Rudraksha and Its Real Truth by Alok Jagawat

Article by Alok Jagawat

About Rudraksha

The rudraksha bead is the dried fruit of the tree – Elaeocarpus Ganitrus trees from select locations of South East Asia (Java, Korea, Parts of  Malaysia, Taiwan, China) and South Asia ( Northern India and Nepal). Rudraksha actually belongs to Ganitrus Roxb variety of trees.

Rudraksha bead is found in blue colored round berries.

These berries are cleaned and beads are taken from Inside.

Sizes, Shapes, Availability, References:

Rudraksha beads a re mentioned in several Puranas and astrology books. Chapter 25 of Vidyeshvarasamhita from Shiva Puran and Devi Bhagvad or Shri Bhagvad Ji also mentions the use of Rudrakshas and their powers.

Sizes

Shiva Purana says that Rudraksha of the size of an Amla fruit (Fig-1) or emblic myrobalan are the best of all rudrakshas.

Another mention from Shiva Purana says that the fruit from Zizyphus mauritiana commonly known as “Bera” are of the middle quality. Fruits from jujube tree. Fig-2

Another mention in Shivapurana refers to rudraksha available in the size of “Gunja” Greek abrus. Fig-3

Shiva Purana mentions that the rudraksha of the size of the fruit of the Zizyphus mauritiana boosts the benefit and heightens contentment and good fortune.  That which is of the size of the emblic myrobabalan is conductive to the destruction of all anguish.  That which is of the size of a gunja (Greek abrus) is favorable for the achievement of the fruit of all desires.

Please note that Rudrakhas do not occur in much bigger size but size is just a factor. Shiva Purana mentions that rudrakshas of lesser weight but bigger size are important. This is a reverse specialty as weight increases with size. Hence, one should look for bigger beads with light weight. But this does not discards the beads of smaller size. They are important as well. Rosaries of smaller beads are very expensive and in my personal opinion they are far more powerful than most beads. The small one is always praiseworthy according to Shiva-Purana.

Shapes

Several shapes of Rudrakshas are mentioned and sold in market. Ganesha, Gauri-Shankar, Garbh-Gauri, Trijuti, and common panch mukhi, cheh mukhi etc. Please bear in mind that that Rudrakshas should be either round or flattened round in shape. This is the first essential requirement of being a Rudraksha. Kaju-dana commonly sold as ek mukhi kaju dana is not a rudraksha and does not fit the criteria of Shastras.

False claims:               

Shastras and ancient books do not mention ganesha, gauri-shankar, kaju-dana, garbh-gauri, trijuti etc (Fig-4). So all these forms and so called names are basically gibberish been created by sellers. Rudrakshas of faces above fourteen are not mentioned in shastras. So it is very essential to rely on your wit while buying higher faceted rudrakhas. These beads may or may not be real but their above classification is totally baseless and false. Prices quoted according to such classification are false as well. All such powers related to them are nothing but a cleverly created content. “Saraswati Power”, “Mohini Power”, “Ganesh Laxmi” are phony names for pendants and malas. This is gabble and has nothing to do with Shastras.

Rudraksha has no association to planets. Again, their relation to planets is a mumbo-jumbo from fake sellers. Do not rely on such da ta as it is created to achieve a certain price on beads. There is no relation between rudraksha and planets.

Faces or mukhas of Rudrakhas are the deep grooves running from the top of the seed to its bottom. These vary considerably in number (Fig-5). They may be one to fourteen or even more. Depending upon the number of faces in a Rudraksha, these seeds have special characteristics and powers. But shastras do not mention beads having fifteen facets. (Fig-5)

As you can make out in (Fig-5) above, these faces are demarcations as seen in a melon. Deep groves from top to bottom define the numbers of faces in these beads. These faces are referred as mukhas or faces of Rudrakhas. (Red dotted lines are created to indicate the grooves)

Which Beads Should be Avoided?

According to Shiva Purana following beads indicate bad quality and should be avoided:

1. Those beads which are eaten by worms and have worm holes in them.
2. Those without natural holes. (There is a natural hole from top to bottom. The beads without these natural holes should be avoided.)
3. Those beads which do not carry thorn like projections.
4. Those which are not circular.

