According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana,[2] Brahmavaivarta Purana & Shiva Purana,[3] Shalagrama Shilas originated due to the following chain of events. A king named Vrishadhvaja had been cursed by Surya to endure poverty due to his reluctance to worship any deity other than Lord Shiva. To regain back the lost prosperity, his grandsons Dharmadhvaja & Kusadhvaja performed austerities to propitiate Goddess Lakshmi, the presiding deity of prosperity. Pleased with the austerities, She granted them prosperity & boon of being born as their daughters. Accordingly Lakshmi incarnated as Vedavati, the daughter of Kusadhvaja & Tulasi, the daughter of Dharmadhvaja. Tulasi went to Badarikashrama to perform austerities in order to gain Lord Vishnu as her husband, but was informed by Lord Brahma that she wouldn't get Vishnu as her husband in that life, rather she would have to marry the Danava named Shankhachuda. In his previous birth, Shankhachuda was Sudama, an attendant of Krishna, a manifestation of Vishnu residing in Goloka, created out of his body who was cursed by Radha to be born as a Danava. As a result, Shankhachuda was virtuous & pious by nature and he was devoted to Vishnu. He married Tulasi on the command of Lord Brahma as per the rules of the Gandharva marriage. After Shankhachuda's marriage, the Danavas under his leadership waged a battle against their natural enemies, the Devas, in which they won due to merit of Shankhachuda's virtue. The Devas were subsequently driven out of Svarga by the victorious Danavas. Demoralised & defeated, the Devas approached Lord Vishnu, who told them that Shankhachuda was destined to be killed by Lord Shiva. On being requested by the Devas, Lord Shiva along with His attendants & the Devas, waged a battle against the Danavas led by Shankhachuda. However, neither side was able to outpower the other. An unembodied voice told Lord Shiva that by the boon of Lord Brahma, Shankhachuda was invincible in combat as long as he wore his armour &
