The river Narmada is one of the Seven Holy Rivers of India. It is also famous as "Reva" , which is described as the "sweat" flowing out of Lord Shiva's own body when he performed his Divine "Tandhab dance" . It is also said that the natural Bana Lingas are self-manifest respresentations of God Shiva.Narmada Bana Lingas are as precious to Lord Shiva as Shalgram shila is for God Vishnu.
These Bana Lingas contain Crypto Crystalline Quartz and a Gemstone material called Chalcedony ( alongwith Basalt and Agate. This unique composition coupled with elliptical shape has a precise resonance in alignment with our Energy Centers or Chakras and are used for thousands of years as Divine Energy Generators for Cleansing, Healing and for Meditation.It is the considered that the unique composition of the Bana Lingas was formed 14 million years ago due to a a large meteorite that crashed into the Narmada River. The fusion of the Meteorite and the Earthly Minerals has spawned a new and unique type of Crystalline Rock with extraordinary energetic qualities - Bana Linga. The Bana Linga's upright egg shape represents the Pure Consciousness of Lord Shiva and the Holy Markings on the Sacred Stone represent the interactive aspect of Goddess Shakti Together, they represent the Union of Shiva and Shakti :
Bana Linga has a legend to in the puranas.The demon King Bana ,the eldest of the one hundred sons of Bali was a great devotee of Shiva and to seek His Divine Blessings he performed severe penances for a long time, in the Holy Himalayas, invoking Lord Shiva's favour. Finally Lord Shiva appeared in answer to his austerities and agreed to grant him a boon. Banasura wished for himself One Thousand Arms carrying a multitude of weapons to destroy his enemies and desired that Goddess Parvathi consider him as her own son - he was bestowed with what he asked. Being pelased with him, Lord Shiva honoured Bali by giving him his own representation in the form of Swayambu Shiva Linga, hence the name Bana Linga.
These Banalingas were worshipped by different Gods and deities.So these Bana Lingas carry the different marks characteristic of these Gods :
(1) Conch Shell mark on top indicates it has been worshipped by Lord Maha Vishnu.
(2) Lotus Mark denotes it was worshipped by Lord Brahma.
(3) Parasol mark reveals it was worshipped by Lord Indr .
(4) Heads mark shows it was worshipped by Lord Agni.
(5) Three Steps denote it was worshipped by Lord Yama.
(6) Mace mark indicates it was worshipped by Lord Isana.
(7) Water Vase mark shows it was worshipped by Lord Varuna.
(8) Banner mark denotes it was worshipped by Lord Vayu.
It is said that mainly there are nine types of Banalingas -
(a) Swayambhu - honey coloured with two dark rings
(b) Mrityunjaya - variegated colours with marks resembling spear and colis of matted hair
(c) Nilakantha - elongated and white coloured with a black spot
(d) Trilochana - white coloured with eye-like marks
(e) Kalagni Rudhra - lustrous and dark, stout with matted-hair like marks
(f) Tripurari - honey coloured with white marks resembling the sacrificial chord across and with lotus at the base
(g) Isana - clear crystal with the top twany brown and marks of a trident
(h) Ardhanariswara - white coloured on one side and red coloured on the other side
(i) Maha Kala - slightly red in hue, shining, stout and longish in shape
The famous Tantric Text "Yoga Sara" of Kaula gives a separate dhyana and mantra for the worship of Bana Lingas, which is completely different from the standard worship ritual offered to Lord Shiva. This procedure in heavily tantric in orientation and involves a lot of visualising capabilities and might not be suitable to the householder.Rigorous worship of any Sacred Object like the Narmada Bana Linga is always good, but it is not obligatory. The mere presence of a Banalinga is said to grace its environment with harmony, mental peace, prosperity and protection. Regular worship of the Lingam with the Sacred Mantras cause a powerful internal reverberation which is absorbed by the Bana Linga. With consistent worship, this energy is slowly released and emitted to the surrounding environments, and is specially known to have the capacity to negate the accumulated karmic burdens of its worshipper.The Bana Linga helps one to unite the lower self with the higher self so that we may know our own divinity. It brings believers into the mystical union with Godby healing and opening the chakras and thus activating the kundalini energy and the seven chakras. In this way It awakens the energy centers and brings feelings of peace and well being.
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