Cow Shelter/Donation
The Divine Hindu App is here.
Chat free with top astrologers for your first 5 minutes every week, generate your Kundli, book temple Puja & Chadhava, and check today's Panchang — all in one app.
TL;DR — The 6 mukhi rudraksha, the chhah mukhi, is the bead with six natural clefts from pole to pole. The Shiva Purana identifies it with Kartikeya, the six-faced Shanmukha, Murugan of the South, and astrologers assign it to Venus (Shukra). It is the bead of willpower and discipline on one side and of charm, art and relationships on the other, which is why it is given to students who cannot sit still and to artists and performers alike. It is one of the commoner counts, readily available from Nepal and Java, moderately priced, and carries no caution in the tradition. This guide covers who traditionally wears it, what tradition associates with it, Nepali versus Indonesian beads, how to tell a real one, an indicative price table, how to wear it, the rules of care and combinations. Nothing here is a promise of any outcome.
In Bengaluru the 6 mukhi is Murugan's bead before it is anything else: the rudraksha the Karungali malai is threaded with for Skanda Shashti, and the one our Jayanagar counter sells most to devotees who have just come from a Subramanya temple. In the North it is the bead of Venus, worn on a Friday for grace and for a settled marriage. Both are the same six-faced bead, and this page sets out the whole of it. For how the 6 mukhi sits among the other beads, begin with our 1 to 14 mukhi chooser guide.
What the 6 mukhi rudraksha is
A rudraksha is the dried stone of the fruit of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree, which grows in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and India and in the hills of Java. The mukhi, a face, is a natural cleft running from the stalk end of the bead to the opposite pole; each cleft on the surface corresponds to a compartment inside, and each compartment holds a seed. A 6 mukhi bead carries six such lines, roughly a sixth of the way round from one another, dividing it into six segments with six chambers within. The count formed on the tree and cannot be changed without cutting.
Six is one of the commoner counts the tree produces, with four the other frequent count after the five that makes up most of any harvest. That abundance is why the 6 mukhi is readily available in every size, why it costs only a little more than a 5 mukhi, and why it can be strung into a full 108-bead mala at a reasonable price. It is usually round or nearly so, and on a Nepali bead the six lines are easy to count with the naked eye.
The names vary by language and mean the same bead. In Hindi and across the North it is the chhah mukhi or chhe mukhi rudraksha; in Sanskrit the shat-mukha; in Tamil the aaru mugam rudraksham; in Kannada the aaru mukhi; in Telugu the aaru mukhala rudraksha; in Bengali the chhoy mukhi; in Marathi the saha mukhi; in Gujarati the chha mukhi. Sellers often list it as the Kartikeya rudraksha or, in the South, the Murugan rudraksha.
The deity and planet in tradition
The Shiva Purana, in the Vidyeshvara Samhita, says that the six-faced bead is Kartikeya, that it is worn on the right arm, and that its wearer is freed from a particular grave wrongdoing; the Padma Purana makes the same identification, and some lists add Ganesha as a second presiding deity. Kartikeya is Shanmukha, the six-faced: born, the texts say, from six sparks of Shiva's third eye, carried by Agni and Ganga to the reed-bed of Saravana, and nursed by the six Krittikas, from whom he takes his name. The correspondence between the god's six faces and the bead's six lines is what the living tradition builds on. He is Devasenapati, commander of the army of the gods, and so the bead is the bead of will, discipline and courage; he is also, in the Tamil tradition, Swaminatha, the boy who taught his own father the meaning of Om, and so the bead is a bead of knowledge too. The six lines are also read as the six chakras below the crown and as the six seasons.
In Vedic astrology the bead is assigned to Venus, Shukra, the planet of beauty, art, pleasure, relationships, marriage and the finer things. That is why astrologers tie it to Friday, to Vrishabh and Tula rashi, and to charts in which Venus is weak, debilitated in Kanya, combust or in a difficult period. The South Indian tradition adds a second thread: Murugan is the deity of Sevvai, Mars, whose day is Tuesday, and the 6 mukhi is therefore worn on a Tuesday by Murugan devotees and carries a Mars association in many southern lists. Both readings are within the tradition, and the bead's particular character, discipline and grace on the same seed, comes from holding the two together.
