page_title: Rudraksha
section_title: In religious texts
hierarchical_section_title: Rudraksha / Uses / In religious texts
caption_attribution_description: English: 108+1 five mukhi Rudraksha mala हिन्दी: 108+1 पंच मुखी रुद्राक्ष माला
context_page_description: Rudraksha is a seed that is used as a prayer bead in Hinduism, especially in Shaivism. When they are ripe, rudraksha seeds are covered by a blue outer shell and are sometimes called blueberry beads. The seeds are produced by several species of large, evergreen, broad-leaved tree in the genus Elaeocarpus, the principle of which is Elaeocarpus ganitrus. The seeds are associated with the Hindu deity Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya. The seeds are primarily used in India, Indonesia and Nepal as beads for organic jewellery and malas; they are valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Various meanings and interpretations are attributed to beads with different numbers of segments or the locules of seed [Sanskrit "मुख": face ], and rare or unique beads are highly prized and valuable.
context_section_description: तं गुहः प्रत्युवाच प्रवालमौक्तिकस्फटिकशङ्ख रजताष्टापदचन्दनपुत्रजीविकाब्जे रुद्राक्षा इति । आदिक्षान्तमूर्तिः सावधानभावा । सौवर्णं राजतं ताम्रं तन्मुखे मुखं तत्पुच्छे पुच्छं तदन्तरावर्तनक्रमेण योजयेत् । Akshamalika Upanishad
  Meaning: Sage Guha replied: (It is made of any one of the following 10 materials) Coral, Pearl, Crystal, Conch, Silver, Gold, Sandal, Putra-Jivika, Lotus, or Rudraksha. Each head must be devoted and thought of as presided over by the deities of Akara to Kshakara. Golden thread should bind the beads through the holes. On its right silver (caps) and left copper. The face of a bead should face, the face of another head and tail, the tail. Thus a circular formation must be made.
  अथ कालाग्निरुद्रं भगवन्तं सनत्कुमारः पप्रच्छाधीहि भगवन्रुद्राक्षधारणविधिं स होवाच रुद्रस्य नयनादुत्पन्ना रुद्राक्षा इति लोके ख्यायन्ते सदाशिवः संहारकाले संहारं कृत्वा संहाराक्षं मुकुलीकरोति तन्नयनाज्जाता रुद्राक्षा इति होवाच तस्माद्रुद्राक्षत्वमिति तद्रुद्राक्षे वाग्विषये कृते दशगोप्रदानेन यत्फलमवाप्नोति तत्फलमश्नुते स एष भस्मज्योती रुद्राक्ष इति तद्रुद्राक्षं करेण स्पृष्ट्वा धारणमात्रेण द्विसहस्रगोप्रदानफलं भवति । तद्रुद्राक्षे एकादशरुद्रत्वं च गच्छति । तद्रुद्राक्षे शिरसि धार्यमाणे कोटिगोप्रदानफलं भवति । Brihajjabala Upanishad
  Meaning: Sage Sanatkumara approached Lord Kalagni Rudra and asked him, "Lord, kindly explain to me the method of wearing Rudraksha." What he told him was, "Rudraksha became famous by that name because initially, it was produced from the eyes of Rudra. During the time of destruction and after the act of destruction, when Rudra closed his eye of destruction, Rudraksha was produced from that eye. That is the Rudraksha property of Rudraksha. Just by touching and wearing this Rudraksha, one gets the same effect of giving in charity one thousand cows."
  तुलसीपारिजातश्रीवृक्षमूलादिकस्थले ।  पद्माक्षतुलसीकाष्ठरुद्राक्षकृतमालया ॥ Rama Rahasya Upanishad
  Meaning: He should count using a rosary (mala) whose beads are either made of the tulsi plant or rudraksha.
  हृदयं कुण्डली भस्मरुद्राक्षगणदर्शनम् ।  तारसारं महावाक्यं पञ्चब्रह्माग्निहोत्रकम् ॥ Rudrahridaya Upanishad
  Meaning: After prostrating himself before the celebrated form of Sri Mahadeva-Rudra in his heart, adoring the sacred Bhasma and Rudraksha and mentally reciting the great Mahavakya-Mantra, Tarasara, Sage Shuka asked his father Geat Sage Vyasa
  अथ हैनं कालाग्निरुद्रं भुसुण्डः पप्रच्छ कथं रुद्राक्षोत्पत्तिः । तद्धारणात्किं फलमिति । तं होवाच भगवान्कालाग्निरुद्रः । त्रिपुरवधार्थमहं निमीलिताक्षोऽभवम् ।निमीलिताक्षोऽभवम् तेभ्यो जलबिन्दवो भूमौ पतितास्ते रुद्राक्षा जाताः ।  सर्वानुग्रहार्थाय तेषां नामोच्चारणमात्रेण दशगोप्रदानफलं दर्शनस्पर्शनाभ्यां द्विगुणं फलमत ऊर्ध्वं वक्तुं न शक्नोमि । Rudrakshajabala Upanishad
  Meaning: Sage Bhusunda questioned Lord Kalagni-Rudra: What is the beginning of Rudraksha beads? What is the benefit of wearing them on the body? Lord Kalagni-Rudra answered him thus: I closed my eyes for the sake of destroying the Tripurasura. From my eyes thus closed, drops of water fell on the earth. These drops of tears turned into Rudrakshas. By the mere utterance of the name of 'Rudraksha', one acquires the benefit of giving ten cows in charity. By seeing and touching it, one attains double that benefit. I am unable to praise it any more.
  They who walk the twin paths of charya and kriya ever praise the twin feet of the Lord. They wear holy emblems—the twin rings in earlobes, the twin rudraksha garland around the neck—and adopt the twin mudras, all in amiable constancy. Tirumantiram 1423. TM
  Thinking of Him, great love welling up in their heart, if they finger the rudraksha beads, it will bring them the glory of the Gods. Chant our naked Lord’s name. Say, “Namah Shivaya!” : Tirumurai 3.307.3. PS, 217
caption: 108+1 five mukhi Rudraksha mala
exif: {"Image DateTime": "2018:09:16 01:13:49", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 2, 0, 0]", "GPS GPSMapDatum": "WGS-84", "Image GPSInfo": "3632", "Image Model": "MotoG3", "Image ImageWidth": "3120", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image ImageLength": "2849", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ExifOffset": "198", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image Make": "Motorola", "Thumbnail ImageWidth": "512", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail ImageLength": "384", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:09:16 01:11:20", "EXIF FNumber": "2", "EXIF FocalLength": "91/25", "EXIF ApertureValue": "2", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Bracket", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "654053", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "4160", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Custom", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "2", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "654053", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "1", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF Sharpness": "Soft", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3120", "EXIF SubSecTime": "654053", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "108/25", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:09:16 01:11:20", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, auto mode", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "3602", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "-1", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "500", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ExposureTime": "5001/100000"}