Chapter IV

It is an easy matter to recognize authentic Rudraksha by its facets or faces or mukhis. Here, the words describing the different mukhis seem to be interchangeable and are interpreted to mean the deep lines that are seen from the upper part to the lower part of the Rudraksha and to include the surface areas between the lines.

Five Mukhi Kaalagni Rudraksha that pacifies planet Jupiter and is seen as the Guru Rudraksha Bead or 5 Mukhi Rudraksha has 5 lines and a total of 5 faces that are between the 5 lines. There is a seed that rests inside the face or surface area found between each of the lines. There are 5 seeds in a 5 Mukhi Rudraksha that would potentially grow 5 Rudraksha trees.

Authentic Rudraksha can easily be recognized by looking at these deep lines or mukhis and also by observing the exterior surface areas between the lines, as the different mukhi beads have a distinctly different growth pattern of the thorny surface protrusions. Sometimes in the authentication process it is necessary to place the Rudraksha Beads under a microscope or look at them with a magnifying glass, as there are some artisans who make higher mukhi beads out of the lower mukhi beads by adding lines to sell the beads for a higher price.

Alternatively, sometimes there are artisans who will fill in the lines of a Nepal round 3 Mukhi Bead with glue and other material to make it a rare round 1 Mukhi Nepal Rudraksha Bead. If the glue is a natural-made product, then placing the bead in water that has been boiled and removed from the stove will melt the glue and other material out of the lines. If more modern glue is used then chemicals have to be applied to melt the glue and remove the material in the lines.

Rudraksha have a number of basic shapes and sizes to include round 5 Mukhi Nepal Rudraksha and more Oblong 11 Mukhi Nepal Rudraksha. The Indian 2 Mukhi and 3 Mukhi Beads are oval shaped and are most unique due to the excess of exterior surface area that lends itself to many different design patterns. All the exterior surface areas of the Nepal and Indian Rudraksha seem to look like the exterior surface of the human brain.

The smallest and most common are usually from Indonesia, strung in Japa Malas and are the size of a peppercorn or gram up to about 10 mm to 12 mm. Rudraksha then range in size from the smaller 4 mm Indonesian Beads to the Giant Collector Nepal Beads of 25 mm to 30 mm.

In recent years, the Indonesian marketplace has made the smaller Indonesian Rudraksha into Japa Malas commonly available worldwide, and misinformation has been spread to the world that the smaller the bead the more powerful it is. This is a marketing attempt by a group of people who are telling people the opposite of what is found in the Shiva Purana or any of the other holy books we have read.

In Shiva Purana VidyeshvaraSamhitaa, Chapter 25, there is the most accurate information:

Parts 9 and 10
Rudraksha grown in Gauda Land became great favourites of Shiva. They were grown in Mathuraa, Lankaa, Ayodhayaa, Malaya, Sahya mountain, Kaashi and other places. They are competent to break asunder the clustered sins unbearable to the others as the sacred texts have declared.

Part 14
A Rudraksha the size of an Emblic myrobalan (Dhaatriphala) is mentioned as the most excellent. One of the size of the fruit of the jujube tree (Badariphala) is spoken of as the middleing.

Part 15
O Parvati lovingly listen to this from a desire for the benefit of the devotees. The meanest of Rudrakshas is of the size of a gram according to this excellent classification.

Part 16
O Maheshavari even the Rudraksha which is only of the size of the fruit of the jujube accords the benefit and heightens happiness and good fortune.

Part 17
That which is the size of the emblic myrobalan is conducive to the destruction of all distresses. That which is the size of the Gunjaa (the berry) is conducive to the achievement of the fruit of all desires.

Gauda Desha or Gauda Land according to Skandapuraana was the central part of Bengal extending from Vanga (Bangladesh) to the borders of Orissa. Due to overpopulation in recent times and the need for agriculture and wood for fires, the Rudraksha Forest seems to have receded to the areas of Nepal and perhaps Tibet, as part of the Northern Arun Valley Rudraksha Forest below Mount Everest is also right on the border between Tibet and Nepal. There may be the possibility of Rudraksha Forests in Tibet also.

Regarding the importance of the size of the holy Rudraksha, it is plain to see from the Shiva Purana that the larger the Rudraksha the more powerful its values and merits. However, as is noted in Part 16, even the Rudraksha the size of the fruit of a jujube accords the benefit and heightens happiness and good fortune.

- DharmaDeva

Archive