Siva Purana (Vidyesvara Samhita) 43 to 55

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Shiva Purana (Vidyesvara Samhita)

translated by Shastri, 1973.

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43. A devotee of Siva shall refrain from eating meat, garlic, onion,

red garlic, potherb, slesmataka, pig of rubbish and liquors.

 

44. O Uma, daughter of the mountain, the white Rudraksa shall be

worn by the Brahmin, the red by the Ksatriya, the yellow by Vaisya,

the black by Sudra. This is the path indicated by the Vedas.

 

45. Whether he is a householder, forest dweller, ascetic or of any

order, none shall go out of this secret advice. Only by great merits

can the opportunity to wear the Rudraksa be obtained. It he misses

it, he will go to hell.

 

46. The Rudraksas of size of an Emblic myrobalan and those of

lighter weight but depressed with thorns, those eaten by worms or

without holes and those charaterized by other defects shall not be

worn by those wishing for auspicious results. They shall avoid small

ones of the size of gram. O Uma, Rudraksa is an auspicious

complement to my phallic image. The small one is always praiseworthy.

 

47. People of all varnas and asramas even women and Sudras can wear

Rudraksa at the bidding of Siva. The ascetics shall wear it with the

Pranava.

 

48. If anyone wears it during the day he is freed from sins

committed during the night; if he wears it during the night he is

freed from all the sins committed during the day. Similar is the

result with its wearing during morning, mid day or evening.

 

49. Those who wear Tripunda, the matted hair and the Rudraksa do not

go to Yama's abode.

 

50-52. [Yama's directive is to his attendants:] "Those who wear at

least one Rudraksa on their heads, Tripundr on the forehead and

repeat the five syllabled mantras shall be honoured by you all. They

are indeed saintly men. You can bring the man here who has no

Rudraksa on his person and Tripunda on his forehead and who does not

utter the five syllabled mantra. All those who have the ash and

Rudraksa shall be honoured always by us after knowing their power.

They shall never be brought here".

 

53. Yama commanded his attendants like this. They too remained just

quiet agreeing to it. In fact they were surprised.

 

54. Hence Mahadevi, the Rudraksa as well as the person who wears it

is my favourite. O Parvati, even if he has committed sins he becomes

pure.

 

55. He who wears Rudraksa round the hands and arms and over the head

cannot be killed by any living being. He shall roam in the world in

the form of Rudra.

 

 

************ To be continued *******