This post is to help add tags since wordpress allows tags only in posts. The same contents in this post can be found in the website’s page (more identification methods). For more details about Shaligrama visit http://www.shaligrama.wordpress.com
The following will help to shortlist a given Shaligrama to a few sub types and then subsequent research can help identify the exact match. This is only indicative, meaning there can be types outside this suggestion but this is a broad overview with various characteristics.
Possibilities of identification…
By Chakra Position
| Opening entrance chakra types | on body chakra types | left side chakras types | center chakras types |
| avyaya jagadyOni kR^iShNa pItAmbara sIrApANi sIta rAma varAha vAmana vAsudeva |
aniruddha achyuta amrutAharaNa hari hruShIkesha kRiShNa keshava kUrma kapilA matsya nArAyaNa parashurAma pradyumna puruShottama shimshumAra shrIdhara trivikrama vishvaksena |
lakShmI narasimha viShNu kapila nArasimha balarAma bhUvaraha yagna lakShmI nArAyaNa trivikrama vAsudeva |
mAdhava dAmOdara kRiShna kUrma rAma lakShmI varAha matsya narasimha padmanAbha |
By Shaligrama Shape
| round body types | elongated body types | egg shaped body types | body shape or sign on body types |
| lakShmI nArAyaNa kUrma gOvinda vAmana adhOkShaja aniruddha kapila keShava vaTapatrashAyi amrutAharaNa satyavIrashravA |
vibhIShaNa narasimha kOdanDa rAma paramahamsa santAnagOpAla balarAma madanagOpAla lakShmIgOpAla shrIgOpAla trivikrama sheSha parashurAma varAha mAdhava lakShmIpati |
rAma (many sub) lakShmIgOpAla trivikrama kapila nArasimha jwAlA nArasimha sankarshaNa hruShIkesha pradyumna viShNu bahurUpi padmanAbha balabhadrA acyuta seSha svayambhU |
matsya kUrma ananta (snakehood) simshumAraBlackberry shape (jamun) avyaya hayagrIva kruShNa nArAyaNa: padmanAbha rAma shrIdhara |
By type of vadana (opening)
| big opening types | small opening types | with vanamAla types | with fang types |
| nArasimha lakShmIpati bAlakRiShNa balarAma parashurAma rAma sankarShaNa nArAyaNa varAha adhokShaja viShNu vAmana kapila |
kukShi nArasimha bAla narasimha lakShmI narasimha kalkI buddha dAmOdara shrIdhara kukShivAmana gOpAla madhusUdana mAdhava vAsudeva aniruddha haya puruShottama pradyumna svayambhU seSha acyuta |
vIra rAma hyaShTA rAma sItA rAma shrIdhara mahAjwAla narasimha bAla narasimha keShava lakShmI nArAyaNa mAdhava balabhadrA madanagOpAla symantakamaNihartA kR^iShNa shrIgOpAla lakShmIgOpAla sudarshana kalkI dAmOdara hruShIkesha acyuta viShNu lakShmIpati ananta trivikrama |
varAha narasimha parashurAma pakShirAja lakShmI nArAyaNa rAma sankarshaNa vAmana varAha |
By Chakra Size
| small chakra types | large chakra types | small size body | big size body |
| vAmana pradyumna paramahamsa mAyAnArAyaNa kUrma mAdhava garuDadhvaja parashurAma shrIdhara puruShottama amrutAharaNa haihaya caturmukha dAmOdara |
bahurUpi balashAlirAma buddha garuDamUrti gOvinda hayagrIva kalki kapila keshava kruShNa mAdhava nArAyaNa: nrusimha padmanAbha parashurAma pradyumna rAma sankarShNa sudarshana trivikrama vAmana varAha viShNu vishvarUpa |
aniruddha dattAtreya kruShNa mAdhava murAri rAma shrIdhara upendra vAmana vAsudeva |
acyuta adhokShaja ananta avyaya bahurUpi dAmodara dharaNIdhara garuDamUrti hiraNyagarbha janArdana kruShNa kUrma mAdhava madhusUdana nArAyaNa: nrusimha padmanAbha pradyumna rAma sudarshana trivikrama upendra vaikunTha varAha viShNu |
By Color of Shaligrama
| red color body | tawny (muddy) color body | yellow color body | white color |
| jagadyoni kalki kapilAyagyamUrti madhusUdana nrusimha rAma sankarShNa vAmana viShNu |
hayagrIva nrusimha trivikrama |
aniruddha hari madhusUdana nara nArAyaNa: narasimha parashurAma pItAmbara rAma sankarShNa shrIdhara shrIvatsalAnchana vAmana varAha yagnamUrti |
