IT IS BENEFICIAL TO WORSHIP LORD SHALIGRAM: JIYAR SWAMI

IT IS BENEFICIAL TO WORSHIP LORD SHALIGRAM: JIYAR SWAMI

24-SEP-ENG 37

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------At the Paramanpur Chaturmasya fasting site, India's great sage, Shri Lakshmiprapanna Jiyar Swami Ji Maharaj, said that Lord Shaligram is a deity who does not become displeased even if he is not offered food for any reason. Lord Shaligram is a deity for whom there is no need for Pran Pratishtha. If you do not perform the Pran Pratishtha of any other deity's idol that you keep at home and do not offer it puja and bhog once every 24 hours, then it should be re-consecrated.

Even if you do not perform the Pran Pratishtha again and continue to offer puja and bhog, it holds no special significance because God or any deity does not reside in it. Lord Shaligram is such a deity that even if you do not receive offerings, bhandara, prasad, puja, or paath for any number of days, there is no need for Pran Pratishtha. Because Lord Shaligram is the only deity who remains in perfect order in all situations.

He does not require any special offerings, worship, or prayers. This does not mean that you should not offer offerings or perform prayers. However, sometimes, even if you do not offer offerings or worship for any reason, there is no need to consecrate Lord Shaligram. Once, when Lord Krishna was in his childhood form, he hid Lord Shaligram in his mouth. Yashoda Maiya was searching for Lord Shaligram, and other family members were also searching for him.

Nanda Baba suddenly noticed that one side of Krishna's mouth was swollen. He touched his mouth with his hand, and Lord Shaligram came out of Krishna's mouth. The scriptures state that even if Lord Shaligram breaks, it is not tainted. Even a broken Lord Shaligram can be worshipped. Whereas, if idols of other deities and gods present in the home break or become damaged, they should be re-installed with a new idol.

When the Shaligram came out of Lord Krishna's mouth, Mother Yashoda exclaimed that the Lord had been defiled. Mother Yashoda scolded her severely. In his childhood form, Krishna was the Supreme Brahma, the Supreme God. However, in his childhood, he performed various pastimes for people.

Lord Krishna performed many pastimes, but his childhood pastimes are the most unique. Once, Lord Krishna told Mother Yashoda that he wanted the moon to play with. He insisted on this. Mother Yashoda persuaded him by showing him the moon in water. At one point, he even asked her to marry him. Gargacharya had visited Gokul when Lord Krishna was in his childhood form. At Nand Baba's request, Gargacharya stayed with them for a feast.

Whenever Gargacharya prepared food and offered it to Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna would come and spoil his food. Lord Krishna did this many times. Once, when Nand Baba was worshipping Lord Shaligram, Lord Krishna took Lord Shaligram and put it in his mouth. He said that every day, Baba bathed him with milk, curd, and honey and fed him, so he must have become very sweet.

Mother Yashoda would prepare food for Lord Krishna by extracting butter with her own hands. Once, while Lord Krishna was drinking milk from her mother's lap, the milk spilled from the stove and caught fire. Yashoda took Lord Krishna from her lap, placed him down, and went to save the milk. This time, Lord Krishna became very angry and in his rage, he broke the pot of butter by hitting it with a stone.

At this, Mother Yashoda became very angry and started tying Krishna to a mortar. Every time she tied it, the rope would shorten by two inches. Then, Lord Krishna became bound by Mother Yashoda. The same mortar and pestle was placed between two trees, and after being tied, the child Krishna brought down the tree. Those trees were none other than Kubera's two sons, who had been transformed into trees due to a curse from Narada. The Lord saved them both.

Tying the rope left a mark on the Lord's waist, which is why he was also named Damodar. Even as a child, Lord Krishna relieved the suffering of many people and saved many. Once, a fruit seller came to his door. The Lord took a small amount of grain in his hand and gave it to her, accepting fruit in return. He placed the grain in the fruit seller's basket, and all of it turned into diamonds and poison.

Once, all the people of Gokul left Gokul and went to Vrindavan. Because some demon or the other was constantly visiting Gokul through Kansa, everyone left Gokul. After coming to Vrindavan, Lord Shri Krishna started going to graze the cows and calves. One day, Vatsasura, a demon sent by Kansa, came.

He took the form of a calf and merged with Lord Krishna's calf. Lord Krishna recognized him and killed Vatsasura at that very moment. Then a demon named Bakasur came, whom Lord Krishna killed as well. After a few days, another demon named Aghasur came. He was in the form of a python snake. He swallowed all the cowherd boys. Then Lord Krishna killed him as well.