{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk11ch06.htm","path":"hin/db/bk11ch06.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk11ch06.htm","text":"THE ELEVENTH BOOK\nChapter VI\nOn the greatness of Rudr\u00e2ksams\n1-21. \u00ces'vara said :-- O K\u00e2rtikeya! Kus'agranthi, J\u00eevapattr\u00ee and other rosaries cannot compare to one-sixteenth part of the Rudr\u00e2ksa rosary. As Visnu is the best of all the Purusas, the Gang\u00e2 is the best of all the rivers, Kas'yapa, amongst the Munis, Uchchaihsrav\u00e2 amongst the horses, Mah\u00e2 Deva amongst the Devas, Bhagavat\u00ee amongst the Dev\u00ees, so the Rudr\u00e2ksam rosary is the best of all the rosaries. All the fruits that occur by reading the stotras and holding all the Vratas, are obtained by wearing the Rudr\u00e2ksam bead. At the time of making the Aksaya gift, the Rudr\u00e2ksam bead is capable of giving high merits. The merit that accrues by giving Rudr\u00e2ksam to a peaceful devotee of S\u2019iva, cannot be expressed in words. If anybody gives food to a man holding the Rudr\u00e2ksam rosary, his twenty one generations are uplifted and he ultimately becomes able to live in the Rudr\u00e2 Loka. He who does not apply ashes on his forehead and who does not hold Rudr\u00e2ksam and is averse to the worship of S\u2019iva is inferior to a ch\u00e2nd\u00e2la. If Rudr\u00e2ksam be placed on the head then the flesh-eaters, drunkards, and the associates with the vicious become freed of their sins. Whatever fruits are obtained by performing various sacrifices, asceticism and the study of the Vedas are easily attained by simply holding the Rudr\u00e2ksam rosary. Whatever merits are obtained by read-\ning the four Vedas and all the Pur\u00e2nas and bathing in all the T\u00eerthas and the results that are obtained by immense practice in learning all are obtained by wearing Rudr\u00e2ksam. If at the time of death, one wears Rudr\u00e2ksam and dies, one attains Rudrahood. One has not to take again one's birth. If anybody dies by holding Rudr\u00e2ksam on his neck or on his two arms, he uplifts his twenty-one generations and lives in the Rudra Loka. Be he a Br\u00e2hman or a Ch\u00e2nd\u00e2la, be he with qualities or without qualities, if he applies ashes to his body and holds Rudr\u00e2ksam he surely attains S\u2019ivahood. Be he pure or impure; whether he eats uneatables or be he a Mlechha or a Ch\u00e2nd\u00e2la or a Great Sinner, any body if he holds Rudr\u00e2ksam is surely equal to Rudra. There is no doubt in this.\nIf any body holds Rudr\u00e2ksam on his head he gets Koti times the fruit; on his ears, ten Koti times the fruit, on his neck, one hundred Koti times the fruit; on his holy thread, ayuta times the fruit; on his arm, one l\u00e2kh Koti times the fruit and if one wears Rudr\u00e2ksam on one's wrist, one attains Moksa. Whatever acts, mentioned in the Vedas be performed with Rudr\u00e2ksam on, the fruits obtained are unbounded. Even if a man be without any Bhakti and if he wears on his neck the Rudr\u00e2ksa rosary though he does always vicious acts, he becomes freed of the bondage of this world. Even if a man does not hold Rudr\u00e2ksa but if he be always full of devotion towards the Rudr\u00e2ksam, he attains the fruit that is got by wearing the Rudr\u00e2ksam and he attains the S\u2019iva Loka and is honoured like S\u2019iva. As in the country of K\u00eekata, an ass which used to carry Rudr\u00e2ksam seed got S\u2019ivahood after his death, so any man, whether he be a J\u00f1ani (wise) or Ajn\u00e2ni (unwise), gets S\u2019ivahood if he holds Rudr\u00e2ksam. There is no doubt in this.\n22-28. Skanda said :-- \u201cO God! How is it that in the country of K\u00eekata (Bihar), an ass had to carry Rudr\u00e2ksa; who gave him the Rudr\u00e2ksams! And what for did he hold that?\u201d\nBhagav\u00e2n \u00ces'vara said :-- O Son! Now hear the history of the case. In the Bindhya mountain one ass used to carry the load of Rudr\u00e2ksam of a traveller. Once the ass felt tired and became unable to carry the load and fell down on the road and died. After his death the ass came to Me by My Grace, becoming Mahes'vara with trident in his hand and with three eyes. O K\u00e2rtikeya! As many faces as there are in the Rudr\u00e2ksam, for so many thousand Yugas the holder resides with honour in the S\u2019iva Loka. One should declare the greatness of Rudr\u00e2ksam to one's own disciple; never to disclose its glories to one who is not a disciple nor a devotee of Rudr\u00e2ksam nor to him who is an illiterate brute. Be he a Bhakta or not a\nBhakta, be be low or very low, if he holds Rudr\u00e2ksam then he is freed from all sins. No equal can be to the merit of him who holds the Rudr\u00e2ksams.