Devibhagavatapurana 11.6: ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ | rudrākṣamāhātmye guṇanidhimokṣavarṇanam

11.6.1

īśvara uvāca |
mahāsena kuśagranthiputrājīvādayaḥ pare |
rudrākṣasya tu naiko'pi kalāmarhati ṣoḍaśīm ||

11.6.2

puruṣāṇāṃ yathā viṣṇurgrahāṇāṃ ca yathā raviḥ |
nadīnāṃ tu yathā gaṅgā munīnāṃ kaśyapo yathā ||

11.6.3

uccaiḥśravā yathāśvānāṃ devānāmīśvaro yathā |
devīnāṃ tu yathā gaurī tadvacchreṣṭhamidaṃ bhavet ||

11.6.4

nātaḥ parataraṃ stotraṃ nātaḥ parataraṃ vratam |
akṣayyeṣu ca dāneṣu rudrākṣastu viśiṣyate ||

11.6.5

śivabhaktāya śāntāya dadyādrudrākṣamuttamam |
tasya puṇyaphalasyāntaṃ na cāhaṃ vaktumutsahe ||

11.6.6

dhṛtarudrākṣakaṇṭhāya yastvannaṃ samprayacchati |
trisaptakulamuddhṛtya rudralokaṃ sa gacchati ||

11.6.7

yasya bhāle vibhūtirna nāṅge rudrākṣadhāraṇam |
na śambhorbhavane pūjā sa vipraḥ śvapacādhamaḥ ||

11.6.8

khādanmāṃsaṃ pibanmadyaṃ saṅgacchannantyajānapi |
pātakebhyo vimucyeta rudrākṣaṃ śirasi sthite ||

11.6.9

sarvayajñatapodānavedābhyāsaiśca yatphalam |
tatphalaṃ labhate sadyo rudrākṣasya tu dhāraṇāt ||

11.6.10

vedaiścaturbhiryatpuṇyaṃ purāṇapaṭhanena ca |
yattīrthasevanenaiva sarvavidyādibhistathā ||

11.6.11

tatpuṇyaṃ labhate sadyo rudrākṣasya tu dhāraṇāt |
prayāṇakāle rudrākṣaṃ bandhayitvā mriyedyadi ||

11.6.12

sa rudratvamavāpnoti punarjanma na vidyate |
rudrākṣaṃ dhārayetkaṇṭhe bāhvorvā mriyate yadi ||

11.6.13

kulaikaviṃśamuttārya rudraloke vasennaraḥ |
brāhmaṇo vāpi cāṇḍālo nirguṇaḥ saguṇo'pi ca ||

11.6.14

bhasmarudrākṣadhārī yaḥ sa devatvaṃ śivaṃ vrajet |
śucirvāpyaśucirvāpi tathābhakṣyasya bhakṣakaḥ ||

11.6.15

mleccho vāpyatha cāṇḍālo yuto vā sarvapātakaiḥ |
rudrākṣadhāraṇādeva sa rudro nātra saṃśayaḥ ||

11.6.16

śirasā dhārite koṭiḥ karṇayordaśakoṭayaḥ |
śatakoṭirgale baddho mūrdhni koṭisahasrakam ||

11.6.17

ayutaṃ copavīte tu lakṣakoṭirbhuje sthite |
maṇibandhe tu rudrākṣo mokṣasādhanakaḥ paraḥ ||

11.6.18

rudrākṣadhārako bhūtvā yatkiñcitkarma vaidikam |
kurvanvipraḥ sadā bhaktyā mahadāpnoti tatphalam ||

11.6.19

rudrākṣamālikāṃ kaṇṭhe dhārayedbhaktivarjitaḥ |
pāpakarmā tu yo nityaṃ sa muktaḥ sarvabandhanāt ||

11.6.20

rudrākṣārpitacetā yo rudrākṣastu na vai dhṛtaḥ |
asau māheśvaro loke namasyaḥ sa tu liṅgavat ||

11.6.21

avidyo vā savidyo vā rudrākṣasya tu dhāraṇāt |
śivalokaṃ prapadyeta kīkaṭe gardabho yathā ||

11.6.22

skanda uvāca |
rudrākṣānsandadhe deva gardabhaḥ kena hetunā |
kīkaṭe kena vā dattastadbrūhi parameśvara ||

Skanda said:-- “O God! How is it that in the country of Kîkata (Bihar), an ass had to carry Rudrâksa; who gave him the Rudrâksams! And what for did he hold that?”
Bhagavân Îs'vara said:-- O Son! Now hear the history of the case. In the Bindhya mountain one ass used to carry the load of Rudrâksam 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 Kârtikeya! As many faces as there are in the Rudrâksam, for so many thousand Yugas the holder resides with honour in the S’iva Loka. One should declare the greatness of Rudrâksam to one's own disciple; never to disclose its glories to one who is not a disciple nor a devotee of Rudrâksam nor to him who is an illiterate brute. Be he a Bhakta or not a Bhakta, be be low or very low, if he holds Rudrâksam then he is freed from all sins. No equal can be to the merit of him who holds the Rudrâksams.