Who traditionally wears the 6 mukhi
Tradition places no restriction of gender, age, rashi or community on the 6 mukhi, and priests regard it as a gentle, grounding bead. These are the situations for which it is customarily prescribed.
| Who | Why tradition points them to the 6 mukhi |
|---|---|
| Students who cannot sit still | The learner who understands but lacks the sitting power. Worn with the 4 and 5 mukhi in the customary students' combination, as a devotional support for discipline alongside the studying itself. |
| Artists, musicians, designers and performers | Through Venus: those whose work is beauty, and those who must stand before an audience. The bead of charm and of the finished work. |
| Those seeking harmony in marriage | Venus is the planet of marriage, and the 6 mukhi is one of the beads in the customary marriage combination, worn by either partner. |
| Vrishabh (Taurus) and Tula (Libra) rashi | Venus rules both signs, so astrologers who work by rashi place the 6 mukhi first for these natives. Rashi is the moon sign here. |
| Those with a weak or afflicted Venus | Shukra Mahadasha or Antardasha; a Venus debilitated in Kanya, combust, or in the sixth, eighth or twelfth house, as read by an astrologer. |
| Devotees of Murugan and Kartikeya | Those who keep Skanda Shashti, Thaipusam or a Tuesday practice, and those who carry the kavadi, wear the bead of the six-faced god, very often on a Karungali malai. |
| Women and children | No restriction in tradition; the bead of Venus is worn by many women. Given to school-age children with the 5 mukhi, with safety governing the cord and the bead size. |
There is no rashi for which the tradition forbids the 6 mukhi, and it is very often worn alongside a 5 mukhi. Where an astrologer has read Venus as a strong benefic already, they may simply not prescribe it; its wear does no harm in the tradition.
Benefits as tradition describes them
What follows is what the texts and the living tradition associate with the 6 mukhi. These are matters of belief and devotional custom. A rudraksha does not change anyone's temperament, repair a marriage, produce artistic talent, treat any condition or produce any material result, and it is not a substitute for effort, counselling or professional help. It is worn as a support for faith, intention and one's own effort, and we do not claim more.
Willpower, discipline and courage. The oldest association, and the one that follows from Kartikeya as commander and as the slayer of Tarakasura. The bead is worn as a reminder to hold the line, and tradition speaks of it as a support for sankalpa, the vow kept, and as a token that a difficult thing can be faced.
Focus and steadiness. Tradition describes the 6 mukhi as a grounding bead, the one for the person whose mind runs ahead of them. Wearers describe it as settling, which is the plainest thing any rudraksha is said to do.
Learning and expression. Through Swaminatha and through Venus, the bead is associated with the arts, with speech and with the completion of a course of study.
The qualities of Venus. Astrologers associate the 6 mukhi with the positive expression of Shukra: grace, charm, an eye for beauty, ease in company, harmony between partners. They prescribe it as a support for the planet where it is weak in a chart, not as a fix.
Purification. The Shiva Purana's description of the six-faced bead is read, as with the others, as a bead of shuddhi, purification of the mind and conduct.
Nepali versus Indonesian 6 mukhi
| Nepali 6 mukhi | Indonesian (Java) 6 mukhi | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Commonly 14 to 22 mm; larger beads occasional | Commonly 6 to 12 mm; small and light |
| Surface | Deep, thorny, strongly contoured; the six clefts easy to count | Smooth and fine-grained; the six lines shallow and need good light on the smallest beads |
| Availability | Readily available in every common size | Readily available; the standard material for 6 mukhi malas and bracelets |
| Price | Higher, rising steeply above 20 mm | A fraction of the Nepali price per bead |
| Standing in tradition | Equal | Equal; the same bead from a different growing region |
Indian beads from the foothills of Uttarakhand and the Northeast sit between the two in size and price. For a single bead most people choose the Nepali, because the six lines are unmistakable; for a bracelet, a child's pendant or a full 6 mukhi mala, the Java bead is the practical and traditional material, and there is nothing lesser about it. The broader comparison of growing regions is in our Nepali versus Indonesian rudraksha guide.
