Gauri-Shankar

A particular variety of rudraksha, a bead
made from the dried seed of the tree
Elaeocarpus ganitrus, which is considered sacred to Shiva. The rudraksha is
often strung into garlands and worn by
Shiva’s devotees (bhakta). The GauriShankar rudraksha is made when two
seeds grow together naturally. Although
the Gauri-Shankar is not as rare as certain other beads, it is unusual enough to
command a fairly good price. The GauriShankar is revered as a natural manifestation of the divine couple, the goddess
Parvati (Gauri) and the god Shiva
(Shankar). It thus represents the total
presence of divinity in its eternal and its
dynamic aspects: Shiva as knowledge
and Parvati as Shakti or power.