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The Eleventh Book. Chapter 6

The Eleventh Book

Chapter Vi

On The Greatness Of Rudrksams

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1-21.
s'vara said :-- O Krtikeya! Kus'agranthi, Jvapattr and other rosaries cannot compare to one-sixteenth part of the Rudrksa rosary. As Visnu is the best of all the Purusas, the Gang is the best of all the rivers, Kas'yapa, amongst the Munis, Uchchaihsrav amongst the horses, Mah Deva amongst the Devas, Bhagavat amongst the Devs, so the Rudrksam rosary is the best of all the rosaries. All the fruits that occur by reading the stotras and holding all the Vratas, are obtained by wearing the Rudrksam bead. At the time of making the Aksaya gift, the Rudrksam bead is capable of giving high merits. The merit that accrues by giving Rudrksam to a peaceful devotee of Siva, cannot be expressed in words. If anybody gives food to a man holding the Rudrksam rosary, his twenty one generations are uplifted and he ultimately becomes able to live in the Rudr Loka. He who does not apply ashes on his forehead and who does not hold Rudrksam and is averse to the worship of Siva is inferior to a chndla. If Rudrksam be placed on the head then the flesh-eaters, drunkards, and the associates with the vicious become freed of their sins. Whatever fruits are obtained by performing various sacrifices, asceticism and the study of the Vedas are easily attained by simply holding the Rudrksam rosary. Whatever merits are obtained by read-

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ing the four Vedas and all the Purnas and bathing in all the Trthas and the results that are obtained by immense practice in learning all are obtained by wearing Rudrksam. If at the time of death, one wears Rudrksam and dies, one attains Rudrahood. One has not to take again one's birth. If anybody dies by holding Rudrksam on his neck or on his two arms, he uplifts his twenty-one generations and lives in the Rudra Loka. Be he a Brhman or a Chndla, be he with qualities or without qualities, if he applies ashes to his body and holds Rudrksam he surely attains Sivahood. Be he pure or impure; whether he eats uneatables or be he a Mlechha or a Chndla or a Great Sinner, any body if he holds Rudrksam is surely equal to Rudra. There is no doubt in this.

If any body holds Rudrksam on his head he gets Koti times the fruit; on his ears, ten Koti times the fruit, on his neck, one hundred Koti times the fruit; on his holy thread, ayuta times the fruit; on his arm, one lkh Koti times the fruit and if one wears Rudrksam on one's wrist, one attains Moksa. Whatever acts, mentioned in the Vedas be performed with Rudrksam on, the fruits obtained are unbounded. Even if a man be without any Bhakti and if he wears on his neck the Rudrksa rosary though he does always vicious acts, he becomes freed of the bondage of this world. Even if a man does not hold Rudrksa but if he be always full of devotion towards the Rudrksam, he attains the fruit that is got by wearing the Rudrksam and he attains the Siva Loka and is honoured like Siva. As in the country of Kkata, an ass which used to carry Rudrksam seed got Sivahood after his death, so any man, whether he be a Jani (wise) or Ajnni (unwise), gets Sivahood if he holds Rudrksam. There is no doubt in this.

22-28.
Skanda said :-- "O God! How is it that in the country of Kkata (Bihar), an ass had to carry Rudrksa; who gave him the Rudrksams! And what for did he hold that?"

Bhagavn s'vara said :-- O Son! Now hear the history of the case. In the Bindhya mountain one ass used to carry the load of Rudrksam of a traveller. Once the ass felt tired and became unable to carry the load and fell down on the road and died. After his death the ass came to Me by My Grace, becoming Mahes'vara with trident in his hand and with three eyes. O Krtikeya! As many faces as there are in the Rudrksam, for so many thousand Yugas the holder resides with honour in the Siva Loka. One should declare the greatness of Rudrksam to one's own disciple; never to disclose its glories to one who is not a disciple nor a devotee of Rudrksam nor to him who is an illiterate brute. Be he a Bhakta or not a

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Bhakta, be be low or very low, if he holds Rudrksam then he is freed from all sins. No equal can be to the merit of him who holds the Rudrksams.

29-39.
The Munis, the Seers of truth, describe this holding on of Rudrksam as a very great vow. He who makes a vow to hold one thousand Rudrksams, becomes like Rudra; the Devas bow down before him. If thousand Rudrksams be not obtained, one should hold at least sixteen Rudrksams on each arm, one Rudrksam on the crown hair; on the two hands, twelve on each; thirty-two on the neck; forty on the head; six on each ear and one hundred and eight Rudrksams on the breast; and then he becomes entitled to worship like Rudra. If any body holds Rudrksam together with pearls, Prabla, crystal, silver, gold and gem (lapis lazuli), he becomes a manifestation of S'iva. If a body, through laziness even, holds Rudrksam, the sin cannot touch him as darkness cannot come near light. If any body makes japam of a mantram with a Rudrksa rosary, he gets unbounded results. Such a merit giving Rudrksam, if one such Rudrksam be not found in any one's body, his life becomes useless, like a man who is void of Tripundrak (three curved horizontal marks made on the forehead by the worshippers of S'iva). If any body simply washes his head all over with Rudrksam on, he gets the fruit of bathing in the Ganges. There is no doubt in this. One faced Rudrksam, the five faced, eleven faced and fourteen faced Rudrksams are highly meritorious and entitled to worship by all. The Rudrksam is S'ankara made manifest; so it is always worshipped with devotion. The greatness of Rudrksam is such as it can make a king out of a poor man. On this point, I will tell you an excellent Purnic anecdote.

40-49.
There was a Brhmin, named Girintha in the country of Kosala. He was proficient in the Vedas and Vedmgas, religious and very rich. He used to perform sacrifices. He had a beautiful son named Gunanidhi. The son gradually entered into his youth and looked beautiful like Kandarpa, the God of Love. While he was studying at his Guru Sudhisana's house, he, by his beauty and youth captivated the mind of his Guru's wife named Muktval. The Guru's wife became so much enchanted by his extraordinary beauty that she, being unable to control herself, mixed with him and for some time remained with him in secret enjoyment. Then feeling inconveniences, due to the fear of. his Guru, to enjoy her freely, used poison to the Guru, killed him and then he began to live freely with her. Next when his father, mother came to know about this, he put to death instantly his father and mother, administering poison to them. He became

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addicted to various pleasures and his wealth was exhausted gradually. He began to steal in Brhmans' houses and became addicted very much to drinking. His relatives outcasted him from the society for his bad behaviour and banished him outside the town. He then went into a dense forest with Muktval; and he began to kill the Brhmins for their wealth. Thus a long time passed away; when at last he fell into the jaws of death.

50-54.
Then to take him to the region of Death, thousands of the Yama's messengers came; at the same time the Siva's messengers came from Siva Loka. O Krtikeya! A quarrel then ensued between both the parties of Yama and Siva. The Yama's messengers then said :-- "O Servers of Sambhu! What are the merits of this man that you have come to take him? First speak to us of his merits." Siva's messengers spoke :-- "Fifteen feet below the ground where this man died, there exists the Rudrksam. O Yama's messengers! By the influence of that Rudrksam, all his sins are destroyed; and we have come to take him to Siva." Then the Brhmin Gunanidhi assumed a divine form and, getting on an aerial car went with S'iva's messengers before S'iva. O One of good vows! Thus I have described briefly to you the greatness of Rudrksam. This is capable to remove all sorts of sins and yield great merits.

Here ends the Sixth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the Greatness of Rudrksams in the Mahpurnam S'r Mad Dev Bhgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahrsi Veda Vysa.
mr ihya bal| mr ihya bal
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