Rudraksha, also rudraksh, ("Rudra's eyes"), is a seed traditionally used for prayer beads in Hinduism. The word rudraksha is derived from two words - rudra (रुद्र) and aksha (अक्ष).
A. Aksha means eye. Rudra and aksha means the one who is capable of looking at and doing everything (for example, the third eye). Aksha also means axis. Since the eye can rotate on one axis, it too is known as aksha.
B. Rudra means the one who weeps. A (अ) means to receive and ksha (क्ष) means to give. Hence, aksha (अक्ष) denotes the ability to receive or give. Rudraksha is the one that has the ability to wipe our tears and provide happiness.
Creation of the rudraksha tree from the tears of grief shed by Shankar (or Shiva) upon seeing the unrighteous conduct of demon Tarakasur’s sons, and their destruction by Shiva :
"Through their righteous conduct and devotion unto Shiva, Tarakasur’s sons Tadinmali, Tarakaksh and Kamalaksh, attained divinity. After some time, seeing that they have returned to their original unrighteous conduct, Shankar was grief-stricken, and His eyes were filled with tears. A few of these tears fell onto the earth; a tree sprang up from these, which came to be known as the rudraksha tree. Later, Shiva destroyed the sons of Tarakasur."
Types of Rudraksh
Rudraksha beads are generally from one mukhi to 21 mukhi.
Rudraksha is one of those items that have a very unique type of reverberation. Just holding it in your hand, you can feel the difference. However, if you have worn your rudraksha for three to six months, it would have in a way melded with your body by now. Therefore, each person’s rudraksha will be different. That is why you should never give your rudraksha to someone else or take someone else’s rudraksha, because it would have acquired a certain reverberation that is conducive to you and that has something of you in it. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, no one would take salt, sesame seeds, or oil from someone else’s hands. They would not even take a lemon from just anyone. This is because certain substances have the ability to imbibe whatever they come in touch with very quickly. Especially small lemons have this quality to absorb everything like a sponge – the positive and the negative. That is why they are used both in the temple and for black magic.
The king of Rudraksha is Ek Mukhi Rudraksha.