Lord Shiva is the most worshipped god in the hindu mythology, he is considered to be the beginning and the end of everything in this world. He is life and he is the death. He is the most beautiful of all and is fierce as well as the most kind and innocent of all. Everything related to Lord Shiva has a story associated with it and is considered of atmost importance in the hindu faith. One such thing is the “Rudraksh” which are the brown beads worn by Shiva as jwellery. Its origin has a unique story to it which is discussed below:
Origin Of The Rudraksh
It is discussed in ancient texts that rudraksh literally means the tears of lord Shiva. Shiva puran discusses its origin in detail.
It is said that Lord Shiva once got into deep meditation to end the sorrows in the world. He was into deep meditation for years and years and one day while in meditation he was able to feel all the hardships and sadness faced by his devotees, their sorrow and pain made Shiva sad even in mediation and therefore a teardrop from his eyes fell on the ground and became a seed which gave rise to a tree and these trees were the Rudraksh trees and they grew brown jewels called the Rudraksh.
Significance Of The Rudraksh
For the devotees of Shiva rudraksh beads are of immence importance and they are worn by people to relive them from their struggles and hardships. Rudraksh are seeds extracted from the fruit of a tree found in the himalyas and said to have life altering changes in the life of the wearer. Rudraksh are also used in ayurveda to cure various diseases.
Types Of Rudraksh
Most commonly there are 14 kinds of rudraksh which are classified on the basis of the number of faces on it. The faces of the rudraksh are called as mukhi and they are characterized by lines arising from one end and immersing into the other end. Name of each rudraksh is associated with number of faces like 1 mukhi, 2 mukhi, 3 mukhi and so on. Ganesh rudraksh and Gauri shankar rudraksh are some extremely rare amd special kind of rudraksh.
Benefits Of Each Kind Of Rudraksh
- 1 mukhi – It is extremely rare and equally powerful and is usually not recommended for people with a weak mind. It is said to be beneficial for mediatations and controls body energy.
- 2 mukhi – It is beneficial for people who have problems in their married life as it signifies the artdhnarishwar form of lord shiva it is said to balance out male and female energies.
- 3 mukhi – It is said to improve memory and intelligence and makes the wearer self confident and also cures the negative effects of mars.
- 4 mukhi – It is the symbol of brahma and the four faces signify the 4 heads of brahma along with the four Vedas. It is helpful for people associated with academics as it enhances knowledge.
- 5 mukhi – It is the most commonly found rudraksh and is said to universally benefit everybody and enhances one’s character and promotes good health.
- 6 mukhi – It symbolizes the warrior god Kartikeya who is Shiva’s son. It gives the wearer energy to destroy negativity and it also promotes reproductive health in women.
- 7 mukhi – It symbolizes Lakshmi and is suitable for people in authoritative positions such as government officials, kings, politicians, leaders etc. It brings wealth and goodluck.
- 8 mukhi – It is extremely powerful and it is said that the one who wears this gets the power to destroy all obstacles and grow in life.
- 9 mukhi – It is said to have the power of the Nav Durga or the nine forms of Mother Parvati. One who wears this has control over his anger and emotions.
- 10 mukhi – It is the symbol of ten avatars of lord Vishnu and the one who wears this is said to attain mental peace and leads a stress free life.
- 11 mukhi – It is the symbol of Lord Hanuman and it destroys negative energies and wards off ghosts and spirits. It also protects from accidents.
- 12 mukhi – It is blessed by Lord Surya Narayan himself and it is said to be beneficial for world leaders as it removes doubt and motivates the person.
- 13 mukhi – It is said to be the abode of Indra Dev the king of Gods and the one who wears this becomes successful and it also pleases the god of love i.e. Kaamdeva.
- 14 mukhi – It symbolizes Lord Hanuman and one who wears this is always protected from black magic and is relieved from the bad effects of Shani or Saturn.
Precautions To Be Taken With Rudraksh
- Never wear a rudraksh before consulting a knowledgeable Pandit or Astrologer as the number of beads to be worn and the time and procedure of wearing a rudraksh is different for every person. If rudraksh is handled in a wrong way, it may have bad effects on the person.
- Once you wear a rudraksh, you must never consume alcohol, meat or any tamsic food containing onion or garlic.
- When you wear a rudraksh you must do mantra jaap daily and you should never show off your rudraksh to people.
