The glorification of the Rudraksa and of the names of Siva

Those who adore Siva are blessed and content. Their birth is fruitful and their family is elevated. Sins never touch those from whose mouth the names Sadasiva, Siva etc. come out for ever, as they do not touch the burning charcoal of the khadira wood.
When a mouth utters “Obeisance to Thee, holy Siva” that mouth (face) is on par with holy centres destroying all sins.

Siva’s name, the ashes and the Rudraksa beads – the three are very holy and are on par with Triveni, the confluence of the three holy rivers.

The sight of the persons who have these three in their bodies is a rare occurrence. But when obtained it removes all sins. There is no difference at all between these two – a sight of the holy man and a bath in the Triveni. One who does not realise this is undoubtedly a sinner. The man who has no ashes on his forehead, has not worn Rudraksa on his body and does not utter names of Siva shall be shunned as one does a baseman.

Brahma wishing to bestow beneficence weighed one against the other. He put on ones side the benefit achieved by a person in whose body the three things were present. On the other side he put the blessedness achieved by those who took their bath in the holy Triveni. Both were found equal. Form that time onwards, Brahma, Visnu and other Devas wear these three. Their very sight dispels sins.

Mountainous heaps of great sins are destroyed as in blazing forest fire when the names of Siva are repeated. They are reduces to ashes without any difficulty. Those who are drenched by the nectarine downpour of Siva’s names never feel ill at ease even in the middle of the conflagration of worldly existence. The noble souls, who have acquired great devotion to the names of Siva, and those like them, attain perfect liberation instantaneously.

Only he who has performed penances in the course of many births can acquire devotion to the names of Siva that destroys all sins. Salvation is easy of access only to him who has extraordinary and unbroken devotion for the names of Siva.

Even if a person has committed many sins, a person who has reverence for the Japa of Siva names, becomes certainly free from all sins. Just as the trees in forest are burnt and reduced to ashes by the forest fire, so also are the sins destroyed by Siva’s names.

After going through all the Vedas it has been decided by our ancestors that the noblest means of crossing the ocean of worldly existence is the performance of the Japa of Siva’s names. The power of the names of Siva in destroying sins is more than the ability of men to commit them.

The greatness of holy ashes

One is known as Mahabhasma, the great ashes and the second are known as Svalpa, the little. The Mahabhasma is of various types: Srauta (Vedic), Smarta (resulting from smriti rites) and Laukika (prepared from ordinary fire). The Svalpa is the ordinary ash, which is of various forms. The Srauta and the Smarta ashes are to be used only by the twice born. Every one can use the Laukika.

When dry cow dung is reduced to ashes, it is called Agneya (fiery). Men seeking intellect shall use the ashes resulting from Agnihotra and other sacrificial rites for the Tripundra. When the ashes are put on the forehead or smeared with water, the seven mantras “Agni” etc, mentioned in the Jabalopanisad, shall be recited.

Siva, Visnu, Uma, Lakshmi, goddess of speech and other gods and goddesses, Brahmins, ksatriyas, vaisyas and persons of mixed castes and hill tribes have observed Tripundra and dusting always.

Even after hundreds of crores of kalpas, Siva knowledge will not dawn upon, those who do not observe with faith Tripundra and Uddhulana. One who makes the Tripundra on the forehead with white ashes shall attain, on death, the primordial worlds.

All the holy centres and sacred rivers go ever to the place, which a person who is endowed with Siva Jnana (knowledge of Siva) and has put on ashes casually visits.

Neither Brahma, nor Visnu, nor Rudra, nor sages, nor the other devas can explain adequately the greatness of the application of the ashes. Those men who exclude a man wearing Tripundra and perform holy rites are not liberated from worldly bondage even after crores of births.

A person who has applied ashes on his body actually wears, as many lingas as there are particles of the ash that remain on his body. Just as the fire when touched with or without knowledge burns the body so does the ash worn consciously or unconsciously sanctify the man.

