Dvaraka Sila
"I spent many hours questioning Puri Maharaja about points of Deity worship since he did a lot
of research for his Guru Maharaja on this topic. I mentioned to him that certain Gaudiyas were
saying our main focus was on Giriraja since we wanted to finally attain Radha-Krsna's seva in
Vraja, he replied "in our line the mood of seva is set by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur,
who when giving instruction and blessings to Bhaktisaranga Swami, gave him 3 silas, a Dwarka,
a Govardhana and a saligrama and told him to worship them all in the same way". In other
words he did not give preference to any one kind of sila, there are also statements in shastra
praising the worship of Dwarka sila in conjunction with saligram."
by Bimal Prasad dasa ACBSP
Shastra tells us:
It is recommended to worship the Salagrama with a Dvaraka sila. A good Dvaraka sila should be
white, round or square, unbroken and without holes, and with well formed cakras.
dve cakre dvarakayan tu salagrama siladvyam
etesam arcanannityam udvegam prapnuyad grhi
Worshipping two dvaraka silas or two Salagram silas at once will cause disturbance in the mind.
Manra tantra prakasah
If one has two Salagrama, one should worship them separately, not together. However if one has
many Salagrams, one can worship them all together.
Worshiping Shalagrama-shila with Dvaraka-shila
The Brahma Purana states that wherever shalagrama-shila and Dvaraka-shila sit together, there
certainly mukti also resides. In the conversation between Brahma and Narada in the Skanda
Purana Brahma says, "O Munishvara! Wherever dvaraka-shila sits in front of the shalagrama-
shila every class of opulence goes on increasing unlimitedly." In another place it says that one
who daily worships dvaraka-shila along with twelve shalagrama-shila will be honored even in
Vaikuntha-dhama.
Identifying Symbols of Dvaraka-shilas
The Prahlada Samhita states that a dvaraka-shila with one cakra is known as Sudarshana, a shila
with two cakras is Lakshmi-Narayana, and one with three cakras is Trivikrama. The shila
marked with four cakras is Janardana, with five cakras is Vasudeva, with six cakras is
Pradyumna, and with seven cakras is Baladeva. The one that has eight cakras is called
Purushottama, with nine cakras Navavyuha, with ten cakras Dashmurti, and with eleven cakras
Aniruddha. That dvaraka-shila with twelve cakras is Dvadasatmaka, and one with more than
twelve cakras is known as Ananta.
The Glories of Dvaraka-shila
The Varaha Purana says that whoever touches a shila with the mark of a Vishnu-cakra will
become free of all sins. The Garuda Purana declares that simply the darshana of Sudarshana and
other dvaraka-shila fulfils all desires. The Skanda Purana declares that without a doubt if a very
sinful man worships a dvaraka-shila with devotion, or even without devotion, he becomes free
from all sinful reactions. According to the Dvaraka Mahatmya, a shila marked with cakras
coming from Dvaraka is also called cakra-tirtha. Even if this shila is worshipped by a sinful
person from a degraded country, the worships still becomes liberated.
Benefits of Different Types of Dvaraka-shilas
The Kapila-pancaratra explains the benefits of worshiping different types of dvaraka-shilas. That
charming shila known as Sudarsana, which has one cakra on it, gives one liberation. The
Lakshmi-Narayana dvaraka-shila with two cakras gives opulence and liberation, and an Acyuta-
shila with three cakras gives one respect equal to Lord Indra. The shila known as Caturbhuja
with four cakras brings religion, economic development, enjoyment, and liberation. A
Vasudeva-shila, Which has five cakras, will remove the fear of birth and death, and a
Pradyumna-shila with six cakras will give one beauty and wealth. The one called Balabhadra-
shila with seven cakras gives fame and a continuation of one's dynasty, while a Purushottama-
shila with eight cakras gives all types of benedictions. With nine cakras, a Narasimhadeva-shila
gives the highest benefits, and a Dashavatara dvaraka-shila with ten cakras gives kingship. An
Aniruddha-shila, which has eleven cakras, give fame and lordship, and the one known as
Dvadasatmaka-shila with twelve cakras gives liberation and happiness. - The Kapila-pancaratra
also describes the bad results derived from worshiping certain types of dvaraka-shilas. A black
dvaraka-shila gives death, a smoke colored one gives constant fear, a multi-colored one gives
bad health and a blue coloured shila takes away one's wealth. That dvaraka-shila that has a hole
passing through it brings poverty, a pale one gives terrible distress, and a broken shila brings
separation from the wife. The white shila gives sons, grandsons, wealth, power, and all types of
happiness, so this type of shila should be adored. - The Prahlada-samhita also says that a black
shila causes death, reddish gives constant fear, multi-colored brings disease, yellow or smoke-
coloured gives poverty, and a broken one causes death to the wife. Shilas with a hole, uneven
cakras, triangular in shape, or half-moon shaped should never be worshiped. Garga and Galava
Rishis have stated that a shila with uniform cakras brings happiness, a twelve cakra shila is very
auspicious, and round and square shilas give happiness. But worshiping shilas that are broken,
triangular, having holes, with uneven cakras, or half-moon shaped is fruitless.
