Banalinga

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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 ellipsoid stone.
Banalinga 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.[1]
The forms of Linga can vary in detail from a simple roller shape roughly cylindrical Banalinga to
the stone carved with a thousand facets (Sahasralinga) or of light relief in several human figures
(Mukhalinga). TheLinga in the shrine of a temple is in stone.[2]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Significance
 2 Panchayatana
 3 Benefits of worship
 4 See also
 5 References

Significance[edit]
[3]

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. TheRamayana, 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 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 Vaishnavites.
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.
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.[4]

Panchayatana[edit]
and [6] Banalinga is a part of the fivefold family of deities (Panchayatana). The five Hindu deities
[5]

(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.

Name of the Name of the Names of flowers

Name of Stone Name of the
Bhuta(Tatwa) State where and leaves used
Deity River
found in India for worship
(Sila)

Red Lotus and Bandook

Ganesha Akasha(Space) Sone Bihar
Sonabhadra flowers
Tamil Nadu Bandook flower
Surya(Sun) Agni/Teja(Fire) Crystal Vallam
(Tanjavur) and plantain tree
Tulsi (basil),
Ashwatha, and
Vishnu Prithivi(Earth) Saligrama Gandaki Nepal Amalaki leaves.
Marigold, Punnaga,
and yellow flowers

Godlen shower
tree Flower, Bel
leaves & Amalaki
Narmada leaves.
Madhya
Shiva Apu(Water) Banalinga (Omkara-
Pradesh Akund (Calotropis
kunda)
gigantea), Crown
flower Nagalingam
flower

Red flowers –
Swarna Hibiscus or China
Andhra
Ambika(Devi) Vayu (Air) Mukhi Swarnamukhi rose
Pradesh
(Rekha Shila)
and Neem leaves

People generally sit facing East, while placing the deities/devatas and performing the
Panchayatana pooja in the following order:

Center North East South East South West North West

Ganapati Vishnu Shiva Surya (Sun) Durga

Surya (Sun) Shiva Ganapati Vishnu Durga

Vishnu Shiva Ganapati Surya (Sun) Durga

Shiva Vishnu Surya (Sun) Ganapati Durga

Durga (Devi) Vishnu Shiva Ganapati Surya (Sun)

SHIVA DURGA
NORTHWEST
NORTHEAST

TATPURUSHA
ISHANA AGHORA
VAMADEVA
VISHNU (RUDRA)

SADYOJATA
SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST
GANAPATI SURYA

A layout for performing the Panchayatana Pooja

In an additional form of wosrhip, called the Shanmata, also founded by Adi Shankara, six deities
are worshipped; the sixth deity in addition to the five deities referred in Panchayatana pooja
referred above, is Skandaalso known as Kartikeya and Murugan

Benefits of worship[edit]
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[7]

See also[edit]
 Panchayatana puja
 Shanmata

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Svayambhu Linga: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on
Svayambhu Linga
2. Jump up^ Gods Beyond Temples: A Visual Theophany » Mohile
Parikh Center for the Visual Arts
3. Jump up^ Gyandoot.net - Dhar District - Geography
 4. Jump up^ Why are trifoliate bel leaves offered to Lord Shiva with
their stalks facing oneself? | Lord Shiva
5. Jump up^ PanchAyatana Puja
6. Jump up^ www.mudgala.com
7. Jump up^ om namah shivaya

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