BG 18.10

We are at Salagrama in North. Known as Muktinath, it is a beautiful Kshetram on river Gantaki. We had already visited the temple and worshiped the Deities there. Today's [6th August 2009] lecture is about a brief account on various Salagramas, their significance and worship, which were promised a few days earlier. Salagramam means, sala means rejoice [kondattam கொண்டாட்டம் in Tamil], and gramam means community or group; that is, group of rejoicing. Or, many rejoices! We have to therefore, say Salagramam is that which is the target of many rejoicings. Salagramam is the matter for many rejoices. Is it, that rejoice not found in big idols, available in these tiny Salagramas? To worship big idols, lots of regulations and rules are there, to be followed. But to worship Salagrama, no such strict restrictions are there and it is very simple to perform pooja. But to start performing pooja for Salagrama, one has to get Pancha Samskara done from a proper Acharya. Salagramas are available in Gantaki river. A worm Vajrakireeta, resides inside a Salagrama stone and carves out to form patterns and marks. Similar stones are found in Dwaraka and they are called Dwaraka shila. These are used in our daily Tiruvaradhana [திருவாராதனம்]. This Aradhana Murti of Salagrama, can be worshiped very easily. Only good water and small quantity of milk are needed to perform abhishekam or tirumanjanam. The Lord is so pleased that He showers blessings on us. This aradhanam is prescribed for every devotee. Salagrama's glory has been mentioned in many puranas, but, since they are many, it is not possible to mention in this brief time. However, some aspects are told now. Lord Shiva told Parvati that considering these Salagrama as mere stones or selling or buying Salagrama in exchange of money, would push one into hell. We have to worship Salagrama as a priceless possession. There are many types of Salagrama. We will now see some types, their appearance and significance:

MURTHY	COLOR	APPEARANCE	REMARKS	WORSHIPED BY
SRI GADHADHARA	WHITE			ONE MURTY
SANKARSHANA	BRIGHT LIKE CHAKRA	PRESSED TWO CHAKRAS	FRONT ENLARGED
PRADYUMNA		SMALL CHAKRA,SMALL IN SIZE
ANIRUDDHA		LONG, HOLE ON TOP	ELLIPTICAL
NARAYANA	BLACK	GARLANDS AND REKHAS		TWO MURTYS
NARASIMHA	BROWN	GADHA REKHA AT CENTER	NAVEL RAISED, LARGE CHAKRA, THREE HOLES
VARAHA			TWO UNEQUAL CHAKRAS,
KOORMA	BLACK		THREE REKHAS, WITH HOLE
KRISHNA		WHITE BACK	CIRCULAR REKHA
SRIDHARAN			FIVE REKHAS, VANAMALA
VAIKUNTA	BLACK
MATSYA		FISH SHAPE/LONG LOTUS SHAPE	WITH HOLE AND REKHA
VAMANA		ROUND	CHAKRA ON LEFT,
ANANTAKA	MULTI COLOR			TWLVE AND ABOVE MURTYS
HAYAGRIVA			FIVE REKHAS ON ALL SIDES

If 12 Salagramas are worshiped in a house, it is equivalent to one Divya Kshetram.
Now we will see sloka 10 of Chapter 18:

na dveṣṭy akuśalaṃ karma kuśale nānuṣajjate
tyāgī sattvasamāviṣṭo medhāvī chinnasaṃśayaḥ 18.10


Sri Krishna, First mentioned about Tamasa tyagam in sloka 7. Then He described Rajasa tyagam. Thereafter, He told about Satvika tyagam in sloka 9. How to identify a person with Satvika tyagam? He never undergoes any change. Normally, we rejoice when good things happen due to punya and feel gloomy when bad things occur due to papa. But a person who has done satvika tyaga - sacrificing the feeling of I-am-doing and done-for-me, and the results- while doing karmas, is not affected by papa or punya and shows no change of rejoice or gloom. Na dvesty = not hating, akusalam karma = actions producing undesirable results or papa, kusale = good results or punya, na anusajjate = never desires. That is he does not desire punya nor hates papa. Why? Tyagi = he has already sacrificed [results and feeling of self doing], satvasamavista = satva quality in exalted position, medhavi = well understood about entities, samsaya = doubts, chinna = destroyed. For this person with Satvika tyagam, satva quality is flourishing, and so this person has learnt all good things and cleared all doubts. He has not sacrificed the karma but the results of karma only. Such a person neither hates karmas resulting in papa nor desires karmas resulting in punya. He is called tyagi, beyond desire and hate. How this is possible? If our neighbour is rewarded, we do not rejoice; because, we feel that does not affect us. Similarly, neighbour's sorrow does not affect us. Sri Krishna advises that in a similar way, we should not be happy or feel sorry for anything that happens to us. How is that possible? This is what the Lord has been preaching from beginning. Atman is different from body. When one says, "I", one means one's atman. Hatered and desires are body related. Atman has nothing to do with them nor atman is affected. Satvam, rajas and tamas are the qualities of body and not of atman. Just like we view neighbour, we [our atman] should view our body. If this is properly felt, then we will remain aloof from whatever happens to the body. Thus this person having satvika tyagam is unaffected and remains without any change. Now, we take leave of Salagrama.