From Vaishnavism Thru' the ages:
As regards the Dwarkasila, this variety also is found to be divided into different kinds in
accordance with its colour and other qualities, which may be summarised as under
(Padmapurane quoted in Praanatoshanitantra, page 360.)
(1) The blue type: It is the giver of untimely death
(2) The reddish brown: It brings in serious dangers.
(3) Variegated: It gives insanity
(4) Yellow: It causes destruction of wealth.
(5) Smoky Colour: It causes untimely death of children.
(6) The broken type: It causes death of wife.
(7) The white type with dot prints: It fulfils all desires.
(8) The type with unbroken circular marks: It removes poverty and sorrow.
(9) The type having glaced circular shape: It gives the same results as above.
(10) The type with quadrangular shape: It gives the same result as above.
(11) The type with even number of circular marks: It gives bliss and worldly pleasure.
(12) The type with odd number of circular marks: It causes sorrow and worldly pain.
The same authority adds that one should not offer worship to any of the following types because
of their habit of giving undesirable results (loc. cit)
(1) The type with one or more holes on its body.
(2) The broken one.
(3) That which is neither round, nor has angles on its sides.
(4) That which has odd number of circles marked on its body.
(5) That which is shaped like the half part of the moon.
Salagram kosha Chapter 4 section 5 on Dvarvati shilas - Dwarka shilas:
It was mentioned earlier that in the Vaishnava tradition, the worship of the Dvararvati-stone
(obtained from the Gomati river in Dvaraka) along with the salagrama-stone is considered
meritorious, for the latter variety of stones are special forms assumed by Krishna himself.
However, the worship of the Dvaravati-sila is not as widespread as the Salagrama-sila, nor has it
ever had a popular appeal. It appears that its celebrity is confined to the Vaishnava cults in
Saurashtra, Bengal and Maharashtra; the Madhva sect in Karnataka has accorded some
importance to it. The Dvaravati-stone is not as frequently seen as the salagrama-stones in
temples or households. These stones are white in colour (the hue-variations), small in size and
have markings on them resembling the chakra (in a rather distant way). The openings in them
are not characteristic features, and are not important even when they are found. We read in
several Vaishnava texts that the worship of these stones must be conjoined with that of the
Salagramas.
The chakra-mark is the most distinguishing feature of the Dvarvati stones, and hence they are
called ‘chakrankita-sila’.
The Skanda-purana has this eulogy…
According to Garuda-purana, there are twelve varieties of this stone, owing to the number of
chakras, colours and forms (‘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 division of
Pancharatra.
The twelve forms of Vishnu are called ‘vyuhantara’: Kesava, Narayana, Madhava, Govinda,
Vishnu, Madhusudana, Trivikrama, Vamana, Sridhara, Hrshikesa, Padmanabha and Damodara.
The Dasavatara-murti is the collective representation of the ten incarnatory forms, which are also
called ‘prahurbhava-gana’ (matsya, kurma etc).
The text also indicates the specific rewards for worshipping each of these twelve varieties of
Dvaravati-silas: 1) and 2) salvation; 3) freedom from the fear of births and deaths 4) fulfillment
of desires; 5) obtainment of prosperity and elimination of enemies; 6) wealth and lustre; 7)
continuation of progeny and celebrity; 8) satisfaction of all that one aspires for; 9) rewards
which are difficult even for the gods to obtain; 10) sovereignty and prosperity; 11) lordship; and
12) final emancipation. The stones having more chakras fulfill whatever one longs for, when
worshipped.
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 Trivikrama. The rest of the names are the same as given
above. The name Ananta is given to stones 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.