\n29-39. The Munis, the Seers of truth, describe this holding on of Rudr\u00e2ksam as a very great vow. He who makes a vow to hold one thousand Rudr\u00e2ksams, becomes like Rudra; the Devas bow down before him. If thousand Rudr\u00e2ksams be not obtained, one should hold at least sixteen Rudr\u00e2ksams on each arm, one Rudr\u00e2ksam on the crown hair; on the two hands, twelve on each; thirty-two on the neck; forty on the head; six on each ear and one hundred and eight Rudr\u00e2ksams on the breast; and then he becomes entitled to worship like Rudra. If any body holds Rudr\u00e2ksam together with pearls, Prab\u00e2la, crystal, silver, gold and gem (lapis lazuli), he becomes a manifestation of S'iva. If a body, through laziness even, holds Rudr\u00e2ksam, the sin cannot touch him as darkness cannot come near light. If any body makes japam of a mantram with a Rudr\u00e2ksa rosary, he gets unbounded results. Such a merit giving Rudr\u00e2ksam, if one such Rudr\u00e2ksam be not found in any one's body, his life becomes useless, like a man who is void of Tripundrak (three curved horizontal marks made on the forehead by the worshippers of S'iva). If any body simply washes his head all over with Rudr\u00e2ksam on, he gets the fruit of bathing in the Ganges. There is no doubt in this. One faced Rudr\u00e2ksam, the five faced, eleven faced and fourteen faced Rudr\u00e2ksams are highly meritorious and entitled to worship by all. The Rudr\u00e2ksam is S'ankara made manifest; so it is always worshipped with devotion. The greatness of Rudr\u00e2ksam is such as it can make a king out of a poor man. On this point, I will tell you an excellent Pur\u00e2nic anecdote.\n40-49. There was a Br\u00e2hmin, named Girin\u00e2tha in the country of Kosala. He was proficient in the Vedas and Ved\u00e2mgas, religious and very rich. He used to perform sacrifices. He had a beautiful son named Gunanidhi. The son gradually entered into his youth and looked beautiful like Kandarpa, the God of Love. While he was studying at his Guru Sudhisana's house, he, by his beauty and youth captivated the mind of his Guru's wife named Mukt\u00e2val\u00ee. The Guru's wife became so much enchanted by his extraordinary beauty that she, being unable to control herself, mixed with him and for some time remained with him in secret enjoyment. Then feeling inconveniences, due to the fear of. his Guru, to enjoy her freely, used poison to the Guru, killed him and then he began to live freely with her. Next when his father, mother came to know about this, he put to death instantly his father and mother, administering poison to them. He became\naddicted to various pleasures and his wealth was exhausted gradually. He began to steal in Br\u00e2hmans' houses and became addicted very much to drinking. His relatives outcasted him from the society for his bad behaviour and banished him outside the town. He then went into a dense forest with Mukt\u00e2val\u00ee; and he began to kill the Br\u00e2hmins for their wealth. Thus a long time passed away; when at last he fell into the jaws of death.\n50-54. Then to take him to the region of Death, thousands of the Yama's messengers came; at the same time the S\u2019iva's messengers came from S\u2019iva Loka. O K\u00e2rtikeya! A quarrel then ensued between both the parties of Yama and S\u2019iva. The Yama's messengers then said :-- \u201cO Servers of S\u2019ambhu! What are the merits of this man that you have come to take him? First speak to us of his merits.\u201d S\u2019iva's messengers spoke :-- \u201cFifteen feet below the ground where this man died, there exists the Rudr\u00e2ksam. O Yama's messengers! By the influence of that Rudr\u00e2ksam, all his sins are destroyed; and we have come to take him to S\u2019iva.\u201d Then the Br\u00e2hmin Gunanidhi assumed a divine form and, getting on an aerial car went with S'iva's messengers before S'iva. O One of good vows! Thus I have described briefly to you the greatness of Rudr\u00e2ksam. This is capable to remove all sorts of sins and yield great merits.\nHere ends the Sixth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the Greatness of Rudr\u00e2ksams in the Mah\u00e2pur\u00e2nam S'r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam of 18,000 verses by Mah\u00e2rsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Eleventh Book: Chapter 6","type":"page"}