How to identify a real 6 mukhi
The 6 mukhi is among the least faked of the beads, because it is abundant and worth only a little more than a 5 mukhi; carving one extra groove into a 5 mukhi is done, but the profit is small. What you are more likely to meet is a Java bead described as Nepali, a low-grade bead with a line that fades before the pole, or a 6 mukhi with a seventh groove cut in and sold as a 7 mukhi. These are the checks.
1. Count and trace the six lines
Hold the bead under a good light and count the clefts around its equator, then follow each from the stalk end to the opposite pole. On a genuine bead all six run continuously, follow the natural contour, sit roughly a sixth of the way round from one another, and vary a little in width and depth as natural things do. A line that fades, wanders or stops short of a pole marks a lower grade or a worked bead. On a 5 mukhi carved to six, the added groove is shallower and straighter than the five originals, the segments on either side of it are visibly narrower, and under a loupe the valley shows parallel tool scoring rather than the fibrous grain of the seed.
2. Look at the hole and the poles
All six lines should converge at each pole, with the hole sitting where they meet. A carved groove often stops short of one or both poles, because cutting right up to the drill point is difficult. A hole drilled off the axis or through a cleft marks a damaged bead; a perfectly smooth, glossy bore in an otherwise rough bead can indicate a moulded piece.
3. The water test, and its limits
A sound rudraksha is dense and normally sinks in water. A bead that floats is hollow, badly dried, insect-damaged or not a seed at all. The test rejects; it does not confirm. A carved 5 mukhi sinks exactly as a genuine 6 mukhi does, because it is the same seed, and so do bhadraksha, betel nut, wood and filled resin.
4. X-ray and lab certification
The decisive check is inside. A genuine 6 mukhi shows six internal compartments on X-ray; a 5 mukhi with a carved groove still shows five, because grinding the outside does not change what grew within. Ask for the X-ray image and the certificate for the specific bead, recording its count, measurements and assessed origin. Our own rudraksha is lab certified and X-ray tested, with the certificate linked on each product page; our government laboratory certification applies to our Karungali wood and not to rudraksha, and we do not extend it. A certificate from an unknown body is a claim rather than a proof; our guide on where to buy authentic rudraksha covers what a seller should put in writing.
5. The common fakes and substitutes
| What it is | How it gives itself away |
|---|---|
| 5 mukhi carved to six | One line shallower and straighter than the others; two narrow segments beside it; a groove that stops before the pole; tool marks under a loupe; five chambers on X-ray. |
| Bhadraksha | A related but different seed, flatter and smoother, with shallow lines that often fail to reach the poles. Tradition treats it as a distinct bead. |
| Carved betel nut, wood or moulded resin | Too regular; identical beads; a mould seam; uniform material when scratched; no natural husk texture. |
| Dyed or lacquered beads | Not a fake, but a treated bead: uniform dark colour, a glassy sheen, colour on a damp cloth. Should be disclosed. |
| A Nepali price on a Java bead | Not a fake bead but a false description. Ask the origin in writing and compare the size against the table above. |
6 mukhi rudraksha price guide
The 6 mukhi is one of the cheapest rudraksha after the 5 mukhi, because the tree makes plenty of them. Within that, prices spread over a range of more than ten times between a small Java bead and a large Nepali specimen, and the reasons are the same as for every rudraksha.
The ranges below are indicative. They reflect what is commonly listed across the Indian market in 2026 for sound, untreated beads; they move with the harvest and the seller; and the only prices we can vouch for are the ones on our own product pages, quoted where they fall.