The Dvaravati-sila also occurs in different colours, but white stones are considered most suitable
for worship. The dark (blue-black) stones forebode death, the tawny ones cause anxiety, the
multi-coloured ones bring about disease and sorrow, the yellow ones take away wealth, the
smoke coloured ones produce loss of wealth, and the blue stones will bring about obstacles to
any undertaking. Only the white coloured stones will make for a worldly prosperity in all aspects
and spiritual welfare (Skanda-purana).
Garuda-purana gives a slightly different account, but white is the preferred colour.
According to Galava-smrti, the Dvaravati-stones are auspicious if they are round in shape or
square; but not so if they are triangular or uneven in shape. The stone which is split or broken
must not be worshipped, nor the stone which is crescent in shape. Such stones when worshipped
do not bring any rewards.
As in the case of prohibited Salagramas, the Dvaravati-stones also have ill-effects, when
improperly selected and thoughtlessly worshipped. A crooked stone will kill the progeny, a
broken one will ruin any undertaking; the stone with many fissures or holes will produce poverty
and misery. The triangular, uneven shaped and crescent-shaped stones must not be worshipped
(Garuda-purana).
Go to Salagram kosha page
Srila Prabhupad and the Dwaraka Shila controversey cleared up:
Acyutänanda: They have rewritten the Bible, “Thou shalt not murder.”
Prabhupäda: [break] ...can be used as paper weight. (laughter) [break] ...use
anything for Kåñëa.
Yaçodänandana: ...temples they are worshiping this Dvärakä-çilä with the
çalagräma-çilä.
Prabhupäda: That’s all right, but we have no such instruction. (end)
(Morning Walk 8th January 1976, Nellore.)
the off handed informal quote is better looked at here to see if it was an instruction
and directive for the society to adopt or just a personal preference on Srila
Prabhupada's part.
This is the same conversation as cited above, but with a little more entirity
(Morning Walk 8th January 1976, Nellore.)
Prabhupäda: ...sambhava. Where is brähmaëa? All çüdra.
Indian man (1): But according to.... [break]
Prabhupäda: ...not vegetarian. We are neither nonvegetarian. We eat kåñëa-
prasädam. Kåñëa says, “Give me this food.” Patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà [Bg.
9.26]. So we offer Him, and then we eat it, so we have nothing to do with
vegetarian and nonvegetarian. If Kåñëa says that, “You give Me flesh,” then we
can eat flesh also. But Kåñëa does not say that.
Tamäla Kåñëa: Çréla Prabhupäda? I have heard one person say that patraà puñpaà
phalaà toyaà doesn’t include other things. There are many other things that we
offer Kåñëa besides patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà.
Prabhupäda: Yes.
Tamäla Kåñëa: So similarly, why can’t we offer meat? He doesn’t say, “Don’t
offer me meat.”
Prabhupäda: Hm. Hm?
Tamäla Kåñëa: In the Bhagavad-gétä it doesn’t say you can’t offer Kåñëa meat.
Prabhupäda: So if you like, you can do that.
Tamäla Kåñëa: I don’t want to.
Prabhupäda: (chuckles) What directly He says, you have to take. And if you
interpret, that can be interpreted.
Acyutänanda: They have rewritten the Bible, “Thou shalt not murder.”
Prabhupäda: [break] ...can be used as paper weight. (laughter) [break] ...use
anything for Kåñëa.
Yaçodänandana: ...temples they are worshiping this Dvärakä-çilä with the
çalagräma-çilä.
Prabhupäda: That’s all right, but we have no such instruction. (end)
There were no previous nor after discussions on the merits, qualirties,
characterisitcs etc of Dwaraka or the Dwaraka shilas mentioned in the Vedabase.
There's a nice reply from Gaura Keshava prabhu relating to similar statements in
the same regard being bounded around in our society which I for one believe sheds
a very nice and clear light on the subject while maintaining respect from Srila
Prabhupad, the previous acharyas and their writings and the sacred Tirtha of
Dwarka itself:
Dear Jaya Tirtha Charanji, namaskaram
Thanks for including me in this discussion. I wonder why I didn't get this
email that came from Krsna Ksetraji. What list was it sent to? Anyway here's
my comment.
