Rudraksha is often believed to symbolize the link between the earth and the heaven. Spiritually they have been worn and used for meditation, japa mantra, and ceremonies for many centuries. Rudraksha is a Sanskrit compound word consisting of Rudra (Sanskrit: रुद्र) and akṣa (Sanskrit: अक्ष ). Rudra is one of Shiva's vedic names and Akṣa means 'teardrops'. Thus, the name means "Lord Shiva's teardrops".