Eleventh Skandha · Chapter 5
Sourceरुद्राक्षजपमालाविधानवर्णनम् ईश्वर उवाच लक्षणं जपमालायाः शृणु वक्ष्यामि षण्मुख । रुद्राक्षस्य मुखं ब्रह्मा बिन्दू रुद्र इतीरितः ॥ १ ॥ विष्णुः पुच्छं भवेच्चैव भोगमोक्षफलप्रदम् । पञ्चविंशतिभिश्चाक्षैः पञ्चवक्त्रैः सकण्टकैः ॥ २ ॥ रक्तवर्णैः सितैर्मिश्रैः कृतरन्ध्रविदर्भितैः । अक्षसूत्रं प्रकर्तव्यं गोपुच्छवलयाकृति ॥ ३ ॥ वक्त्रं वक्त्रेण संयोज्य पुच्छं पुच्छेन योजयेत् । मेरुमूर्ध्वमुखं कुर्यात्तदूर्ध्वं नागपाशकम् ॥ ४ ॥ एवं संग्रथितां मालां मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रदायिनीम् । प्रक्षाल्य गन्धतोयेन पञ्चगव्येन चोपरि ॥ ५ ॥ ततः शिवाम्भसाऽऽक्षाल्य ततो मन्त्रगणान्न्यसेत् । स्पृष्ट्वा शिवास्त्रमन्त्रेण कवचेनावगुण्ठयेत् ॥ ६ ॥ मूलमन्त्रं न्यसेत्पश्चात्पूर्ववत्कारयेत्तथा । सद्योजातादिभिः प्रोक्ष्य यावदष्टोत्तरं शतम् ॥ ७ ॥ मूलमन्त्रं समुच्चार्य शुद्धभूमौ निधाय च । तस्योपरि न्यसेत्साम्बं शिवं परमकारणम् ॥ ८ ॥ प्रतिष्ठिता भवेन्माला सर्वकामफलप्रदा । यस्य देवस्य यो मन्त्रस्तां तेनैवाभिपूजयेत् ॥ ९ ॥ मूर्ध्नि कण्ठेऽथवा कर्णे न्यसेद्वा जपमालिकाम् । रुद्राक्षमालया चैवं जप्तव्यं नियतात्मना ॥ १० ॥ कण्ठे मूर्ध्नि हृदि प्रान्ते कर्णे बाहुयुगेऽथवा । रुद्राक्षधारणं नित्यं भक्त्या परमया युतः । ११ ॥ किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन वर्णनेन पुनः पुनः । रुद्राक्षधारणं नित्यं तस्मादेतत्प्रशस्यते ॥ १२ ॥ स्नाने दाने जपे होमे वैश्वदेवे सुरार्चने । प्रायश्चित्ते तथा श्राद्धे दीक्षाकाले विशेषतः ॥ १३ ॥ अरुद्राक्षधरो भूत्वा यत्किञ्चित्कर्म वैदिकम् । कुर्वन्विप्रस्तु मोहेन नरके पतति ध्रुवम् ॥ १४ ॥ रुद्राक्षं धारयेन्मूर्ध्नि कण्ठे सूत्रे करेऽथवा । सुवर्णमणिसम्भिन्नं शुद्धं नान्यैर्धृतं शिवम् ॥ १५ ॥ नाशुचिर्धारयेदक्षं सदा भक्त्यैव धारयेत् । रुद्राक्षतरुसम्भूतवातोद्भूततृणान्यपि ॥ १६ ॥ पुण्यलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् । रुद्राक्षं धारयन्पापं कुर्वन्नपि च मानवः ॥ १७ ॥ सर्वं तरति पाप्मानं जाबालश्रुतिराह हि । पशवो हि च रुद्राक्षधारणाद्यान्ति रुद्रताम् ॥ १८ ॥ किमु ये धारयन्ति स्म नरा रुद्राक्षमालिकाम् । रुद्राक्षः शिरसा ह्येको धार्यो रुद्रपरैः सदा ॥ १९ ॥ ध्वंसनं सर्वदुःखानां सर्वपापविमोचनम् । व्याहरन्ति च नामानि ये शम्भोः परमात्मनः ॥ २० ॥ रुद्राक्षालङ्कृता ये च ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः । रुद्राक्षधारणं कार्यं सर्वश्रेयोऽर्थिभिर्नृभिः ॥ २१ ॥ कर्णपाशे शिखायां च कण्ठे हस्ते तथोदरे । महादेवश्च विष्णुश्च ब्रह्मा तेषां विभूतयः ॥ २२ ॥ देवाश्चान्ये तथा भक्त्या खलु रुद्राक्षधारिणः । गोत्रर्षयश्च सर्वेषां कूटस्था मूलरूपिणः ॥ २३ ॥ तेषां वंशप्रसूताश्च मुनयः सकला अपि । श्रौतधर्मपराः शुद्धाः खलु रुद्राक्षधारिणः ॥ २४ ॥ श्रद्धा न जायते साक्षाद्वेदसिद्धे विमुक्तिदे । बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते महादेवप्रसादतः ॥ २५ ॥ रुद्राक्षधारणे वाञ्छा स्वभावादेव जायते । रुद्राक्षस्य तु माहात्म्यं जाबालैरादरेण तु ॥ २६ ॥ पठ्यते मुनिभिः सर्वैर्मया पुत्र तथैव च । रुद्राक्षस्य फलं चैव त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् ॥ २७ ॥ फलस्य दर्शने पुण्यं स्पर्शात्कोटिगुणं भवेत् । शतकोटिगुणं पुण्यं धारणाल्लभते नरः ॥ २८ ॥ लक्षकोटिसहस्राणि लक्षकोटिशतानि च । जपाच्च लभते नित्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥ २९ ॥ हस्ते चोरसि कण्ठे च कर्णयोर्मस्तके तथा । रुद्राक्षं धारयेद्यस्तु स रुद्रो नात्र संशयः ॥ ३० ॥ अवध्यः सर्वभूतानां रुद्रवद्धि चरेद्भुवि । सुराणामसुराणां च वन्दनीयो यथा शिवः ॥ ३१ ॥ रुद्राक्षधारी सततं वन्दनीयस्तथा नरैः । उच्छिष्टो वा विकर्मस्थो युक्तो वा सर्वपातकैः ॥ ३२ ॥ मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्राक्षस्य तु धारणात् । कण्ठे रुद्राक्षमाबध्य श्वापि वा म्रियते यदि ॥ ३३ ॥ सोऽपि मुक्तिमवाप्नोति किं पुनर्मानुषोऽपि सः । जपध्यानविहीनोऽपि रुद्राक्षं यदि धारयेत् ॥ ३४ ॥ सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः स याति परमां गतिम् । एकं वापि हि रुद्राक्षं कृत्वा यत्नेन धारयेत् ॥ ३५ ॥ एकविंशतिमुद्धृत्य रुद्रलोके महीयते । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि रुद्राक्षस्य पुनर्विधिम् ॥ ३६ ॥
rudrākṣajapamālāvidhānavarṇanam īśvara uvāca lakṣaṇaṃ japamālāyāḥ śṛṇu vakṣyāmi ṣaṇmukha | rudrākṣasya mukhaṃ brahmā bindū rudra itīritaḥ || 1 || viṣṇuḥ pucchaṃ bhaveccaiva bhogamokṣaphalapradam | pañcaviṃśatibhiścākṣaiḥ pañcavaktraiḥ sakaṇṭakaiḥ || 2 || raktavarṇaiḥ sitairmiśraiḥ kṛtarandhravidarbhitaiḥ | akṣasūtraṃ prakartavyaṃ gopucchavalayākṛti || 3 || vaktraṃ vaktreṇa saṃyojya pucchaṃ pucchena yojayet | merumūrdhvamukhaṃ kuryāttadūrdhvaṃ nāgapāśakam || 4 || evaṃ saṃgrathitāṃ mālāṃ mantrasiddhipradāyinīm | prakṣālya gandhatoyena pañcagavyena copari || 5 || tataḥ śivāmbhasā''kṣālya tato mantragaṇānnyaset | spṛṣṭvā śivāstramantreṇa kavacenāvaguṇṭhayet || 6 || mūlamantraṃ nyasetpaścātpūrvavatkārayettathā | sadyojātādibhiḥ prokṣya yāvadaṣṭottaraṃ śatam || 7 || mūlamantraṃ samuccārya śuddhabhūmau nidhāya ca | tasyopari nyasetsāmbaṃ śivaṃ paramakāraṇam || 8 || pratiṣṭhitā bhavenmālā sarvakāmaphalapradā | yasya devasya yo mantrastāṃ tenaivābhipūjayet || 9 || mūrdhni kaṇṭhe'thavā karṇe nyasedvā japamālikām | rudrākṣamālayā caivaṃ japtavyaṃ niyatātmanā || 10 || kaṇṭhe mūrdhni hṛdi prānte karṇe bāhuyuge'thavā | rudrākṣadhāraṇaṃ nityaṃ bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ | 11 || kimatra bahunoktena varṇanena punaḥ punaḥ | rudrākṣadhāraṇaṃ nityaṃ tasmādetatpraśasyate || 12 || snāne dāne jape home vaiśvadeve surārcane | prāyaścitte tathā śrāddhe dīkṣākāle viśeṣataḥ || 13 || arudrākṣadharo bhūtvā yatkiñcitkarma vaidikam | kurvanviprastu mohena narake patati dhruvam || 14 || rudrākṣaṃ dhārayenmūrdhni kaṇṭhe sūtre kare'thavā | suvarṇamaṇisambhinnaṃ śuddhaṃ nānyairdhṛtaṃ śivam || 15 || nāśucirdhārayedakṣaṃ sadā bhaktyaiva dhārayet | rudrākṣatarusambhūtavātodbhūtatṛṇānyapi || 16 || puṇyalokaṃ gamiṣyanti punarāvṛttidurlabham | rudrākṣaṃ dhārayanpāpaṃ kurvannapi ca mānavaḥ || 17 || sarvaṃ tarati pāpmānaṃ jābālaśrutirāha hi | paśavo hi ca rudrākṣadhāraṇādyānti rudratām || 18 || kimu ye dhārayanti sma narā rudrākṣamālikām | rudrākṣaḥ śirasā hyeko dhāryo rudraparaiḥ sadā || 19 || dhvaṃsanaṃ sarvaduḥkhānāṃ sarvapāpavimocanam | vyāharanti ca nāmāni ye śambhoḥ paramātmanaḥ || 20 || rudrākṣālaṅkṛtā ye ca te vai bhāgavatottamāḥ | rudrākṣadhāraṇaṃ kāryaṃ sarvaśreyo'rthibhirnṛbhiḥ || 21 || karṇapāśe śikhāyāṃ ca kaṇṭhe haste tathodare | mahādevaśca viṣṇuśca brahmā teṣāṃ vibhūtayaḥ || 22 || devāścānye tathā bhaktyā khalu rudrākṣadhāriṇaḥ | gotrarṣayaśca sarveṣāṃ kūṭasthā mūlarūpiṇaḥ || 23 || teṣāṃ vaṃśaprasūtāśca munayaḥ sakalā api | śrautadharmaparāḥ śuddhāḥ khalu rudrākṣadhāriṇaḥ || 24 || śraddhā na jāyate sākṣādvedasiddhe vimuktide | bahūnāṃ janmanāmante mahādevaprasādataḥ || 25 || rudrākṣadhāraṇe vāñchā svabhāvādeva jāyate | rudrākṣasya tu māhātmyaṃ jābālairādareṇa tu || 26 || paṭhyate munibhiḥ sarvairmayā putra tathaiva ca | rudrākṣasya phalaṃ caiva triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam || 27 || phalasya darśane puṇyaṃ sparśātkoṭiguṇaṃ bhavet | śatakoṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ dhāraṇāllabhate naraḥ || 28 || lakṣakoṭisahasrāṇi lakṣakoṭiśatāni ca | japācca labhate