FAQ

The main issue now is how to ascertain the genuineness of the bead and how to do the classification – Haridwar, Nepal, South India, Indonesia – as mentioned. As you will notice after going through this chapter, the whole issue of identifying genuine rudraksha is not so complicated yet as in the case of an Ayurvedic medicine or an agro-based product, it requires some expertise. There is no need for any expensive instrument or testing procedure for general checkup. However, some basic points need to be kept in mind while carrying out the tests.

Rudraksha has been in use as an Ayurvedic medicine and finds mention in several books for herbal preparations both as a preventive and as a curative medicine. The residents of the area where rudraksha trees grow use the bark of the tree, its leaves and also the outer shell of the beads for various ailments, particularly mind related disorders, headache, fever and skin diseases and to heal wounds. It is listed as a medicinal product in Indian Materia Medica.

The most common and traditional way of wearing rudraksha is to buy a mala of five mukhi beads from a good source, ensuring that the beads are of uniform size and color, perform a normal pooja and prayers at home and then wear the mala around the neck. No specialised or expert knowledge is needed for this and thousands of people across the country have been wearing rudraksha in this manner for generations. (The sadhus and sanyasis wear larger beads.) In such cases, the wearer do not know anything about the beads or rudraksha per se, except their belief that the beads are divine, they help in spirituality and are good for health.

There are two approaches to determine how many rudrakshas one should wear. In the first approach, one can follow what the epics say about the number of beads to be worn on specific body parts like the neck, the wrist, the arm and so on. The second approach is to follow the traditions practised in the society in which one lives or the family to which one belongs, as these have also got evolved based on beads’ availability and experiences.

The number of people wearing Rudraksha is growing. Some of these wearers are keen observers, and thoroughly analytical as they are educated and have noted down their experience which they have willingly shared with us. Based on their reports and our studies some new facts have emerged. Some of these may prove to be beneficial for the mind, body or consciousness. Therefore it was considered fit to share these with the readers of this book.