All these beads are not considered good and should be avoided. Beads have projections alongside their grooves. These projections should be present and can be felt with touch. (Fig-6)                                                     (Fig-6)

Rudrakshas of even size, lustrous, hard, and thick and having many thorns like protrusions yield desires and bestow worldly pleasures and salvation forever.

Who Can Wear These Beads?

People often ask several question related to beads. There is a common fallacy that women cannot wear rudraksha or certain caste cannot wear it. Please note that shastras mention, that beads can be worn by anybody devoid of caste, color, sex or religion. People of all Varnas and Asramas even women and Sudras can wear rudraksha at the behest of Siva. But           Vidyeshvara Samhita clearly mentions that devotee of Siva shall refrain from eating meat, garlic, onion, red garlic, potherb, Cordia myxa, pig of rubbish and liquors. This shows that one should strictly avoid above mentioned things if one is planning to wear Rudrakshas. Please note that a seller who tells you to go forward with these things is only making money out of you.

Powers Of Beads According To Shastras

Ek-Mukhi: A rudraksha of a single face is Siva himself.  It bestows worldly pleasures and salvation. The sin of Brahmin-slaughter is washed off at its mere sight. Ek mukhi and all the powers associated to it are related to ek mukhi round face. Kaju dana (Cashwe Shaped) is not an ek mukhi as the popular belief.

Mantra associated: Om hrim namaha

Note: Ek mukhi kaju dana is not ek mukhi. As a fact it is not even a rudraksha.  All data and powers associated to it are fake and false. All popular television series and mention of sastras is not only phony but totally misleading. Shastras mention ek mukhi gol dana only and no Kaju dana is mentioned. First of all it is to be noted that Kaju bead is not a proper rudraksha bead. So it is very evident that one should not buy it. There is another reason for not buying this bead. Most of the kaju danas available in the market are fakes made from fiber material. Tests are given in the end of the chapter.

Popular Kaju dana sold as Ek mukhi

(Fig-7)

Do-mukhi: A rudraksha with two faces is Isa, the lord of devas.  It bestows the fulfillment of all desires.  Especially that rudraksha quickly quells the sin of cow slaughter.

(Fig-8)                                                                                                                                                                   (Fig-9)

Teen Mukhi: A rudraksha with three faces always bestows means of enjoyment. As a result of its power all lore’s become firmly established. It represents Agni devata.

Fig-10 (Teen Mukhi)

Teen mukhis are also found in India in Haridwar and Dehradun areas in India. They are elongated and do not look like Nepali round beads. Indian pieces are rudrakhas, but are of lower quality.

Char Mukhi: A rudraksha of four faces is Brahma himself. It quells the sin of unlawful death. Its revelation and its contact right away bestow the achievement of the four aims of life.

(Fig-11)One of the easily available beads, this bead in never faked.

Paanch Mukhi: A rudraksha with five faces is Rudra himself named Kalagni.  It bestows all sorts of salvation and achievement of all desired objects.  A five faced rudraksha dispels all sorts of sins that accrue from sexual intercourse with a forbidden woman and from eating forbidden food.

(Fig-12)

This bead is available in many sizes and is widely available. Its price increases with reduction in size. Rosaries of smaller sizes are very expensive.

Cheh Mukhi: A rudraksha with six faces is Kartikeya.  A man who wears it on the right arm is certainly absolved of the sins of Brahmin slaughter and the like. It provides learning, wisdom and knowledge.

(Fig-13)
This bead is easily available as well.

Saat Mukhi: A  rudraksha with seven faces is called Ananga.  By wearing it even a poor man becomes a great lord.

(Fig-14)

This bead is easily available.

Aath Mukhi: A rudraksha with eight faces is called Vasumurthi and Bhairva.  By wearing it a man lives the full span of life.  After death he becomes the trident bearing lord siva.

(Fig-15)
This bead is easily available.

Nau Mukhi: A rudraksha with nine faces is also Bhairava. Its sage is Kapila. Its presiding goddess is durga of nine forms, Mahesvari herself. That rudraksha shall be worn on the left hand with great devotion. He shall certainly become Sarvesvara.

