("Rudra's
eye") The dried seed of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree, which is revered as
Shiva's holy tree.
Shiva's worshippers typically wear garlands with Rudrakshas
strung on them (bhakta).
The seed is spherical, with a knobby, pitted surface and a
natural groove in the center through which a thread may be readily threaded.
Natural longitudinal lines running from top to bottom on
each seed, dividing it into units known as "faces" (mukhi).
Rudrakshas typically have five faces, but they may have up
to fourteen.
Each of the various numbers of faces has been associated
with a different god.
The ekmukhi rudraksha, which has no faces and is said to be
a manifestation of Shiva himself, is the rarest.
Because this rudraksha is so precious, counterfeit replicas
are often carved out of wood by street vendors.
The Gauri-Shankar is a rare form in which two rudraksha
seeds are connected longitudally; it is considered a manifestation of Shiva and
Shakti.
Aside from the number of "faces," the color and
size of rudrakshas are used to determine their quality.
The hue ranges from a reddish brown to a light brown, with
the former being preferred over the latter, and smaller sizes being preferred
over bigger ones.
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