THE ELEVENTH BOOK
Chapter VII
On the greatness of one faced, etc., Rudrâk s am
1-4. S’rî Nârâya n a said :— O Nârada! When Girîs’a thus explained to Kârtikeya the greatness of Rudrâk s am, he became satisfied. Now I have spoken to you of the glories of the Rudrâk s ams as far as I know. Now, as to our subject of right way of acting, I will now speak on other things that ought to be known. Listen. The seeing of Rudrâk s am brings in a lakh times of Pu n yam and ko t i times the merit arises from touching that; holding it brings in ko t i times merit; again if one makes the japam of a Mantra with that Rudrâk s am, one obtains merit one hundred lakh ko t i times and one thousand lakh ko t i times the merit. The merit in holding the Rudrâk s am is far superior to that in holding Bhadrâk s am. The Rudrâk s am seed that is of the size of an Âmalakî is the best; which is the of the size of a plum, is middling; and which is of the size of a gram is the worst.
this is my word and promise. The Rudrâk s am tree is of four kinds :— Brâhma n a, K s attriya, Vais’ya, and S’ûdra. The white colour is Brâhma n a; the red colour is K s attriya; the yellow colour is Vais’ya and the black coloured Rudrâk s am seed is S’ûdra. The Brâhma n as are to use the white coloured Rudrâk s ams; the K s attriyas, the red coloured ones, the Vais’yas, the yellow coloured ones; and the S’ûdras, the black ones. Those Rudrâk s a seeds that are nicely circular, smooth, hard, and whose thorns or points are distinctly visible, are the best. Those that are pierced by insects, broken in parts, whose thorns are not clearly visible, with swells and holes and those that are coated over, these six varieties of Rudrâk s ams are faulty. Those Rudrâk s ams that have their holes by nature running through and through are best; and those that base their holes pierced by men are middling. The Rudrâk s a seeds that are all of uniform shape, bright, hard, and beautifully circular should be strung together by a silken thread. How to test the Rudrâk s a seed? As gold is tested by a touch stone; so the Rudrâk s am is tested by drawing lines on it; those on which the lines are most uniform, bright and beautiful are the best and they should be worn by the S’aivas. One should hold one Rudrâk s am on the crown hair, thirty on the head, thirty six on the neck; sixteen on each arm, twelve on each wrist, fifty on the shoulders, one hundred and eight Rudrâk s ams in the place of the sacrificial thread; and the devotee should have two or three rounds on the neck. On the earrings, on the crown of the head, the head, on bracelets, on armlets, on necklace, on the ornament worn on the loins one should hold Rudrâk s am always, whether one sleeps or eats. Holding three hundred Rudrâk s ams is the lowest; holding five hundred is middling; holding one thousand Rudrâk s ams is the best; so one ought to wear one thousand Rudrâk s ams. At the time of taking Rudrâk s am, on one’s head, one should utter the Mantra of Îsâna; the mantra of Tat Puru s a while holding on one’s ears; Aghora mantra on one’s forehead and heart; and the vîja of Aghora mantra, i.e., “hasau” while holding on one’s hands. One should wear the rosary of fifty Rudrâk s a seeds, suspended up to the belly, uttering the Vâmadeva mantra, i.e., Sadyojâtâdi, etc., the five Brahmâ mantras, and the six-limbed S’iva mantra. One is to string every Rudrâk s a seed, uttering the root mantra and then hold it. One-faced Rudrâk s a reveals Paratattva (the highest Tattva); when worn, the knowledge of the highest Tattva arises; the Brahmâ is seen then. The two-faced Rudrâk s am is Ardhanârîs’vara, the Lord of the other half which represents women (in the same person); if worn, Ardhanârîsvara S’iva is always pleased with that man who holds it. The three-faced Rudrâk s am is Fire made manifest; it destroys in a moment the sin of killing a woman.
The three-faced Rudrâk s am is the three Agnis, Dak s i n âgni, Gârhapatya, and Âhavaniya; Bhagavân Agni is always pleased with that man who wears the three-faced Rudrâk s am. The four-faced Rudrâk s am is Brahmâ Himself. The wearer gets his prosperity enhanced, his diseases destroyed, the divine knowledge springs in him and his heart is always pleased. The five-faced Rudrâk s am is the five faced S’iva Himself; Mahâdeva gets pleased with him who holds it. The Presiding Deity of the six faced Rudrâk s am is Kârtikeya. Some Pundits take Ga n apati to be the Presiding Deity of the six-faced Rudrâk s am. The presiding Deity of the seven-faced Rudrâk s am is the seven Mâtrikâs, the Sun and the seven Ri s is. By putting on this, the prosperity is increased, health and the pure knowledge are established. It should be put on when one becomes pure. The Presiding Deity of the eight-faced Rudrâk s am is Brâhmî, the eight Mâtrikâs. By holding this, the eight Vasus are pleased and the river Ganges is also pleased. The putting on of this makes the Jîvas truthful and pleasant-minded. The Devatâ of the nine-faced Rudrâk s am is Yama; holding this puts off the fears of Death. The Devatâ of the eleven-faced Rudrâk s am is ten quarters, the ten quarters are pleased with him who wears the ten-faced Rudrâk s am. The Devata of the eleven mouthed Rudrâk s am is the eleven Rudrâs and Indra. Holding this enhances happiness. The twelve-faced Rudrâk s am is Vi sn u made manifest; its Devatâs are the twelve Âdityas; the devotees of S’iva should hold this. The thirteen-faced Rudrâk s am, if worn, enables one to secure one’s desires; he does nowhere experience failures. The Kâma Deva becomes pleased with him who wears this. The fourteen-faced Rudrâk s am destroys all diseases and gives eternal health. While holding this, one ought not to take wine, flesh, onion, garlic, Sajñâ fruit, Châltâ fruit and the flesh of the boar which eats excrements, etc. During the Lunar and Solar eclipses, during the Uttarâya n a S’amkrânti or the Dak s i nâ yana S’amkrânti, during the full Moon or the New Moon day, if Rudrâk s am be worn, one becomes instantly freed of all one’s sins.
Here ends the Seventh Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the greatness of one faced, etc., Rudrâk s am in the Mahâ Purâ n am S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahâr s i Veda Vyâsa.