षड्विंशद्भिः शिरोमाला पञ्चाशद्धृदयेन तु । कलाक्षैर्बाहुवलये अर्काक्षैर्मणिबन्धनम्
With twenty-six beads as a head garland, fifty on the heart, beads for armlets according to the lunar phases, and solar beads for bracelets.
अष्टोत्तरशतैर्माला पञ्चाशद्भिः षडानन । अथवा सप्तविंशत्या कृत्वा रुद्राक्षमालिकाम्
A garland of one hundred and eight beads, fifty for Ṣaḍānana; or, making a Rudrākṣa garland with twenty-seven beads.
धारणाद्वा जपाद्वापि ह्यनन्तं फलमश्नुते । अष्टोत्तरशतैर्माला रुद्राक्षैर्धार्यते यदि
By wearing or reciting with it, he attains infinite fruit. If a garland of one hundred and eight Rudrākṣa beads is worn—
क्षणे क्षणेऽश्वमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति षण्मुख । त्रिःसप्तकुलमुद्धृत्य शिवलोके महीयते
He obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice at every moment, O Ṣaṇmukha. Lifting up three times seven generations, he is honored in Śiva's realm.
रुद्राक्षजपमालाविधानवर्णनम् ईश्वर उवाच लक्षणं जपमालायाः शृणु वक्ष्यामि षण्मुख । रुद्राक्षस्य मुखं ब्रह्मा बिन्दू रुद्र इतीरितः
Description of the method for a Rudrākṣa rosary. Īśvara said: Hear, O Ṣaṇmukha, I will explain the characteristics of the rosary. The face of Rudrākṣa is Brahmā, the dot is Rudra, so it is said.
विष्णुः पुच्छं भवेच्चैव भोगमोक्षफलप्रदम् । पञ्चविंशतिभिश्चाक्षैः पञ्चवक्त्रैः सकण्टकैः
Viṣṇu is the tail, and it grants the fruits of enjoyment and liberation. With twenty-five beads, five faces, and thorns—
रक्तवर्णैः सितैर्मिश्रैः कृतरन्ध्रविदर्भितैः । अक्षसूत्रं प्रकर्तव्यं गोपुच्छवलयाकृति
With red and white mixed beads, made with holes and marks, the bead-thread should be fashioned in the shape of a cow's tail ring.
वक्त्रं वक्त्रेण संयोज्य पुच्छं पुच्छेन योजयेत् । मेरुमूर्ध्वमुखं कुर्यात्तदूर्ध्वं नागपाशकम्
Join face to face, and tail to tail; make the Meru bead face upward, and above it, the nāga knot.
एवं संग्रथितां मालां मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रदायिनीम् । प्रक्षाल्य गन्धतोयेन पञ्चगव्येन चोपरि
Thus, the garland assembled in this way grants mantra-siddhi. Wash it with fragrant water and then with pañcagavya.
ततः शिवाम्भसाऽऽक्षाल्य ततो मन्त्रगणान्न्यसेत् । स्पृष्ट्वा शिवास्त्रमन्त्रेण कवचेनावगुण्ठयेत्
Then wash it with Śiva's water, and then place the groups of mantras. Touch it with the Śiva weapon mantra and cover it with the armor.
मूलमन्त्रं न्यसेत्पश्चात्पूर्ववत्कारयेत्तथा । सद्योजातादिभिः प्रोक्ष्य यावदष्टोत्तरं शतम्
After placing the root mantra, do as before. Sprinkle with the Sadyojāta and other mantras up to one hundred and eight times.
मूलमन्त्रं समुच्चार्य शुद्धभूमौ निधाय च । तस्योपरि न्यसेत्साम्बं शिवं परमकारणम्
Recite the root mantra, place it on pure ground, and above it place Śiva, the supreme cause.
प्रतिष्ठिता भवेन्माला सर्वकामफलप्रदा । यस्य देवस्य यो मन्त्रस्तां तेनैवाभिपूजयेत्
The garland thus established grants all desired fruits. Worship it with the mantra of whichever deity it is for.
मूर्ध्नि कण्ठेऽथवा कर्णे न्यसेद्वा जपमालिकाम् । रुद्राक्षमालया चैवं जप्तव्यं नियतात्मना
Place the rosary on the head, neck, or ear, or else. The Rudrākṣa rosary should be used for recitation by one with self-restraint.
कण्ठे मूर्ध्नि हृदि प्रान्ते कर्णे बाहुयुगेऽथवा । रुद्राक्षधारणं नित्यं भक्त्या परमया युतः
Wearing rudrākṣa always, with supreme devotion, on the neck, head, heart, at the end of the limbs, on the ears, or on both arms—
किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन वर्णनेन पुनः पुनः । रुद्राक्षधारणं नित्यं तस्मादेतत्प्रशस्यते
Why speak at length, describing it again and again? Therefore, the constant wearing of rudrākṣa is praised.
स्नाने दाने जपे होमे वैश्वदेवे सुरार्चने । प्रायश्चित्ते तथा श्राद्धे दीक्षाकाले विशेषतः
In bathing, giving, recitation, fire-offering, the Vaiśvadeva rite, worship of the gods, expiation, ancestral rites, and especially at the time of initiation—
अरुद्राक्षधरो भूत्वा यत्किञ्चित्कर्म वैदिकम् । कुर्वन्विप्रस्तु मोहेन नरके पतति ध्रुवम्
If a brāhmaṇa, out of delusion, performs any Vedic act without wearing rudrākṣa, he certainly falls into hell.
रुद्राक्षं धारयेन्मूर्ध्नि कण्ठे सूत्रे करेऽथवा । सुवर्णमणिसम्भिन्नं शुद्धं नान्यैर्धृतं शिवम्
One should wear rudrākṣa on the head, neck, on a thread, or on the hand; it should be pure, not mixed with gold or gems, and not worn by others—this is auspicious.
नाशुचिर्धारयेदक्षं सदा भक्त्यैव धारयेत् । रुद्राक्षतरुसम्भूतवातोद्भूततृणान्यपि
One who is impure should not wear rudrākṣa; it should always be worn with devotion. Even the grass blown from the rudrākṣa tree—
पुण्यलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् । रुद्राक्षं धारयन्पापं कुर्वन्नपि च मानवः
Those who wear rudrākṣa, even if they commit sin, will attain the virtuous world, which is difficult to return from.
सर्वं तरति पाप्मानं जाबालश्रुतिराह हि । पशवो हि च रुद्राक्षधारणाद्यान्ति रुद्रताम्
He crosses over all sin—so declares the Jābāla-śruti; even animals, by wearing rudrākṣa, attain the state of Rudra.
किमु ये धारयन्ति स्म नरा रुद्राक्षमालिकाम् । रुद्राक्षः शिरसा ह्येको धार्यो रुद्रपरैः सदा
What then of men who wear a garland of rudrākṣa? Indeed, rudrākṣa should always be worn on the head by those devoted to Rudra.
ध्वंसनं सर्वदुःखानां सर्वपापविमोचनम् । व्याहरन्ति च नामानि ये शम्भोः परमात्मनः
It destroys all suffering and frees from all sin—so do those who recite the names of Śambhu, the Supreme Self.
रुद्राक्षालङ्कृता ये च ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः । रुद्राक्षधारणं कार्यं सर्वश्रेयोऽर्थिभिर्नृभिः
Those adorned with rudrākṣa are truly the best among devotees of the Lord; wearing rudrākṣa should be practiced by all men seeking the highest good.
कर्णपाशे शिखायां च कण्ठे हस्ते तथोदरे । महादेवश्च विष्णुश्च ब्रह्मा तेषां विभूतयः
At the tip of the ear, on the topknot, on the neck, hand, and also on the belly—Mahādeva, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā are their powers.
देवाश्चान्ये तथा भक्त्या खलु रुद्राक्षधारिणः । गोत्रर्षयश्च सर्वेषां कूटस्था मूलरूपिणः
Other gods, too, with devotion, are indeed wearers of rudrākṣa; and all the ancestral sages of every lineage, who are the unchanging root forms.
तेषां वंशप्रसूताश्च मुनयः सकला अपि । श्रौतधर्मपराः शुद्धाः खलु रुद्राक्षधारिणः
All the sages born in their lineages, devoted to Vedic law and pure, are indeed wearers of rudrākṣa.
श्रद्धा न जायते साक्षाद्वेदसिद्धे विमुक्तिदे । बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते महादेवप्रसादतः
Faith does not arise directly, even in that which is established in the Vedas as granting liberation; only at the end of many births, by the grace of Mahādeva.
रुद्राक्षधारणे वाञ्छा स्वभावादेव जायते । रुद्राक्षस्य तु माहात्म्यं जाबालैरादरेण तु
The desire to wear rudrākṣa arises naturally; and the greatness of rudrākṣa is indeed recited with respect by the Jābālas.