1. Genesis of ‘Rudrākṣa’

[Bhuśuṇḍa’s Query about ‘Rudrākṣa’]—Once, (the crow) sage Bhuśuṇḍa asked Kālāgni Rudra,

“O Lord! How did the ‘Rudrākṣa’^[1] come into being in this world, and what are the benefits of wearing it?”

Kālāgnirudra replied,

“When I had sat in meditation with eyes closed prior to the slaying of the demon ‘Tripurāsura’ , drops of water (tears) from my eyes fell to the ground. These drops transformed themselves into ‘Rudrākṣa’. That is,the tear drops from my eyes formed the beads, in the form of the fruits, of the Rudrākṣa tree. I proclaim, for the benefit of all, that anyone who devotedly utters even the name of Rudrākṣa, he is blessed with a reward equivalent to the one obtained by donating ten cows. By touching it or seeing it, the reward or benefit becomes double. What more can be said about its potentials.

The following slokas (stanzas or couplets of the scriptures) have been said about it:-Where is it located? What is its name? How should a man wear it? How many types are there? Which Mantra should be said while wearing them?

[...] Rudrākṣajābāla Upaniṣad 4.

Kālāgnirudra replied-When a thousand glorious years had passed while I had been meditating, I finally opened my eyes. At that moment, drops of water (here meaning tears) fell down from my eyes onto the ground. There on the ground, those tear drops metamorphosed into huge Rudrākṣa trees.

These trees became stable, perennial and permanent for the larger benefit and well being of my devotees.

[...] Rudrākṣajābāla Upaniṣad 5

It absorbs or eliminates or removes or soaks all the sins done during the day as well as during the night by a devotee who wears the Rudrākṣa beads along with the bad effects of those sins. If the reward or benefit of seeing it (with reverence and faith) is lakhs (hundred thousand) of times, then that of actually wearing it is millions of time greater than merely seeing it.^2\

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ru.jā.up.verse 1 [...]