Rudraksha beads and rudraksha bracelets (also spelled rudraksh bracelets) are one of the most – if not the most popular beaded wrist mala bracelets out there. This iconic bracelet is not just popular but has deep religious and cultural significance as well. If you are familiar with south-east Asian culture, you would have already known the connection between this rudraksha bracelet and the lord Shiva.
How? Well, for this, we will first need to learn what Rudraksha is.
What is a Rudraksha?
Ignoring all the symbolisms, the bead is the seed of the stone fruit produced by the tree from the genus Elaeocarpus Ganitrus Roxb. The seed is then energized and cleansed before being used in beaded bracelets and Rudraksha Malas.
Now talking about the religious aspect of the Rudraksh bead, the mythos surrounding this bead states that when lord shiva woke up from long meditation, he got elated and then shed a tear. Later, a tree grew from the said place where tears fell and produced a seed that carried the blessings of lord shiva, and the seed of that tree later became known as rudraksh or tears (aksh) of Shiva (Rudra).
In the same vein of thoughts, Rudraksha seed can also mean gift from lord Shiva as Aksha translates to “Gift of the God” in English.
This is also why the rudraksha bracelet is “a gift of lord Shiva wore on the wrist.”
This is the basic gist and definition of what the bead is. And now that we know what the rudraksh bead is, we can now proceed to the rules of wearing rudraksh beads bracelets.
Side note* Lord Shiva has an extremely important and special place in the Hindu pantheon as he is one of the holy trinity and is considered the lord of the lords.
Rules and Precautions to take before wearing rudraksha mala seed bracelet
Rudraksh bead is an extremely powerful religious material and can be used over any gems, yantra, and mantra. As such, the properties of Rudraksha are applicable to rudraksha seed bracelets. Anyone who wears this bracelet is blessed with prosperity, peace, and health. In addition to this, depending on the number of faces, the specific mukhi rudraksha benefits can vary as well.
However, to reap full rewards from Rudraksh beads and rudraksh bracelets, you should first ensure that you have an authentic rudraksha bracelet and not a fake rudraksha before following a specific set of rules and take specific precautions.
Rules for wearing Rudraksha
Let’s discuss “what to do to wear rudraksha” before discussing what not to do. If you want to reap the complete rudraksha benefits, you must do the following tasks/ activities.
- Take a bath before sunrise to cleanse yourself.
- During the bath, chant ” Om Namah Shivaya” with a pure heart
- Chant this seed mantra a minimum of eight times
- After Chanting the mantra, wear the rudraksha mala and rudraksha malas with a pure and clean heart.
- While wearing Rudraksha mala beaded bracelet, you should meditate and remember all faces of lord Shiva.
- Clean the Rudraksha beads weekly with a mix of water and Gangajal. Allow the cleaned beads Rudraksha to dry and let the needs soak overnight.
- If you have plans for a long duration, sleep the needs in an air-tight container. The positive energy in the beads hybernates if not weaned for a long duration.
- Remove the beads during work.
- Unless it is uncomfortable, we recommend you wear Rudraksha as much as possible.
- You can wear more than one rudraksha bead on one hand and can wear any other form of wrist mala bracelet.
- Always keep the Rudraksha oiled and clean.
These are the basics of what you can and should do while wearing rudraksha. Now we understand that many of you have a bunch of questions.
FAQ regarding “What to do when wearing rudraksha mala”
Q: Which hand to wear Rudraksha bracelet?
A: According to Hinduism, it’s recommended to wear a rudraksha bracelet on the dominant hand, typically on the wrist, to receive and absorb the energy emitted by the rudraksha beads. However, one can choose to wear a rudraksha bracelet on any hand based on personal preference or religious beliefs.
Q: Are there any rules regarding Rudraksha bracelets for ladies?
A: The rules regarding Rudraksha for men, women, and anything in between are exactly the same regardless of who wears the rudraksha bracelet, be it rudraksah bracelets for men or women.
Q: Can women wear rudraksha bracelets and necklaces during mensuration?
A: Yes, women can wear rudraksah bead bracelets and necklaces during their period.
Q: Where to wear rudraksha bracelets?
A: If you are not wearing rudraksah bracelets for religious and spiritual reasons, you can wear rudraksha bracelets on any wrist. But if you are wearing it for religious and spiritual reasons, we recommend you wear it on your right hand.
Now, lets end the “What to do” aspect here and talk a bit about “what not to do.”
Precautions on wearing Rudraksha seed bracelet
Yes, there are indeed precautions you need to take when you wear rudraksah bracelets. If you are wearing this bracelet purely for a fashion statement, then you are free to do as you pleas since you will not be investing your spiritual energy into wearing this bracelet. However, if it is the other way around, you will need to adhere to these precautions to gain complete benefits for your investments.
The precautions that you need to follow while wearing rudraksha beads bracelets are:
- The best time to wear this bracelet is during the morning. If you wear the rudraksha bracelet at any other time, you will not get the complete different mukhi rudraksha bracelet benefits. DO NOT wear rudraksah before bath.
- If you are wearing Rudraksha for religious and spiritual purposes, you must avoid meat, dairy products, and alcohol.
- The wearer shall not lie or harm any other creature, be it intelligent or not, while wearing rudraksha beads bracelets on the wrist.
- DO NOT wear or carry Rudraksha to cremation, funeral grounds, or during childbirth.
- DO NOT wear rudraksah while having intercourse.
- DO NOT wear Rudraksha if you see any signs of allergy – some of us are incompatible with this Himalayan bracelet.
- Do not use rudraksha seed bracelet as a necklace and vice versa
- Always energize and purity the rudraksha beads before wearing them after long periods of inactivity
These are the precautions you must take while wearing rudraksha bracelets.
How to energize rudraksha bracelets?
Before we go, we would like to provide you with some simple instructions on how to energize rudraksha bracelets. The steps are as follows:
- Wash the Rudraksha in holy water, Gangajal, or Milk
- Apply Sandalwood Paste
- Offer any form of incense or light a Diya
- Keep the Rudraksha on a shivling or make it in touch with the Shivas image and chant Om Namah Shivaayah for eight times.
- Wear the Rudraksha
In the end
The rules and precautions that you need to take while wearing Rudraksha may seem complicated. However, the gist of all these precautions and rules is “you shall not hurt anyone and have pure ascetic thoughts while wearing rudraksha beaded bracelets – after the energizing and cleansing procedures are completed.”
These instructions are easy enough to understand and apply.
We hope you found this helpful. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.
FAQ
Q: Who should not wear Rudraksha?
A: You should not wear Rudraksha during intercourse and when you go to cremation or any other sites specified for taking care of the deceased.
Q: Are there any recommendations for rudraksha men’s bracelet?
A: The generally recommended Rudraksha means bracelet for men is the 5 mukhi Rudraksha, as it is the same type of rudraksha worm by lord Shiva.
Q: Can you sleep with Rudraksha?
A: Yes, you can sleep with Rudraksha.
Q: What should be avoided during Rudraksha?
A: The following is the list of things that should be avoided while wearing a rudraksha bracelet:
- Drinking alcohol
- Eating meat
- Birthing event
- Areas related to death
- Share it with another person