हारं वा कटकं वापि सुवर्णं वा द्विजोत्तमः । रुद्राक्षसहितं भक्त्या धारयन् रुद्रतामियात्
If a foremost Brahmin wears a necklace, bracelet, or gold ornament together with rudraksha, with devotion, he attains the state of Rudra.
रुद्राक्षं केवलं वापि यत्र कुत्र महामते । समन्त्रकं वा मन्त्रेण रहितं भाववर्जितम्
O wise one, even if one wears only rudraksha, anywhere, whether with mantras or without, or without any feeling,
यो वा को वा नरो भक्त्या धारयेल्लज्जयापि वा । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः सम्यग्ज्ञानमवाप्नुयात्
Whoever, by devotion or even by modesty, wears it—such a person becomes completely freed from all sins and attains true knowledge.
अहो रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्यं मया वक्तुं न शक्यते । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कुर्याद्रुद्राक्षधारणम्
Ah! The greatness of rudraksha cannot be fully described by me; therefore, one should make every effort to wear rudraksha.
रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् नारद उवाच एवंभूतानुभावोऽयं रुद्राक्षो भवतानघ । वर्णितो महतां पूज्यः कारणं तत्र किं वद
The Greatness of Rudraksha Described Narada said: Such is the power of rudraksha, as you have described, O sinless one. Revered by the great, tell me, what is the reason for this?
श्रीनारायण उवाच एवमेव पुरा पृष्टो भगवान् गिरिशः प्रभुः । षण्मुखेन च रुद्रस्तं यदुवाच शृणुष्व तत्
Sri Narayana said: In the same way, long ago, Lord Girisha, the great Lord Rudra, was asked by Shanmukha, and he spoke to him. Listen to that.
ईश्वर उवाच शृणु षण्मुख तत्त्वेन कथयामि समासतः । त्रिपुरो नाम दैत्यस्तु पुराऽऽसीत्सर्वदुर्जयः
Ishvara said: Listen, Shanmukha, I will briefly tell you the truth. Long ago, there was a demon named Tripura, unconquerable by all.
जितास्तेन सुराः सर्वे बह्मविष्ण्वादिदेवताः । सर्वैस्तु कथिते तस्मिंस्तदाहं त्रिपुरं प्रति
He conquered all the gods, including Brahma, Vishnu, and the other deities. When all had spoken about him, I then addressed Tripura.
अचिन्तयं महाशस्त्रमघोराख्यं मनोहरम् । सर्वदेवमयं दिव्यं ज्वलन्तं घोररूपि यत्
I conceived a great weapon called Aghora, wondrous and beautiful, divine, composed of all the gods, blazing and of a terrible form.
त्रिपुरस्य वधार्थाय देवानां तारणाय च । सर्वविघ्नोपशमनमघोरास्त्रमचिन्तयम्
For the destruction of Tripura and the deliverance of the gods, I conceived the Aghora weapon, which removes all obstacles.
दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु चक्षुरुन्मीलितं मया । पश्चान्ममाकुलाक्षिभ्यः पतिता जलबिन्दवः
For a thousand divine years I kept my eyes open; afterwards, drops of water fell from my agitated eyes.
तत्राश्रुबिन्दुतो जाता महारुद्राक्षवृक्षकाः । ममाज्ञया महासेन सर्वेषां हितकाम्यया
From those drops of tears arose great rudraksha trees, by my command, O Mahasena, for the welfare of all.
बभूवुस्ते च रुद्राक्षा अष्टत्रिंशत्प्रभेदतः । सूर्यनेत्रसमुद्भूताः कपिला द्वादश स्मृताः
Those rudrakshas became of thirty-eight kinds; the tawny ones, twelve in number, are said to have arisen from my sun eye.
सोमनेत्रोत्थिताः श्वेतास्ते षोडशविधाः क्रमात् । वह्निनेत्रोद्भवाः कृष्णा दश भेदा भवन्ति हि
The white ones, sixteen in succession, arose from my moon eye; the black ones, ten in kind, arose from my fire eye.
श्वेतवर्णश्च रुद्राक्षो जातितो ब्राह्म उच्यते । क्षात्रो रक्तस्तथा मिश्रो वैश्यः कृष्णस्तु शूद्रकः
A rudraksha of white color is said to be born as a Brahmin; a red one as a Kshatriya; a mixed one as a Vaishya; and a black one as a Shudra.
एकवक्त्रः शिवः साक्षाद्ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति । द्विवक्त्रो देवदेव्यो स्याद्विविधं नाशयेदघम्
A rudraksha with one face is directly Shiva and removes the sin of killing a Brahmin; one with two faces is the Lord of gods and goddesses and destroys various sins.
त्रिवक्त्रस्त्वनलः साक्षात्स्त्रीहत्यां दहति क्षणात् । चतुर्वक्त्रः स्वयं ब्रह्मा नरहत्यां व्यपोहति
A rudraksha with three faces is directly Fire and instantly burns the sin of killing a woman; one with four faces is Brahma himself and removes the sin of killing a man.
पञ्चवक्त्रः स्वयं रुद्रः कालाग्निर्नाम नामतः । अभक्ष्यभक्षणोद्भूतैरगम्यागमनोद्भवैः
A rudraksha with five faces is Rudra himself, known by the name Kālāgni; it removes sins arising from eating forbidden food and from forbidden sexual relations.
मुच्यते सर्वपापैस्तु पञ्चवक्त्रस्य धारणात् । षड्वक्त्रः कार्तिकेयस्तु स धार्यो दक्षिणे करे
By wearing the five-faced Rudraksha, one is freed from all sins; the six-faced, which is Kartikeya, should be worn on the right hand.
ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । सप्तवक्त्रो महाभागो ह्यनङ्गो नाम नामतः
There is no doubt that by this, one is freed from sins such as the killing of a Brahmin; the seven-faced, most fortunate, is called Ananga by name.
तद्धारणान्मुच्यते हि स्वर्णस्तेयादिपातकैः । अष्टवक्त्रो महासेन साक्षाद्देवो विनायकः
By wearing that, one is freed from sins like stealing gold; the eight-faced is Mahasena himself, and the god Vinayaka in person.
अन्तकूटं तूलकूटं स्वर्णकूटं तथैव च । दुष्टान्वयस्त्रियं वाथ संस्पृशंश्च गुरुस्त्रियम्
Antakuta, Tulakuta, Svarnakuta, and likewise, touching a wicked lineage, or another man's wife, or the wife of one's teacher—
एवमादीनि पापानि हन्ति सर्वाणि धारणात् । विघ्नास्तस्य प्रणश्यन्ति याति चान्ते परं पदम्
All such sins as these are destroyed by wearing it; obstacles are removed, and in the end, one attains the supreme state.
भवन्त्येते गुणाः सर्वे ह्यष्टवक्त्रस्य धारणात् । नववक्त्रो भैरवस्तु धारयेद्वामबाहुके
All these virtues arise from wearing the eight-faced Rudraksha; the nine-faced is Bhairava, and should be worn on the left arm.
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदः प्रोक्तो मम तुल्यबलो भवेत् । भ्रूणहत्यासहस्राणि ब्रह्महत्याशतानि च
It is said to grant both enjoyment and liberation, and one becomes equal in strength to me; thousands of acts of feticide and hundreds of Brahmin murders—
सद्यः प्रलयमायान्ति नववक्त्रस्य धारणात् । दशवक्त्रस्तु देवेशः साक्षाद्देवो जनार्दनः
Are immediately destroyed by wearing the nine-faced; the ten-faced is the Lord of gods, the god Janardana himself.
ग्रहाश्चैव पिशाचाश्च वेताला ब्रह्मराक्षसाः । पन्नगाश्चोपशाम्यन्ति दशवक्त्रस्य धारणात्
Planets, ghosts, spirits, Brahmarakshasas, and serpents are all pacified by wearing the ten-faced.
वक्त्रैकादशरुद्राक्षो रुद्रैकादशकं स्मृतम् । शिखायां धारयेद्यो वै तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
The eleven-faced Rudraksha is known as the eleven Rudras; hear the merit gained by one who wears it on the crown of the head.
अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य वाजपेयशतस्य च । गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम्
The fruit of performing a thousand Ashvamedha sacrifices, a hundred Vajapeya sacrifices, and giving a hundred thousand cows properly—
तत्फलं लभते शीघ्रं वक्त्रैकादशधारणात् । द्वादशास्यस्य रुद्राक्षस्यैव कर्णे तु धारणात्
That fruit is quickly obtained by wearing the eleven-faced; by wearing the twelve-faced Rudraksha on the ear—