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Concept
Rudraksha
Summary
Rudraksha (IAST: ) refers to the dried stones or seeds of the genus Elaeocarpus specifically, Elaeocarpus ganitrus. These stones serve as prayer beads for Hindus (especially Shaivas), Buddhists and Sikhs. When they are ripe, rudraksha stones are covered by an inedible blue outer fruit so they are sometimes called "blueberry beads".
The stones are associated with the Hindu deity Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya (ॐ नमः शिवाय; ). They are primarily sourced from India, Indonesia, and Nepal for jewellery and malas (garlands) and valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Rudraksha can have up to fourteen "faces" (mukha, face) or locules - naturally ingrained longitudinal lines which divide the stone into segments. Each face represents a particular deity.
Rudraksha is a Sanskrit compound word consisting of Rudra (रुद्र) and (अक्ष). Sanskrit dictionaries translate (अक्ष) as eyes, as do many prominent Hindus such as Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and Kamal Narayan Seetha; accordingly, rudraksha may be interpreted as meaning "eye of Rudra". Rudra is a Vedic precursor to Shiva.
Elaeocarpus ganitrus
Of the 300 species of Elaeocarpus, 35 are found in India. The principal species of this genus is Elaeocarpus ganitrus, which has the common name of "rudraksha tree", and is found from the Gangetic plain in the foothills of the Himalayas to Nepal, South and Southeast Asia, parts of Australia, Guam, and Hawaii.
Elaeocarpus ganitrus trees grow to . They are evergreen trees which grow quickly, and as they mature their roots form buttresses, rising up near the trunk and radiating out along the surface of the ground.
The rudraksha tree starts bearing drupes (fruit) in three to four years from germination. It yields between 1,000 and 2,000 fruits annually. These fruits are commonly called "rudraksha fruit", but are also known as amritaphala (fruits of ambrosia).
The pyrena of the fruit, commonly called the "pit" or "stone", is typically divided into multiple segments by seed-bearing locules.
Official source
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