- The word Rudra is the name of Lord Shiva and aksha means tears. There are
- several versions about the origin of the Rudrakshas.
- Some epics say that there was a demon called Tripura Sur who was gaining
- more and power and becoming invincible. Lord Brahma, Vishnu and other
- Gods and Goddess went to Lord Shiva for help. They asked him to control
- the devil and conquer him.
- Lord Shiva used his most fierce fire weapon called ‘Aaghor’ to destroy the
- demon. But Lord Shiva knew about the devastating effet of this weapon and
- this brought tears to his eyes. When he opened his eyes, a few teardrops
- fell on the earth. Wherever his tears fell, trees grew and were named the
- Rudraksha trees meaning ‘Tears of Lord Shiva’, though the English name for
- the Rudraksha tree is ‘UTRASUM BEAD TREE’ .
Today the best Rudraksha beads come from Nepal and Indonesia. Browse our original lab-certified Rudraksha collection, start with the 5 Mukhi Rudraksha, or see the rare Gauri Shankar Rudraksha. Need help choosing? Talk to our expert. Read more about the tree on Wikipedia (Elaeocarpus ganitrus).