Identification of Shaligram

DASHAVTARA SHALIGRAM

4 Narsimha or the man-lion type:
i) With a big opening and two circular marks
ii) With a long opening and linear marks resembling the mane of a lion, and also with two circular marks.
iii) Marked with three dot prints other things being the same as above.
iv) Uneven in shape with a mixed reddish colour, having two big circular marks above it, and a crack at the front. v) Reddish in colour and printed with several teeth like mark, three or five dot marks and a big circular mark. vi) With a big opening, a vanamala and two circular marks. This type is popularly known as lakshminarsimha. vii) Black in colour with dot marks all over his body and two circular marks on his left side. This also is variety of the Lakshminarsimha sub type. viii) Printed with a lotus mark on his left side. This also is a sub type of lakshminarsimha. ix) When any of the above types of Narasimha is marked with five dot prints he is popularly called kapilanrisimha. x) Printed with seven circular marks and golden dots and also having openings on all sides. This type is called Sarvotmukhanrisimha. xi) Bariegated in colour, having many openings including a large one and marked with many circular. This type is popularly called Paataalanrisimha. xii) With two circular marks inside the main opening and eight other on his sides. This also is a variety of Paataalanrsimha. xiii) Aakaashanrisimha : With a comparatively high top and a big opening and also printed with circular marks. xiv) Jihvaanrisimha : Big in size, with two openings and two circular marks. He being the given of poverty, his worship is forbidden. xv) Raakshasanrisimha : With a fierce opening and holes, and also marked with golden spots. His opening at the bottom. xvi) Jvaalaanrisimha : Marked with two circular prints and vanamala, and having a small opening. xvii) Mahaanrisimha : Printed with two big circular marks and a few other linear marks one above the other.

5 Vaman or the Dwarf type :
i) Round in shape, small in size and marked with five linear prints.
ii) Small in size and glittering to look at. He has a circular mark on each of his above and below sides with the print of a Garuda bird nearthe circular marks. iii) Not very small in size. Marked with a circular print at the centre and glaced to look at. iv) Yellow in colour with a bit high top and having an indistinct circular mark. v) Cloudy in colour, round in shape, marked with a vanamala and having a small opening.
vi) Very small in size with the colour of a cloud and marked with two circles. He is popularly called Dadhivaamana. vii) Yellowish in colour, marked with several dot-prints with one or more at the opening. He also is a variety of the Dadhivaamana sub type.
N.B. : Regarding the shape of these Dadhivaamana varieties, the Matsyasukta (Matsyasukta quoted in Praanateshanitantra, page 350.) tells us that may resemble either a vilva (woodapple )or vadara (berry) or even like the seed of any of these fuits.

6 The parasuram type:
i) Yellow or black in colour and marked with a print resembling and axe.
ii) With two prints resembling teeth, either at the top or on any two sides, other things being the same as above.

7 The Ramachandra type:
i) Yellow or black in colour and printed with the mark of bow.
ii) Green in colour and glaced, having a stick like mark on the back side and two linear marks on the rear sides. iii) Ranaraama : Middle in size, round in shape and marked with two circles, and arrow, a quiver and several dot-prints. iv) Raajaraajeshvara : Round in shape, middle in size and printed with two circular marks at the opening. His body is marked with the prints of an umbrella, and arrow, a quiver,and seeral dots resembling the qounds caused by arrows. v) Sitaaram : a) Cloudy in colour, with one opening and printed with marks resembling teeth, bow, arrow, spear, umbrella, flag, chowry and garland b)With two openings each furnished with two circular marks and also with a circular printed on his left side. vi) Dashakanthakulaantaka Raama : a) Like an egg of a hen in size, green in colour, and having two opening with two linear marks at each of them, and also with the mark of bow. His top side is comparatively higher
b) Printed with a linear mark resembling a bow on each side, other things being the same as above.
vii) Biiraraama : Printed with an arrow, a quiver, a bow, an ear-ring, a garland and a small circular mark decorated with petals. viii) Vijayaraama : Printed with an arrow, a bow, a quiver, and a big opening marked with red dots. A circular mark decorated with petals also printed on his body or at the openings.
ix) Raamamurtti: or Kavitavada Raama: Black in colour and glaced, having one opening with a circular mark. x) Dushthararaama: Cloud in colour with the mark resembling one’s knee, and also with a bow and arrow on the top side and footprints of a cow on the rear sides.

8 The Shankarshan type:
i) With two circular mark joined with each other on the top side.
ii) Reddish in colour with the glaced and spotless eastern side, and marked with two circles joined with each other. iii) Balabhadra : Marked with seven circular prints. iv) Balarama : With five linear marks on the top side and a bow and an arrow on the rear sides.

9 The Buddha type:
With a very small opening and without any circular markings this type is popularly called Niviita Buddha.

10 The kalki Type:
i) With the colour of a bee and printed with six circular marks, having a linear sword above the opening.
ii) Shaped like a horse and marked with three circular prints.
A group of the Vaishnavas having been inclined to hold Krishna Vaasudev as the eighth prominent incarnation of Lord Vishnu, instead of Sankarshan, used to worship a new type of Saligram holding it a sacred symbol of the Lord, and giving the name Krishna type to it. With the passing of time this new type also was divided into different varieties in the following way: