Rudraksha is the seeds of eliocarpus ganiturus, a patulous evergreen tree. Rudraksha or rudraksh has a precious place in Hinduism. It is considered the tears of the mighty lord shiva. Rudraksha beads are used for Japa, which is the repetition of a mantra as a means of meditation.
The literal meaning is decoded as Sanskrit roots rudra, which is another name for the Hindu god, Shiva, and aksha, which means “teardrops.” Collectively considered as “Rudra’s teardrops.” It is said that Lord Shiva shed a tear when he opened his eyes after an extended meditation and this tear evolved into a rudaksha tree. According to Shiva Puran, Rudraksha is said to have originated from the eyes of Lord Shiva in the form of tears and landed on earth near Kailash Mountain and formed the Rudraksha tree. Hence, the Rudraksha tree is believed to grow mostly in the Himalayan regions. It is widely found in Nepal and India. Rudraksha trees also grow in Myanmar, Indonesia (Sumatra and Java), Srilanka, the Philippines, Madagascar, etc. Rudraksha is based on the vertical lines seen running down on the surface. These lines are known as Mukhi, or in other words, “the clefts or furrows on the surface.” (For example, if there are five vertical lines on the surface, it is known as 5 Mukhi Rudraksha or pancha Mukhi Rudraksha.)
The chemical composition of Rudraksha can be dealt with as 50.031% carbon, 0.95% nitrogen, 17.897% hydrogen, and 30.53% oxygen, and it takes 15 to 16 years to mature. There are more than 22 Mukhi Rudraksha but among them, 21 mukhi rudraksha is studied by astrologers and scientists. It is strongly believed in Hinduism that wearing rudraksha beads provides the guardianship of Shiva and works as a shield against negative energies.
| Types | Ruling God | Image |
| 1 Mukhi Rudraksha | Shiva | |
| 2 Mukhi Rudraksha | Ardhanareshwar | |
| 3 Mukhi Rudraksha | Agni | |
| 4 Mukhi Rudraksha | Brihaspati | |
| 5 Mukhi Rudraksha | Rudran Kalagni | |
| 6 Mukhi Rudraksha | kartikeya | |
| 7 Mukhi Rudraksha | Laxmi | |
| 8 Mukhi Rudraksha | Ganesh | |
| 9 Mukhi Rudraksha | Durga | |
| 10 Mukhi Rudraksha | Krishna | |
| 11 Mukhi Rudraksha | 11 Rudra | |
| 12 Mukhi Rudraksha | Sun | |
| 13 Mukhi Rudraksha | Kamadeva | |
| 14 Mukhi Rudraksha | Hanuman |