The Garuda Purana

by Manmatha Nath Dutt | 1908 | 245,256 words | ISBN-13: 9788183150736

The English translation of the Garuda Purana: contents include a creation theory, description of vratas (religious observances), sacred holidays, sacred places dedicated to the sun, but also prayers from the Tantrika ritual, addressed to the sun, to Shiva, and to Vishnu. The Garuda Purana also contains treatises on astrology, palmistry, and preci...

Chapter LXVI - Description of the specific marks of Salagrama

(and description of Tirthas and of sixty countries such as Prabhasa)

Hari said:—It is better to adore a stone which has no characteristic marks than the one which has a circular mark on it.

The first image is Sudarshana. The second is Lakshmi-Narayana. The third is Tree-Chakra (three discus), the fourth is Achyuta, the fifth is Chaturchakra and the sixth is Chaturbhuja (four-armed). The next is Vasudeva, then Pradyumna, then Sangkarshana and the eighth is Purusottama. Navavyuha is the tenth. Aniruddha is the eleventh, then Ekadasa and then Dvadashatma. Ananta is on the top of all the lines.

Where there is Shalagrama stone there lives the lord of Dvaravati (Vishnu). Where is the meeting between these two there is forsooth emancipation. Shalagrama, Dvaraka, Naimisha, Pushkara, Gya, Baranashi, Prayaga, Kurukshetra, Ganga, Narmuda, Chandrabhaga, Sarasvati, Purusottama, and Mahakala—these are the sacred shrines, O Shankara, which dissipate all sins and yield enjoyment and emancipation.

Prabhava, Vibhava, Shukra, Pramoda, Prajapati, Angira, Shrimukha, Bhava, Pusha, Dhata, Ishvara, Vahudhanya, Pramathi, Vikrama, Vidhu, Chitrabhanu, Svarbhanu, Daruna, Prarthiva(Brarthiva?), Vyaya, Sarvajit, Sarvadhari, Virodhhi, Vikrita, Khara, Nandana, Vijaya, Jaya, Manmatha, Darmukha, Hemalamva, Vilamva, Vikara, Sharvari, Plava, Shubhakrit, Shobhana, Krodha, Vishvavasu, Parabhava, Plavanga, Kilaka, Saumya, Sadharana, Virodhakrit, Paridhara, Pramadi; Ananda, Rakshasa, Nala, Pingala, Kalasiddharta, Durmati, Sumath Dundubhi, Rudhirodgan, Raktaksha, Krodhana, Akshaya—are the names which indicate years to be either auspicious or inauspicious.

O Rudra, I will now describe time leading to success according to the system of Panchasara[1] (five vowels.) They are Raja, Saja, Saja, Udasa, Pida and Mrityu. In the figure of five fires one should write the vowels A, I, U, E, AU. Six fires should come from the lines drawn upwards or askance. In the house of one fire the times Raja, Saja, Udasa, Peeda and Mritiyu are in order presided over by Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, the sun and the moon. The first division of the time is presided over by the stars beginning with Revati and ending with Mrigasira. Beginning with the month of Chaitra each group of five stars appears. From the first letters of the names of the stars twelve days and two months are derived. In the fifth house of the figure the characteristic marks of the various divisions of Time are found. From the first letter of the name of any article pronounced by a party divisions of Time, the. various Tithis, various days, stars and months are calculated.

The mantram is “Om, Kshaum, Sivaya Namas.” It is called Trailokyamohana. It counteracts the influence of evil stars on mental faculties and yeilds success, when written on a Bhurja leaf with Gorochana and along with the names of Siva, Gana and Lakshmi, it is placed on the neck or arms.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Panchasura is one of the divisions of Hindu Jyotish (astrology). It refers to the five elements viz, earth, air, fire, water and ether which compose the human body. Auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of time is calculated, according to the Panchasara, by the increase or decrease of all these elements severally,

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