RUDRAKSHAS

[Chelluri at AOL.COM]

                                              OM
NAMASTE!

Begining from Adishankara all shaivas and shaktas wear Rudrakshas and apply
vibhudi at most parts of the body.  Some wear more of these Rudrakshamala
malas than others starting from top of the head.    What is the significance?
Can anybody comment on vibhidi and rudrakshas.

I thought Vaishnavas are 'ALANKARA PRIYULU"  Shaivas and Saktas are no less!

In this context I like to bring in Bhagwan Sri Ramana Maharishi.  I have not
seen him personally.  I heard about him from my father and saw several photos
and spent sometime at Ramanaashram.  Above "Alankarana" is conspicuously
absent on Sri Ramana's person.

Are Rudrakshas really necessary OR is it  one form of identity to establish I
am.

Shubham                                                     Nageswar
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Mon Sep  8 13:54:54 1997
Message-Id: <MON.8.SEP.1997.135454.0500.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 13:54:54 -0500
Reply-To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: anand_hudli at BMC.BOEHRINGER-MANNHEIM.COM
Subject: Maanasa-yaatraa to the 12 Jyotirlinga's - Vaidyanath
Comments: To: advaita-l at tamu.edu
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  puurvottare prajvalikaanidhaane
   sadaa vasantaM girijaasametaM |
  suraaasuraaraadhita-paadapadmaM
   shriivaidyanaathaM tamahaM namaami ||

  puurvottare - In the northeast
  prajvalikaanidhaane - in the place chitaabhuumi
  sadaa - always
  vasantaM - residing
  girijaasametaM - accompanied by Girijaa (Paarvatii)
  suraaasuraaraadhita - worshipped by the gods and  asuras
  paadapadmaM - lotus feet
  shriivaidyanaathaM - Shrii Vaidyanaatha
  tamahaM namaami - I bow to that

  I bow to Shrii Vaidyanaatha who always resides in the northeastern
  chitaabhuumi, accompanied by Girijaa (Paarvatii) and whose lotus feet
  are worshipped by gods and asuras alike.


  About Vaidyanath: The details I could find out are very sketchy.
  According to one verse which says "paralyaaM vaidyanaathaM", the Jyotirlinga
  called Vaidyanaatha is in Paralii, near Parbhani in Maharashtra. But as per
  the Shiva PuraaNa statement, "vaidyanaathaM chitaabhuumau", the Jyotirlinga
  is at chitaabhuumi in the northeast. I have been unable to find any more
  details about this place which could be in northeastern India or in
  Bangladesh. Is Chittagong the same as Chitaabhuumi?  Vaidyanath is a common
  name among Aiyar families. Could someone please comment?

  Anand