Chapter II

To know the holy Rudraksha one must know the story of its origin and the people who wear the Sacred Beads as a protection and aid on their heroic spiritual path to self empowerment, fearless life and final Liberation.

Since there are different accounts in different books of the origin of the holy Rudraksha, then one must by good reason return to the Shiva Purana for the most accurate account.

In addition, since there are a number of different Shaivite Paths that refer to the same Vedas, Shiva Agamas and Puranas for their Teachings, Vira Shaivism has been chosen as a living example to show how the holy Rudraksha Beads are used as a protection or aid in one major Shaivite Path. Chapter III will explain more about Vira Shaivism and why the Vira Shaivites wear the holy Rudraksha Beads.

The origin of the holy Rudraksha are based in the Power of Lord Shiva's Penance, Compassion and Desire to help Mankind and Womankind destroy the pain and suffering He observed to be affecting the worlds.

There are statements found in the Shiva Purana to support this:

Shiva Purana Vidyesvarasamhita Chapter 25, Parts 1 to 95:

Part 2
Rudraksha is favourite bead of Shiva. It is highly sanctifying. It removes all sins... meaning suffering... by sight, contact and Japas.

Part3
O sage, formerly the greatness of Rudraksha was declared to the Goddess by Shiva the Supreme Soul for rendering help to the worlds.

Part 4
O Shivaa Maheshaani be pleased to hear the greatness of Rudraksha. I speak out of love for the benefit of the devotees of Shiva.

Part 5 to 7
O Maheshaani formerly I had been performing penance for thousands of divine years. Although I had performed it rigorously, my mind was in a flutter. Out of sport I being self possessed just opened my eyes O Goddess from a desire of helping the worlds. Drops of tears fell from my beautiful half-closed eyes. From those tears there cropped up the Rudraksha plants.

Part 19
The wearing of the Rudraksha is recommended for the sake of destroying sins... meaning pain and suffering.

This is where we have to stop for a moment and contemplate the origin of the holy Rudraksha. What brought them into existence? How were they to be used? Why were they to be used?

The Compassionate Lord Shiva with eyes closed in deep Silence performing penance was interrupted by the pain and suffering of the worlds. Acknowledging the cause of his interrupted State of Consciousness His immediate Desire was to help the worlds.

To accomplish this task Lord Siva used the Power of Compassion and Love from thousands of divine years of Penance. He spoke out of Love for the devotees of Shiva. He was so aware of the pain and suffering of Mankind and Womankind that drops of tears fell from his beautiful half-closed eyes. His tears produced the Rudraksha plants that create the Rudraksa Beads for the worlds to use as protective aids to destroy pain and suffering on the path to final Liberation and Salvation.

The power and psychology behind this thinking and action is perfect. If you take away a human's pain and suffering then Happiness floods the lifetime... as Happiness and Bliss work on the Jiva or human soul, then the experience of Dharma Karma Artha and Moksa are brought into balance on a consistent basis. An example of what takes place due to this new-found freedom in life is an acceleration of the spiritual path in one lifetime that might normally take 10 lifetimes.

The origin of the holy Rudraksha Beads are based in the Power of Penance, Compassion and Desire of Lord Siva and this is how they need to be represented and used by Mankind and Womankind in this world.

The Padma Purana and SriMadDeviBhagavat were written at different times in the history of India and their interpretation of the origin of the Holy Rudraksha is incorrect and contradicting each other. A person has to be aware of this.

Lets take a look at the differences and then return to the Shiva Purana for the complete Truth:

In the book by Mr. Subas Rai Rudraksha Properties and Biomedical Implications, it states that in the Padma Purana Chapter 57, Parts 23 to 25, Vyasa said:

O Brahmanas formerly in the Kritayuga a demon named Tripura having killed the gods and after the destruction of all the worlds remained firm in a city in the intermediate region between the heaven and the earth due to the boon of Brahma. Lord Siva heard the terrible representation of (i.e. made by) the gods.

Then he strung his bow with an arrow resembling death and holding it killed the demon who was seen (by Him) with (His) divine eye. Fallen from heaven like a giant meteor he dropped on the Earth. Drops of perspiration fell down from (the body of) Rudra (i.e. Shiva) who was tired with exertion.

There on the Earth a great Rudraksha was produced from the drops of Siva's perspiration. The beings do not know its fruit for it is very secret.

The SriMadDeviBhagavat, 11th Skand, Chapter 4, states in parts 1 to 7:

On making further query from Narayana about Rudraksha, He replied what He heard from Lord Rudra is as follows:

God said O Kartikeya listen to me. In ancient time there was a daitya named Tripura who used to win others by treachery. He killed all the deities. On complaint of Brahma and Vishnu about it I thought of him. I contemplated the Aghora one of the most powerful missiles to kill Tripura and to quell all kinds of obstacles. In the process my eyes remained open for one thousand divine years and a few drops of tears fell down. From these eye drops there sprang a tree of MahaRudraksa.

If you read the two accounts found in these two different books, they are totally contradictory to the Shiva Purana and to themselves. These accounts of the origin of the holy Rudraksha found in the Padma Purana and the SriMadDeviBhagavat are not based in the Compassionate Nature of Lord Shiva and don't even agree with one another.

As one main example, the Padma Purana states that Tripura had destroyed everything and killed all the gods and was successful in all this destruction because he was protected by a boon of Lord Brahma.

In SriMadDeviBhagavat it states that Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma made a complaint to Lord Siva regarding the destruction that Tripura was responsible for. Both accounts are based in death and destruction and contradictory to each other with one account actually maligning Lord Brahma for giving a protective boon to a destructive force.

Therefore, both the accounts of the origin of the Holy Rudraksha found in the Padma Purana and the SriMadDeviBhagavat are false and diluted Knowledge.

The true account of the origin of the Holy Rudraksha is found in the Shiva Purana.

- DharmaDeva

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