About Rudrâksam in the Mahâ Purânam (S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam )by Mahârsi Veda Vyâsa.

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Prânâyâma is called Sagarbha when performed with the repetition of some mantra; it is called Agarbha when it is done simply with mere meditation, without repeating any mantra. After the bathing, the Tarpanam with its accompaniments, is to he done; i.e., the peace offerings are made with reference to the Devas, the Risis, and the Pitris (whereby we invoke the blessings from the subtle planes where the highsouled persons dwell). After this, a clean pair of clothes is to be worn and then he should get up and come out of the water. The next things preparatory to practise Japam are to wear the Tilaka marks of ashes and to put on the Rudrâk sa beads. He who holds thirty-two Rudrâksa beads on his neck, forty on his head, six on each ear (12 on two ears), twenty four beads on two hands (twelve on each hand) thirty-two beads on two arms (sixteen on each), one bead on each eye and one bead on the hair on the crown, and one hundred and eight beads on the breast, (251 in all) becomes

himself Mahâ Deva. One is expected to use them as such. O Muni! You can use the Rudrâk sas after tieing, stringing together with gold or silver always on your S'ikhâ, the tuft of hair on the head or on your ears. On the holy thread, on the hands, on the neck, or on the belly (abdomen) one can keep the Rudrâk sa after one has repeated sincerely and with devotion the five lettered mantra of S'iva, or one has repeated the Prânâva (Om). Holding the Rudrâksa implies that the man has realised the knowledge of S'iva Tattva. O Brahmâ n! The Rudrâksa bead that is placed on the tuft or on the crown hair represents the Târa tattva, i.e., Om Kâra; the Rudrâksa beads that are held on the two ears are to be thought of as Deva and Devî, (S'iva and S'ivâ). 22-37. The one hundred and eight Rudrâksa beads on the sacrificial thread are considered as the one hundred and eight Vedas (signifying the Full Knowledge, as sixteen digits of the Moon completed; on the arms, are considered as the

Dik (quarters); on the neck, are considered as the Devî Sarasvatî and Agni (fire). The Rudrâk sa beads ought to be taken by men of all colours and castes. The Brâhmanas, Ksattriyas and Vais'yas should hold them after purifying them with Mantras, i.e., knowingly; whereas the S'ûdras can take them without any such purification by the Mantras, i.e., unknowingly. By holding or putting on the Rudrâksa beads, persons become the Rudras incarnate in flesh and body. There is no doubt in this. By this all the sins arising from seeing, hearing, remembering, smelling, eating prohibited things, talking incoherently, doing prohibited things, etc., are entirely removed with the Rudrâk sa beads on the body; whatever acts, eating, drinking, smelling, etc., are done, are, as it were, done by Rudra Deva Himself. O Great Muni!

He who feels shame in holding and putting on the Rudrâksa beads, can never be freed from this Samsâra even after the Koti births. He who blames another person holding Rudrâk sa beads has defects in his birth (is a bastard). There is no doubt in this. It is by holding on Rudrâksa that Brahmâ has remained steady in His Brahmâhood untainted and the Munis have been true to their resolves. So there is no act better and higher than holding the Rudrâk sa beads. He who gives clothing and food to a person holding Rudrâksa beads with devotion is freed of all sins and goes to the S'iva Loka. He who feasts gladly any holder of such beads at the time of S'râdh, goes undoubtedly to the Pitri Loka. He who washes the feet of a holder of Rudrâk sa and drinks that water, is freed of all sins and resides with honour in the S'iva Loka. If a Brâhmana holds with devotion the Rudrâksa beads with a necklace and gold, he attains the Rudrahood. O Intelligent One! Wherever whoever holds with or

without faith and devotion the Rudrâk sa beads with or without any mantra, is freed of all sins and is entitled to the Tattvajñâna. I am unable to describe fully the greatness of the Rudrâksa beads. In fact, all should by all means hold the Rudrâk sa beads on their bodies.

Nârada said :-- O Sinless one! The greatness of the Rudrâksa seed that you have described is verily such. Now I ask why is this Rudrâksam so much entitled to worship by the people. Please speak clearly on this point. Nârâya na spoke :-- O Child! This is the very question that was asked once by Kârtika, the sixfaced One, to Bhagavân Rudra, dwelling in Kailâs'a. What He replied, I say now. Listen. Rudra Deva spoke :-- O Child Sa dânana. I will dwell briefly on the secret cause of the greatness of the Rudrâksa seed. Hear. In days of yore, there was a Daitya called Tripurâ who could not be conquered by any body. Brahmâ, Visnu and the other Devas were defeated by him. They then came to Me and requested Me to kill the Asura. At their request, I called in my mind the Divine Great weapon, named Aghora, beautiful and terrible and containing the strength of all the Devas, to kill him. It was inconceivable and it was blazing with fire.