| Bead | Indicative range (INR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesian single bead, 6 to 12 mm | Rs 50 to 300 | The bracelet, mala and children's pendant bead. |
| Indonesian 108-bead 6 mukhi mala | Rs 1,000 to 4,000 | Matching 108 beads of one count is the main cost. |
| Nepali single bead, 14 to 16 mm | Rs 300 to 1,000 | The entry size for a Nepali pendant bead. |
| Nepali single bead, 17 to 20 mm | Rs 500 to 1,800 | The most common size worn at the throat. Our lab-certified 18 mm Nepali bead is Rs 751. |
| Nepali single bead, 21 to 24 mm | Rs 1,200 to 4,000 | Large beads are a small fraction of the harvest. |
| 6 mukhi bracelet, Java beads | Rs 400 to 1,500 | Silver caps raise the figure. |
| Karungali malai with a 6 mukhi pendant | Rs 900 to 2,500 | The Murugan pairing of the South: ebony beads with the six-faced bead at the centre. Our silver-capped Karungali malai with a 6 mukhi is Rs 999 to 1,099, and the Murugan Karungali malai and 6 mukhi combo is Rs 1,499. |
What drives the cost, and why the same bead varies ten times
Origin first: a Nepali bead costs more than a Java bead of the same count at every size. Size second, and not in a straight line, because a 22 mm 6 mukhi is scarcer than the two millimetres over a 20 mm bead suggest. Condition third: a crack across a line, an insect hole or a groove that fades at the pole each drop a bead a grade. Testing is priced in, and setting is a separate product: the same bead loose, on thread, on a Karungali malai, in a silver cap and in gold are five prices. A 7 mm Java bead and a 22 mm Nepali bead are both the 6 mukhi of Kartikeya and tradition treats them the same; the market does not. The full reasoning is in our rudraksha price guide. A very cheap 6 mukhi is normal; a 6 mukhi priced like a rare bead is a question.
How to wear the 6 mukhi rudraksha
The household vidhi is simple, is done once on the morning of first wearing, and needs no priest. Where a guru or family priest has given a different instruction, follow it.
| Detail | Traditional practice |
|---|---|
| Thread or metal | White thread, white being Venus's colour, or red thread by Murugan devotees; a silver cap and chain, silver being Venus's metal. Gold is not forbidden. In the South, very commonly, the bead is the pendant of a Karungali malai. |
| Day to begin | Friday morning, Shukra's day, in the northern practice; Tuesday, Murugan's day, in the southern; Monday, Shiva's day, serves for any rudraksha. Skanda Shashti and Thaipusam are held especially fitting. |
| Time | After bathing, before eating; facing east or north. |
| Mantra | Om Hreem Hum Namah, the beej mantra of the 6 mukhi, 108 times. Om Namah Shivaya serves for every bead. Murugan devotees often add Om Saravanabhavaya Namah; those wearing it for Venus, the Shukra beej mantra. |
| Where on the body | At the throat or over the heart on a short cord; on the right wrist as a bracelet; or on the right upper arm, which is where the Shiva Purana places the six-faced bead. A single bead is the norm. |
The first-wearing vidhi, step by step
- Cleanse the bead. Wash in clean water, with a little raw milk or Ganga jal if the family keeps the custom; rinse and dry with a soft cloth. No soap.
- Place it before Shiva, or before Murugan. On the puja shelf, on a clean cloth. Light a diya and incense; Murugan devotees offer a red flower or a little vibhuti.
- Chant. Sit facing east and repeat Om Hreem Hum Namah 108 times with the bead in hand.
- Wear it. Put the bead on with intention; some touch it to the forehead first.
- Continue. Repeat the mantra daily, even briefly, for as long as the bead is worn. Friday or Tuesday is kept as the bead's day.
Om Hreem Hum Namah
Om, the primal sound; Hreem, the seed syllable of Shakti, the divine as energy; Hum, the seed syllable of Shiva in his fierce, protective aspect and of the dispelling of fear; Namah, I bow. Grace and force together, which is the bead.
The mantras for all fourteen beads are in our rudraksha beej mantra chart.
Rules and care
The rules are customs of respect rather than prohibitions with consequences, and every family keeps them slightly differently. These are the ones most commonly observed.
