The story behind Rudraksha bead
Rudraksha is allied to Lord Shiva in the trinity of Hinduism; it is an evergreen tree that grows from the Gangetic plains in the foothills of Himalayas to South-East Asia, Nepal, Indonesia, and few other places outside Asia. Rudraksha in Sanskrit means Rudra (“Shiva”) and Aksha (“Eyes”). It is mainly used as prayer beads in Hinduism, for fearless life to spiritual enlightenment and freedom. The sages, yogis, and devotees of Shiva have always been wearing Rudraksha for centuries. There have been different versions of stories about the rudraksha or “rudraksha mala” as it is called.
According to the legend, Lord Shiva once went in to deep meditation for the well being of all living being and after the prolonged meditation, when he woke up tears rolled down from his eyes and fell on the earth. As a result formed the rudraksha seed, which later became the “Rudraksha” tree. It is also believed that the seed of Rudraksha holds the secrets of the entire fruition of the universe within it.
The Rudraksha seed has a distinctive nature; every Rudraksha seeds are categorized based on its appearances. Most of the seeds consist of a natural hole in the center, to form a chain out of it. Such beads are considered auspicious. Every Rudraksha seeds also possess 1 to 38 vertical lines, which run down to its surface, like the longitudinal lines on the globe. Those lines signify the difference between every bead, which are known as the faces or mukhi and are naturally found on the seed. It is also believed to represent the link between earth and heaven. As per the Vedic scriptures the Rudraksha was made to remove ill effects and protects the wearer. However there are mixed conceptions about Rudraksha, it is better to go with a bit of practice or an experts opinion rather than following assumptions.
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