Those who censure Tripundra actually censure Siva. Thos who wear it with devotion actually wear Siva. Fie upon the forehead that is devoid of ash. Fie upon the village that has no Siva temple. Fie upon that life that does not worship Siva. Fie upon the lore that does not refer to Siva.

He who makes Tripundra duly with the ash is freed from groups of great as well as small sins.

He who wears the Tripundra on his forehead gains the same merit as one who takes his bath in the sacred rivers like Ganga and whatever other sacred ponds, lakes and holy centres there are in the world.

The five syllabled mantra which grants Siva Kaivalya is on a par with seven crores of great and many crores of other mantras.

Mantras of other deities bestowing all blessedness are easily accessible to the devotee who wears the Tripundra. One who wears Tripundra raises a thousand predecessors and a thousand successors in his family.

In this life he will enjoy all worldly pleasures and live long without any disease. At the end of he span of his life, he will have a peaceful death.

He will assume then a divine auspicious body endowed with eight accomplishments. He will travel by a divine aerial chariot attended by celestial gods. He will enjoy the pleasures of Vidyadharas, powerful Gandharvas, in the worlds of Indra and other guardians of the quarters and those of Prajapatis and finally reach Brahma’s region where he will sport with a hundred virgins. He will enjoy different kinds of pleasures there for the full period of the span of life of Brahma. He will then enjoy the pleasures in the Visnuloka till hundred Brahma’s die. Thereafter he will attain Sivaloka and enjoy everlasting bliss there. Finally he will attain Sivasayujya. No suspicion need be entertained in this matter. After going through the essence of all Upanishads again and again, Tripundara is conducive to great excellence. A man who wears the Tripundara while performing Sraddha, Yajna, Japa, Homa, Vaisvadeva and the worship of the deities is a purified soul and he conquers even death.

Bath with the ash is a holy centre where Ganga Snana is possible every day. Siva is represented by the ash, which directly sanctifies the three worlds. In fructuous is the knowledge, meditation, gift and japa if these are performed by a Brahmana without wearing Tripundraka. In the different parts of the body as the forehead etc. three lines constitute the Tripundara.

The Tripundara on the forehead extends from the middle of the eyebrows to the tips of the brows on either side. With the middle and the ring fingers a line drawn in the opposite direction is called Tripundara. With the three middle fingers, ashes are applied in the Tripundara on the forehead. It would give worldly pleasures and salvation. For each of the three lines, there are nine deities everywhere in the body.

The nine deities of the first line are: The syllable “A”, Garhapatya fire (sacrificial fire), Earth, Dharma, the attribute Rajas, Rgveda, Kriyasakti (the power to do), Pratahsavana (morning rituals) and Mahadeva.

The nine deities of the second line are: The syllable “U”, Daksina fire (sacrificial fire), the principle of Ether, Attribute Sattva, Yajurveda, Madhyandina Savana (midday rituals), Icchasakti (the will power), the Antaratman (the immanent soul) and Mahesvara.

The nine deities of the third line are: The syllable “M”, Ahavaniya (sacrificial) fire, the supreme soul, the attribute Tamas, heaven, Jnana Sakti, Samaveda, the third Savana (evening rituals) and Siva.

Thus making obeisance to the deities of the different parts with devotion, one shall apply the Tripundara. One becomes pure and derives worldly pleasures and salvation.


The greatness of Rudraksa

Rudraksa is a favourite bead of Siva. It is highly sanctifying. It removes all the sins by sight, contact and Japas. Formerly Siva, the supreme soul, for rendering help to the worlds, declared the greatness of Rudraksa to the Goddes.

Once Siva had been performing penance for thousands of divine years. Although it was controlled rigorously, his mind was in flutter. Out of sport, he happened to open his eyes from a desire of helping the worlds. Drops of tears fell from his beautiful half closed eyes. From those teardrops, there cropped up the Rudraksa plants. They became immobile.

