Devibhagavatapurana 11.3: tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ | rudrākṣamāhātmyavarṇanam

11.3.p1

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca |
(śuddhaṃ smārtaṃ cācamanaṃ paurāṇaṃ vaidikaṃ tathā |
tāntrikaṃ śrautamityāhuḥ ṣaḍvidhaṃ śruticoditam ||

11.3.p2

viṇmūtrādikaśaucaṃ ca śuddhaṃ ca parikīrtitam |
smārtaṃ paurāṇikaṃ karma ācānte vidhipūrvakam ||

11.3.p3

vaidikaṃ śrautramityādi brahmayajñādipūrvakam |
astravidyādikaṃ karma tāntriko vidhirucyate ||

11.3.1

) smṛtvā coṅkāragāyatrīṃ nibadhnīyācchikhāṃ tathā |
punarācamya hṛdayaṃ bāhū skandhau ca saṃspṛśet ||

11.3.2

kṣute niṣṭhīvane caiva dantocchiṣṭe tathānṛte |
patitānāṃ ca sambhāṣe dakṣiṇaṃ śravaṇaṃ spṛśet ||

11.3.3

agnirāpaśca vedāśca somaḥ sūryo'nilastathā |
sarve nārada viprasya karṇe tiṣṭhanti dakṣiṇe ||

11.3.4

tatastu gatvā nadyādau prātaḥsnānaṃ viśodhanam |
samācarenmuniśreṣṭha dehasaṃśuddhihetave ||

11.3.5

atyantamalino deho navadvārairmalaṃ vahan |
sadā''ste tacchodhanāya prātaḥsnānaṃ vidhīyate ||

11.3.6

agamyāgamanātpāpaṃ yacca pāpaṃ pratigrahāt |
rahasyācaritaṃ pāpaṃ mucyate snānakarmaṇā ||

11.3.7

asnātasya kriyāḥ sarvā bhavanti viphalā yataḥ |
tasmātprātaścaretsnānaṃ nityameva dine dine ||

11.3.8

darbhayuktaścaretsnānaṃ tathā sandhyābhivandanam |
saptāhaṃ prātarasnāyī sandhyāhīnastribhirdinaiḥ ||

11.3.9

dvādaśāhamanagniḥ sandvijaḥ śūdratvamāpnuyāt |
alpatvāddhomakālasya bahutvātsnānakarmaṇaḥ ||

11.3.10

prātarna tu tathā snāyāddhomakāle vigarhitaḥ |
gāyatryāstu paraṃ nāsti iha loke paratra ca ||

11.3.11

gāyantaṃ trāyate yasmādgāyatrītyabhidhīyate |
praṇavena tu saṃyuktāṃ vyāhṛtitrayasaṃyutām ||

11.3.12

vāyuṃ vāyau jayedvipraḥ prāṇasaṃyamanatrayāt |
brāhmaṇaḥ śrutisampannaḥ svadharmanirataḥ sadā ||

11.3.13

sa vaidikaṃ japenmantraṃ laukikaṃ na kadācana |
gauśṛṅge sarṣapo yāvat tāvadyeṣāṃ na sa sthiraḥ ||

11.3.14

na tārayantyubhau pakṣau pitṝnekottaraṃ śatam |
sagarbho japasaṃyuktastvagarbho dhyānamātrakaḥ ||

11.3.15

snānāṅgatarpaṇaṃ kṛtvā devarṣipitṛtoṣakam |
śuddhe vastre parīdhāya jalādbahirupāgataḥ ||

11.3.16

vibhūtidhāraṇaṃ kāryaṃ rudrākṣāṇāṃ ca dhāraṇam |
kramayogena kartavyaṃ sarvadā japasādhakaiḥ ||

11.3.17

rudrākṣānkaṇṭhadeśe daśanaparimitā-nmastake viṃśatī dve ṣaṭ ṣaṭ karṇapradeśe karayugalakṛte dvādaśa dvādaśaiva |
bāhvorindoḥ kalābhirnayanayugakṛte tvekamekaṃ śikhāyāṃ vakṣasyaṣṭādhikaṃ yaḥ kalayati śatakaṃ sa svayaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaḥ ||

11.3.18

baddhvā svarṇena rudrākṣaṃ rajatenāthavā mune |
śikhāyāṃ dhārayennityaṃ karṇayorvā samāhitaḥ ||

11.3.19

yajñopavīte haste vā kaṇṭhe tunde'thavā naraḥ |
śrīmatpañcākṣareṇaiva praṇavena tathāpi vā ||

11.3.20

nirvyājabhaktyā medhāvī rudrākṣaṃ dhārayenmudā |
rudrākṣadhāraṇaṃ sākṣācchivajñānasya sādhanam ||

11.3.21

rudrākṣaṃ yacchikhāyāṃ tattāratattvamiti smaret |
karṇayorubhayorbrahman devaṃ devīṃ ca bhāvayet ||

11.3.22

yajñopavīte vedāṃśca tathā haste diśaḥ smaret |
kaṇṭhe sarasvatīṃ devīṃ pāvakaṃ cāpi bhāvayet ||