(Fig-16)
This bead is easily available.

Das Mukhi: A rudraksha with ten faces is like Janardana himself. By wearing it, the devotee shall achieve the fulfillment of all desires.

(Fig-17)
This bead is available but better check it before buying.

Gyarah Mukhi: A rudraksha with eleven faces is Rudra. By wearing it one becomes victorious everywhere.

(Fig-18)

This bead is faked a lot. Be very careful while buying

Barah Mukhi: One shall wear the twelve faced rudraksha on the hair of the head. All the twelve adityas (suns) are present therein.

(Fig-19)

This bead is faked a lot. Be very careful while buying

Terah Mukhi: A rudraksha with thirteen faces is Visvedeva. By wearing it, a man will attain the realization of all desires. He will derive good fortune and auspiciousness.

(Fig-20)

This bead is faked a lot. Most beads been sold are cleverly modified from eleven and ten faceted beads. Be extremely careful while buying

Chaudah Mukhi: A rudraksha with fourteen faces is the Highest Siva. It shall be worn on the head with great devotion. It quells all sins.

(Fig-21)

This bead is faked a lot. Most beads been sold are cleverly modified from eleven and twelve faceted beads. Be extremely careful while buying

Indonesian, Indian and Nepalese Beads

Indonesian beads are of very small sizes and they miss the proper protrusions from their body. As such they miss the quality and power mentioned in Shastras. Indian Beads are elongated on one side and miss the round and smooth shape of Nepalese beads. They are not considered good by authentic sellers. (Fig-22)

Fig-22)

Fakes

Eighty percent of the rudrakshas sold in the market are fakes. While people do not create fakes for three to seven mukhis, eight to fourteen constitute the largest quantity of faked beads. Here we are going to discuss how fakes are produced and created.

Beads can be faked by:

1. Creating cuts and increasing the number of faces in a natural rudraksha. While this may be easily detectable in certain cases, it may never get detected in some cases. These are difficult to detect as they are natural beads. Only more cuts are made on beads to increase the number of faces. (FIG-23, 24, 25)

(FIG-23)

(FIG-24)

(FIG-25)

In a close up inspection you will see that there are unnatural cuts with the natural cuts. In Fig-24 you can see that fake beads have straight cuts and no branches in them as in a Natural bead. This can be seen if beads are closely inspected under some lenses or with eyes as well.

But there are beads which can never get detected even by experienced eyes. These beads are often above thirteen faceted and they can go up to the unbelievable twenty-nine faces. (Fig-26) is a fake.

(Fig-26)

To detect the problem with these beads you need to wash them with clear spirit or some cleaning chemical (Which does not damage the bead). This will remove the pulp between the grooves. Now using a high power lens just try to inspect the grooves closely. You have to study each cut individually. Look for cuts which are straight, which carry cleanliness and which are finer. You will find them (Fig-27) with experience but they can still be discovered.

(Fig-27)

Just check for following points before buying any beads:

1. Ek Mukhi Kaju, Ek Mukhi Gol dana, and beads with faces above ten are generally faked. You need to be extra careful with these beads.

2. I do not personally recommend buying beads above fourteen as they are harder to detect and may be fakes in ninety nine percent cases.

3. Ek mukhi Kaju dana is made of fiber and even with bones. Firstly, do not buy it as it is not even a rudraksha proper bead. Still if you are influenced by some TV advertisement or some website, then first boil the bead in hot water. I have photographed the kaju fakes below. Just check them for reference. Closely inspect large quantities. They should not resemble each other. Now days, they are made with dyes and laser cutters, so they might resemble each other.

4. Most of the sellers do not cheat you with lower faceted beads. They cheat people when it comes to higher faces. You will be shocked that many reputed sellers are part of this race. So do not trust large websites with all that gibberish data. Do not get influenced by exhibitions at five star hotels. Do not believe those pundits who tell you that you should wear such and such rudraksha because it is related to such and such planet.
I have seen astrologers in the exhibitions I have attended. These astrologers are just a part of the gimmick been played by sellers. I have been cheated by very popular sellers who carry big websites with all that spiritual objects. They carry content copied from other websites and books; and they have people who market their products very well. So just rely on your antaratman(Soul) and your knowledge.