11.6.23

śrībhagavānuvāca |
śṛṇu putra purāvṛttaṃ gardabho vindhyaparvate |
dhatte rudrākṣabhāraṃ tu vāhitaḥ pathikena tu ||

11.6.24

śrānto'samarthastadbhāraṃ voḍhuṃ patitavānbhuvi |
prāṇaistvaktastrinetrastu śūlapāṇirmaheśvaraḥ ||

11.6.25

matprasādānmahāsena madantikamupāgataḥ |
yāvadvaktrasya saṅkhyānaṃ rudrākṣāṇāṃ sudurlabham ||

11.6.26

tāvadyugasahasrāṇi śivaloke mahīyate |
svaśiṣyebhyastu vaktavyaṃ nāśiṣyebhyaḥ kadācana ||

11.6.27

abhaktebhyo'pi mūrkhebhyaḥ kadācinna prakāśayet |
abhakto vāstu bhakto vā nīco nīcataro'pi vā ||

11.6.28

rudrākṣāndhārayedyastu mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ |
rudrākṣadhāraṇaṃ puṇyaṃ kena vā sadṛśaṃ bhavet ||

11.6.29

mahāvratamidaṃ prāhurmunayastattvadarśinaḥ |
sahasraṃ dhārayedyastu rudrākṣāṇāṃ dhṛtavrataḥ ||

The Munis, the Seers of truth, describe this holding on of Rudrâksam as a very great vow. He who makes a vow to hold one thousand Rudrâksams, becomes like Rudra; the Devas bow down before him. If thousand Rudrâksams be not obtained, one should hold at least sixteen Rudrâksams on each arm, one Rudrâksam 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 Rudrâksams on the breast; and then he becomes entitled to worship like Rudra. If any body holds Rudrâksam together with pearls, Prabâla, crystal, silver, gold and gem (lapis lazuli), he becomes a manifestation of S'iva. If a body, through laziness even, holds Rudrâksam, the sin cannot touch him as darkness cannot come near light. If any body makes japam of a mantram with a Rudrâksa rosary, he gets unbounded results. Such a merit giving Rudrâksam, if one such Rudrâksam 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 Rudrâksam on, he gets the fruit of bathing in the Ganges. There is no doubt in this. One faced Rudrâksam, the five faced, eleven faced and fourteen faced Rudrâksams are highly meritorious and entitled to worship by all. The Rudrâksam is S'ankara made manifest; so it is always worshipped with devotion. The greatness of Rudrâksam is such as it can make a king out of a poor man. On this point, I will tell you an excellent Purânic anecdote.

11.6.30

taṃ namanti surāḥ sarve yathā rudrastathaiva saḥ |
abhāve tu sahasrasya bāhvoḥ ṣoḍaśa ṣoḍaśa ||

11.6.31

ekaṃ śikhāyāṃ karayordvādaśa dvādaśaiva tu |
dvātriṃśatkaṇṭhadeśe tu catvāriṃśacca mastake ||

11.6.32

ekaikaṃ karṇayoḥ ṣaṭ ṣaṭ vakṣasyaṣṭottaraṃ śatam |
yo dhārayati rudrākṣān rudravatsa tu pūjyate ||

11.6.33

muktāpravālaskaṭikaraupyavaidūryakāñcanaiḥ |
sametāndhārayedyastu rudrākṣānsa śivo bhavet ||

11.6.34

kevalānapi rudrākṣānyadyālasyādbibharti yaḥ |
taṃ na spṛśanti pāpāni tamāṃsīva vibhāvasum ||

11.6.35

rudrākṣamālayā mantro japto'nantaphalapradaḥ |
yasyāṅge nāsti rudrākṣa eko'pi bahupuṇyadaḥ ||

11.6.36

tasya janma nirarthaṃ syāttripuṇḍrarahitaṃ yathā |
rudrākṣaṃ mastake dhṛtvā śiraḥsnānaṃ karoti yaḥ ||

