About this calculator
Rudraksha beads are sacred seeds of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree, identified by the number of mukhis (faces) on their surface. Each mukhi connects to a planet, and Vedic tradition assigns a primary mukhi to each rashi to balance that rashi's ruling graha.
Vedic background
The Shiva Purana tells that Rudraksha beads are tears of Lord Shiva shed in compassion. Each mukhi has a patron deity — 1-mukhi for Shiva, 5-mukhi for Kalagni Rudra, 14-mukhi for Hanuman, and so on. Like gemstones, they are one of the nine classical upayas (remedies); unlike gemstones, they're safe to wear without extensive chart consultation because they generally cool the ruling planet's energy rather than amplify it.
