Rudrakshajabala Upanishad - Wikipedia

Rudrakshajabala
Upanishad
rudrakṣajābāla upaniṣat (Sanskrit:

ा जाबाल उप नषत्), also known as
Rudraksha Jabala Upanishat, Rudraksha
jabalopanishat, Rudraksha Upanishat
( ा उप नषत्) and Rudrakshopanishat, is
one of 108 Upanishadic Hindu scriptures,
written in Sanskrit language. It is
dedicated to the Rudraksha, a seed used
as prayer beads, which is sacred to the
god Shiva. The scripture belongs to the
Shaiva sect, which worships Shiva, and is
associated with the Samaveda,[1] and is
one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads.[2] It is told
as a conversation between Kalagni Rudra,
a form of Shiva and Sage Sanatkumara.
Rudraksha Jabala
Rudraksha beads.
Devanagari ा जाबाल
IAST rudrākṣa
Author(s) Kalagni Rudra and
Sage Sanatkumara.
Type Shaiva
Linked Veda Samaveda
Contents
The Rudraksha Jabala Upanishad begins
with an invocation to Brahman, the
Supreme Reality for the well-being of all
parts of the body, the prana (life-force),
and speech. The hymn ends with a wish
for Peace.[3][4]
Sage Bhusunda, also known as
Sanatkumara, asks Kalagni Rudra, a
destructive form of Shiva who is identified
with Bhairava, about the origins of the
Rudraksha and the benefits of wearing it.
The god replies that for the destruction of
the Tripura (three cities), he closed his
eyes for a thousand years in meditation;
tears from his eyes fell on earth, creating
the Rudraksha. The mere utterance of the
word "Rudraksha" is said to bestow the
merit of the donation of ten cows, and its
sight and touch equals the charity of
twenty cows.[3][5][6][7]
Bhusunda probes further about

information regarding the rudraksha, such
as the method of wearing it, associated
mantras, and so on. Kalagni Rudra says
that wearing rudraksha absolves all sins.
Its sight equals the merit of a crore, its
wearing yields a 100 crore, and wearing
and doing japa has a lakh crore
benefits.[3][4][6][7]
The characteristics of a rudraksha are then
described. A rudraksha of the amla fruit
size is the best, followed by the size of a
berry and the size of the black gram, the
lowest. Four types of rudraksha – white,
red, yellowish, and black – are declared fit
for four Varnas or castes – Brahmin,
Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra,
respectively. The best rudraksha is
described as well-rounded, well-sized,
smooth, hard, thorny, and with a natural
hole. A rudraksha which is damaged,
broken, infested, or damaged by worms or
insects, without thorns, or of abnormal
size or shape, should not be used. The
rudrakshas should be woven in a silken
thread and worn. A rudraksha can be worn
on the hair tuft, 30 around the head, 36 in a
necklace, 16 on each arm, 12 on each
wrist, 15 around the shoulders, and 108 in
the yajnopavita (sacred thread). They can
be worn as 2, 3, 5, or 7 rounds. One should
also wear them around the waist, as
earrings, and as a rosary. A devotee of
Shiva should eternally wear them. Mantras
that should be recited when the rudraksha
is worn around a particular part of the
body are then recited.[3][5][6][7]
4-faced
(mukhi)
rudraks
ha
5-faced
(mukhi)
rudraks
ha
ha
14-
faced
rudraks
ha
Bhusunda enquires about the

classification of Rudraksha based on its
faces (mukhi, naturally occurring partitions
in a rudraksha, formed by grooves) and the
benefits of each. Kalagni Rudra correlates
rudrakshas with one to fourteen faces with
various deities. Wearing that particular
rudraksha placates the associated
deity:[3][5][6][7][8]
Faces Deity/Association Advantage
Control over the senses, unity with

1 Shiva as Brahman
Brahman
Ardhanarishvara, combined form of Shiva and

2
his consort Parvati
3 3 sacred fires pleasing the fire-god Agni
4 the four-headed Brahma
5 Pancha-Brahman (five aspects of Shiva) Cleansing of the sin of human murder
the six-headed Kartikeya and Ganesha, sons of

6 health, prosperity, intellect
Shiva
health, prosperity, purity of body and

7 7 Matrika (mother) goddesses
mind
pleasing the eight Vasus and the river-

8 8 Matrika goddesses
goddess Ganga.
9 9 Shaktis (powers)
10 10 Yamas (restraints) Cleansing of sins
11 11 Rudras Prosperity
12 Vishnu and 12 Adityas
13 Kamadeva, the god of love Satisfaction of desires
Shiva as Rudra, from whose eyes Rudraksha