The one hundred and eight Rudrâksa beads on the sacrificial thread are considered as the one hundred and eight Vedas (signifying the Full Knowledge, as sixteen digits of the Moon completed; on the arms, are considered as the Dik (quarters); on the neck, are considered as the Devî Sarasvatî and Agni (fire). The Rudrâksa beads ought to be taken by men of all colours and castes. The Brâhmanas, Ksattriyas and Vais'yas should hold them after purifying them with Mantras, i.e., knowingly; whereas the S’ûdras can take them without any such purification by the Mantras, i.e., unknowingly. By holding or putting on the Rudrâksa beads, persons become the Rudras incarnate in flesh and body. There is no doubt in this. By this all the sins arising from seeing, hearing, remembering, smelling, eating prohibited things, talking incoherently, doing prohibited things, etc., are entirely removed with the Rudrâksa beads on the body; whatever acts, eating, drinking, smelling, etc., are done, are, as it were, done by Rudra Deva Himself. O Great Muni! He who feels shame in holding and putting on the Rudrâksa beads, can never be freed from this Samsâra even after the Koti births. He who blames another person holding Rudrâksa beads has defects in his birth (is a bastard). There is no doubt in this. It is by holding on Rudrâksa that Brahmâ has remained steady in His Brahmâhood untainted and the Munis have been true to their resolves. So there is no act better and higher than holding the Rudrâksa beads. He who gives clothing and food to a person holding Rudrâksa beads with devotion is freed of all sins and goes to the S’iva Loka. He who feasts gladly any holder of such beads at the time of S’râdh, goes undoubtedly to the Pitri Loka. He who washes the feet of a holder of Rudrâksa and drinks that water, is freed of all sins and resides with honour in the S’iva Loka. If a Brâhmana holds with devotion the Rudrâksa beads with a necklace and gold, he attains the Rudrahood. O Intelligent One! Wherever whoever holds with or without faith and devotion the Rudrâksa beads with or without any mantra, is freed of all sins and is entitled to the Tattvajñâna. I am unable to describe fully the greatness of the Rudrâksa beads. In fact, all should by all means hold the Rudrâksa beads on their bodies.
Note:-- The number one hundred and eight (108) signifies the One Hundred and Eight Vedas, the Brahmân, the Source of all Wisdom and Joy.
Here ends the Third Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the glories of the Rudrâksa beads in the Mahâ Puranam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahârsi Veda Vyâsa.

11.3.23

sarvāśramāṇāṃ varṇānāṃ rudrākṣāṇāṃ ca dhāraṇam |
kartavyaṃ mantrataḥ proktaṃ dvijānāṃ nānyavarṇinām ||

11.3.24

rudrākṣadhāraṇādrudro bhavatyeva na saṃśayaḥ |
paśyannapi niṣiddhāṃśca tathā śṛṇvannapi smaran ||

11.3.25

jighrannapi tathā cāśnan pralapannapi santatam |
kurvannapi sadā gacchanvisṛjannapi mānavaḥ ||

11.3.26

rudrākṣadhāraṇādeva sarvapāpairna lipyate |
anena bhuktaṃ devena bhuktaṃ yattu tathā bhavet ||

11.3.27

pītaṃ rudreṇa tatpītaṃ ghrātaṃ ghrātaṃ śivena tat |
rudrākṣadhāraṇe lajjā yeṣāmasti mahāmune ||

11.3.28

teṣāṃ nāsti vinirmokṣaḥ saṃsārājjanmakoṭibhiḥ |
rudrākṣadhāriṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā parivādaṃ karoti yaḥ ||

11.3.29

utpattau tasya sāṅkaryamastveveti viniścayaḥ |
rudrākṣadhāraṇādeva rudro rudratvamāpnuyāt ||

11.3.30

munayaḥ satyasaṅkalpā brahmā brahmatvamāgataḥ |
rudrākṣadhāraṇācchreṣṭhaṃ na kiñcidapi vidyate ||

11.3.31

rudrākṣadhāriṇe bhaktyā vastraṃ dhānyaṃ dadāti yaḥ |
sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ śivalokaṃ sa gacchati ||

11.3.32

rudrākṣadhāriṇaṃ śrāddhe bhojayeta vimodataḥ |
pitṛlokamavāpnoti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā ||

11.3.33

rudrākṣadhāriṇaḥ pādau prakṣālyādbhiḥ pibennaraḥ |
sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ śivaloke mahīyate ||

11.3.34

hāraṃ vā kaṭakaṃ vāpi suvarṇaṃ vā dvijottamaḥ |
rudrākṣasahitaṃ bhaktyā dhārayan rudratāmiyāt ||

11.3.35

rudrākṣaṃ kevalaṃ vāpi yatra kutra mahāmate |
samantrakaṃ vā mantreṇa rahitaṃ bhāvavarjitam ||

11.3.36

yo vā ko vā naro bhaktyā dhārayellajjayāpi vā |
sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ samyagjñānamavāpnuyāt ||

11.3.37

aho rudrākṣamāhātmyaṃ mayā vaktuṃ na śakyate |
tasmātsarvaprayatnena kuryādrudrākṣadhāraṇam ||

11.3.37.c1

iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmekādaśaskandhe sadācāranirūpaṇe rudrākṣamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāma tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ ||