45 - Characteristics of Salagrama 

Hari said: 

1. Relevent to the context I shall explain the characteristics of Salagrama stone a touch of which destroys the sins of a crore of births. 

2. Gadadhara (Vişhnu) bearing Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma is called Keshava. (In this and those that follow, the order of the weapons shall be preserved for the success of meditation). The supreme lord holding Abja (Padma), Kaumodaki (gada) Chakra and Shankha is Narayana. 

3. Shrigadadhara (Vişhnu) bearing Chakra, Shankha, Abja and Gada is Madhava Gadadhara (Vişhnu). He can be worshiped as Govinda wearing Gadā, Abja, Shankha and Chakra. 

4. Obeisance unto thee of the form of Vişhņu bearing Padma, Shankha, Chakra and Gada. Obeisance to Madhusudana mürti (form bearing Shankha, Abja, Gadā and Chakra. 

5. Obeisance unto Traivikrama (the incarnation Vamana who took three steps) bearing Gada, Chakra, Shankha and Abja. Obeisance unto Vamana mürti, bearing Chakra, Kaumodaki, Padma and Shankha. 

6. Obeisance unto Shridhara-murti bearing Chakra, Abja, Shankha and Gada. Obeisance unto Hruşhikesha bearing Abja, Gada and Shankha and Chakra. 

7. Obeisance unto thee in the form of Padmanabha1 bearing Abja, Chakra, Gada and Shankha. O Damodara,2 obeisance, obeisance unto thee bearing Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma.

1. Name of Vişhnu, literally meaning 'from whose navel comes out a lotus'. 

2. Name of Vishnu, more properly of Krishna because his foster mother tied to tie him up with a rope (dáman) round his belly (udara).(CDHM p. 80.) 

8. Obeisance unto Vasudeva bearing Chakra, Shankha, Gada and Abja. Obeisance unto Sarkarshana bearing Shankha, Abja, Chakra and Gada. 

9. Obeisance to Pradyumna-murti bearing Shankha, Gada, Abja and Chakra. Obeisance unto Aniruddha bearing Gada, Shankha, Abja and Chakra. 

10. Obeisance to Purushottama-murti bearing Abja, Shankha, Gada and Chakra. Obeisance unto thee in the form of Adhokshaja1 bearing Gada, Shankha, Chakra and Padma.

1. Name of Vishņu. 

11. Obeisance unto Nrusimha-murti bearing Padma, Gada, Shankha and Chakra. Obeisance to Achyuta-murti2 bearing Padma, Chakra, Shankha and Gada. 

2. Unfallen; a name of Vişhņu or Krishna. It has been variously interpreted as signifying "he who does not perish with created things", in the Mahabharata as "he who is not distinct from final emancipation", and in the Skanda Purana as "he who never declines (or varies) from his proper nature". It can also mean one who is firm, one who does not yield to passions. (CDHM p. 2; SSED p. 7). 

12. I invoke Janardana3 here bearing Shankha, Chakra, Abja and Gada. Obeisance, obeisance unto thee, O Upendra4 having Gada, Chakra, Padma and Shankha. 

3. The adored of mankind; A name of Krishna or Vishnu; but other derivations are offered, as 'extirpator of the wicked, by Shankaracharya. (CDHM p. 133). 

4. Name of Vişhnu as the younger brother of Indra in his fifth or dwarf incarnation. (SSED p. 116.) 

13. Obeisance unto Hari-mūrti5 bearing Chakra, Abja, Gada and Shankha. Obeisance unto Shrikrishna-murti bearing Gada, Abja, Chakra and Shankha. 

5. A name of Vishnu. 

14. The Salagrama stone white in colour that has two ring-like marks at the entrance is called Vasudeva. Let Lord Vişhņu presiding over it protect you all. 

15. The stone red in colour, having the mark of a lotus in front, with two clearly defined ring-like marks, is called Sarkarshana. If it is yellow in colour with ringlike marks not clearly defined it is called Pradyumna. 

16-17. Aniruddha stone is blue in colour; it has a long aperture at the top, it has three lines at the lateral aperture. It is circular in shape. The Narayana stone is black in colour with the form of Gada in the middle, with the Chakra lines at the centre that is lifted up. The stone called Nrusimha has a stout chest and three dots. It is tawny in colour. May it protect us. 

