amenties.
Volumes have been written about
the glory of such Saalagraama silaas. Since they form the Lord's preferred
abodes, He is known as "Saalagraama nivaasa:".
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