Dvaravati sila
Encyclopedia
The Dvararvati sila is a type of sila
or coral stone obtained from the Gomati river
in Dvaraka
. Dvaraka is located in the Jamnagar District of Gujarat at the mouth of the Gomti River
as it debouches into the Gulf of Kutch
. The city lies in the westernmost part of India
. In ancient Sanskrit literature Dvaraka was called Dvarawati and was rated as one of the seven most prehistoric cities in the country. Thus, the sila or the stone obtained at the mouth of the Gomati river is called the Dvaravati sila and is worshipped.
Dvaraka silas are coral with chakra (wheel) markings and the chakra-mark is the most distinguishing feature of these stones, and hence they are called ‘chakrankita-sila’.
Aniconic representation of God is by a symbol rather than an image. Indian art overwhelmingly prefers the iconic image, but some aniconism does occur in folk worship, in early Hinduism
in the form of Vishnu
's Saligrama Sila (murthi)
(fossil stone), Dvaravati Sila (coral stone), Govardhana Sila
(stone from the Govardhan hill
), etc. They have solar significance, and their use in worship is very common among all sects of Vaishnavites of Hindu
religion.
history was the dwelling place of Krishna
. Dwarka or Dvaraka is derived from 'Dwar', a door, and in ancient times its flourishing port was considered to be the gateway to the main land. As 'Ka' means 'Brahma' meaning gateway to Moksha (salvation). It is also called Dwarkamati and Dwarkavati or Dvaravati. The famous Nageswar Jyotirlinga near Dwaraka is made of a large Dwaraka sila.
The Hindu scriptures prescribe that stones obtained from Dvaraka only for worship even though geologically it may be found in other places too.
or saligrama sila, in some parts of the country (among Vaishnavites of Saurashtra, Bengal and Maharashtra; the Madhva
sect in Karnataka), particularly in the Vaishnava tradition. It is worshipped along with the sila
| Saligrama sila (stone) since scriptures consider it auspicious to do so. According to Skanda Purana
, wherever Dvaraka sila is placed in front of the sila
|, every class of magnificence goes on increasing unlimitedly. Skanda Purana also says that one who daily worships Dvaraka sila along with twelve Saligrama silas will be honored even in Vaikuntha.
, there are twelve varieties of this stone, owing to the number of chakras (wheels), colours and forms (Sanskrit sloka in this regard states:‘dasadha cha prabhinnas ta varnakrti-vibhedatah’). When there is only one chakra, the stone is called Devesa; when there are two chakras, it is Sudarshana; three chakras represent the deity Ananta. When there are four chakras, the stone is Janardana. Vasudeva
is represented by the stone having five chakras, Pradyumna by six chakras, Bala-bhadra by seven, Purushottama by eight, Nava-vyuha by nine, Dasavatara by ten, Aniruddha by eleven and Dvadastma by twelve. Nava-vyuha represents the collection of nine forms of Vishnu
: Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Narayana
, Hayagriva
, Vishnu
, Nrsimha and Varaha
. The first four forms are well known as ‘chatur-vyuha’. The twelve major forms of Vishnu
are derived from these nine forms, according to the Tantra siddhanta, a division of Pancharatra
.
Prahlada Samhita, quoted in Salagrama-pariksha (by Anupasimha) gives the first few names differently. The Dvaravati sila with only one chakra is called Sudarsana, with two chakras 'Lakshmi-narayana' and with three chkras 'Trivikrama'. The rest of the names are the same as given above. The name Ananta is given to stones which have more than twelve chakras. The name for Dasavatara in the above list is given here as 'Dasamurti'. When the chakras are more than twelve, only even numbered chakras are to be preferred, according to Galava-smrtir.
I.Sudarshana: one chakra - salvation
II.Lakshmi-Narayana: two chakras- salvation
III.Trivikrama: three chakras - freedom from the fear of births and deaths
IV.Janardana: four chakras - fulfillment of desires
V.Vasudeva: five chakras - obtainment of prosperity and elimination of enemies
VI.Pradyumna: six chakras - wealth and lustre
VII.Baladeva: seven chakras - continuation of progeny and celebrity
VIII.Purushottama: eight chakras - satisfaction of all that one aspires for
IX.Navavyuha (the collection of nine forms of Vishnu): nine chakras - rewards, which are difficult, even for the gods to obtain
X.Dashmurti (the ten incarnations of Vishnu): ten chakras - sovereignty and prosperity
XI.Aniruddha: eleven chakras - lordship
XII.Dvadasatmaka: twelve chakras - final emancipation
XIII.Ananta: more than twelve chakras - fulfills one’s desires (only even numbered chakras are to be preferred)
The colour and the shape of the sila is said to give following effects.