For full divine one thousand years I remained awake with eyelids wide open in thinking of the Aghora weapon, the destroyer of all obstacles, whereby the killing of Tripurâsura might be effected and the troubles of the Devas be removed. Not for a moment my eyelids dropped. There by my eyes were affected and drops of water came out of my eyes. Note here. How enemies are to be killed. It requires great thought, great concentration, great yoga and great powers. O Mahâsena! From those drops of water coming out of my eyes, the great tree of Rudrâk sam did spring for the welfare of all. This Rudrâksa seed is of thirty-eight varieties. From My Sûrya Netra, i.e., My right eye, symbolizing the Sun, twelve yellow coloured (Pingala colour) varieties have come; and from my left eye representing the Moon, the Soma Netra, sixteen varieties of white colour and from my third eye on the top, representing Fire, i.e., the Agni Netra, ten varieties of black colour have come out. Of these

the white Rudrâksams are Brâhmins and they are used by the Brâhmanas; the red coloured ones are the Ksattriyas and should be used by the K sattriyas and the black ones are S'ûdras and should be used by the Vaisyas and the S'ûdras.

12-19. One faced Rudrâksa seed is the S'iva Himself, made manifest and rendered vivid; even the sin incurred in killing a Brâhmana is destroyed thereby. Two faced or two headed Rudrâk sam is like the Deva and the Devî. Two sorts of sins are destroyed thereby. The three faced Rudrâksam is like fire; the sin incurred in killing a woman is destroyed in a moment. The four faced Rudrâks a seed is like Brahmâ and removes the sin of killing persons. The five faced Rudrâksam is verily an image of Rudra; all sorts of sins, e.g., eating prohibited food, going to the ungoables, etc., are destroyed thereby. The six faced Rudrâk sam is Kârtikeya. It is to be worn on the right hand. One becomes freed of the Brahmâhatyâ sin. There is no manner of doubt in this. The seven faced Rudrâksam is named Ananga. Holding this frees one from the sin of stealing gold, etc., O Mahâsena! The eight faced Rudrâk sa is Vinâyaka. Holding this frees one from the sin of holding an illicit contact with a

woman of a bad family and with the wife of one's Guru, etc., and other sins as well. It enables one to acquire heaps of food, cotton, and gold; and in the end the Highest Place is attained.

20-35. The fruit of holding the eight faced Rudrâksa seed has been said. Now I will talk of the nine-faced Rudrâksam. It is verily the Bhairava made manifest. On the left hand it should be worn.

By this, the people get both Bhoga (enjoyment) and Moksa (liberation) and they become powerful like Me and get themselves freed at once, without the least delay, of the sins incurred by committing thousands of abortions, hundreds of Brahmâhattyâs (killing the Brâhma nas). Holding the ten-faced Rudrâksa is verily wearing Janârdana, the Deva of the Devas. The holding of which pacifies the evils caused by planets, Pis'âchas, Vetâlas, Brahmâ Râksasas, and Pannagas. The eleven-faced Rudrâk sam is like the Eleven Rudras. The fruits, the efficacy of which I now describe. Hear. The fruits obtained through the performance of one thousand horse sacrifices, one hundred Vâjapeya sacrifices, and making gifts of one hundred thousand cows are obtained thereby.

If one wears the twelve-headed Rudrâksam on one's ear, the Âdityas get satisfied. The fruits of performing Gomedha and As'vamedha sacrifices are obtained thereby. No fear comes from burned buffaloes, armed enemies and wolves and tigers and other murderous animals. Also the several diseases of the body never come to him. The holder of the twelve-faced Rudrâk sa seed feels always happy and he is the master of some kingdoms He becomes freed of the sins incurred in killing elephants, horses, deer, cats, snakes, mice, frogs, asses, foxes and various other animals.

O Child! The thirteen faced Rudrâksam is very rare; if anybody gets it, he becomes like Kârti Keya and gets all desires fulfilled; and the eight siddhis are under his grasp. He learns how to make gold, silver and other metals; he attains all sorts of enjoyments. There is no manner of doubt in this. O Sa dânana! If anybody holds the thirteen faced Rudrâksam, he becomes freed from the sins incurred in killing mother, father and brothers.

O Son! If one holds on one's head the fourteen faced Rudrâksam always, one becomes like S'iva. O Muni! What more shall I speak to you! The Devas pay their respects to one holding the fourteen faced Rudrâk sas and he in the end attains the Highest Goal, the state of S'iva. His body becomes verily the body of S'iva.

36-40. The Devas always worship the Rudrâksa seed; the highest goal is attained by wearing the Rudrâksam. The Brâhmanas should hold on their heads at least one Rudrâk sam with devotion. A rosary of twenty-six Rudrâksams is to be made and tied on the head. Similarly a rosary of fifty seeds is to be worn and suspended on the breast; sixteen each on each of the two arms; twenty-four Rudrâk sams to be worn on the wrists, twelve on each. O Sadânana! If a rosary be made of one hundred and eight, fifty or twenty-seven Rudrâksams and if japam be done with that, immeasurable merits are obtained. If anybody wears a rosary of one hundred and eight seeds, he gets at every moment the fruit of performing the As'vamedha sacrifices and uplifts his twenty-one generations and finally he resides in the S'iva Loka.

Yours

George Pillai

Sarvam Shivamayam

 

 

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