8mm Rudraksha Beads, Traditional Red

8mm Rudraksha Seed Beads, traditional stained red, 5-mukhi (face); 108 seed beads per strand. 

Options

• 10 strands = 1080 beads
• 5 strands = 540 beads
• 1 strand = 108 beads

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Sacred holy Rudraksha natural seed beads from Vrindavan, India.  The size and color is approximate since these are natural seeds.  

Rudraksha beads are the material from which malas (108 beads in number) are often made. The term is used both for the berries themselves and as a term for the type of mālā made from them. In this sense, a rudraksha is a rosary, used for repetitive prayer (japa), a common aid to worship in Hinduism. Rudrakshas also used for the treatment of various diseases in traditional Indian medicine.

The seeds show variation in the number of grooves on their surface, and are classified on the basis of the number of divisions they have. Different qualities are attributed to the rudraksha based on the number of grooves, or "faces" that it has. A common type has five divisions, and these are considered to be symbolic of the five faces of Shiva. It can only be worn with a black or red string or a gold chain.

Rudraksha malas have been used by Hindus (as well as Sikhs and Buddhists) as rosaries at least from the 10th century for meditation purposes and to sanctify the mind, body and soul. The word rudraksha is derived from Rudra (Shiva—the Hindu god of all living creatures) and aksha (eyes). One Hindu legend says that once Lord Shiva opened His eyes after a long period yogic meditation, and because of extreme fulfillment He shed a tear. This single tear from Shiva’s eye grew into the rudraksha tree. The rudraksha fruit is blue in colour but turns black when dried. The central hard rudraksha uni-seed may have 1 to 21 faces.