Rudraksha has many benefits. Rudraksha is basically a seed of a plant named Elicorpus Ganitrus. This tree is rare and can play a crucial role in the spiritual development of a person. Since ancient time Rudraksha has been given a lot of importance in our culture and religion. The Rudraksha comes with naturally formed depressions. The Rudraksha with only one depression is called ek mukhi and one with more is called accordingly. The Elicorpus Ganitrus tree can grow only in very high altitudes. It is seen in some parts of Himalayas. A lot of these trees were used to make railway sleepers as a result today we do not have many of these trees left. This is the reason why there are many fake samples of Rudraksha available in the market. Rudraksha is expensive and can change the fortune of the person who is wearing it. One must be very careful before they start to wear or keep a Rudraksha. There are many parts of Burma and Nepal that still have these trees.

The Rudraksha has a very unique vibrations and that has been proved by science. It is not easy to grow these plants. There is a certain requirement of altitude, soil, atmosphere and other influences that ensure the tree grows and the Rudraksha is formed. Rudraksha were used to make malas. They were worn by the spiritual leaders. It is said that one should not wear a mala of Rudraksha until recommended. The mala always contains the beads plus one bindu. For example a Rudraksha mala that is used for japa or meditation will have 108 beads plus one bead so that the energy is balanced. If the bindu is not there the mala can make people dizzy. Similarly an adult should not wear a mala with 84 beads of Rudraksha. If he or she wears that then they will feel dizzy. The mala worn can be more or less than 84 beads.

The Rudraksha malas are traditionally made with cotton threads. This thread may get weak with time so it is better to keep changing the thread every few months. Some people use silver or gold chains to bind the Rudrakshas together. It is not a good thing to do as this process can crack the Rudraksha and a cracked Rudraksha is of actually not any use. The vibrations that exist within the Rudraksha will disappear with the crack. The jewellers are well aware of this but they will not disclose it to the client. While taking bath remove the Rudraksha mala if you are using chemical soaps. If you are using plain water then keep the mala on. The water that touches the Rudraksha and then flows to your body is actually beneficial. If the chemicals in soap come in contact with the Rudraksha they can make the Rudraksha brittle.

Rudraksha is associated with lord Shiva. Rudraksha was very close to Shiva. Lord Shiva is known for his yogic powers and when you wear the rudraksha you also tend to develop these qualities and a powerful sixth sense. Rudraksha can take you closer to a spiritual life and make you feel a part of the cosmic power. However, it is not necessary that only people who are into meditation and who want spiritual knowledge must wear these beads. The rudraksha has many other benefits that make it suitable for one and all.

We will now discuss how Rudraksha can have many benefits on the person who is wearing it:

1. Rudraksha can create an energy shield – in the olden days the Rudraksha malas were primarily worn by the sadhus. The sadhus were sanyasis and they did not have a home. They would sleep at different places every day and eat different food. This is why they needed an energy shield. When we change a place or got to a new place we may feel restless and not get sleep. It is also possible that the air and the climatic conditions of the new place do not suite us. When we wear the mala of Rudraksha it can help us to get over this problem. Even today people travel a lot due to business and work so wearing a Rudraksha can help to protect from the changes happening around a person. Help people to sleep better and be less stressed.

• The Rudraksha can be used to check the quality of the food. In the olden days the sadhus would live in the forests and remote areas. They had water from open ponds. Sometimes the water could be poisoned and dangerous to have. If the Rudraksha mala is held on top of water and the water is fresh it will move in clock wise direction and if the water is not healthy it will move in anti-clockwise direction. The Rudraksha mala can be used to check the quality and the prana of the food.

• We all know that there is kala jadu or black magic. If someone wants they can do black magic on the person. This is called tantra. It is easy to do tantra on a person and even cause death. Anyone who has skills can do black magic. Rudraksha is a weapon that can protect people from black magic. If you wear Rudraksha it can protect you from all negative energies and ensure that you do become a victim of this. Atharva Veda clearly mentions how energy can be used for the advantage as well as disadvantage of a person.

• An astrologer can tell you if you are under the influence of black magic. It is possible that you were not supposed to be at the receiving end of the black magic but it just came to you as an accident. An astrologer can help you to use the Rudraksha mala in such a way that you can fight against all the negative energies and people.

•  Rudraksha can protect you even from death. Indira Gandhi used to always wear a Rudraksha mala. Similarly there are many celebrities who have worn the Rudraksha mala from time to time for various reasons.

