Rudraksha is a sacred bead and holds great symbolism in Hinduism. The Elaeocarpus granite, an evergreen tree found in the Himalayan foothills of India, Nepal, Indonesia, and a few other Southeast Asian countries, is associated with Shiva, the Supreme Being of Shaivism.
Rudraksha is derived from ‘Rudra,’ a form of Shiva, and ‘Aksha’ means teardrops, which fell on the ground when Shiva opened his eyes after being deep in meditation for a thousand years. Mother Earth collected them as seeds, and they blossomed into Rudraksha trees.
What is Original Rudraksha?
Choosing a Rudraksha must be done precisely. First, one must learn how to identify an original Rudraksha and then go for selection. The original shape of a Rudraksha depends on the Mukhi lines on it. This goes on to decide the number of seeds and compartments inside that will determine the bead’s actual shape.
1 mukhi rudraksha will have one seed and a compartment. It will have the shape of a half ellipse. Similarly, a 4 mukhi rudraksha will have four seeds and compartments inside. It will look like a square on the outside. A 3 mukhi rudraksha bead will have three seeds and compartments inside and look similar to a triangle on the outer side. A 5 mukhi rudraksha bead will have five seeds and compartments inside, that are in the shape of a pentagon from the outside.
Ways To Identify Original Rudraksha
There are methods by which you can identify the original rudraksha.
C.T. Scan Method – This method involves the rudraksha passing through the C.T. Scan machine to give an insight into the inner compartments of Rudraksha.
Boiling Water Method – This method involves boiling water and then placing the rudraksha inside the boiling water, if the rudraksha doesn’t break, then it is an original rudraksha.
Floating Test – In this method, the rudraksha is dropped into a vessel full of water. If the rudraksha doesn’t stay on the top, it’s an original rudraksha.
Copper Coin Test – The beads of rudraksha are placed between two copper coins. If the bead of Rudraksha doesn’t start rotating, then it’s the original rudraksha.
How Common Are Original Rudraksha?
You can get original rudraksha from all Teerthsthans, especially of Shiva like 12 Jyotirlingams, Kashi is No.1 than still any teerth sthans beads have the energy or that place also, so be it Naimish, or Haridwar or Prayag You can buy them from there, though it is better to buy from Shiva’s Teerthas, like all the Jyotirlingams of Pashupatinath, or Kamakhya, There they are found in abundance.
Know More About Original Rudraksha
- Traditionally, the number of beads in the original rudraksha is 108 plus one, the bindu. It’s recommended that an adult should not wear a mala with less than 84 beads, plus the bindu – but any number over that is fine.
- All Panchmukhi Rudraksha have the same quality, impact, and benefits regardless of size.
- You should not share your Rudraksha with anyone else, since the Rudraksha adapts to the wearer.
- It’s best to store the original Rudraksha in a silk cloth or in a copper vessel. Remember, copper can oxidize milk products, so you should not use a copper vessel while conditioning the Rudraksha.
Short Summary On Identification Of Original Rudraksha
- You can buy it from any reputed Rudraksha store or from Rudraksha Lovers.
- The rudraksha stones are produced by several species of large, evergreen, broad-leaved trees in the genus Elaeocarpus.
- Original rudraksha can be identified by c.t scan or boiling water test.
- You can get original rudraksha from all Teerthsthans, especially of Shiva like 12 Jyotirlingams.