Siva Purana Vidyesvara Samhita translated by Shastri 1973

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Suta said

 

O Sage Saunaka highly intelligent of the form of Siva noble minded

please listen to the greatness of Rudraksa. I shall explain briefly

 

Rudraksa is the favourite bead of Siva. It is highly sanctifying. It

removes all sins by sight contact and japas

 

O Sage formerly the greatness of Rudraksa was declard to the Goddess

by Siva the Supreme Soul for rendering help to the worlds

 

O Siva Mahesani be pleased to hear the greatness of Rudraksa. I

speak out of love for you from a desire for the benefit of the

devotee of Siva

 

O Mahesani formerly I had been performing peneance for thousands of

divine year. Although I had controlled it rigourously my mind was in

flutter. Out of sport I being self possessed just opened my eyes. O

Goddess from a desire of helping the world drops of tears fell from

my beautiful half closed eyes. From those tear drops there cropped

up the Rduraksa plants

 

They became immobile. In order to Bless the devotees they were given

to the four varnas devoted to the worship of Visnu

 

Rudraksa grown in Gauda Land became great favourite of Lord Siva.

They were grown in Mathura, Lanka, Ayodhya, Malaya, Sahya mountain,

Kasi and other places. They are competent to break asunder the

clustered sins unbearable to others as the sacred texts have declared

 

At my bidding they were classified into Brahmin, Ksatriya, Vaisya

and Sudra. These Rudraksas are of Auspicious Nature

 

The colors of four type of Rudraksas are respectively white red

yellow and black. All people shall wear the Rudraksha of their own

varnas

 

If they desire their benefit namely worldly pleasures and salvation

and if devoees of Siva wish to gratify Siva they must wear the

Rudraksa

 

A Rudraksa the size of an Emblic myrobalan Dhat riphala is mentioned

as the most excellent......One the size of the fruit of the Jujube

tree Badriphala is spoken of as the middling

 

O Parvati lovingly listen to this from a desire for the benefit of

the devotees. The meanest of Rudraksha is the size of a gram

according to this excellent classification

 

O Mahesani even the Rudraksa which is only of he size of the fruit

of jujube accords the benefits and hightens happiness and good

fortune

 

That which is the size of the Emblic Myrobalan is conducive to the

destruction of all distress. That which is the size of a gunga...the

berry.......is conducive to the achievement of the fruit of all

desires

 

The lighter the Rudraksa the more fruitful it is. Each of these is

fruitful and that of a weight of one tenth is considered by scholars

as the most fruitful

 

The wearing of Rudraksa is recommended for the sake of destroying

sins. Hence that shich is conducive to the achievements of every

object has to be worn certainly

 

O Parmesvari no other necklace or garland is observed in the world

to be so Auspicious and Fruitful as the Rudraksa