14 Health, cure of diseases
originated
Further, Kalagni Rudra says that one who
wears a rudraksha should not consume
alcohol, meat, garlic, onions. etc. The
rudraksha should be worn on eclipses,
solstices (Uttarayana and Dakshinayana),
Poornima (full moon day), Amavasya (new
moon day), and so forth. Further, the god
says that the rudraksha symbolizes the
Hindu Trinity (Trimurti); the base of the
rudraksha is Brahma, its middle is Vishnu,
and its top is Shiva; all gods reside in its
hole.[3][5][6][7]
Top 6 rules wearing rudraksha
Sanatkumara joined by various sages

approaches Kalagni Rudra. The sages
include Nidagha, Jadabharata, Dattatreya,
Katyayana, Bharadvaja, Kapila, Vasishtha,
and Pippalada. The group asks Kalagni
Rudra about other rules of wearing the
rudraksha. The god says since they are
born from Rudra's eyes, they are called
rudraksha ("rudra+eyes"). Wearing it is
equated to wearing Bhasma (sacred ash).
The mere utterance of its name is equated
to the charity of ten cows. Touching and
wearing is equal to the donation of 2,000
cows; wearing in the ear is equivalent to
the donation of 11,000 cows and the
devotee attains the state of the 11 Rudras.
Wearing the rudraksha is charity of a crore
cows. However, wearing it in the ears is
regarded as the best.[3][5][6][7]
A Shaiva sadhu wearing Tripundra (three lines of ash)
on the forehead and Rudraksha necklaces
In the tradition of the Upanishad, the text

concludes by narrating the benefits of the
text. One attains greatness and becomes a
guru (teacher) and an expert in mantras by
studying the scripture daily. One should
use the mantras in the text in worship and
Havana (fire-sacrifices). The Brahmin who
chants this Upanishad in the evening is
absolved of sins he committed during the
day. Recitation at noon frees him of the
sins of six births (reincarnation). One who
recites it in the daytime and in the evening
is absolved of the sin of many births and
earns the merit of recitation of 6,000 lakh
gayatri mantras. One is freed of the sins of
killing a Brahmin, stealing gold, drinking
alcohol, and having coitus with the wife of
his guru. He gains the merits of visiting all
pilgrimages and bathing in all sacred
rivers. Ultimately, he unites with Shiva after
death and does not experience
rebirth.[5][6][7]
Critique
The Encyclopaedia of Hinduism states that
late Upanishads are not considered "true
Upanishads" by some scholars, who
bestow that status only upon the Mukhya
Upanishads. The Rudraksha Jabala
Upanishad is given as an example of a
sectarian and Tantric Upanishad. These
texts are said to have "abused the high
name" of Upanishads to propagate their
sectarian beliefs.[9] The Symbols Of Art,
Religion And Philosophy echoes this
sentiment, calling the text as "hardly
entitled to be called" an Upanishad.[10]
Klaus Klostermaier classifies the

Rudrakshajabala Upanishad along with the
Bhasmajabala Upanishad, the Kalagni
Rudra Upanishad, the Brihajjabala
Upanishad and the Akshamalika Upanishad,
which glorify Shaiva sectarian
practices.[11]
References
1. Farquhar, John Nicol (1920), An outline
of the religious literature of India, H.
Milford, Oxford university press, p. 364,
ISBN 81-208-2086-X
2. Carlos Alberto Tinoco. Upanishads .
IBRASA. pp. 87–. ISBN 978-85-348-
0040-2.
3. Kamal Narayan Seetha (1 January
2008). The Power Of Rudraksha .
Jaico Publishing House. pp. 222–.
ISBN 978-81-7992-844-8.
4. "Rudraksha Jabala" . Rudrahouse.
Retrieved 11 July 2020.
5. "Rudraksha Jabala Upanishad" .
Vedanta Spiritual Library. Retrieved
20 January 2015.
. R. A. Sastri. "RUDRAKSHAJABALA
UPANISHAT" . Retrieved 20 January
2015.
7. Shantha N. Nair (1 January 2008).
Echoes of Ancient Indian Wisdom.
Pustak Mahal. pp. 224–6. ISBN 978-
81-223-1020-7.
. "Tulsi and Rudraksha: Can a Tree Be
Sacred?" . Hinduism Today. March
1997.
9. Nagendra Kumar Singh (1999).
Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Centre for
International Religious Studies : Anmol
Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-81-7488-
168-7.
10. Padma Sudhi (1988). Symbols Of Art,
Religion And Philosophy. Intellectual
Publishing House. p. 264. ISBN 978-
81-7076-013-9.
11. Klaus K. Klostermaier (11 December
1984). Mythologies and Philosophies
of Salvation in the Theistic Traditions
of India. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.
pp. 134, 371. ISBN 978-0-88920-158-3.
External links
Rudrakshajabala Upanishad in Sanskrit
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What is the Rudraksha Jabala Upanishad about?

What is the Rudraksha Jabala Upanishad about?

What are the origins of the Rudraksha according to the text?

What are the origins of the Rudraksha according to the text?

Rudrakshajabala

rudrakṣajābāla upaniṣat (Sanskrit:

Linked Veda Samaveda

Bhusunda probes further about

Bhusunda enquires about the

Control over the senses, unity with

Ardhanarishvara, combined form of Shiva and

3 3 sacred ﬁres pleasing the ﬁre-god Agni

4 the four-headed Brahma

5 Pancha-Brahman (ﬁve aspects of Shiva) Cleansing of the sin of human murder

the six-headed Kartikeya and Ganesha, sons of

health, prosperity, purity of body and

pleasing the eight Vasus and the river-

10 10 Yamas (restraints) Cleansing of sins

12 Vishnu and 12 Adityas

13 Kamadeva, the god of love Satisfaction of desires

Shiva as Rudra, from whose eyes Rudraksha

Sanatkumara joined by various sages

In the tradition of the Upanishad, the text

Klaus Klostermaier classiﬁes the

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

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