S1176 – Narmada Linga Narmadishwar Banalingam

Description

Narmada Linga Narmadishwar – S1176
Product Code – S1176

నర్మదా శివలింగం, நர்மதா லிங்கம், नर्मदा लिंगा

Narmada Lingams are considered to be highly auspicious, as they are the natural creations made in the river bed itself. It holds very high amount of significance, and it is considered that Lord Shiva reside himself at the place where Narmada Lingams are placed. A person who worships Narmada Lingam daily with complete devotion and true belief get rid of all the diseases and ailments from which he is suffering. Also, success is attained by that person if he installs it in his home. Relationship in between a couple improves and becomes more cordial through Narmada Lingams. People with a malefic Saturn in their horoscope are also recommended to have Narmada Lingams, as it holds the power to neutralize the ill effects caused because of the malefic Saturn.

Narmada Banalinga, a stone found in nature, in the bed of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh state, India, is an iconic symbol of worship, based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions among the Hindus, particularly of the Shaivaites and Smartha Brahmins. Stones are ancient and connote divinity. It is a smooth cylindrical stone.

Banalingam is also called the Svayambhu Linga: (Sanskrit) “Self-existent mark or sign of God”, as it is discovered in nature and not carved or crafted by human hands.

The forms of Linga can vary in detail from a simple roller shape roughly cylindrical Bana linga to the stone carved with a thousand facets (Sahasralinga) or of light relief in several human figures (Mukhalinga). The Linga in the shrine of a temple is in stone.

The Narmada River (also called the Rewa, from its leaping motion (from the root rev through its rocky bed) where the Banalinga stones are found, has been mentioned by Ptolemy and the author of the Periplus. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Puranas refer to it frequently. The Rewa Khand of Vayu Purana and the Rewa Khand of Skanda Purana are entirely devoted to the story of the birth and the importance of the Narmada River. It is said to have sprung from the body of Lord Shiva. It was created in the form of a lovely damsel who enamoured gods and hence named by the Lord as Narmada – delight giving. It is, therefore, often called Shankari (Parvati), i.e., daughter of Lord Shankar (Shiva).

All the pebbles rolling on its bed are said to take the shape of His emblem with the saying Narmada Ke Kanker utte Sanka (which is a popular saying in the Hindi belt of India) which means that ‘pebble stones of Narmada gets a personified form of Shiva’. Thus, these lingam (phallus) shaped stones, called Banalinga are sought after for daily worship by the Hindus.

The Bannalinga, as a divine aniconic symbol for worship, is held in reverence by the Shaivaites and Smartha Brahmins, to the same extent as the Saligrama Sila (murti) is held in reverence by the Vaisihnavites.

Further, a sighting of the Narmada River is considered equivalent to a bath in the Ganges. At numerous places along its course there are temples, and fairs are held. Pilgrims perform Pradakshina (circumambulation), i.e., walking along the southern bank from its source to the mouth and going back along the northern bank. The performance is regarded to be of the highest religious efficacy.

Omkareshwar, one of the famous 12 Jyotirlingas, is a beautiful self manifest Linga on the banks of the holy river Narmada. The smooth, round pebbles found in this river are called “Bana Lingas” and also Narmada Shiva Linga. Several scriptures extol the virtues of worshipping the Bana-Linga. What Salagramas are to Vishnu, the bana-lingas are to Shiva – sacred and self-manifest representations. If the Salagrama are stones found only in the Gandaki river, the bana-lingas are stones found only in the Narmada river. The currents of the Narmada river are very strong and forceful, and the stones are carried from the rocky river-sides, rendering them smooth and polished.

According to Yajnavalkya-samhita, the bana-lingas obtained in the river Narmada are the very forms of Siva assumed by the God at the request of Banasura and are therefore the holiest of objects. Worshipping one bana-linga gets the benefits that can be procured by worshipping a crore of other lingas.

The demon Bana was the eldest son of Bali, who in turn was the grandson of Prahlad. Bana was a great devotee of Siva, and Siva gave him his own representative in the form of a natural linga of worship (banrchartham krtam lingam); hence the name Bana-linga. As the bana-lingas are self-manifest forms of Siva, they are holier than any other anionic forms of Siva. According to Yajnavalkya-samhita the bana-lingas are actually bits of the river-side rock, which flowed into the stream Narmada. The rock by the side of the river was itself the linga, the form assumed by Siva to bless the asura Bana. Siva dwells in that rock and the parts of the rock which we find in the river are, therefore, aspects of Siva.

The bana-lingas in the Narmada River may be the shape of a ripe jambu-fruit, or of a swan’s egg. They may be honey-coloured, white, blue or emerald-hued. Suta-samhita, which also extols the bana-lingas, mentions that the best bana-lingas are like the lotus seeds or like the hen’s egg in shape. According to scriptures, one can simply keep them in pooja and worship and there is no need to ceremonially instal the bana-lingas. They do not require the normal ritual of invocation of divine presence (avahana) etc, for the divine presence is already there, and will continue to be there quite independently of any rituals. Its worship is said to secure worldly welfare as well as emancipation from worldly involvement. It is therefore claimed that the bana-linga when worshipped is a thousand times more effective than any other linga.

Three kinds of lingas are described in the Brihat Vaivarta Purana (Hindu scripture). These three lingas, are called SvAmbhuva [Self-existing], Banalinga [got from a certain river] and Sailalinga [made of stone] and these are also respectively called Vyakta, Avyakta, and VyaktAvyakta. It is said that Vyakta,gives salvation, the Avyakta gives [worldly] happiness, and VyaktAvyakta gives both happiness and salvation.

People belonging to various Hindu sects such as Shaiva, Kapalik, Gosavi, Virashaiva, etc., use various lingas – earthen (parthivlinga), lingas in a silver box donned around the neck (kanthasthalinga), lingas of crystal glass (sphatiklinga), banalingas, a five stringed linga (panchasutri), stone lingas (pashanlinga), etc.[

and Banalinga is a part of the fivefold family of deities (Panchayatana). The five Hindu deities (Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha) are the embodiment of 5 bhutas/tatwas worshipped in formless stones, which are obtained from the 5 rivers as indicated in the table below. Panchayatana form of worship is said to have been introduced by Adi Shankara, the 8th century C.E Hindu philosopher, to enable a person to worship his Ishta devata (adored or desired deity), to address each sectarian form of worship and thus bring about tolerance among all sects. Depending on the tradition followed by Smarta households, one of these deities is kept in the centre facing East direction and the other four are arranged in four corners surrounding it, as indicated in the diagram below; all the deities are worshipped with equal fervor and devotion.

Deity Name	Bhuta(Tatwa)	Name of the Stone (Sila)	Name of the River	Name of the State where found in India	Names of flowers and leaves used for worship
Ganesha	Apu(Water)	Red Sonabhadra	Sone	Bihar	Lotus and Bandook flowers
Surya(Sun)	Vayu (Air)	Crystal	Vallam	Tamil Nadu (Tanjavur)	Bandook flower and plantain tree
Vishnu	Akasha(Space)	Saligrama	Gandaki	Nepal	Tulsi (basil), Ashwatha, and Amalaki leaves. Marigold, Punnaga, and yellow flowers
Shiva	Prithivi(Earth)	Banalinga	Narmada (Omkara-kunda)	Madhya Pradesh	Godlen shower tree Flower, Bel leaves & Amalaki leaves. Akund (Calotropis gigantea), Crown flower Nagalingam flower
Ambika(Devi)	Agni(Fire)	Swarna Mukhi (Rekha Shila)	Swarnamukhi	Andhra Pradesh	Red flowers – Hibiscus or China rose and Neem leaves

 

Rasalinga made of Mercury is considered as the foremost among mobile lingas, belonging to Caralingas, and a bestower of all wishes to the Brahmins. The auspicious Banalinga is considered as a bestower of vast kingdoms to the Kshatriyas. A gold linga bestows the ownership of vast wealth on the Vaisyas. A Silalinga (a linga made of rock) bestows great purity on the Sudras. A crystal linga and a Banalinga bestow all sorts of wishes on all.

Narmada Lingam also called as Narmada Shivaling and Narmada Shiva Lingams is considered to be a highly auspicious product dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The reason behind calling it Narmada Lingam is because it comes from the Narmada River, which is considered as one among the seven holy places in India. Narmada River, situated in the central western part of the country in Madhya Pradesh, holds high degree of significance and is considered to be very sacred among devotees. Narmada River is considered to be the mother and the contributor of peace.

On the other hand, Shiva Lingams has always been seen as a sacred symbol, both in the ancient times as well as today in the modern world. Lingams are considered to be a figure of divine creative manifestation. Its shape represents for the immense power of the Lord Shiva, who is one among the Hindu Trinity of Gods. According to Indian traditions and mythology, Lord Shiva is considered to be the most generous deity among all. Lord Shiva is said to be the destroyer, and the deity of austerity. Lord Shiva is the God of regeneration, who controls the entire process of conception, preservation, construction, and recreation of human existence.

Lord Shiva is also the deity of kindness and compassion, who also save his true devotees from any kind of evil harms and negative energies such as lust, greediness, and annoyance. Also, he keeps miseries and sorrow away from the life of his true followers. Lord Shiva is also the source of fertility in all human beings. He is ubiquitous, who stays inside every human being as pure consciousness. There are many forms and depictions of Lord Shiva. He is called with many names and forms such as Tri-Netra (because of his three eyes), Neel-Kanth (because of his blue colored neck), Nataraja (the divine cosmic dancer), and Ardhanareeswara (the half man, half woman form).