18. Or it may have five dots. Only Brahmacharins (students) shall worship it. The Salagrama with two uneven ring -like marks is called Varahashaktilinga.1 May it protect us.

1. The indicator of the power of the Boar (incarnation of Vishņu). 

19. The Kurma mürti2 is blue in colour. It has three lines. It is stout and has dots. May the stone called Krishna depressed at the back and having circular curb protect you.

2. Refers to the Tortoise-incarnation of Vishnu.  

20. Let the Shridhara stone marked with five lines, a garland of forest flowers and club protect us. Vamana stone is circular and short. Sureshvara stone has a ringlike mark on the leftside. 

21. The Anantaka stone is of various colours and forms with serpentine marks. The Damodara stone is stout and of blue colour. In its middle there is a ring-like mark of deep blue colour. 

22. The Brahma stone is of crimson colour. It has a small aperture. May it protect you. It has a long line and a ringlike mark and a large lotus in the aperture. 

23. Hayagriva stone has a big aperture, a stout ring like mark and dark spots. That which has five lines in the form of a goad is Kaustubha stone. 

24. Vaikuntha3 stone is lustrous like a precious gem. It has a single ring-like mark and a lotus. It is dark in colour. The Matsya4 stone is of great length in the form of a lotus with lines at the aperture. May it protect you. 

3. This is supposed to be a paradise where Vişhnu resides. Sometimes Vishnu is also called Vaikuntha. 

4. Refers to the Fish-incarnation of Vishnu. 

25. May the Trivikrama5 stone with ringlike mark on the left and lines on the right and dark in colour protect you. Obeisance unto the lord with Gada staying in Salagrama in Dvaraka.

5. Vişhnu is called Trivkrama because he took three steps at the time of Tamasa-incarnation.  

26-27. May the Lakshminarayana6 stone protect us -- the stone that has one aperture with four ring like marks, which is bedecked with garland of forest towers. It has golden lines in the form of cow's hoofs. It is of the shape of a Kadamba1 flower. The Sudarshana class of stones is marked with a single characteristic.   

6. Name of Vişhnu. Literally Lakşhmi and Narayana. 

1. Anthocephalus indicus. (GVDB p. 70.) 

28. May Vişhnu presiding over it protect us. The Lakshmi narayana class is marked with two features, the Trivikrama class with three features. The Chaturvyūha2 class is marked with four features: the Vasudeva class with five.

2. It refers to the worship of Vişhnu in four-fold forms of Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.  

29. The Pradyumna class with six and the Sankarshaņa class with seven. The Puruşhottama class is marked with eight features, the Navavyuha3 class with nine.

3. The worship of Vişhnu in nine forms. They are, according to Garuda Purana-Vasudeva. Balarama, Kảma (Pradyumna), Aniruddha, Nårāyana, Brahmă, Vişhnu, Simha (Nrusimha) and Varåha (GPEA pp. 332-3).  

30. The Dashavatara4 class is marked with ten features and Aniruddha with eleven. May it protect us. The Dvadashatma5 class is marked with twelve features and the Ananta class with more features. 

4. For ten incarnations of Vişhnu see p, 2, fn. 6. 

5. Twelve forms of Vişhnu, to be worshippd in each month of the year, viz., Keshava, Nárāyana, Madhava, Vasudeva, Trivikrama, Vámana, Shridhara, Pradyumna, Hruşhikeśha, Padmanabha, Damodara and Aniruddha. 

(GPEA, P. 333) 

31. He who reads this prayer consisting of Vişhnu's forms shall go to Heaven. Brahma is four-headed. It (the image) has a staff and two waterpots. 

32. That of Maheshvara6 has five faces, ten hands and the emblem of a bull. It has suitable weapons and the attendants Gauri, Chandika, sarasvati, 

6. Shiva.

33. And Mahalakshmi. The idol of the Sun has a lotus in the hand. The Ganadhipa7 has the face of an elephant, Skanda has six faces. 

7. Ganesha. 

34. These images of the different characteristic features shall be duly worshipped and installed in mansions after duly consecrating the plot of land. Then the owner of that building shall obtain Virtue, Wealth, fulfilment of desires, emancipation and other benefits.