Manblunder Comments

COMMENTS

Paroksha
January 16, 2024 12:01 PM

Given how unorganized the Rudrākṣa market currently is, it really does boil down to trusting the vendor. There is no guarantee that tested Rudrākṣas are being shipped. Of course, if anyone is up to it, they can go down the path of procuring individual beads, getting them X-rayed from perhaps a local dental X-ray services, and then having them strung together with the help of a jeweller. This option might not be feasible for most people. I've had good experience with multiple purchases from one of the larger reputable vendors who have been around for a long time. My take is that they will probably have better internal processes to reject fake/faulty beads as they need to maintain their trust and reputation in the market. The quality of the beads I've bought from them has been very good, although I haven't gone to the extent of X-ray testing the beads. Another option I have had success with is to ask for vendor references from head arcakas at prominent temples and from reputed maṭhas. Through both options I've received good vendor references. Indrākṣi Mālā only has vague scriptural references that are mentioned by the vendors. None of the upāsakas, ācāryas etc., I've met have spoken about it or validated it. In fact, they go to the extent of saying it's the anuṣṭhānam/sādhana which is more important than what Rudrākṣas are being worn or used. Therefore, the Sarva Siddha Mālā should be sufficient for most practitioners. Apart from this, the only mālā explicitly recommended by an accomplished Upāsaka based on his own personal experience is a 27 or 32 bead Gaurishankar kanṭha mālā which he claims to help with quick mantra siddhi.

Paroksha
January 16, 2024 12:01 PM

As per what was told to me by a siddha guru, wearing Rudrākṣas while taking bath has immense benefits. I don't think there are any significant difference between a thread mālā vs silver capped mālā if holes need to be drilled. Silver capped mālā will have lesser chance of breaking with age. Collector beads are priced high thanks to the marketing exercise of the vendors, mostly for beads' visual appeal. There are no extra special spiritual benefits to them regardless of what the vendors say. For spiritual purposes Java/Indonesian beads are sufficient. Five-mukhi mālās are the safest option as the beads are abundantly available. I am looking forward to the article on the manuscript! It will be beneficial to the practitioners.

Krishna
January 16, 2024 01:01 AM

Regarding the X-Ray testing and certification. I totally agree with you. The only concern is how do we ensure that the tested Rudrākṣas are being shipped? It still comes down to trusting the vendor and in my honest opinion, large organizations cannot be trusted as they are just too big to go through this rigmarole and their reputation and size alone is sufficient to sell. How many folks really do the research and buy? There are also books that talk about the 1 to 21 Indrākṣi māla without finding its mention in any genuine text or an aged manuscript. It is not that the 15 to 21 have not existed in the past, it is just that they're not relevant or have any special benefits that are not covered by the 1 to 14, which encompass everything that is known and unknown as Lord Rudra mentions. Even the Gaṇeśa, Nāgasavar, Kamalā, Gaurī Śaṅkara, Trijuṭi Rudrākṣas have no significance beyond the number of mukhis and have the same benefits as the regular Rudrākṣas with the same number of mukhis.