Mahamrityunjay mantra is from the Rig Veda of the Hindu religion and is considered the most powerful shiv mantra. It is also called the Om Tryambakam Mantra. The purpose of this mantra is that it brings immortality, prevents premature death, and protects from difficult situations. Chanting this mantra leads to the elimination of fear, as it calms the soul and makes it strong. Regular chanting of the Mahamrityunjay Mantra leads to the performer feeling safe and secure. It is also believed that reciting the Mahamrityunjay mantra reduces physical ailments and keeps the body healthy.
Mantras have a very significant role for every religion and have traveled the time to be used by the most modern people. These mantras bring peace and solace to the devotees and give them comfort. For Hinduism, mantras play a very important role as they are used in every religious ritual for big or small events.
Rishi Bhrigu and Marudmati were both devotees of Lord shiva. They did penance for a long time to lord shiva and prayed to have a son for years. Lord Shiva, impressed by their devotion granted their wish. But there was a condition, only through which they can have the son. Lord Shiva gave them two options, one was either they could have a son who was very intelligent but had a very very short lifespan, or they could have a son who would live a long life, but would be low intelligence. They chose the first option and were granted their wish, but informed them that he could only live for twelve years. They named their child, markandaya, who was everything they had a wish for. To give him a happy life, Rishi Bhrigu and his wife decided to keep the fact about his lifespan being short a secret from him. When markandeya’s 12th birthday came, his parents were devastated and he couldn’t fathom their misery. They then narrated the whole story of his fate and how he came to be.
Hearing the whole story, he started his penance to Lord Shiva. When Yama came to take his soul, he escaped and ran and hugged the shivling. Seeing Markandaya’s devotion and love towards him, lord shiva appeared and ordered Yama to leave markandaya alone. He then gave Markandaya the special “Maha Mrityunjay mantra” which would help him live a long life. There are other versions of the story of how the “Maha Mrityunjay mantra” spread across mankind. It is said that Chandra dev was once cursed by the wasting disease by his father-in-law. He was cursed that each day he would lose his luster, and would eventually fade away. This is when Rishi Markandaya gave the Mahamrityunjay Mantra to Sati, Daksha’s daughter, and advised her to worship Lord Shiva, who is the god of death and creation, and chant this mantra. Ever since then, the Maha Mrityunjay mantra was known to the world and the day was noted as “shiv-ratri”.
The Mrityunjay mantra is also termed as Rudra Mantra, referring to Shiva’s wrathful aspect, the Tryambaka Mantra, referring to Lord Shiva’s three eyes, and the Mrita-Sanjivini Mantra, which is a part of the ‘life-restoring’ offered to the sage Shukracharya. This mantra is mentioned three times in the Hindu Vedas, Rigveda (VII.59.12), Yajurveda (III.60), and Atharvaveda (XIV.1.17).
Mahamrityunjay Mantra: How do they help
Just like the Gayatri mantras, the Mahamrityunjay mantra is a very important and powerful mantra for Hindus. This strong mantra is dedicated to lord shiva, and chanting this religiously reduces the fear of illness and death. The existence of the mahamrityunjay mantra was first discovered through the Rig Veda and was brought to mankind by Rishi Markandeya.
This mantra is believed to have very special powers which keep the mental health good and maintain emotional and physical balance. Chanting this mantra also grants a form of immortality, which in other words increases lifespan, and decreases the chances of untimely death.
Many stories depict the story of the Mahamrityunjay mantra and how it came to be. There is the story of Rishi Markandeya and how he was destined to die at the age of twelve, but fate had other plans for him. There is also the popular tale of how Chandra dev was cursed by king Daksha, and how this mantra was chanted to save his life.
The Mahamrityunjay mantra is:
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् |
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat
Meaning - ॐ (Om): Lord Shiva in the form of Omkar
त्र्यम्बकं (Tryambakam): You are beautiful with three eyes
यजामहे (Yajamahe): We worship you, be pleased in our life
सुगन्धिं (Sugandhim): We give you the fragrance of devotion
पुष्टिवर्धनम् (Pushti Vardhanam): Increase happiness
उर्वारुकमिव (Urvarukamiva): The way the fruit easily
बन्धनान् (Bandhanath): Is freed from the bondage of the tree
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय (Mrityormukshiya): Free us from the bondage of death
मामृतात् (Mamritat): Give me the status of nectar
“We worship Lord Shiva, the fragrant three-eyed One who nourishes all beings; For the sake of immortality, may He save me from death, just as the cucumber is freed from its creeper’s shackles.”
The Maha Mrityunjay mantra is the most beloved mantra of lord shiva, who is the conqueror of death and is mentioned in the Rig Veda, which is the oldest Hindu text. It is mentioned in the Sukta 59 of the seventh mandala of the Rigveda.
How to chant the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
- With a Rudraksha Japamala (rosary), chant the Lord Shiva’s Maha Mrityunjay mantra 108 times in a row. Offer flowers to the Shivling and perform abhishekam with milk.
- For best results, it is advised to chant the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra 1.25 lakh times. But it is not possible to do it in a day. So one should try to chant this mantra 1000 times a day. This way, in 125 days, one chants the mantra 1.25 lakh in total.
- The mantra should be chanted early in the morning. Maha Mrityunjay mantra should not be changed in the afternoon.
- Do Sankalp, by pouring water in a pot to evoke Lord Shiva’s blessings.
- Deepam, water, flowers, Bel leaves, fruits, and incense sticks are offered to lord shiva, and a havan is performed after the recitation of the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra. Although it is not always necessary to perform a havan each time after chanting the mantra.
- The performer of the mantra should make sure not to consume any non-vegetarian food.
Overall benefits of chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra
- With the regular chanting of the Mrityunjaya Mantra, one wishes for the protection of their family. This mantra assures them of their good health and their family’s welfare. It provides a healthy mentality and emotional capacity.
- This mantra increases the longevity of life of the performer and reduces their fear of illness and death. It fills their life with happiness and prosperity.
- Along with keeping the mental and emotional health in balance, the Maha Mrityunjay mantra rejuvenates and nurtures the health of the performer, and reduces their stress by eliminating any kind of sickness and bad habits.
- Lord Shiva is known to be the most benevolent god of the Hindu religion, and pleasing him is very easy. One only needs to be completely devoted to him, and perform any ritual or mantra with purity in one heart.
- With the regular chanting of the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra, one gets the blessing of protection for both them and their entire family by lord Shiva himself. They receive protection from all kinds of negative energy and sudden death.