Rudraksha Significance

Rudraksha 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 a 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 in time from the Three eyes of the Lord Rudra has came out. Since it came from the aksha (eye) of Lord rudra (a role played by the Supreme Shiva), it is called rudraksha.

Glory of Rudraksha

Skanda puranam (3) details the glory of this great ornament.

"Hearing or reading the glory of Rudraksham can drive away the sins of anybody. Be devoted or not, scholar or illiterate, whomsoever it is one who wears the rudrraksa will surely get rid of all the bad deeds. Philosophers call this as mahavrta. There is no deed more virtuous than wearing rudrAxa. One who gets adorned in a sincere and proper way with thousand rudrakshas, all the divines will salute that person. If thousands 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 rudrakshas with pearl, ruby, Spatikam crystals, silver, gold, vaidurya (lapis lazuli), that person is Rudra Himself ! One who wears the emblem of Lord Rudra, the Rudraksham, them the sins do not approach as the darkness cannot approach the sun. The chanting (japa) with rudraksha 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 rudraksha 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 rudraksha at the head and bathes, gets the benefits of bathing in Ganges, this is beyond doubt. Such rudrakshas even if only one beed is worn that person gets rid of the sin did in many births. One who anoints rudraksa gets the benefit of anointing Shiva linga (1). One, five, and fourteen-faced rudrakshas are adorable in all the worlds. Human who worships rudraksha, 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 Sri Rudraksham.

How to wear Rudrakshas

Rudrakshas 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 thousand rudrakshas.

26 beads on the head, 50 over the chest, 14 on the shoulders, 12 on the wrist.

16 each in both hands, 1 at the head top, 12 in each hand, 32 in the neck, 6 each in the ears.

Garlands of 108, 50, 27 are boon full.

A single bead.

Different Types of RudrAksas

Rudrakshas are in three colours. Tawny reddish (Kapila) color represent sun (Surya), white represent moon (Chandra) and black represent fire (Agni) eyes of the Lord from which they originated.

Rudrakshas come with different number of faces. Though all Rudrakshas are emblems of the Lord Shiva, each type has its additional significance. Some of them are given here.

one face - Shiva svarupa

two - devadevi (Shiva shakti)

three - agni

four - brahma

five – Kaala agni

six - Skanda

seven – Madan Mohan

eight - Ganesh

nine - Bhairava

ten - Vishnu

eleven - Ekadasharudra

twelve - dvadashaditya

thirteen - Shanmukha

fourteen - Lord Shiva

More details on Rudraksham Trees giving Rudraksa beads grow in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal. Experienced do tests to confirm the originality of the Rudraksha beads.