RudrAksha Significance

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RudrAksha Significance

rudrAksh is one of the most important things for the devotees of Lord

shiva. The word rudrAksha means the eye of Lord rudra (rudrAksha -

rudra + aksha). The rudraksha beads are worn by the Lord and Its

devotees. rudraxa beads proven to have very good positive effect in

one who wears it properly is spiritually quite significant.

 

Puranic Importance of rudrAksham

On the request of the divines Lord shiva burnt the three daemon forts

called tripurAsura who were into disruptive activities. God burnt

them without even a weapon just by the smile itself ! Three daemons

in those forts who were good and devotees of the Lord came out

without any harm by the Lord's Grace ! At this point of time fromt he

Three eyes of the Lord rudrAxas came out. Since it came from the

aksha (eye) of Lord rudra (a role played by the Supreme shiva), it is

called rudrAxa.

 

Glory of rudrAksha

skanda purANam (3) details the glory of this great ornament.

 

"Hearing or reading the glory of rudrAxam can drive away the sins of

anybody. Be devoted or not, scholar or illiterate, whomsoever it be

one who wears the rudrAxa will surely get rid of all the bad deeds.

Philosophers call this as mahAvrata. There is no deed more virtuous

than wearing rudrAxa. One who gets adorned in a sincere and proper

way with thausand rudrAxas, all the divines will salute that person.

If thausands are not available sixteen each in both the hands, one at

the head top, each hand twelve, in the neck thirty-two, six each in

the ears shall be worn. One who wears like that is worshipped by

others as if they are Lord rudra. One who wears rudrAxas with pearl,

ruby, spaTikam crystals, silver, gold, vaiDUryam (lapis lazuli), that

person is rudra Himself ! One who wears the emblem of Lord rudra, the

rudrAxam, them the sins do not approach as the darkness cannot

approach the sun. The chanting (japa) with rudrAxa mala will yield

lots of good result. The japa done without that will give the fruit

only to the extent of its own glory. Thus very virtuous rudrAxa is

not worn by anybody, their life gets wasted like that of the one who

does not wear Holy Ash (2). The wise who keeps the rudrAxa at the

head and bathes, gets the benefits of bathing in ganges, this is

beyond doubt. Such rudrAxas even if only one beed is worn that person

gets rid of the sin did in many births. One who anoints rudrAxa gets

the benefit of anointing shiva linga (1). One, five and fourteen

faced rudrAxas are adorable in all the worlds. Human who worships

rudrAxa, even if he/she is very poor, will get all the wealth."

skanda purANa also refers to many stories that tell the glory of

adorning one with shrI rudrAxam.

 

How to wear rudrakshas

rudrAxas are very Holy. One should wear them with respect and

maintain their sanctity. Various ways are suggested by the scriptures

on adorning oneself with them. Some of them are:

 

Adorning with thausand rudrAxas.

26 beeds on head, 50 over the chest, 14 on the shoulders, 12 on the

wrist.

16 each in both the hands, 1 at the head top, 12 in each hands, 32 in

the neck, 6 each in the ears.

Garlands of 108, 50, 27 are boonful.

A single beed.

Different Types of rudrAksas

rudrAxas are in three colors. Tawny reddish (kapila) color represent

sun (sUrya), white represent moon (chandra) and black represent fire

(agni) eyes of the Lord from which they originated.

 

rudrAxas come with different number of faces. Though all rudrAxas are

emblems of the Lord shiva, each type has its additional significance.

Some of them are given here.

 

one face - shiva svarUpam

two - devadevi (shiva shakti)

three - agni

four - brahma

five - kAlAgni

six - subrahmaNya

seven - manmata

eight - vinAyaka

nine - bhairava

ten - viShNu

eleven - ekAdasharudra

twelve - dvAdashAditya

thirteen - shaNmukha

fourteen - Lord shiva

 

Trees giving rudrAxa beads grow in the himalayan regions of India and

Nepal. Experienced do tests to confirm the originality of the rudrAxa

beads.