Badarikashrama Kshetra (Badrinath) - Swayam Vyakta Kshetra, Char Dham and abode of Lord Badri Vishal

• Meditation:

आद्यं रङ्गमिति प्रोक्तं विमानं रङ्गसंज्ञितम् । श्रीमुष्णं वेङ्कटाद्रिं च साळग्रामं च नैमिशम् ।
तोयाद्रिं पुष्करं चैव नरनारायणाश्रमम् । अष्टौ मे मूर्तयः सन्ति स्वयंव्यक्ता महीतले ॥
- Swayam Vyakta Sthalams (Badarikashrama is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra)

देवि सुरेश्वरि भगवति गङ्गे त्रिभुवनतारिणि तरलतरङ्गे ।
शङ्करमौलिविहारिणि विमले मम मतिरास्तां तव पदकमले ॥
- Ganga Stotram - verse 1 (River Alakananda which is a headstream of river Ganga flows through Badrinath)

Badrinath - Badrinarayana Temple, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand

► Vishnu: I meditate on Lord Vishnu abiding in Badrinath (located on the bank of river Alakananda) as its presiding deity.
► Varaha: I meditate on Lord Varaha abiding in Badrinath in the form of a rock.
► Narasimha: I meditate on Lord Narasimha abiding in Badrinath in the form of a rock.
► Shiva: I meditate on Lord Shiva getting freed from the skull at Badrinath.
► Nara-Narayana: I meditate on sages Nara-Narayana performing penance in Badrinath for the welfare of the world.
► Ganga: I meditate on the sacred river Alakananda (a head-stream of river Ganga) flowing through Badrinath.

• Sloka: Swayam Vyakta Sthalam (Badrikashrama is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra)
• Stotra: Ganga Stotram (River Alakananda which is a headstream of river Ganga flows through Badrinath)

(Chamoli district, Uttarakhand)

• Greatness:

• Badarikashrama is primarily a Vishnu Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Vishnu):
- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrikashrama which is a Swayam Vyakta Kshetra (Where Lord Vishnu is self-manifested) [Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Salagrama, Naimisha, Thoyadri or Thotadri, Pushkara, Nara Narayana Ashrama]
- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrikashrama which is also a Divya Desam (Glorified by Alvars) [Thiruvadariyasramam Divya Desam]
- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrikashrama which is also a All India Char Dham (4 sacred pilgrimages on the North, East, South and West of India) [Badrinath, Puri, Rameshwaram, Dwarka]
- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrikashrama which is also a Uttarakhand Char Dham (4 sacred pilgrimages in Uttarakhand) [Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri]
- Lord Vishnu abides in Badrikashrama which is also a Sapta Badri (Seven Badris) [Badri Vishal, Adi Badri, Vriddha Badri, Dhyana Badri, Ardha Badri, Bhavishya Badri, Yogadhyana Badri]

• Badarikashrama is also a Varaha Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Varaha):
- Lord Varaha is abiding in Badarikashrama in the form of Shila.

• Badarikashrama is also a Narasimha Sthalam (Pilgrimage of Narasimha):
- Lord Narasimha is abiding in Badarikashrama in the form of Shila.

• Badarikashrama is also a Rishi Sthalam (Place of Rishis):
- Sages Nara-Narayana is performing penance in Badarikashrama since long for the welfare of the world.
- Sage Narada performed penance in Badarikashrama to get the vision of Lord Vishnu.
- Sage Markandeya performed penance in Badarikashrama to obtain steady devotion of the Feet of the Lord.

• Badarikashrama is also a Sant Sthalam (Place of Saints):
- Sri Adi Shankaracharya (788 - 820 CE?) wrote commentaries on Brahma Sutras, Gita and Upanishads in Badrinath.

• Badarikashrama is the place where the sacred river Alakananda flows (a head-stream of river Ganga).

• Sacred Geography:

☗ Nara Parvat
☗ Narayana Parvat
▬ River Alakananda flows

• Puranic Events:

1. Presence of Lord Vishnu in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Presence of Lord Vishnu in Badarikashrama.

2. Presence of Lord Varaha in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Presence of Lord Varaha in Badarikashrama.

3. Presence of Lord Narasimha in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Presence of Lord Narasimha in Badarikashrama.

4. Presence of Lord Shiva in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Presence of Lord Shiva in Badarikashrama.

