"Rudraksha" combines "Rudra" (Lord Shiva) and "aksha" (eyes) - according to the Shiva Purana, a tear fell from Shiva's eye after deep meditation and grew into the Rudraksha tree. Wearing a Rudraksha bead is believed to bring the protection of Lord Shiva.
The Tree: Rudraksha beads come from evergreen trees of the Elaeocarpus genus, primarily Elaeocarpus ganitrus, which grow 50 to 200 feet tall in tropical and subtropical regions from Nepal through the Gangetic plains to Assam and Bangladesh. Today they are mainly localized to eastern Nepal. The trees flower in April-May and their fruit ripens between August and October, producing one to two thousand fruits a year.
Mythology: Another legend from the Shiva Purana tells of Tarakasura's three sons, who attained divinity through devotion to Shiva but eventually returned to unrighteous conduct. Grief-stricken at their fall, Shiva's tears formed the Rudraksha tree before he ultimately destroyed the sons.
Beads and Malas: Rudraksha seeds vary in the number of grooves, or "mukhi" (faces), on their surface, ranging from one to over twenty in some species - the most common has five, symbolising the five faces of Shiva. Traditional malas use 108 beads plus one extra bindu bead, representing Mount Meru, strung on silk or cotton thread and worn loosely to avoid cracking the beads.