In order to bless the devotees, they were given to the four Varanas devoted to the worship of Visnu. They were classified into Brahmins, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras. These Rudraksas are of auspicious nature. The colours of the four types of Rudraksas are respectively white, red, yellow and black. All people shall wear the Rudraksa of their own Varna. If they desire their benefit, namely worldly pleasures and salvation and if the devotees of Siva wish to gratify Siva, they must wear the Rudraksa.

A Rudraksa is the size of an Emblic myrbalan (Dhatriphala) is mentioned as the most excellent; one of the sizes of the fruit of the jujube tree (Badariphala) is spoken of as the middling.

The meanest of Rudraksa is of the size of a gram according to his excellent classification. The wearing of Rudraksa is recommended for the sake of destroying sins. Hence that which is conducive to the achievement of every object has to be worn certainly. Rudraksa of even size, glossy, firm, thick and having thorn like protrusions yield desires and bestow worldly pleasures and salvation forever.

Six types of Rudraksas shall be discarded: -that, which is defiled by worms, is cut and broken, has no thorn like protrusions, has cracks and is not circular. That which has a natural hole from end to end is the most excellent, that which is bored through by human effort is the middling one.

The wearing of Rudraksa is spoken of as conducive to the destruction of great sins. If eleven hundred Rudraksas are worn on the person, the man assumes the form of Rudra. Even in hundreds of years, it is impossible to describe adequately the benefit derived by wearing eleven hundred and fifty Rudraksas. A devout man shall make a coronet consisting of five hundred and fifty Rudraksas.

Hundred and one Rudraksas should be worn round the neck; eleven Rudraksas should be worn round each of the arms, elbows and wrists. Devotees of Siva should have three Rudraksas in the sacred thread and round the hips five Rudraksas should be tied. The person who wears so many Rudraksas is worthy of being bowed to and adored by all like Mahesa. Such a person, while in contemplation should be duly seated and addressed. Seeing him everyone is freed from sins. A devotee of Siva should refrain from eating meat, garlic, onion, red garlic, potherb, Slesmataka, pig of rubbish and liquors.

Rudraksa is an auspicious complement to His phallic image. The small one is always praiseworthy. If anyone wears it during the day, he is freed from sins committed during the night; if it is worn during the night, one is freed from sins committed during the day. Similar is the result with its wearing during morning, midday or evening. Those who wear Tripundra, the matted hair and the Rudraksa do not go to Yama?s abode.

Yama?s directives to his attendants:

All shall honour those who wear atleast one Rudraksa on their heads, Tripundra on the forehead and repeat the five syllabled mantras. They are indeed saintly men.

One can bring the man who has no Rudraksa on his person, and no Tripundra on his forehead and who does not utter the five-syllabled mantra. All those who have the ash and Rudraksa are honoured always after knowing their power.

Rudraksa as well as the person who wears it, is Yama?s favourite. Even if has committed sins, he becomes pure. One who wears the Rudraksa round the hands and arms and over the head cannot be killed by any living being. He can roam in the world in the form of a Rudra; and is respected by the gods and Asuras always. He is honoured like Siva. He removes the sins of anyone seen by him. If a person is not liberated after meditation and acquisition of knowledge, he should wear Rudraksa. He is freed from all sins and attains the highest goal.

A mantra repeated with Rudraksa is a crore times more efficacious. A man wearing Rudraksa derives a hundred million times more merit.

As long as Rudraksa is on the person of a living soul, he is least affected by premature death. One shall attain Rudra on seeing a person with Tripundra, his limbs covered with Rudraksa and repeating the Mrtyunjaya mantra. He is the favourite of the five deities and a favourite of all gods. A devotee has to repeat all mantras while wearing a garland of Rudraksa (or counting on the beads). Even the devotees of Visnu and other deities unhesitatingly wear the Rudraksa. Especially the devotee of Rudra wears Rudraksas always.

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