nityaṃ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā || 29 || haste corasi kaṇṭhe ca karṇayormastake tathā | rudrākṣaṃ dhārayedyastu sa rudro nātra saṃśayaḥ || 30 || avadhyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ rudravaddhi caredbhuvi | surāṇāmasurāṇāṃ ca vandanīyo yathā śivaḥ || 31 || rudrākṣadhārī satataṃ vandanīyastathā naraiḥ | ucchiṣṭo vā vikarmastho yukto vā sarvapātakaiḥ || 32 || mucyate sarvapāpebhyo rudrākṣasya tu dhāraṇāt | kaṇṭhe rudrākṣamābadhya śvāpi vā mriyate yadi || 33 || so'pi muktimavāpnoti kiṃ punarmānuṣo'pi saḥ | japadhyānavihīno'pi rudrākṣaṃ yadi dhārayet || 34 || sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim | ekaṃ vāpi hi rudrākṣaṃ kṛtvā yatnena dhārayet || 35 || ekaviṃśatimuddhṛtya rudraloke mahīyate | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi rudrākṣasya punarvidhim || 36 ||
English translation
1-14. Is'vara said O Kartikeya! Now I will speak how to count the Japam (repetition of the mantra) with the rosary. Hear. The face of Rudraksam is Brahma; the upper summit point is S’iva and the tail end of Rudraksam is Visnu. The Rudraksam has two-fold powers:-- It can give Bhoga (Enjoyment) as well as Moksa (Liberation). Then string or tie together, like a cow's tail, and like the snake's coiling a body, twenty-five five faced Rudraksa seeds, thorny and of red, white, mixed colours bored through and through. The rosary is to taper as a cow's tail tapers down. In stringing the beads into a rosary, it should be seen that the flat face of one Rudraksam is in front of the flat face of another Rudraksam; so the tail, the pointed end of one, must come in front of the tail or the narrower end of another. The Meru or the topmost bead of the string must have its face turned upwards and the knot should be given over that. The rosary, thus strung, yields success of the Mantra (mantra-siddhi). When the rosary is strung, it is to be bathed with clear and scented water and afterwards with the Pahchagavya (cow-dung, cow urine, curd, milk, and ghee); then wash it with clear water and sanctify it with the condensed electrical charge of the Mantra. Then recite the Mantra of S’iva (Six limbed), with “Hum” added and collect the rosaries. Then repeat over them the Mantra “Sadyojata, etc.”, and sprinkle water over it one hundred and eight times. Then utter the principal mantra and place them on a holy ground and perform Nyasa over it, i.e., think that the Great Cause S’iva and the World- Mother Bhagavati have come on them. Thus make the Samskara of the rosary (i.e., purify it) and you will find then that your desired end will be attained successfully. Worship the rosary with the Mantra of that Devata for which it is intended. One is to wear the Rudraksa rosary on one's head, neck or ear and controlling oneself, one should make japam with the rosary. On the neck, head, breast, or the ears or on the arms, the rosary should he held with the greatest devotion. What is the use in saying about it so often? It is highly
meritorious and commendable to hold always the Rudraksam. Especially on such occasions as taking baths, making gifts, making japams, performing the Homas,or sacrifices to Visve Devas, in performing the Poojas of the Devas,in making Prayaschittams (penances), in the time of S’radh and in the time of initiation, it is highly necessary to hold Rudraksam. A Brahmin is sure to go to hell if he performs any Vaidik act without wearing any Rudraksam. Note It would be offering an insult to S’iva!
15-29. It is advisable to use the true Rudraksam with gold and jewel, on the head, neck or on one's hand. Never use the Rudraksam worn by another. Use Rudraksam always with devotion; never use it while you are impure. Even the grass that grows with the air in contact with the Rudraksa tree, goes verily to a holy region for ever. Jabala Muni says in the S’ruti If a man wearing Rudraksam commits a sin, he gets deliverance from that sin. Even if animals hold Rudraksam, they become S’iva; what of men! The devotees of S’ri Rudra should always use at least one Rudraksa on the head. Those great devotees, who with Rudraksam on take the name of the Highest Self S’ambhu, get themselves freed of all sorts of sins and pains. Those who are ornamented with Rudraksam are the best devotees. It is highly incumbent on those who want their welfare to wear Rudraksam. Those who hold Rudraksam on their ears, crown hair, neck, hands, and breast, get Brahma, Visnu, and Mahes'vara under them as their Vibhutis (manifestations, powers). The Devas and all those Risis that started the Gotra, the Adipurusas (the first chief men in several families), held with reverence the Rudraksams. All the other Munis, that descended from their families, the ardent followers of S’rauta Dharma, the pure souled, held the Rudraksams. It may be, that many might not like at first to hold this Rudraksam, the visible giver of liberation and so well written in the Vedas; but after many births, out of the Grace of Mahadeva many become eager to take the Rudraksams. The Munis that are the Jabala Sakhis are famous in expounding the inestimable greatness of Rudraksams.
The effect of holding Rudraksams is well known in the three worlds. Punyam (great merit) arises from the mere sight of Rudraksams; ten million times that merit arises by its touch; and by wearing it, one hundred Koti times the fruit arises and if one makes Japam every day, then one lakh koti times the punyam arises. There is no manner of questionings in this.
30-36. He who holds in his hand, breast, neck, ears, head, the Rudraksams, becomes an image of Rudra. There is no manner of doubt in this. By holding Rudraksams, men become invulnerable of all the beings, become respected, like Maha Deva, by the Devas and Asuras and they roam on the earth like Rudra. Even if a man be addicted to evil deeds and commits all sorts of sins, he becomes respected by all, on holding Rudraksams. By this men are freed of the sin of taking Uchhista and of all the other sins. Even if you suspend a Rudraksam rosary on the neck of a dog and if that dog dies in that state, he gets liberation! Then what to speak of others!
By holding Rudraksams, men even if they be devoid of Japam and Dhyanam, become freed of all sins and attain the highest state. Even if one holds merely one Rudraksa seed purified and surcharged with Mantra S’akti, he uplifts his twentyone generations, gets to Heaven and resides there with respect. I am speaking now further of the Greatness of Rudraksam.
Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the Rudraksam rosaries in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24056, revision 84651 (2016-10-07T17:11:08Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk11ch05.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.