Ø White stones are considered most suitable for worship and will make for a worldly prosperity in all aspects and spiritual welfare
Ø Dark (blue-black) stones forebode death
Ø Tawny ones cause anxiety
Ø Multi-coloured ones bring about disease and sorrow Ø Yellow ones take away wealth
Ø Smoke coloured ones produce loss of wealth
Ø Blue stones will bring about obstacles to any undertaking
Ø Round in shape or square auspicious
Ø Triangular or uneven in shape inauspicious
Sila (murthi)
Shila, Shila, Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki....
or coral stone obtained from the Gomati river
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges River. According to Hindu mythology the river is the daughter of Sage Vashist, and bathing in the waters of the Gomati on Ekadashi can wash away one's sins...
in Dvaraka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
. Dvaraka is located in the Jamnagar District of Gujarat at the mouth of the Gomti River
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges River. According to Hindu mythology the river is the daughter of Sage Vashist, and bathing in the waters of the Gomati on Ekadashi can wash away one's sins...
as it debouches into the Gulf of Kutch
Gulf of Kutch
The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat, and renowned for extreme daily tides .The maximum depth of Gulf of Kutch is ....
. The city lies in the westernmost part of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In ancient Sanskrit literature Dvaraka was called Dvarawati and was rated as one of the seven most prehistoric cities in the country. Thus, the sila or the stone obtained at the mouth of the Gomati river is called the Dvaravati sila and is worshipped.
Dvaraka silas are coral with chakra (wheel) markings and the chakra-mark is the most distinguishing feature of these stones, and hence they are called ‘chakrankita-sila’.
Aniconic representation of God is by a symbol rather than an image. Indian art overwhelmingly prefers the iconic image, but some aniconism does occur in folk worship, in early Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
in the form of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
's Saligrama Sila (murthi)
Sila (murthi)
Shila, Shila, Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki....
(fossil stone), Dvaravati Sila (coral stone), Govardhana Sila
Govardhana sila
A Govardhana Shila is the representation of God by an aniconic symbol rather than an image. Indian art overwhelmingly prefers the iconic image, but some aniconism does occur in folk worship, early Buddhism, Shiva's Banalinga, Vishnu's Saligrama Sila ), etc . They have solar significance, and their...
(stone from the Govardhan hill
Govardhan hill
Govardhan is a hill located near the town of Vrindavan, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It considered as sacred by a number of traditions within Hinduism....
), etc. They have solar significance, and their use in worship is very common among all sects of Vaishnavites of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religion.
Dvaraka
The legendary city of Dvaraka in HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
history was the dwelling place of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Dwarka or Dvaraka is derived from 'Dwar', a door, and in ancient times its flourishing port was considered to be the gateway to the main land. As 'Ka' means 'Brahma' meaning gateway to Moksha (salvation). It is also called Dwarkamati and Dwarkavati or Dvaravati. The famous Nageswar Jyotirlinga near Dwaraka is made of a large Dwaraka sila.
The Hindu scriptures prescribe that stones obtained from Dvaraka only for worship even though geologically it may be found in other places too.
Scriptural sanctions
There are several schools of thought among the learned acharyas of the Vaishnava cult on the worship of this sila. This sila is worshipped, along with or independent of Sila (murthi)Sila (murthi)
Shila, Shila, Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki....
or saligrama sila, in some parts of the country (among Vaishnavites of Saurashtra, Bengal and Maharashtra; the Madhva
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
sect in Karnataka), particularly in the Vaishnava tradition. It is worshipped along with the sila
Sila (murthi)
Shila, Shila, Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki....
| Saligrama sila (stone) since scriptures consider it auspicious to do so. According to Skanda Purana
Skanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
, wherever Dvaraka sila is placed in front of the sila
Sila (murthi)
Shila, Shila, Shila, (शिला in Devanagari, in IAST refers to a Vaishnava (Hindu) aniconic representation of Vishnu, in the form of a spherical, usually black-coloured stone found in the sacred river Gandaki....
|, every class of magnificence goes on increasing unlimitedly. Skanda Purana also says that one who daily worships Dvaraka sila along with twelve Saligrama silas will be honored even in Vaikuntha.
Traits
The chakra-mark is the most distinguishing feature of the Dvaravati stones, and hence they are called "chakrankita-sila". According to Garuda PuranaGaruda Purana
Garuda Purana is one of the Puranas which are part of the Hindu body of texts known as smriti. It is a Vaishnava Purana and its first part contains a dialog between Vishnu and Garuda, the King of Birds...
, there are twelve varieties of this stone, owing to the number of chakras (wheels), colours and forms (Sanskrit sloka in this regard states:‘dasadha cha prabhinnas ta varnakrti-vibhedatah’). When there is only one chakra, the stone is called Devesa; when there are two chakras, it is Sudarshana; three chakras represent the deity Ananta. When there are four chakras, the stone is Janardana. Vasudeva
Vasudeva
In Hindu itihasa , Vasudeva is the father of Krishna, the son of Shoorsen, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap....
is represented by the stone having five chakras, Pradyumna by six chakras, Bala-bhadra by seven, Purushottama by eight, Nava-vyuha by nine, Dasavatara by ten, Aniruddha by eleven and Dvadastma by twelve. Nava-vyuha represents the collection of nine forms of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
: Vasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Narayana
Narayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
, Hayagriva
Hayagriva
Hayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism.-Hinduism:...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Nrsimha and Varaha
Varaha
Varaha is the third Avatar of the Hindu Godhead Vishnu, in the form of a Boar. He appeared in order to defeat Hiranyaksha, a demon who had taken the Earth and carried it to the bottom of what is described as the cosmic ocean in the story. The battle between Varaha and Hiranyaksha is believed to...
. The first four forms are well known as ‘chatur-vyuha’. The twelve major forms of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
are derived from these nine forms, according to the Tantra siddhanta, a division of Pancharatra
Pancharatra
Pancharātra is a Sanskrit drama written by Bhasa. The plot is based on the Hindu epic Mahabharata....
.
Prahlada Samhita, quoted in Salagrama-pariksha (by Anupasimha) gives the first few names differently. The Dvaravati sila with only one chakra is called Sudarsana, with two chakras 'Lakshmi-narayana' and with three chkras 'Trivikrama'. The rest of the names are the same as given above. The name Ananta is given to stones which have more than twelve chakras. The name for Dasavatara in the above list is given here as 'Dasamurti'. When the chakras are more than twelve, only even numbered chakras are to be preferred, according to Galava-smrtir.
Benefits
These silas also have distinct personalities like the Saligrama sila that are identified by their size, colure, texture markings; these are explained below.I.Sudarshana: one chakra - salvation
II.Lakshmi-Narayana: two chakras- salvation
III.Trivikrama: three chakras - freedom from the fear of births and deaths
IV.Janardana: four chakras - fulfillment of desires
V.Vasudeva: five chakras - obtainment of prosperity and elimination of enemies
VI.Pradyumna: six chakras - wealth and lustre
VII.Baladeva: seven chakras - continuation of progeny and celebrity
VIII.Purushottama: eight chakras - satisfaction of all that one aspires for
IX.Navavyuha (the collection of nine forms of Vishnu): nine chakras - rewards, which are difficult, even for the gods to obtain
X.Dashmurti (the ten incarnations of Vishnu): ten chakras - sovereignty and prosperity
XI.Aniruddha: eleven chakras - lordship
XII.Dvadasatmaka: twelve chakras - final emancipation
XIII.Ananta: more than twelve chakras - fulfills one’s desires (only even numbered chakras are to be preferred)
The colour and the shape of the sila is said to give following effects.
Ø White stones are considered most suitable for worship and will make for a worldly prosperity in all aspects and spiritual welfare
Ø Dark (blue-black) stones forebode death
Ø Tawny ones cause anxiety
Ø Multi-coloured ones bring about disease and sorrow Ø Yellow ones take away wealth
Ø Smoke coloured ones produce loss of wealth
Ø Blue stones will bring about obstacles to any undertaking
Ø Round in shape or square auspicious
Ø Triangular or uneven in shape inauspicious