O revered one, listen as I recount the sacred instructions regarding the wearing of Rudrākṣa, as spoken in the ancient scripture. A devotee should adorn a single Rudrākṣa bead in the hair tuft, forty beads upon the crown of the head, thirty-two around the throat, and one hundred and eight across the chest. One bead is to be worn on each ear, six on each arm, sixteen on each forearm, and double that number on the hands, O lord of sages. When a person, especially one born in the Shaiva tradition, wears the Rudrākṣa with devotion and in the proper count, he is to be honored like Shiva himself and revered by all, again and again. The act of wearing is sanctified by mantras: the Ishāna mantra is recited when placing beads on the head, the Tatpuruṣa mantra for the ears, the Aghora mantra for the neck and likewise for the heart. On the hands, the wise employ the seed mantra of Aghora, and on the abdomen, the fifteen-syllable mantra of Vāmadeva is used. With the five Brahma mantras, one may wear thirty garlands, or five, or seven; or, by reciting the root mantra of Vāma, all the beads may be worn together. After accepting the Rudrākṣa, one must avoid wine, meat, garlic, onion, horse gram, foods that cause phlegm, excrement, and boar. For Brahmins, a hundred thousand Rudrākṣas are prescribed; Kṣatriyas should wear red beads, ascetics joyful ones, and Vaiśyas those that are repeatedly soaked. The scriptures prescribe black beads for Śūdras, as well as elephant-shaped ones. All four castes, both householders and ascetics, should wear Rudrākṣa with discipline. This supreme secret is not to be abandoned by birth, for only the virtuous attain the right to wear Rudrākṣa, and abandoning it leads one to all the hells. When selecting beads, those lighter than the amalaki fruit, those afflicted, bitten by thorns, eaten by worms, or with holes, should not be worn by those seeking auspiciousness. Even so, Rudrākṣas like chickpeas, and especially those without blemish, are always praised as subtle and auspicious. By Shiva’s command, Rudrākṣa is to be worn by all, regardless of order or caste—even by women and Śūdras—especially with the sacred Pranava. Those who perform the rituals for night during the day, or for day during the night, are freed from all sins at morning, midday, and evening. Those who bear the tripuṇḍra, those with matted hair, and those who wear Rudrākṣa—only they truly attain this world. One who wears a single Rudrākṣa on the head, marks the middle of the forehead with tripuṇḍra, and recites the five-syllable mantra is to be honored by the virtuous. But one who does not wear Rudrākṣa on the body, tripuṇḍra on the forehead, or the five-syllable mantra on the lips—such a one should be taken to the house of Yama. Whether they understand its power or not, those who wear ashes and Rudrākṣa must always be honored and never insulted. Thus did Kāla instruct his attendants, and upon hearing, all stood silent, filled with wonder. Therefore, O great goddess, know that Rudrākṣa destroys even the greatest sins. It is dear to me, pure, and supremely sanctifying, O Pārvatī. Whoever wears Rudrākṣa on the hand, arm, or head becomes inviolable to all beings and moves upon the earth in the very form of Rudra. Such a one is always to be revered by all gods and demons; he is to be worshipped, and even the sight of him destroys sin, just as seeing Śiva does. Even one not devoted to meditation or knowledge, if he wears Rudrākṣa, is freed from all sins and attains the highest state. Reciting a mantra with Rudrākṣa yields a crore-fold merit, and by simply wearing it, a man gains ten crore times the merit. As long as Rudrākṣa remains on the body, O goddess, even minor death does not trouble that person. One whose body shines with Rudrākṣa, who is marked with tripuṇḍra, and who recites the Mṛtyuñjaya mantra—seeing such a one brings the fruit of Rudra. He is dear to the five gods and to all the deities. With a Rudrākṣa garland, the devotee may recite all mantras, O beloved. Even devotees of Viṣṇu and other deities wear Rudrākṣa without doubt; but especially, a devotee of Rudra should always wear it. Now, O Pārvatī, listen with devotion as I describe the various kinds of Rudrākṣa and their differences, for they bestow both enjoyment and liberation. The one-faced Rudrākṣa is Śiva himself, bestower of enjoyment and liberation; merely seeing it destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin. Wherever it is worshipped, Lakṣmī never departs, all obstacles are destroyed, and all desires are fulfilled. The two-faced Rudrākṣa is the Lord of gods and grants all desired fruits; especially, it quickly removes the sin of killing a cow. The three-faced Rudrākṣa is always a direct bestower of accomplishment; by its power, all forms of knowledge are firmly established. The four-faced Rudrākṣa is Brahmā himself; it destroys the sin of killing a man, and by seeing or touching it, grants the four aims of life instantly. The five-faced Rudrākṣa, self-manifest Rudra called Kālāgni, grants liberation to all and bestows the fruits of all desires. All sins—approaching the forbidden, committing wrongs, or consuming what should not be eaten—are removed by the five-faced bead. Kārtikeya, with six faces, when worn on the right arm, frees one from sins like killing a Brahmin, without doubt. The seven-faced Maheśāni, named Anaṅga, when worn, elevates even a poor person to lordship among gods. The eight-faced Rudrākṣa, the form of Vasu and Bhairava, grants full lifespan to the wearer; even the dead become bearers of the trident. Bhairava is nine-faced, and Kapila is remembered as a sage; Durgā is the presiding goddess, and Maheśvarī has nine forms. Whoever wears that Rudrākṣa on the left hand with devotion becomes the Lord of all, certainly equal to me, without doubt. The ten-faced Maheśāni is the god Janārdana himself; when worn, O Lady of the Gods, one attains all desires. Thus, O Pārvatī, have I revealed the supreme secret and the great merits of Rudrākṣa, as spoken by the Lord himself.