5. Do not get carried away by sophisticated exhibits and high price tags. Buying high does not mean you are buying good.

6. Self distributed Certificates and ISO certification does not guarantee the authenticity of any object or seller. It is another device in the hands of fakers. Moreover such things correlate itself to popular Hindi idiom “Chor Ki dari mein Tinka”. It means that a thief will always try to prove him/her, even without been asked.

7. Look for cleaner beads without any oil or pulp material on them. You can oil the beads later. Oils and pulp reduces the chances of closer inspection and detection.

8. Do not trust people because their fore fathers were in the same business. With due respect this does not indicate any authenticity of a seller.

9. Popular distribution channels, lot of phone numbers and email addresses only means popular means of selling their gibberish. Do not rely on such data.

10. Popular favorites amongst fakers; “I will return your money whenever you like”, “I am giving you a bill”, “I am a reputed seller with largest sales record in the world”, “I am in this field from past fifty years”, “My forefathers have been doing this same business from many years”, “ My company is ISO certified”, “ I will give you a certificate”, “ My father has written books on rudrakshas.”

11. Feedbacks from reputed customers, clients and testimonials can be easily created by individual sellers. It is not a lab certificate and better not trust it.

12. Specific gravity for Rudraksha is above 1.05. This rises up to 1.70 depending upon the dryness of Rudraksha and also type of Rudraksha bead. If the humidity content is more, the Rudraksha may also float on water.

13. PH value for Rudraksha is above 4.82. Rudraksha is basically acidic. But, the acidity is also dependent on many factors. Nuts from Unripe fruits are more acidic.

14. Do not get carried away by phony names like Saraswati power, Mohini power, Trijuti, Ganesha, garbh –gauri or gauri Shankar. No such things and words are mentioned in Shastras.

15. Read, understand, grasp, inspect, check and do not make hurry while buying.

Shiv Sutrani: (8,9,10,11)

“Common knowledge (arising out of differentiation) constitutes Jagrat (wakefulness).
Individual differentiated knowledge in the recess of one’s own mind is Swapna (dream)
Loss of discrimination in the field of unawareness is Sushupti (deep sleep).
The one who has digested (assimilated) all these three states in God Consciousness (Turiya) is the Lord of heroes.”

Photographs Of Fakes

(Fig-28), Boil It To Know The Truth

(Fig-29)

(Fig-30)

In Fig-31, You can see yet another fake created with the help of two mukhi Haridwari bead. A face from a normal bead is glued in the shape of snake and Shiv Lingam is carved on the bead. Please remember that beads occur in berries shape in natural order. They lose branches when they are cleaned and the skin of the berry is removed. So this branch is glued later to make it look like real; as if it was just taken off a tree.

(Fig-31)

Shastras and ancient books do not mention ganesha, gauri-shankar, kaju-dana, garbh-gauri, trijuti etc (Fig-32). So all these forms and so called names are basically gibberish been created by sellers. Rudrakshas of faces above fourteen are not mentioned in shastras. So it is very essential to rely on your wit while buying higher faceted rudrakhas. These beads may or may not be real but their above classification is totally baseless and false.

Prices quoted according to such classification are false as well. All such powers related to them are nothing but a cleverly created content. “Saraswati Power”, “Mohini Power”, “Ganesh Laxmi” are phony names for pendants and malas. This is gabble and has nothing to do with Shastras.

FIG-32

Rudraksha has no association to planets. Again, their relation to planets is a mumbo-jumbo from fake sellers. Do not rely on such data as it is created to achieve a certain price on beads. There is no relation between rudraksha and planets.

There are so many people who claim to have seen ek mukhi gol dana. But nobody ever came out with a proper visual for the same. Most of the ek mukhi gol danas in market are fakes.

With this, I conclude this chapter of Rudraksha beads. Through all these pages I have tried to remain close to Shastras only. I have not taken any data from publicity stunts. The teachings of the great masters tell me to believe in shastras only. The whole embodiment of Hindu religion is based on these shastras. If we believe them for every activity in our life, we better believe them for everything else in life as well.