dattAtreya mAdhava padmanAbha punDarika punDarIkAkSha parashurAma rAma sankarShNa vAsudeva vaTapatrashAyI |
By number of Chakras
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| achyuta adhomukha narasimha buddha kUrma matsya sItA rAma shimshumAra trivikrama trimUrti |
buddha caturbhuja janArdana kruShNa lakShmI nArAyaNa rAma trivikrama vaTapatrashAyI |
shrIsahAya sItArAma lakShmI nArAyaNa |
avyaya madhusUdana lakShmI nArAyaNa: puruShottama rAma shrImUrti trimUrti |
| 7 | 8 | 9 or more | 1 (single) |
| shuddAnanta sarvatomukha nrusimha rAma |
acyuta avyaya cakrapANi harihara lakShmI nArAyaNa: pitAmaha puruShottama |
9 achuta vishvaksena 10 gOvinda hruShIkesha satyavIrashrava viShNu vishvarUpa 11 shuddha ananta rudra ananta 12 rAma mukunda janArdana 13-19 ananta 20 vishvambhara >= 21 vishvarUpa |
punDarika pralambadhna vaikunTha madhusUdana mAdhava nara sudarshana rAma lakShmI nArAyaNa: vIra nArAyaNa parameShTi hayagrIva kShIrabdisayee |
By Various signs on the Shaligrama
| lotus sign | shanka sign | other signs | other signs |
| acyuta: ananta: aniruddha: arbhaka: gadAdhara haihaya hayagrIva: hiraNyagarbha: catrAkAra gOpAla: lakShmI gOpAla: madana gOpAla: shrIgOpAla: shyAmarakta gopAla: veNu gOpAla: madhusUdana: murAri dvicakra lakShmI nArAyaNa shvetarekhA lakShmI nArAyaNa: dvaya lakShmI nArAyaNa: tricakra lakShmI nArAyaNa: lakshmi nrusimha yoga nrusimha parameShTi punDarIkAkSha: balashAli rAma paTTAbhi rAma rAmatraya: shAntabhadra: sankarshaNa: shrIdhara: vaikunTha: indranILa vAmana: ujvala vAmana: padmayukta vAsudeva: vaTapatra shAyI viShNu: yOgarAja |
acyuta ananta gadAdhara hari catrAkAra gOpAla lakShmI gOpAla madana gOpAla shrIgOpAla shyAmarakta gopAla veNu gOpAla arbhaka acakrakUrma kAma kUrma madhusUdana musalAyudha aShTacakra lakShmI nArAyaNa eka cakra vIra nArAyaNa mahA nArAyaNa navadUrvAdala lakShmI nArAyaNa rUpa nArAyaNa tricakra lakShmI nArAyaNa vIra nArAyana shankhavarNa balarAma sankarshaNa shamasudarshana trimurti trivikrama upendra vaTapatra shAyI viShNu viShvaksena |
Cow foot print Dhananjaya kruShNa lakShmI nArAyaNa hruShTa rAma tArakabrahma sItArAma shudda varAhASnake sign ananta lakShmIkAnta madhusUdana padmanAbha seShamUrti vAsudevaSun rekas kUrma paramahamsaBow sign acyuta aniruddha hamsa kruShNa nArAyaNa: parashurAma rAma sankarShNa trivikrama viShNu viShvaksena |
ankusha (elep goad) sign acyuta gadAdhara hayagrIva kruShNa kUrma nArAyaNa: puruShottama rAmakunDala (ear ring) sign acyuta hayagrIva kruShNa rAma vAmanasword sign acyuta kalki kruShNa kShIrabdisayee nArAyaNa: viShNu |
In the case of Lords non-human forms avatars like matsya, kurma, shimshumara, narasimha, varaha etc the shape of the shaligrama or the markings on them takes precedence over the number of chakras, position etc. For example, for a shaligrama with matsya symbols on it will uniquely identify it as a matsya shaligram irrespective of the number of chakras (>=2). Likewise for a kurma, the form of the shila or kurma sign on the body will identify it as kurma. For narasimha the fangs like lions mane and wide open mouth in the form of lions yawning mouth like appearance will identify. For varaha, the tusk like that of hog’s or the jet black color and many dots like the hairs on the hog will indicate it as the rupa. Similarly for shimshumara, the sign like a scorpion or the poisonous tail like it will suggest the form of Lord.
In the case of Lord’s human forms avatars like rAma, kRiShNa, viShNu, kalki etc the signs of Lord’s weapons will suggest the forms. For example, shaligrama with bow and arrow will suggest rAma; gadA and padma will suggest viShNu and sword will suggest kalki.
The above said narrations will only suggest but only a careful and detailed study on each with their lakshanas will only identify them.
shaligrama 