By Subhamoy Das – filed in Ayuveda Health
“The seed of the Rudraksha tree (Elaeocarpus granitrus) holds a very special place in Hinduism, and is credited to possess mystical and divine properties. Necklaces made of Rudraksha beads are considered auspicious as well as powerful, and are supposed to have profound health benefits.
The ancient yogis of India considered rudraksha beads to be holy and claimed that when worn directly in contact with the skin, they convey to the body helpful electromagnetic influences ~ Also, wearing Rudraksha beads have a positive effect on the heart and nerves, and relieve you from stress, anxiety, depression, palpitations and lack of concentration.
‘Rudraksha’ has its origin in the Sanskrit words, ‘Rudra’ and ‘Aksha’. ‘Rudra’ is another name for Lord Shiva, and ‘aksha’ means teardrop. Mythological tales have it that the Rudraksha plant was born out of Lord Shiva’s tear drops. Ancient scriptures, such as ‘Shiva Purana’, ‘Padma Purana’ and ‘Srimad Bhagavad’ mention the greatness and wonderful powers of the Rudraksha. For thousands of years, they have adorned the bodies of sages and saints leading a fearless life in far-flung frontiers seeking enlightenment and liberation.
Excerpt from Hinduism Today –
“All legends of the origin of rudraksha describe them as the tears shed by Lord Siva for the benefit of humanity. “Rudra” stems from the Sanskrit rud or rodana, which means “to cry.” It is the original name for Siva as it appears in the Rig Veda. Aksha means “eye,” and thus rudraksha beads are deemed the tears of Siva. Though accounts vary as to exactly what stirred Siva to shed His historical tears, the most common legend describes how He wept out of compassion as He beheld the effrontery of mankind. Naveen Patnaik briefly tells the tale in The Garden of Life, “Rudra wept when He witnessed the towering metropolis. Tripura, or triple city, created by man’s superbly ambitious technology. In its arrogance, this magnificent human creation had undermined the balance between the Earth, Atmosphere and Sky. Then according to the Mahabharata, having shed the implacable tear which turned into a rudraksha bead, ‘The Lord of the Universe drew his bow and unleashed his arrows at the triple city, burning its demons and hurling them into the western ocean, for the welfare of creation.’ “Wearing the rudraksha, devotees remind themselves of His compassion for the human predicament, His watchful love for us all.”
Blessings, Divinely inspired by the Rudraksha to share its origins with you ~ Coralina ~
A fascinating article about the health and spiritual benefits of these special beads – Thnx for sharin’ Coralinni!! ~ I might have to get me some of these as well! 😉
~ speaking of beads, yesterday I went to cool eco-store (Green Earth) and purchased some dream stones made of amethyst which aids for sleep problems and helps promote gentle dreams – I tried them last nite and i did get better sleep! (so who knows…maybe it really works!)
I also have a worry stone made of the same gem that helps soothe away stress and worries — ahhhhhhhhhhh ~
Hey Coralina…thanks for this post. Pretty interesting. Aside from their possible health benefits and divine properties, the necklaces look really unique and would be a nice earth-friendly accessory.
Thanks for sharing, this is a reminder for me that my rudraksha mala is in need of restringing in it’s pouch. I found it interesting the subtle difference in they way it feels compared to say a lotus seed mala or even a smoky quartz one I have. They are are different to the crystal quartz mala I wear now and practice Japa with.
Yanakki, I too sleep with rocks under my pillow… amethyst, black tourmaline, and turquenite. Sweet dreams!
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on the Rudraksha beads and also your insight into your own personal spiritual collections ~
For my area, the Yogananda’s beautiful gift shop has the best selection of Rudraksha malas, Yannaki ~ I see Sherry shares our practice of using quartz crystals ~ And Sherry, your collection of malas sounds quite lovely ~ Wonderful to hear you too have rudraksha beads in your collection as do I and Seva as well ~ I too wear them for Japa – It seems wearing a spiritual mala heightens the experience of chanting the sacred mantras ~
Om ~~ Much Metta! ~ Coralina ~