The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is a prayer to Lord Shiva, the lord of destruction, penance, and meditation. It is one of the most popular and powerful Shiva mantras.
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is chanted to overcome “death.” The seeker is more concerned with avoiding spiritual “death” rather than physical “death.”
The mantra is a request to Lord Shiva to lead one to the mountain of meditation, which is indeed Lord Shiva’s abode.
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra Lyrics
OM tryambakam yajāmahe sugandhim pushTivardhanam,
urvārukamiva bandhanān mrrityormokshiya māmrritāt.ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे, सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनं
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मोक्षिय मामृतात्
Legend has it that Lord Shiva appeared before his devotee Markandeya (who was destined to die at the age of sixteen) and stopped his aging process a few days before he was supposed to turn sixteen. Thus, death would never be able to claim him! Hence, this mantra is also referred to as the Markandeya mantra in classical Hindu studies.
Ideally, the mantra should be repeated 108 times, twice daily, at dawn and dusk. It is particularly useful for meditation and yoga practice.
Meaning of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
We worship Shiva – The Three-Eyed (tryambakam) lord (yajamahe); Who is fragrant (sugandhim) and nourishes (pushti) and grows (vardhanam) all beings.
As the ripened cucumber (urvarukamiva) is automatically liberated (bandhanaan) (by the intervention of the “farmer”) from its bondage to the creeper when it fully ripens;
May He liberate us (mokshiya) from death (mrityor), for the sake of immortality (maamritaat).
We pray to Lord Shiva, whose eyes are the Sun, Moon, and Fire. May he protect us from all disease, poverty, and fear And bless us with prosperity, longevity, and good health.
Spiritual Significance of the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
Lord Shiva is referred to as tryambakam, the three-eyed one, because his third eye has been “opened” by the powers of penance and meditation. The third eye is said to be located in the space between the eyebrows and is “opened” when one experiences a spiritual awakening.
So, when we pray to Lord Shiva, we are, in essence, asking for his blessings and assistance in opening our third eye of spiritual knowledge. The natural consequence of this awakening is that we will be led towards spiritual liberation or moksha and attain freedom from the cycles of death and rebirth.
The goal of chanting this mantra is to spiritually “ripen” so that Lord Shiva can free us from our bondage to all the material things that bind us!
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra Benefits
- Chanting Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is beneficial for our mental, physical and emotional health. It promotes happiness and brings prosperity to life.
- It is also popularly known as a “lifesaving mantra”; it conquers death and bestows immortality. It is addressed to Lord Shiva for warding off untimely death.
- This mantra has amazing healing powers. Chanting this mantra creates positive and divine vibrations that help in healing.
- It also helps in removing fear, anxiety and other negative emotions associated with death.
- Maha Mrityunjaya is also known as a moksha mantra that connects human beings to their own inner divinity. This Mantra evokes the Shiva within human beings and liberating one from the cycle of death and rebirth.
How To Chant Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra?
- The best time to chant this mantra is early morning between 4-6 A.M. however; you can chant this mantra in the late morning after taking bath and finishing the chores.
- Sit facing North-East on a Kush Aasan either at your home or in Shiva temple.
- Perform a Guru pooja, Pancha Mahabhuta pooja, and Shiva pooja.
- Chant 125000 times within 21 days if you are propitiating this at home, using rudraksha mala, every time you recite the mantra once, you move the bead one time till you rotate the rudraksha bead with one full rotation which is 108 times the mantra recitation.
- Chant 31 rosary daily (108 x 31=3348 for 41 days) if you are practicing in Shiva temple.
- After the japa daily, end it with mangalarthi, mantra pushanjali.
- After the mantra siddhi (completion of 125000 times) on the end day of sadhana, the sadhaka has to complete with Homam, Tarpanam, Marjanam, Bhojanam, and Dhanam.