Rudrakasha

The Rudrakasha tree is botanically known as ELAEOCARPUS GANITRUS ROXB. Its English name is UTRASUM BEAD TREE. The Rudraksha tree grows in Indonesia, India, China, Nepal the Solomon Islands, Mariana Islands, Guam, Rota, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. Flying foxes like to eat the iridescent blue berries and by dropping the seeds these bats help to plant rudraksha trees.

The Rudrakasha trees are very tall and bear small white colored sweet smelling flowers on blooming in the rainy season. These flowers turn into black berry like fruits, which yield brownish red colored Rudrakasha seeds on maturing. These seeds have sutures or clefts running throughout their surface.

A story tells that the Rudrakasha beads originated from the tears of compassion that Lord Shiva shed when the Tripuras were destroyed. The three sons of the asura Taraka were devotees of Shiva who had granted them a boon of invicibility in their three cities. Only someone who could send a single arrow (purity of heart) through all three cities could destroy their cities. Because they were invincible they became arrogant and caused great harm by killing and oppressing all theists. The Tripuras were the three cities of the asuras built of gold, silver and iron by Maya (illusion) to last for a thousand years. The cities were in heaven (gold), in the air (silver) and on earth (iron) and represented the three worlds ie past present and future. This is an allegory about egoism, bondage(karma) and maya. Rudra is the Vedic name for Shiva and akasha means tears.

It has been shown that Rudraksha Beads have electromagnetic properties and that they affect the human body when worn. Rudraksha beads have both paramagnetic and diamagnetic properties. Rudraksha beads retain their magnetic properties over time, but have the ability to change polarity

The Rudrakasha beads dispels the evil eye and if kept in the home they avert misfortune. They cure cardiac ailments if worn by people who suffer with high blood pressure. Rudraksha also possess an anti ageing property.

There are clefts called MUKHIS on the surface of the beads. The number of mukhis on the surface of a Rudrakasha bead helps in determining its quality. Yogis found that merely wearing the Rudraksha beads gave them a tremendous amount of tranquillity. With this their concentration improved and helped them meditate for a long period of time with spectacular control over their mind.