| Question | Customary practice |
|---|---|
| Sleeping | Either. Many keep the bead on; many remove it at night and place it on the puja shelf. |
| Bathing | Plain water is harmless; soap, shampoo, hot and chlorinated water dry and crack the bead over time, so most remove it and put it back after. A bead that gets damp is left to air-dry fully before it is worn again. |
| Non-vegetarian food and alcohol | Removed before, or abstained from while wearing, in most households. Murugan devotees in a vrat period keep this strictly. See non-veg while wearing rudraksha. |
| Women | No restriction in tradition; the bead of Venus is worn by many women. Custom around menstruation varies by family. |
| Children | Given to school-age children with the 5 mukhi. No cord a small child can pull tight, no bead a toddler can swallow; a short cord under the shirt or a bracelet is the usual choice. |
| Funerals, cremation grounds, sharing | Widely removed before a funeral and put back after bathing. A worn bead is personal and is not lent or swapped; it may be gifted new. |
| Oiling and storage | A soft dry brush rather than detergent; a drop of coconut, mustard or sandalwood oil every month or two; store dry, away from salt, perfume and chemicals. |
| A broken bead | Not worn. Retired respectfully in flowing water, under a tree or at a temple, and replaced. |
The wider customs, including what to do when a bead has been left unworn for months, are in our guide on how to wear rudraksha. If a bead irritates the skin, take it off; the cause is usually a dye or oil on a treated bead rather than the seed.
Who should take care with the 6 mukhi
The 6 mukhi carries no caution in the texts and none in the living tradition; it is regarded, with the 4 and 5 mukhi, as a bead that can be given to almost anyone. The only reservations are practical and astrological: a child's bead must be safe to wear, and some practitioners who work strictly by the chart do not strengthen a planet that is a functional malefic for the ascendant, and may therefore leave Venus alone for certain lagnas. That is a matter of the individual reading and of parampara, and most astrologers regard the 6 mukhi as safe for everyone. A few wearers report feeling unsettled in the first days of wearing any new rudraksha; the customary advice is to remove the bead for a day or two and resume, and to stop if the feeling persists. What tradition and the trade say about side effects across all the beads is in our guide to the side effects of wearing rudraksha.
Cleaning and re-energising
A bead worn daily is cleaned every month or two: a rinse in clean water, a soft dry brush in the clefts, a drop of oil worked in with the fingertips, and a night on the puja shelf. A bead that has been left unworn for a long stretch is customarily re-energised before it goes back on, by repeating the first-wearing vidhi on a Friday, a Tuesday or a Monday. The full method is in our guide on how to clean and energise a mala.
Combinations the 6 mukhi is traditionally paired with
| Combination | Traditional purpose |
|---|---|
| 4 + 5 + 6 mukhi | The students' combination: knowledge, calm and discipline in the customary reading. See our combination for students and education. |
| 2 + 6 + 13 mukhi with a Gauri Shankar | The traditional marriage combination: union, harmony and charm. See our combination for marriage and relationships. |
| 6 mukhi with Karungali | The Murugan pairing of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka: the six-faced bead as the pendant of an ebony malai, worn for Skanda Shashti, Thaipusam and the kavadi. |
| 5 mukhi mala + 6 mukhi | Daily japa on the mala with the bead of Kartikeya added; the commonest way the 6 mukhi is worn. See the 5 mukhi guide. |
| 6 + 4 mukhi | Willpower with knowledge: the lighter students' pairing. See the 4 mukhi guide. |
| 6 + 7 mukhi | Venus with Saturn, grace with perseverance, in the customary reading for those in a creative trade. See the 7 mukhi guide. |
Every one of these is a devotional combination. Those under a guru's instruction follow their teacher's combination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 6 mukhi rudraksha and who is its deity?
The 6 mukhi rudraksha is the bead with six natural clefts running from pole to pole, dividing it into six segments with six internal compartments. The Shiva Purana identifies the six-faced bead with Kartikeya, the six-faced Shanmukha who is Murugan in the South, and some lists add Ganesha. Vedic astrology assigns it to Venus, and the South Indian tradition also links it to Mars through Murugan. It is the bead of willpower and discipline on one side and of grace, art and relationships on the other.
Who should wear the 6 mukhi rudraksha?
Tradition places no restriction of gender, age or rashi on the 6 mukhi. It is most often prescribed for students who lack sitting power, for anyone who wishes for more willpower, for artists, musicians and performers through Venus, for those seeking harmony in marriage, for natives of Vrishabh and Tula rashi which Venus rules, for those with a weak or afflicted Venus in the chart, and for devotees of Murugan and Kartikeya. It is worn by many women and given to school-age children with the 5 mukhi.
What are the benefits of the 6 mukhi rudraksha in tradition?
