Rudraksha has been in use as Ayurvedic medicine and finds mentioned in several books for herbal preparations both as preventive and curative medicine. The residents of the area where rudraksha trees grow use the bark of the tree, its leaves, and also the outer shell of the beads for various ailments, particularly mind-related disorders, headaches, fever, and skin diseases and to heal wounds. It is listed as a medicinal product in Indian Materia Medica.
As is widely known, a man’s health can be properly maintained by balancing vaat (wind), pitta (bile), and kaf (phlegm) without having to resort to allopathic medicines and thus protecting from their side effects. As rudraksha influences the mind through its subtle electromagnetic properties, many diseases can be cured using it.
Vaat, pitta, and kaf get regulated when a person’s thought process is streamlined. This is possible as one becomes fearless and calms down and maintains a stable mind. A stable mind makes the body strong, which in turn wards off diseases.
Rudraksha may be having its effect in the following manner:
1. The subtle acupressure exerted on the body through the beads. The most advanced electro-acupressure techniques
developed in China, Western Europe, or the USA to adopt similar techniques. The modern gadgetry of acupressure can hardly match the natural characteristics of rudraksha because wherever the beads touch the body, continuously for several hours a day, make both the mind and body function properly.
2. Faith. Medicines cure illnesses more effectively when the patient has confidence in the doctor or in the medicine. Faith healing can take place only when one develops inner confidence. Rudraksha is superior to any other form of natural healing as it is without any side effects. One does not require any special regulator or special training to wear or use rudraksha. Most importantly, this is the only healing technique, which uses spirituality in its most flexible form.
3. Research: There are a few published and unpublished research works on rudraksha showing its effectiveness as a medicine. For example, tests carried out at the University of Mumbai have established its positive impact on intelligence and memory and on cardiovascular disorders. There is ample scope for the bead to be used as an ingredient in making several herbal medicines. Experiences of local residents of the areas where rudraksha trees are found have indicated that the most profound usage of this tree and the bead has been on mind-related disorders and in the control of blood pressure. Unfortunately, these beneficial aspects have never got noticed because the bead became a symbol of spirituality and its uses remained limited.
4. Pauranic Reference: Our ancient scriptures mention the bead as useful for several ailments.
Raj Nighantu: Rudraksha is acidic and warm and controls vaat and kaf. It removes headaches and cures mental diseases.
Nepali Nighantu/Chandra Nighantu: Rudraksha belongs to Lord Neelkantha (Shiva); it is pure and destroys ghosts (all evil things). It is also known as Sharvaksha, Shivaksha, Shivarpriya, and Haraksha.
Shaligram Nighantu: Properties described are similar to Raj Nighantu.
Swasth Vritta: Rudraksha is a good antidote for fever, vaat, and pitta, for stomach disorders, mental imbalance, blood pressure, liver, and breathing-related disorders.
Abhinava Nighantu: Rudraksha has a heat-generating quality and is good as a remedy for poison and for diseases in children.
Vana Aushadhi Chandrodaya: Rudraksha is effective in the treatment of cancer, skin problems, and tuberculosis; epilepsy, vaat, pitta, vomiting of blood, and typhoid (the bead should be boiled in water and the concentrated form of this water should be consumed), and cough (taken in powdered form along with honey or a paste which can be made by rubbing the bead against a hard and clean surface, which can then be consumed by the patient).
Bhav Prakash: It explains various uses of the shell (skin) of the bead for mental illness.
Rudraksha beads can be put in water that is meant for regular drinking purposes. Preferably, a mud pot can be used to soak the beads overnight and this is recommended for use in summer. When this water is consumed regularly in the morning on an empty stomach, it is found to control blood pressure and heart problems.
Wearing five mukhi rudraksha is considered good for heart diseases and the beads are recommended to be worn in red thread and should touch the skin over the heart. The beads are also found to be very effective in treating insomnia, liver diseases, migraine, and mental disorders.
In many of the references, it is recommended to take rudraksha in powder form twice a day and a one-time quantity is about 300 milligrams. In a recent study done at the University of Mumbai too, the recommended dosage was almost the same.
Recent studies show that wearing rudraksha changes the aura of a person and this may lead to some changes in his or her physical condition. The results of Kirlian photography or Aura Imaging confirm this observation. While the effects of wearing rudraksha come to be felt rather slowly, these are always of permanent nature. It has been observed that wearing the beads helps to maintain the energy fields of a living organism properly. Although aura imaging has several flaws and inconsistencies yet there are noticeable changes in the aura of persons after wearing rudraksha.
To summarize, wearing rudraksha is beneficial to the nervous system bringing calmness and peace of mind. It controls blood pressure and consequently paves the way for mental stability, removal of stress, and helps one to retain a healthy body.
Given below is a summary of the properties of rudraksha in curing various diseases. (These examples and results should be used as guidelines to understand the scope and benefit of using the beads and their potential as a medicine.)
It can be seen from the above classification that rudraksha is an age-old traditional medicinal herb used in various ailments. Now, whether it has to be used orally as a powder or in the form of an extract, or to be simply worn over the body is a matter to be seriously investigated. The benefits of any oral administration are an interesting subject of study and several scientists are attempting to correlate the results. The emanating energy from rudraksha mukhis (mouth) is known to possess great remedial powers.
| Rudraksha Type | Deity | Planet | Uses in illnesses |
| 1 mukhi | Shiva | Sun | Thrombosis, urinary stones, respiratory diseases, heart diseases, diseases of the eyes and skin, fistula, dyspepsia, night blindness |
| 2 mukhi | Ardha Nareeshwar | Moon | Heart and lung diseases, disorders of the left eye, leukemia, liver, breast problem, loss of memory, infections, and diseases of the urinary bladder. |
| 3 mukhi | Agni (fire) | Mars | Infection of the blood, blood pressure, cholera, ulcer, swellings, weakness, eye protection, cleansing arteries, disorders of the sex glands and adrenal glands, and cold (practically used in all health problems) |
Medicinal Properties
| Rudraksha Type | Deity | Planet | Uses in illnesses |
| 4 mukhi | Brahma | Mercury | Diseases of ear, throat, and nose, paralysis, sexual problems, gall bladder diseases, memory loss, all mental ailments, and diseases affecting hands, arms, lungs, and thyroid gland. |
| 5 mukhi | Kalagni Rudra | Jupiter | Diseases of the liver, fistula, acidity, blood pressure, breast ailments, problems of thighs, vertebral column and memory, inflammability, and cardiac problems. |
| 6 mukhi | Kartikeya and Ganesh | Venus | Problems of throat, neck, kidney, sex organs, thyroid, sexuality, dropsy, urinary, and eye diseases, conceiving problem, indigestion, arthritis, and all obstruction in veins/nerves |
| 7 mukhi | Lakshmi, Saptarshi, Saptamatrikas, Anang (Kamdev), Anant (Snake Lord), Mahasen (Kartikeya) | Saturn | Weakness, stomach ache, paralysis, epilepsy, dumbness, impotence, abortion, problems in women, arthritis, purification of sperms, and flow of Ojas (divine energy) |
| 8 mukhi | Mahasen (Kartikeya), Ganesh, Ashtamartrika (8 mother goddesses), Vasu, Ganesh, Batuk Bhairav | Rahu | Diseases of the nervous system, prostrate, gall bladder, and lungs, fear of snakes, cataracts, hydrosol, and breathing problems |
The Power of Rudraksha
| Rudraksha Type | Deity | Planet | Uses in illnesses |
| 9 mukhi | Bhairav, Nav Durga, Yamdev | Ketu | Diseases of the brain, lungs, breasts, sexual organs, abortions, conceiving problems, epilepsy, eye problems |
| 10 mukhi | Vishnu, Dashdigpal (Guardian of 10 directions), Yamraj, Mahasen (Kartikeya), Dash-Maha-Vidya | N.A. | Fear of someone standing behind, insomnia, conceiving problems, heart diseases |
| 11 mukhi | Ekadashi Rudra (Hanuman), Indra | N.A. | Heart problems, blood pressure, diabetes |
| 12 mukhi | Sun (12 Adityas), Vishnu | N.A. | All diseases of the skin, heart, eyes, and nose and blood pressure, base disorders, and for jyotishmati (seventh chakra) |
| 13 mukhi | Indra, Kamdev (along with Rati) | N.A. | Problems of throat, neck, kidney, sex organs, thyroid, sexuality, dropsy, urinary and eye diseases, conceiving problem, indigestion, arthritis, all obstruction in veins/nerves, and psychiatric disorders |
| 14 mukhi | Hanuman, Shreekanth Swaroop | N.A. | Weakness, stomach ache, paralysis, epilepsy, dumbness, impotence, abortion, problems in women, arthritis, purification of sperms, the flow of Ojas (divine energy), increase in secretions of eight charkas (Vishnu) |
Medicinal Properties
| Rudraksha Type | Deity | Planet | Uses in illnesses |
| 15 mukhi | Pashupati (Shiva) | N.A. | Diseases of the heart, eyes, all general diseases, disorders of the lymph and throat area |
| 16 mukhi | Lord Ram, Maha-kaleshwar | N.A. | Mental disorders, epilepsy |
| 17 mukhi | Lord Vishwakarma, Katyayani Devi | N.A. | Stomach ache, skin diseases, ulcer |
| 18 mukhi | Bhumi (Prithvi or earth), Avani | N.A. | Abortions, healthy child upbringing |
| 19 mukhi | Narayan (Vishnu) | N.A. | For sexual disorders and various incurable diseases |
| 20 mukhi | Brahma (Supreme Divinity) | N.A. | Diabetes, deafness and diseases as a result of planetary positions and to get power of eye |
| 21 mukhi Gaurishankar, Shiv-Parvati | Kuber, Shiva | N.A. | To retain male power To maintain even flow of 108 frequencies in human body, fertility |