Rudraksha
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| Rudraksha Tree | ||||||||||||||
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 A Rudraksha Tree at Rishikesh
 Fruit on the Tree
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| Elaeocarpus ganitrus (Roxb.) |
Rudraksha (Sanskrit: rudrākṣa) ("Rudra-eyed") is the name of the dark berries of Elaeocarpus ganitrus, used to make prayer beads (Sanskrit: mālā).[1] The word is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the name Rudra and ākṣa ("eye").
The Rudraksha is a large evergreen broad-leaved tree that grows in the area from the Gangetic Plain to the foothills of the Himalayas. Rudraksha trees are also found in middle areas of Nepal. Rudraksha seeds are covered by an outer shell of blue color when fully ripe, and for this reason are also known as blueberry beads. The blue colour is derived not from pigment but is structural.[2]
Rudraksha beads are the material from which sacred garlands (108 beads in number) or rosaries are made. The term is used both for the berries themselves and as a term for the type of mālā made from them.[3] In this sense, a rudraksha is a Saivite rosary, used for japa mala. Repetitive prayer (japa) is a common aid to worship in Hinduism, and Rudraksha mālā are worn by many Hindus.[citation needed] Rudraksha is also used for treatment of various diseases in traditional Indian medicine.
The berries show variation in the number of grooves on their surface, and are classified on the basis of the number of divisions that they have. A common type has five divisions, and these are considered to be symbolic of the five faces of Shiva.[4]
The Rudraksh seeds are brittle in nature and so should be protected from chemicals.[citation needed]
The best way to find the authenticity of a rudraksha is to get it X-rayed and count the number of compartments inside. If they are equal to the number of lines outside the rudraksha is real.
[edit] References
- ^ For translation of rudrākṣa as "Rudra-eyed" and definition as berries of Elaeocarpus ganitrus see: Stutley, p. 119.
- ^ Lee, D. W. Ultrastructural basis and function of iridescent blue color of fruits in Elaeocarpus. Nature 349, 260−262 (1991).
- ^ For use both to refer to the beads and to a mālā see: Apte, p. 804.
- ^ For the five-division type as signifying Shiva's five faces and terminology pañcānana, see: Stutley, p. 119.
- Stutley, Margaret (1985). The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography. First Indian Edition: Munshiram Manoharlal, 2003, ISBN 81-215-1087-2.