Tradition associates the 6 mukhi with willpower and discipline through Kartikeya as commander of the gods, with focus and steadiness, with courage, with learning and expression, with the positive qualities of Venus such as grace, charm and harmony between partners, and with purification. These are matters of belief and devotional custom. A rudraksha does not change anyone's temperament, repair a marriage, produce talent, treat any condition or produce any material result, and is not a substitute for effort or professional help.
What is the price of a 6 mukhi rudraksha?
Indicatively, an Indonesian single bead of 6 to 12 mm lists at fifty to three hundred rupees, an Indonesian 108-bead mala at one to four thousand, a Nepali bead of 14 to 16 mm at roughly three hundred to a thousand, a Nepali bead of 17 to 20 mm at roughly five hundred to eighteen hundred, and large Nepali beads above 21 mm from twelve hundred upward. A Karungali malai with a 6 mukhi pendant lists at roughly nine hundred to twenty-five hundred. Our lab-certified 18 mm Nepali 6 mukhi is Rs 751. Market ranges move with the harvest and the seller.
How do I check if a 6 mukhi rudraksha is real?
Count the clefts and trace each of the six from pole to pole; on a genuine bead they are continuous, roughly evenly spaced, and follow the natural contour, meeting at the hole. The commonest fake is a 5 mukhi with one groove carved in, which shows as a shallower, straighter line with narrow segments beside it and tool marks under a loupe. The water test rejects floating fakes but cannot confirm a bead, since a carved 5 mukhi sinks like a real 6 mukhi. The decisive check is an X-ray showing six internal compartments, recorded on a certificate for that bead.
Which day and mantra are used to wear the 6 mukhi rudraksha?
Friday morning, the day of Venus, is the customary day to begin in the northern practice, and Tuesday, the day of Murugan, in the southern; Monday serves for any rudraksha. After bathing, the bead is cleansed in water, placed before Shiva or Murugan with a lamp, and the beej mantra Om Hreem Hum Namah is chanted 108 times before it is put on. It is worn at the throat on white or red thread or in a silver cap, on the right wrist, or on the right upper arm, and the mantra is continued daily.
Should the 6 mukhi rudraksha be worn on the right arm?
The Shiva Purana places the six-faced bead on the right arm, and some devotees keep to that, wearing it as an armlet or a bracelet on the right side. Most wearers today wear it at the throat or over the heart on a short cord, or as the pendant of a Karungali malai, and priests regard both as within the tradition. What the texts and the living practice agree on is that the bead is worn on the body with the mantra, not where on the body it sits.
Is the 6 mukhi rudraksha good for students?
It is one of the three beads in the customary students' combination, with the 4 and 5 mukhi, and it is the one worn for discipline and sitting power rather than for memory. Priests suggest it for the learner who understands the material but cannot stay at the desk. It is worn as a devotional support alongside the studying itself, which it does not replace, and it does not change a result. Parents usually choose a Java bead on a short cord or a bracelet for safety.
Who should not wear the 6 mukhi rudraksha?
Tradition forbids the 6 mukhi to no one, and it is regarded as a gentle, grounding bead that can be given to almost anyone. The only reservations are practical and astrological: a child's bead must be safe to wear, and some astrologers who work strictly by the chart do not strengthen a planet that is a functional malefic for the ascendant. Anyone who feels persistently unsettled after putting on any new bead is advised by custom to remove it, and to see a doctor for any health concern, since a rudraksha is not a treatment.
Visit us or order online
The 6 mukhi is the bead traditionally used by students who need discipline, by those wearing a bead for Venus, and by devotees of Murugan, and the 6 Mukhi Lab Tested Certified Nepali Rudraksha we stock is a bead of about 18 mm, at Rs 751, with its certificate linked on the product page. Read the certificate and count the six lines in the photographs before you decide, as this article recommends for any seller. For the Murugan Karungali malai with a 6 mukhi, for malas, bracelets and the other mukhis, browse our rudraksha collection or visit Divine Hindu Store, Jayanagar 3rd Block East, Bengaluru 560011. Related reading: 1 to 14 mukhi chooser guide · 5 mukhi rudraksha · 7 mukhi rudraksha · combination for students.