5. Presence of sages Nara-Narayana in Badarikashrama: (Srimad Bhagavatam)
• Sages Nara-Narayana is performing penance in Badarikashrama since long for the welfare of the world.

6. Penance of Agni deva in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Penance of Agni deva in Badarikashrama.

7. Penance of sage Narada in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Penance of sage Narada in Badarikashrama.

8. Penance of sage Markandeya in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Penance of sage Markandeya in Badarikashrama.

9. Penance of Sri Garuda in Badarikashrama: (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya)
• Penance of Sri Garuda in Badarikashrama.

• Temples (Summary):

• Vishnu:
- Badri Vishal

• Shiva:
- Brahma Kapal (Lord Shiva became freed from the skull of Lord Brahma)

• Others:
- Tapta Kund
- Charan Paduka
- Vyas Gufa
- Ganesh Gufa
- Mata Murti (Nara-Narayana)

• Pancha Shilas:
(1) Varaha Shila
(2) Narasimha Shila
(3) Narada Shila
(4) Markandeya Shila
(5) Garuda Shila

• Pancha Dharas:
(1) Prahlada Dhara
(2) Kurma Dhara
(3) Bhrigu Dhara
(4) Urvashi Dhara
(5) Indira Dhara

• Places to See (Puranic Places mapping):

Presence of Lord Vishnu in Badrinath (Badarikashrama):
• Presence of Lord Vishnu: Badari is beginningless like the Vedas and where Lord Hari Himself is the presiding deity. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) Badrinath is a Swayam Vyakta Sthalam of Lord Vishnu.
• Penance of Agni deva: Agni deva performed penance in Badarikashrama to get rid of his sins due to his omnivorousness. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Tapt Kund or Agni Kund (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Tapt Kund or Agni Kund of Badrinath is identified with the abode of Agni deva.
• Penance of sage Narada: Sage Narada performed penance in Badarikashrama to get the vision of Lord Vishnu. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Narada Shila (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Narada Shila of Badrinath is identified with the place where sage Narada performed penance.
• Penance of sage Markandeya: Sage Markandeya performed penance in Badarikashrama to obtain steady devotion of the Feet of the Lord. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Markandeya Shila (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Markandeya Shila of Badrinath is identified with the place where sage Markandeya performed penance.
• Penance of Sri Garuda: Sri Garuda performed penance in Badarikashrama to become the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Garuda Shila (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Garuda Shila of Badrinath is identified with the place where Sri Garuda performed penance.

Presence of Lord Varaha in Badrinath (Badarikashrama):
• Presence of Lord Varaha: After killing demon Hiranyaksha the Lord abided in Badarikashrama in the form of a rock. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Varaha Shila (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Varaha Shila of Badrinath is identified with the place where Lord Varaha abided in the form of a rock.

Presence of Lord Narasimha in Badrinath (Badarikashrama):
• Presence of Lord Narasimha: After killing demon Hiranyakasipu the Lord abided in Badarikashrama in the form of a rock. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Narasimha Shila (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) The Narasimha Shila of Badrinath is identified with the place where Lord Narasimha abided in the form of a rock.

Presence of Lord Shiva in Badrinath (Badarikashrama):
• Presence of Lord Shiva: At Badarikashrama, Lord Shiva got freed from the skull of Lord Brahma which stuck to his hands. (Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya - 2)
► Badrinath - Brahma Kapal (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) Brahma Kapal of Badrinath is identified with the place where Lord Shiva got freed from the skull of Lord Brahma which stuck to his hands.

Presence of sages Nara-Narayana in Badrinath (Badarikashrama):
• Penance of sages Nara-Narayana: In Badarikashrama, sages Nara and Narayana, who are the incarnations of the Lord, has been undergoing intense long penance for the welfare of the world. (Srimad Bhagavatam - Adhyaya 3 - 4.22)
► Badrinath (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand) Badrinath is a Swayam Vyakta Sthalam of Lord Vishnu.

• Puranic References:

• Skanda Purana - Badarikashrama Mahatmya (About Badrinath)
• Srimad Bhagavatam (About Nara-Narayana in Badrinath)

• Location:

• Badrinath is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Bharatavarsha - The Land of Gods and Sages:

• Stotras

• Scriptures

• Pilgrimages

• Sacred Geography - Mountains - Rivers

• Festivals

• Sages - Hermitages - Penances

• Saints - Ramakrishna - Vivekananda - Ramana

• Sadhana

• Sanskrit

• Nature

• Arts and Sciences

• Bharatavarsha