“Rud” in Sanskrit means “to cry”, while “aksh” is “eye”; Rudra was Lord Shiva’s original name in the Rig Veda. Hindu mythology claims that the rudraksha tree grew from the god’s tears falling upon earth. The evergreen tree adapts to a variety of habitats growing in the foothills of the Himalayas, tropical regions like Southeast Asia, Australia and some South Pacific islands.
Rudraksha is more famously associated with the tree’s fruit stones which are vigorously cleaned to become Hindu prayer beads. Typically, rudraksha seeds have facets (mukhee or “faces” in Hindi) ranging between 1 and 21. Five, four and six-faced beads are most common. A single-faced bead is the rarest of all. It fetches a high price and once acquired is rarely resold, the owner invariably treasuring it as a family heirloom. The Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal has two such beads, one of which is displayed to devotees during auspicious occasions.
108 rudraksha beads strung together make a mala or rosary. It is not uncommon to spot people wearing rudraksha around their neck or wrists.
Ayurveda credits rudraksha with powerful medicinal properties, from controlling hypertension to treating epilepsy, liver dysfunction and asthma. It has anti- bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Wearing a rudraksha is said to enhance one’s mental powers.
Pictured Above: Sterling Silver Om Pendant with Rudraksha Seed from Om Etc.