11.6.37

gaṅgāsnānaphalaṃ tasya jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ |
ekavaktraḥ pañcavaktra ekādaśamukhāḥ pare ||

11.6.38

caturdaśamukhāḥ kecidrudrākṣā lokapūjitāḥ |
bhaktyā sampūjyate nityaṃ rudrākṣaḥ śaṅkarātmakaḥ ||

11.6.39

daridraṃ vāpi puruṣaṃ rājānaṃ kurute bhuvi |
atra te kathayiṣyāmi purāṇaṃ matamuttamam ||

11.6.40

kosaleṣu dvijaḥ kaścidgirinātha iti śrutaḥ |
mahādhanī ca dharmātmā vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ ||

There was a Brâhmin, named Girinâtha in the country of Kosala. He was proficient in the Vedas and Vedâmgas, 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 Muktâvalî. 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 addicted to various pleasures and his wealth was exhausted gradually. He began to steal in Brâhmans' 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 Muktâvalî; and he began to kill the Brâhmins for their wealth. Thus a long time passed away; when at last he fell into the jaws of death.

11.6.41

yajñakṛddīkṣitastasya tanayaḥ sundarākṛtiḥ |
nāmnā guṇanidhiḥ khyātastaruṇaḥ kāmasundaraḥ ||

11.6.42

guroḥ sudhiṣaṇasyātha patnīṃ muktāvalīmatha |
mohayāmāsa rūpeṇa yauvanena madena ca ||

11.6.43

saṅgatastu tayā sārdhaṃ kañcitkālaṃ tato bhiyā |
viṣaṃ dadau ca gurave yebhe paścāttu nirbhayaḥ ||

11.6.44

yadā mātā pitā karma kiñcijjānāti yatkṣaṇe |
mātaraṃ pitaraṃ cāpi mārayāmāsa tadviṣāt ||

11.6.45

nānāvilāsabhogaiśca jāte dravyavyaye tataḥ |
brāhmaṇānāṃ gṛhe cauryaṃ cakāra sa tadā khalaḥ ||

11.6.46

surāpānamadonmattastadā jñātibahiṣkṛtaḥ |
grāmānniṣkāsitaḥ sarvaistadā so'bhūdvanecaraḥ ||

11.6.47

muktāvalyā tayā sārdhaṃ jagāma gahanaṃ vanam |
mārge sthito dravyalobhājjaghāna brāhmaṇānbahūn ||

11.6.48

evaṃ bahugate kāle mamāra sa tadādhamaḥ |
netuṃ taṃ yamadūtāśca samājagmuḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

11.6.49

śivalokācchivagaṇāstathaiva ca samāgatāḥ |
tayoḥ parasparaṃ vādo babhūva girijāsuta ||

11.6.50

yamadūtāstadā procuḥ puṇyamasya kimasti hi |
bruvantu sevakāḥ śambhoryadyenaṃ netumicchatha ||

Then to take him to the region of Death, thousands of the Yama's messengers came; at the same time the S’iva's messengers came from S’iva Loka. O Kârtikeya! A quarrel then ensued between both the parties of Yama and S’iva. The Yama's messengers then said:-- “O Servers of S’ambhu! What are the merits of this man that you have come to take him? First speak to us of his merits.” S’iva's messengers spoke:-- “Fifteen feet below the ground where this man died, there exists the Rudrâksam. O Yama's messengers! By the influence of that Rudrâksam, all his sins are destroyed; and we have come to take him to S’iva.” Then the Brâhmin 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 Rudrâksam. This is capable to remove all sorts of sins and yield great merits.
Here ends the Sixth Chapter of the Eleventh Book on the Greatness of Rudrâksams in the Mahâpurânam S'rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahârsi Veda Vyâsa.

11.6.51

śivadūtāstadā procurayaṃ yasminsthale mṛtaḥ |
daśahastādadho bhūme rudrākṣastatra cāsti hi ||

11.6.52

tatprabhāveṇa he dūtā neṣyāmaḥ śivasannidhim |
tato vimānamāruhya divyarūpadharo dvijaḥ ||

11.6.53

gato guṇanidhirdūtaiḥ sahitaḥ śaṅkarālayam |
iti rudrākṣamāhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ tava suvrata ||

11.6.54

evaṃ rudrākṣamahimā samāsātkathito mayā |
sarvapāpakṣayakaro mahāpuṇyaphalapradaḥ ||

11.6.54.c1

iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmekādaśaskandhe rudrākṣamāhātmye guṇanidhimokṣavarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ ||