PADMA PURANA Chapter 57

THE LORD Said

The one with three mouths is Fire Himself; the sin earned in the past births
of him on whom it remains is burnt as fire burns fuel. A wise man obtains
that fruit which is obtained by worshiping Fire or by rites of honoring Fire or
by offering the oblation of ghee; and also obtains heaven. He who wears a
Rudraksha of three mouths on his body is like Brahma on the earth. It would
burn all the sins due to wicked deeds collected in birth after birth. There
would be not disease in his belly; he would not be sick. He is never defeated,
and his house is not burnt by fire. These and all other fruits are obtained and
destructive weapons also are warded off. Nothing inauspicious happens due
to wearing of Rudraksha of three mouths i.e. when a Rudraksha of three
mouths is worn on one's person.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RUDRAKSHA, AMLA AND TULSI

Once, while describing about the importance of Rudraksha to the sages, Vyasa said--- One who
wears a Rudraksha rosary is supreme among all human beings. The mere sight of such a holy
man absolves people of their sin. A Rudraksha bead bears features of a Linga and yoni on its
surface. One should not wear a rudraksha on which above mentioned features are absent.
Similarly two joint beads should never be worn. All the mantras become doubly powerful when
chanted with the help of rudraksha-rosary. During Satya Yuga, there lived a mighty demon
named Tripurasur. He had conquered the deities and was capable of moving in the space. The
deities sought help of Lord Shiva, who killed Tripurasur by the sight of his third-eye. In the
process, few drops of sweat, emanating from Shiva's body fell down on the earth. These sweat
drops got transformed into a large Rudraksha-tree
112. Of all beings, he who possesses a rudraksha is excellent, by seeing which a heap of the sins
of people vanishes.
113-114. By touching it one obtains heaven, and by wearing it (on one's person) one becomes
Rudra. He who wears it on the head or the arm becomes equal to the lord in the world and at
the sacrifice and moves (i.e. can move) everywhere on the earth. That region where such a
brahmana lives would be meritorious.
115-116. A man seeing or touching it would be purified from sins. All the meritorious deeds that
a man does, such as muttering, presenting libations to the manes, giving gifts, bath, worship
and going round keeping the deity to his right, are inexhaustible. O brahmanas, the rudraksha
berry is a great sacred place among the sacred places.
117-118. By wearing it a man becomes purified from his sin and is extremely meritorious. That
muttering, that undertaking, that gift, that hymn, that spell, that worship of deities, made (or
recited) after taking an auspicious rosary (of rudrakshas) having the central beadall that
becomes inexhaustible and the sin would perish.
119. We (i.e. I) shall tell you the characteristics of a rosary; O best brahmanas, listen. Knowing
its characteristics, obtain (i.e. follow) Siva's path.
120. A man should avoid in the following order: a rudraksha without a mouth, or one pierced by
an insect, or one with the image on it broken, or one with the berries sticking to one another,
for a rosary.
121. That rosary which is strung by oneself with its beads loose or close to one another (is
recommended). A rosary strung by a sudra etc. is impure. One should avoid it from distance.
122. The berry (of the rudraksha*> should touch the middle finger. Then in the proper order
one should mutter, moving one's hand, and again and again touching the central bead of the
rosary.
123. One should count the number of the mantras (sacred word/name/formula) that are
muttered. If they are not counted, they are fruitless. One should mutter (the names) of all gods
with (i.e. by counting the beads of) one's own rosary.
124-125. (If he after) being pure (mutters the mantras) in all sacred places the merit would be a
crorefold. He would obtain endless fruit if he mutters a mantra in honour of the image of Visnu
or Siva, or Ganapati or the Sun, on a pure ground, or at the pure root of a tree, in a cowpen, or
in a house at a crossway.
126. He, who mutters the hymn (in honour) of a goddess, in a vacant house, or before a corpse,
or in a cremation ground, or at a place where four roads meet, has quick success, (since)
he becomes efficient.
12. Every hymn-a Vedic one, or a Pauranic one, or one from the scriptures'gives the desired
and agreeable object, if muttered with a rosary of rudrakshas.
128. A man should hold on his head pure water flowing from the rudrakshas; he is freed from
all sins; his religious merit is inexhaustible.
129. A man who holds on his body an immortal rudraksha berry, would become the best among
the gods.
The brahmanas said:
130. Wherefrom is the rudraksha produced? For what reason has it become (i.e. is it regarded)
pure? Why has it become stable on the earth? Who has brought it into usage?
Vydsa said:
131-132. O brahmanas, formerly in the Krtayuga a demon named Tripura having killed the gods
and after the destruction of all the worlds, remained firm in a city in the intermediate region
between the heaven and the earth due to the boon of Brahma. Lord Siva heard the terrible
representation of (i.e. made by) the gods. . -

133. Then he strung his bow with an arrow resembling death and holding it killed the demon
who was seen (by him) with (his) divine eye.
134. Fallen from heaven like a great meteor he dropped on the earth. Drops of perspiration fell
down from (the body of) Rudra (i.e. Siva) , who was tired with exertion.
135. There, on the earth, a great rudraksha was produced from the drops of (Siva's)
perspiration
1. The beings do not know its fruit for it is very secret.

136. Then, Skanda, saluting the great lord, god of gods, with (i.e. by bowing down) his head on
the ground, said (these) words.
137. "O lord, I want to know correctly the fruit of rudraksha at (the time of) muttering (a
mantra), or the fruit of wearing it on one's person, or of seeing or touching it."
The lord spoke:
138. A man obtains a lakh fold merit by Seeing it, a crore fold merit by touching it, and ten
crores of merit by wearing it (on his body).
139. By muttering (hymns with the help of a rudraksha rosary) for thousands of lakhs of crores
and hundreds of lakhs of crores (times) one gets religious merit. No doubt should be raised
here.
140. A man who is abandoned or who is engaged in impious acts or who is full of all sins,
becomes free from all sins by wearing a rudraksha (on his body).
141. Even if a beast of prey taking a rudraksha in his throat dies, it too obtains Rudrahood; then
what about human beings etc.?
142. Even if a man who does not engage himself in meditation holds a rudraksha (on his body),
he becomes free from all sins, and obtains the highest position.

1. 'Asrubindu' in the text appears to be a mistake for

Kartikeya said:
143-144. There are rudrakshas having one mouth, two mouths, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight, nine mouths, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen mouths, and are said to be Siva
himself.
145-146a. Tell me about their deities and deities of their mouths. O lord of the world, (tell me)
also as to which merit they possess. If you favour me, tell properly (about this).
The lord said:
146b-148. The rudraksha of one mouth is virtually Siva; it removes (the sin of) brahmanacide.
Therefore one should wear it (on one's person) for the destruction of all (one's) sins.
He would go to Siva's heaven and rejoice with Siva. O Kartikeya, a man would obtain a
rudraksha of one mouth due to great religious merit and due to Siva's favour and would also
obtain (i.e. go to) Kailasa.
149-150a. A rudraksha of two mouths is (Vishnu), the god of gods. A man who wears a
rudraksha with two mouths, has all his secret sins, like killing a cow, destroyed, and then
obtains (i.e. lives in) heaven eternally on account of wearing a rudraksha with two mouths.
150b-152a. The one with three mouths is Fire himself; the sin earned in the (past) births of him
on whom it remains (i.e. who wears it on his person), is burnt as fire burns fuel. The sin that a
man has obtained (i.e. committed) by killing a woman or a brahmana and also by killing many
(beings)'all that perishes that moment only.
152b-156a. A wise man obtains that fruit which is obtained by worshipping Fire, or by rites of
(honouring) Fire, or by offering the oblation of ghee; and also obtains (i.e. goes to) heaven. He,
who wears (a rudraksha of three mouths on his body), is like Brahma on the earth. It would
burn all (the sins due to) wicked deeds collected in birth after birth. There would be no disease
in his belly; he would not be sick. He is never defeated, and his house is not burnt by fire. These
and all other (fruits) are (obtained) and destructive weapons also are warded off. Nothing that
is inauspicious happens due to wearing of a rudraksha of three mouths (i.e. when a rudraksha
of three mouths is worn on one's person).
156b-159. A rudraksha with four mouths is Brahma himself; a brahmana on whose body it
remains (i.e. is worn), would become adept in all branches of knowledge and best among those
who know (the meaning of) the Vedas; he would know all the essential principles of religion
and worldly prosperity and would be proficient in traditional law and in the Puranas. By wearing
a rudraksha with four mouths the sin of homicide or (living) in houses with many beings quickly
burns. Siva is always pleased and he would be the lord of beings. Similarly he is born as the lord
and the man is not at all afraid.
160-163a. With the five mouths these gods have resorted to Vamadeva (I.e. Siva). Therefore on
the earth the fivemouthed one is most important. This one is of the nature of Rudra's son.
Therefore a wise man should wear it. As long as the period of thousands of crores of kalpas and
hundreds of crores of kalpas he would be honoured by gods and demons before Siva. He would
be a sovereign emperor on the earth and in Siva's temple would have the lustre of Sarva (i.e.
Siva). Therefore, with all effort one should wear a rudraksha having five mouths.
163b-169a. There is no doubt that he who wears on his right arm a six-mouthed rudraksha i.e.
Kartikeya is free from such sins as brahmanacide etc. One who is brave like Skanda does not get
defeated even when the end of the world is imminent; he is the mine of virtues on the earth.
He becomes Kumara (i.e. Kartikeya), the son of Parvati and Siva. A brahmana is honoured by a
king; a ksatriya gets victory; the castes like vaisya and sudra always are full of (i.e. always have)
prosperity; and to such a man only Parvati, the giver of boons, is easily available like his mother.
Then by the strength of his own arms only a man becomes all-lustrous. In a council or in a king's
palace or in an assembly such a wise man becomes an orator. He does not become a coward,
nor does he meet with ruin. All these and other good things (are possible) because of his
wearing a six-mouthed (rudraksha).
169b-174. The seven-mouthed one is Ananta, the king of serpents and the General of a great
army. In every mouth of this rudraksha serpents have settled. (They are:) Ananta, Karkata, and
Pundarika, and also Taksaka, Visolbana and Karisa and the seventh is Sankhacuda. These very
powerful serpents live in the seven mouths. Merely by wearing this on one's body (i.e. if this is
worn on one's body), poison does not spread over the body; and like the lord of the serpents
Siva is also very much pleased. Due to his being pleased all sins due to brahmanacide, drinking
liquor, stealing etc. and violating one's teacher's wife, perish day by day. All the sin that a man
obtains (i.e. has committed) perishes that moment only. He would certainly obtain god-like
pleasures in the three worlds.
175-180a. The eight-mouthed (rudraksha), the General of an army, is actually god Vinayaka
himself. Hear from me what merit one gets by wearing such a rudraksha only. For birth after
birth he would not be (born) a fool, or a patient, and would not be deprived of intelligence.
There would never be any difficulty in his undertaking. He will have adeptness in his writings
and skill in great undertakings. He fully destroys all his sins like cheating in money (-
transactions), in weighing, or due to all (kinds of) tricks, or due to his touching his pre-ceptor's