• Rudraksha can help with a lot of health problems like stress, blood pressure and hypertension.

• Rudraksha can protect from accidents and unfortunate events.

• One who wears a proper Rudraksha mala will be able to control his or her emotions and take good decisions.

• Rudraksha can help to improve concentration and memory that is why it is highly recommended for students.

1. Rudraksha can be beneficial for killing pain. Many feel that Rudraksha can work on scorpion bites as well.

1. Rudraksha can help to improve the quality of the skin and can make it glow.

Now that we have discussed the advantages of wearing the Rudraksha, we will also mention some points that you must keep in mind to ensure that the mala is well taken care of and the qualities of the mala does not reduce.  

1. Always wear the Rudraksha mala on a Monday.
2. After the morning bath wear the rudraksha.
3. Do not wear the rudraksha as you take bath with soap.
4. If you are wearing rudraksha try to chant “om namah shivaye” 108 times daily.
5. Always remember the face of Lord Shiva when you are wearing the rudraksha.
6. Every week wash the rudraksha mala with Ganga jal.
7. Do not wear the rudraksha that is cracked it can only do more harm.
8. Ensure that you use a thread to put together the rudraksha mala and change the thread every six months.
9. You can dry the rudraksha mala by keeping under the fan for a while. You can apply a little oil on the rudraksha mala after it dries. This oil will protect the beads.
10. Try not to open the rudraksha mala for very long. When you open it and keep for over a week the beads stop to work and lose their prana. It will again take a while to get the rudraksha back to the proper energy level.
11. If you cannot wear the rudraksha mala for some time ensure that you at least wear it during the night as you sleep. This can happen especially for people who have to dress in formal clothes and attain business meetings.
12. Do not wear the rudraksha mala when you are doing some physical work like hitting the gym or going swimming.
13. Always try to do meditation when you are wearing the rudraksha it can really help you to concentrate.
14. Always ensure that the pores of the beads are open, for example talcum powder or anything else should not block the pores.
15. The rudraksha is a magical bead that is created by nature. When you wear it you must keep in mind that it cannot affect your physical body and it does not affect the physical body either. It has a lot of impact on the mind. It can help people to concentrate better. Many taboos are associated with the rudraksha like women who are having periods should stay away from it, no one should eat non veg as they are wearing the rudraksha all these are wrong. Only ensure that you do not touch the rudraksha with hands that has any type of impurities that’s all.
16. Do not apply haldi, kumkum or sandal wood on the rudraksha as it can close the pores.
17. The rudraksha should not be kept in a plastic bag. It will spoil its energy level.
18. There is a little confusion on this point but many say that you should not wear the rudraksha while having sex. There is very little clarity about this in the Vedas, to be on the safer side it is better to avoid.
19. Rudraksha should not be exchanged between one people to another. However, it can be passed from one generation to the other after the death of a person. There are many families that have rudraksha that is being passed from one generation to the other.
20. You can keep the rudraksha in house, office, car and even in puja room. Just check with an expert to understand how exactly you must keep it so that you can get the maximum benefit from the energies of the rudraksha.
21. Rudraksha must be worn closer to the heart so that it protects the heart. However, it can also be worn as bracelet and pendent. As long as it touches the skin of the person wearing it there is no problem.
22. Try to keep wearing the rudraksha as much as you can. The more you wear the better benefits you will get from the rudraksha. Some people show quicker results to wearing a rudraksha and some will take a longer time to get used to the benefits and the power of rudraksha.
23. Having faith in the rudraksha is the most essential. If you have faith rudraksha can actually change your fortune.
24. Rudraksha can be beneficial to all; there are many types of rudraksha which we will discuss in our forthcoming articles. However, please consult with an astrologer to understand which type of rudraksha will benefit you the most.
25. Smoking and consumption of alcohol will not reduce the impact of rudraksha; these do not have any influence on the beads. It is possible that if you wear the rudraksha you will slowly not feel the need to smoke or drink on a regular basis.

There are many types of Rudraksha, however the one with five faces or the panch mukhi Rudraksha is a very safe one and can be worn by anyone no matter what the age and the sex of the person is. Anyone can wear a rudraksha, even children can. It has been proven that the time a child takes to adjust to the frequencies and benefits of rudraksha is much lesser.  We will try to cover some more important aspects of rudraksha in our articles to come.