Kanti Mala - The Neck Beads

The following references are given by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé in his Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu:

In the Padma Puräëa there is a statement describing how a Vaiñëava should decorate his body with tilaka & beads:

ye kaëöha-lagna-tulasé-nalinäkñä-mälä

ye bähu-müla-paricihëita-çaìkha-cakräù

ye vä laläöa-phalake lasad-ürdhva-puëòräs

te vaiñëavä bhuvanam äçu pavitrayanti

Persons who put tulasé beads on the neck, who mark twelve places of their bodies as Viñëu temples with Viñëu's symbolic representations [the four items held in the four hands of Lord Viñëu — conch, mace, disc and lotus], and who have viñëu-tilaka on their foreheads, are to be understood as the devotees of Lord Viñëu in this world. Their presence makes the world purified, and anywhere they remain, they make that place as good as Vaikuëöha. [Padma Puräëa]

A similar statement is in the Skanda Puräëa, which says:

hari-nämäkñara-yutaà bhäle gopé-måòaìkitam

tulasé-mälikoraskaà spåçeyur na yamodbhaöäù

Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopé-candana [a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Våndävana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasé beads, are never approached by the Yamadütas.

The Yamadütas are the constables of King Yama (the lord of death), who punishes all sinful men. Vaiñëavas are never called for by such constables of Yamaräja. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, in the narration of Ajämila's deliverance, it is said that Yamaräja gave clear instructions to his assistants not to approach the Vaiñëavas. Vaiñëavas are beyond the jurisdiction of Yamaräja's activities.

The Padma Puräëa also mentions:

kåñëa-nämäkñarair gätram aìkayec candanädinä

sa loka-pävano bhutvä tasya lokam aväpnuyät

A person whose body is decorated with the pulp of sandalwood, with paintings of the holy name of the Lord, is delivered from all sinful reactions, and after his death he goes directly to Kåñëaloka to live in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Skanda Puräëa, Käçé-khaëòa it is mentioned:

In the country known as Mayüradhvaja, the lower-caste people who are considered less than çüdras are also initiated in the Vaiñëava cult of devotional service. And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuëöha. In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brähmaëas.