wife with his penis (i.e. copulating with her) or touching her with his belly or his hand. Having
eternally enjoyed heaven, and being free, he gets a high position. All these merits are due to
wearing an eight-mouthed rudraksha.
180b-183a. The nine-mouthed one is called Bhairava. He, who wears this tawny rudraksha,
granter of salvation, on his arm, would become equal to me in power. He who commits the
murders of thousands of lakhs of crores, quickly burns (i.e. destroys the sin due to) them all by
wearing a rudraksha with nine mouths. In heaven he is always honoured like Indra by gods. He
is Ganesa staying in an excellent abode like Siva.
183b. By wearing (i.e. if a man wears a rudraksha) having ten mouths, serpents perish.
184-186. O boy, the eleven Rudras are said to reside in the eleventh mouth (i.e. in the
rudraksha with eleven mouths). A man should always wear it on the topknot. Hear (about) its
meritorious fruit. A man quickly obtains by wearing a rudraksha with eleven mouths the fruit of
(the performance of) thousands of horse-sacrifices and hundreds of crores of sacrifices, and the
fruit of having duly presented a hundred thousand cows (to a brahmana). In the world he is like
Hara
and is not reborn.
187-191a. Aditya (i.e. the Sun) well-settled in the twelve mouths is always pleased with him
who puts a rudraksha with twelve mouths round his neck. He quickly obtains the fruit which
one gets by a cow-sacrifice or a human sacrifice, and deadly weapons are warded off. To him
there is no fear from fire; no disease comes to him; he enjoys the acquisition of wealth and
happiness; he is rich and never (experiences) poverty. Even if he has killed or has caused to kill
elephants, horses, men, cats, rats or rabbits, or tigers, wild boars, foxes etc , he gets free (from
the sin of having killed them) by wearing a rudraksha with twelve mouths; there is no doubt
about this.
19 lb-194. If a man gets a rudraksha having thirteen mouths i.e. Rudra, he should know that it is
most auspicious and fulfils all (his) desires. O Kartikeya, he endowed with good luck
accomplishes the nectar-like elixir, alchemy and the impression of the feet1 of a deity or a holy
person. A man is free from all sins by wearing a rudraksha with thirteen mouths, after having
(i.e. even if he has) killed his mother, father, sister, brother or preceptor. Like the great god
(Siva) he
eternally obtains (i.e. lives in) heaven.
195-196. O boy, if a man always wears on his head or arm, a rudraksha with fourteen mouths,
the mass of Siva's power, he is always honoured and approached by gods due to the greatness
of his religious merit. What, again, is the use of speaking or describing too much?
1. Mention of Paduka in the text i rathet confusing;
Kartikeya said:
197. O lord, I desire to hear; (therefore) tell me with the recital of which sacred hymn the
assignment or wearing of the rudrakshas with different numbers of mouths is done according
to the proper procedure.
The lord spoke:
198-199. O Kartikeya, hear correctly about the assignment and wearing of rudrakshas of
different numbers of mouths. The merits (already) told are had without the recital of a sacred
hymn. The merits and the importance of the man who on the earth wears it to the
accompaniment of a sacred hymn, cannot be told.
200. Now the sacred hymns are indicated: 'Om Rudra ekavaktrasya; Om kham dvivaktrasya; Om
ambum trivaktrasya; Om hrim caturvaktrasya; Om hram pancavaktrasya; Om hrum
sadvaktrasya; Om hrah saptavaktrasya; Om kam astavaktrasya; Om jum navavaktrasya; Om
aksam daiavaktrasya; Om srim ekadasavaktrasya; Om hrim dvadasavaktrasya; Om ksom
trayodasavaktrasya; Om nram caturdasavaktrasya.' Thus the sacred hymns should be assigned
in due order. A man who, wearing a rosary (of rudrakshas) on his head or chest, walks, obtains,
at every step the fruit (of the performance) of a horse-sacrifice; not otherwise.
201. A man becomes equal to me by wearing rudrakshas of all mouths (i.e. by wearing
rudrakshas having any number of mouths). Therefore, O son, with all effort, wear a rudraksha.
202. A man, who, wearing a rudraksha, dies on the earth, goes to my charming city, (and) is
honoured by all gods.
203. O boy, formerly in Maru country when a trader was going for trading he was harassed (i.e.
haunted) by a female spirit under a tree.
204. She danced there; a brahmana saw her (and said to her:) "Who are you? You are helpless;
you are covered over with a tattered garment."
1. Hrim, Hram etc.These are mystic syllables.

205-206a. She then told the brahmana: "I have heard from a messenger of gods; O brahmana,
this charming man will now certainly meet with death due to the fall of thethunderbolt (on his
body) ; and he will be my husband."
206b-209a. In the meanwhile, the thunderbolt fell from heaven on his head; and he fell on the
ground on half the portion of a rudraksha. Then, O son, an aeroplane quickly flew from my city.
Then the fortunate man, got into it and remained there for a long time. Having obtained my
portion he will be a rich and wealthy man on the earth. O son, thus a man who dies on a piece
of a rudraksha, obtains a good position (i.e. goes to heaven).
209b. I am unable to describe the fruit of wearing a rudraksha with the knowledge (of its
importance).
210. He who dies with a rosary of rudrakshas or with (just) one rudraksha (on his body), would
become the follower of Siva, Saku, Ganapati, or the Sun.
211. He who recites it to himself, or to others, causes others to listen to it or himself listens to
it, is free from all sins, and would obtain heaven in (due) order.