By R. A. Sastri

Om. Next Bhusunda addressed Kalagni Rudra thus: ‘How is the origin of the Rudrakshas, and what is the effect wearing them’?

2. Him answered the Lord Kalagni Rudra.

3. When, for the sake of destroying the Tripura (the three cities), I checked my Eyes; from them fell drops of water in the ground and became the Rudrakshas for the benefit of all.

4. Mere uttering their name produces the effect of the gift of ten cows. The seeing and handling of them produces twice the effect of the above. Beyond this, I am unable to describe more.

5. There are the following verses on this (Question). Wherefrom comes it? What is its name? How is it to be worn by men? How many faces does it contain? What are the mantras to be chanted when wearing it?

6. (Answer) I closed my eyes for the period of a thousand divine years. From my closed eyes drops of water fell down on the earth. Then the Eye-drops have become the great Rudraksha trees of the vegetable kingdom for the sake of blessing the devotees.

7. The wearing of it does remove the sin of the devotees committed during the day and the night. Seeing it produces one lac of virtues, and handling it, one crore. The wearing of it produces in man one hundred crores of virtues, the wearing and making japa of it produce in man one hundred millions of virtues.

8. It is said that Rudraksha is the best which is as big in size as Dhatri fruit(நெல்லிக்காய்). The wise declare it to be a secondary one which has the size of a Badari fruit(இலந்தைப்பழம்). The last one is that which has the size of a Bengal gram. Thus is the order given out by me.

9. By the command of Siva the trees have sprung up from the earth in four classes, namely, Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra; and each brings benefit to its own order.

10. The white one is called Brahmana bead, the red one, Kshatriya; yellowish, Vaisya; and black one is said to be Sudra. The Brahmanas should wear the white ones, the Kshatriya, the red, the Vaisya the yellowish, and the Sudras the black ones.

11. The good bead is that which is well-shaped, sappy sound, well-sized and with thorns. One should reject the six kinds of the same, namely those that are made holes by worms, wounded, broken, without thorns, diseased and not well-shaped.

12. The best Rudraksha is that which has a natural hole. That bead is a secondary one which has a hole made by the effort of man.

13. The wise should wear in his body and limbs a garland of beads that are equally shaped, sappy, sound, pleasing, and big is size, tied in a silk thread.

14. That bead is known to be the best which produces a golden line when tested in a rubbing stone; and this the worshippers of Siva should wear.

15. One should wear a single Rudraksha in the tuft of his hair, three hundred in the head. He should make a garland of thirty-six for his neck, of sixteen for each arm, and of twelve for each wrist. He should wear five hundred in his shoulders. One should prepare a garland of one hundred and eight in the form of the sacred thread (yajnopavita).

16. One should suspend from his shoulders a garland of beads consisting of two or three, five or seven rounds. He may wear the same in the head, in and around the ears, neck, arms, wrists, and across the shoulders like the sacred thread. He should wear it specially in the waist.

17. One should wear always the Rudraksha whether he sleeps or eats.

18. The wearing of three hundred is said to be the lowest; of five hundred ordinary, and of one thousand the best. Knowing the difference one should wear it.

19. He should wear it in the crown, chanting the mantra ‘Isana’: in the shoulders Tatpurusha’; in the neck and heart ‘Aghora’. The wise should recite the mantra ‘Aghora Bija’, while wearing it on their wrists. One should wear a garland of fifty in the waist chanting the mantra ‘Vyomavyapi.’ He should wear, in all the places of sense-organs, a garland of five or seven beads, chanting the Panchabrahman’ (Sadyojata & c.,) and its supplementary mantra.

20. Next Bhusunda addressed the Lord Kalagni Rudra. Tell me the different kinds of Rudrakshas, their nature, the result of wearing them, and also their different faces; and those that drive out evils and these that give the desired objects.

21. He answered: In this these are the slokas:-

22. The One-faced Rudraksha represents the Supreme Reality. Wearing it, one, with completely controlled senses merges in the Supreme Reality.

23. The Two-faced one, O the best of sages, represents Ardhnarisvara (the Lord with half-male and half-female form). By wearing this Ardhnarisvara always becomes pleased with him.

24. The Three-faced one represents the three sacred fires. The fire god becomes always pleased with him who wears this.

25. The Four-faced Rudraksha represents the four-faced Deity (Brahma). The four-faced god becomes ever pleased with him who wears this.

26. The Five-faced Rudraksha represents the five Brahmans (Sadyojata to Isana). The five-faced Brahman removes him from the sin of killing the human beings.