Krsna Kshetra dasa wrote:
Prabhupada's comment "That's alright but we have no such instruction" I
understand to indicate that Dvaraka-sila worship is not general practiced by
Gaudiya-Vaisnavas, since they are focussing on worship of Krsna in
Vrindavan
(and therefore there would be no need for his disciples to all go running to
Dvaraka to scour the place for Dvaraka-silas);
GKd continues:
Krsna Ksetra is assuming here that because Srila Prabhupada says that he
basically doesn't know about Dvaraka Sila worship that it is not generally
practiced by Gaudiya Vaisnavas. I don't agree. This is an assumption based
upon our faith that Srila Prabhuapda knew everything about Gaudiya
Vaisnava ritualism. Why should that be?
Krsna Kshetra dasa wrote:
but by this comment I don't
consider that Prabhupada intended to counter the Haribhaktivilasa, which
describes Dvaraka-sila worship at the end of the 5th Vilasa, after a lengthy
discussion on Salagrama-sila worship. Put another way, Prabhupada clearly
did not put importance on worship of Dvaraka-sila, but neither did he say
"My instruction is that my disciples shall not worship Dvaraka-sila".
GKd continues:
Yes, for sure, I agree that since he never actually forbade the worship of
Dvaraka sila ISKCON people should have no problem with it. And especially
if they are also worshipping Salagramas. By the way there is no mention of
Govardhana Sila in HBV, and yet even though there is no mention of it in
sastra it is an important feature of Gaudiya Vaisnava ritualism.
Krsna Kshetra dasa wrote:
Since it is mentioned in HBV, and since Krsna's pastimes in Dvaraka are
celebrated in the Srimad Bhagavatam and thus relished by the Gaudiya
Vaisnavas, I see no 'harm' in keeping a Dvaraka-sila and offering simple
worship as remembrance of these pastimes (and perhaps, to connect this in a
specifically 'Gaudiya way', you might want to remember the description in
Sanatana Goswami's [soon to be published by BBT] Brhad-Bhagavatamrta,
part
I, ch. 5-7 description of Narada's visit to Dvaraka and the ensuing
expression of feelings by Lord Krsna toward the residents of Vrindavan).
GKd responds:
Again I disagree with the above that worshipping Dvaraka Sila means that one
automatically is engaged in remembrance of Dvaraka pastimes. If this were so
then would not the worship of Salagrama be conducive only for those seeking
to worship Lord Visnu in His different forms and NOT (Vrndavana) Krsna?
This type of comment would seem to indicate that the only true worship of
(Vrndavana) Krsna in sila form can be performed through Govardhana Sila
worship. However we see many Gaudiya Vaisnavas worshipping Salagrama as
(Vrndavana) Krsna, so why not also worship Dvaraka Sila in that way?
I personally have a small Dvaraka Sila with 7 chakras. According to HBV it is
Balarama. I therefore keep Him with my Giriraj (Govardhana Sila). In this
way I am worshipping Krsna Balarama. I have never thought that I am
worshipping Vrnadavana Krsna with Dvaraka Balarama or Krsna and
Balarama in Dvaraka. The mood of the worshipped has nothing to do with the
particular type of Sila that one has. Of course many silas have distinct
personalities that are identified by their markings. For instance there are
many Nrsimha silas identified by their markings. So to worship Nrsimha as
Krsna is a bit of a stretch, but even then I see no problem with someone who
wants to identify any sila as Krsna.
ys
Gaura Keshava das
Destination Dwarka - looking for Dwarka shilas:
http://www.indianvisit.com/ivnew/destinationguides/historical/dwarka.htm
All about the Lost City of Dwaraka:
http://www.atributetohinduism.com/Dwaraka.htm
Dwaraka:
http://www.vihari.com/Divine/dwaraka.asp
Places of Pilgrimage in Gujarat - Dwarka:
http://www.shubhyatra.com/htm/gujarat/pilgrimage_dwarka.htm
Info' about Dwaraka - excavations and findings:
http://sarasvati.simplenet.com/sarasvati_river/legacy.html
Dwaraka Temples:
http://www.thebharat.com/tourism/temples/dwarka.html
Udupi Krishna a Shalagram carved to resemble Krishna in Dwaraka:
http://www.udupipages.com/temple/kmutt.html
Mahabharata a reality - myths cleared by Dwaraka excavations:
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_reality.html
Mahabharat links:
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_link.html
The Search for Historical Krishna:
http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/navaratnarajaram/sfthkp1.html
The NEW Dwarkadish Temple Web-site:
http://www.dwarkadhish.net/3e_dwarkadhish_temple/index.htm