27. The Six-faced Rudraksha has Kartikeya (Subrahmanya) as its presiding Deity. The wearing of it brings forth a great wealth and a very good health. The wise should wear it to obtain brightness of the intellect. The great men say it has also Vinayaka as its presiding Deity.

28. The Seven-faced Rudraksha has the Sapta matris as its presiding deities. The wearing of it brings forth a great wealth and a very good health; and vouchsafes the wearer the personal purity and attainment of clearness of the mind.

29. The Eight-faced Rudraksha has the Ashtamatris as its presiding deities. It pleases the Eight Vasus and the goddess Ganga. The wearing of it will please the above gods, who are true to their words.

30. The Nine-faced Rudraksha has the nine Saktis as its presiding deities. The mere wearing of it pleases the nine Saktis.

31. The Ten-faced Rudraksha has Yama as its presiding Deity. A look at it will create effect lessness of his sins. There is no doubt in this.

32. The Eleven-faced Rudraksha has the Eleven Rudras as its presiding Deities. The great men say, the deities increase the prosperity of him who wears it always.

33. The Twelve-faced Rudraksha represents the great Vishnu and also the twelve Adityas. The wearer of it assumes the deity’s form.

34. The Thirteen-faced Rudraksha brings forth the desired objects and agreeable perfection. The mere wearing of it pleases Kamadeva.

35. The Fourteen-faced Rudraksha has its origin from the eyes of Rudra. It removes all the diseases. The wearer will have always a very good health.

36. He should avoid the prohibited food, namely, liquor, flesh, onion, white onion Suguru, Sleshmataka, and the village boar.

37. He becomes freed from all the sins, if he wears the Rudraksha on the days of Eclipse, Solstices, the beginning of each of the Solar month and of six months of new moon and full moon and on the complete days.

38. It is said the root of the Rudraksha tree is Brahma, the fibre of it is Vishnu, and the top Rudra, and the fruits are all the Devas.

39. Next Santkuamra addressed the Lord Kalagnirudra; ‘Expound to me O Lord, the rules of wearing the Rudrakshas. On that occasion Nidagha, Jadabharata, Dattatreya, Katyayana, Bharadvaja, Kapila, Vasishtha, Pippalada and others, approaching Kalagnirudra addressed him.

40. Next Kalagnirudra asked them, ‘what is the object of your arrival here’?

41. They replied; ‘We desire to hear the rules of wearing the Rudrakshas.’

42. Next Kalagnirudra said: ‘from the Eyes of Rudra the Rudrakshas have come forth. Thus is known in the world. Now, Sadasiva at the time of involution, after finishing the function of destruction, he closes his eye of destruction. From that Eye have come forth the Rudrakshas. It is therefore named Rudraksha by its derivation. Thus replied Kalagnirudra.

43. The mere utterance of the name of ‘Rudraksha’ rings forth to the repeater the virtue of the gift of ten cows. The Rudraksha has as much virtue as that of the bright Bhasma.

44. By handling Rudraksha and by mere wearing of it one acquires the benefit of the gift of two thousand cows. The wearing in the ears will produce the effect of the gift of eleven-thousand cows and the wearer attains the state of Eleven Rudras. The wearing in the head brings forth the result of the gift of one crore of cows. Of all the places the result of wearing in the ears is beyond the speech to describe. Thus replied the Lord.

45. He who studies daily this Rudra Jabala Upanishat, whether he be young or youthful, he becomes great. He becomes the guru and imparter of all the mantras.

46. One should perform Homa in the Sacred fire chanting this Upanishat only and perform worship reciting this only.

47. One should tie a single Rudraksha called Mrityutaraka (crosser of death), which drives out evil spirits, received from a Guru, in the neck, or in the right arm, or in the tuft of his hair.* [* Here is the Vedic injunction for wearing a single Rudraksha received from a teacher, in the neck.]

48. Even the gift of the Earth surrounded with seven continents is not enough to pay spiritual fee to that Guru. Therefore with earnestness he should give him a cow of any quality. This is the spiritual fee.

49. A Brahmana who recites this Upanishat in the evening destroys the sin committed during the day. Recitation in the noon destroys the sin committed in six births. The study in morning and evening removes the sin accumulated during many a birth; also brings forth the result of repeating the Gayatri mantra Six thousand lacs. He becomes pure from the sin of Brahmanicide, of tasting liquor, theft of gold, intercourse with his guru’s wife, and from the sin of him who associates with the above.

50. He gets the benefit of bathing in all the holy waters. He becomes freed from the sin of talking with the fallen men. He becomes the Sanctifier of one hundred thousand lines, He attains the equal state (Sayujya) of Siva. He does never return to this world, he never returns. Om, Truth! Thus says the Upanishat.

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