Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra (Sanskrit: महामृत्युंजय मंत्र, Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya Mantra "great death-conquering mantra"), also called the Tryambakam Mantra, is a verse of the Rigveda (RV 7.59.12).It is addressed to Tryambaka "the three-eyed one", an epithet of Rudra, later identified with Shiva.^[1][2] The verse also recurs in the Yajurveda (TS 1.8.6.i; VS 3.60)^[3]

Along with the Gayatri mantra it is one of the most widely known mantras of contemporary Hinduism.

The mantra reads

"ॐ त्र्यम्बकम् यजामहे सुगन्धिम् पुष्टिवर्धनम् | ऊर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ||"

(IAST transliteration):

aum tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam

urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt

This great mantra dedicated to Rudra as Mrityunjaya is found in the Rig Veda. It is called the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, the Great Death-Conquering mantra. It is a mantra that has many names and forms. It is called the Rudra mantra, referring to the furious aspect of Shiva; the Tryambakam mantra, alluding to Shiva's three eyes; and it is sometimes known as the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra because it is a component of the "life-restoring" practice given to the primordial sage Shukra after he had completed an exhausting period of austerity. The Maha Mrityunjaya mantra is hailed by the sages as the heart of the Veda. Along with the Gayatri mantra it holds the highest place among the many mantras used for contemplation and meditation

Word to Word Meaning of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

• ॐ aum = is a sacred/mystical syllable in Sanatan Dharma or Indian religions, i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism^[4]
• tryambakam = the three-eyed one (accusative case)
• yajāmahe = We worship, adore, honor, revere

• sugandhim = sweet smelling, fragrant (accusative case)
• puṣṭi = A well-nourished condition, thriving, prosperous, fullness of life
• vardhanam = One who nourishes, strengthens, causes to increase (in health, wealth, well-being); who gladdens, exhilarates, and restores health; a good gardener

• urvārukam = cucumber <a kind of Indian vegetable> (in the accusative case)
• iva = like, just as

URVAARUKIMIVA: 'URVA' means "VISHAL" or big and powerful or deadly. 'ARUKAM' means 'Disease'. Thus URVARUKA means deadly and overpowering diseases. (The CUCUMBER interpretation given in various places is also correct for the word URVARUKAM, but not apt for this mantra). The diseases are also of three kinds caused by the influence (in the negative) of the three Guna's and are ignorance (Avidya etc), falsehood (Asat etc as even though Vishnu is everywhere, we fail to perceive Him and are guided by our sight and other senses) and weaknesses (Shadripu etc. a constraint of this physical body and Shiva is all powerful).

• bandhanān = "from captivity" {i.e. from the stem of the cucumber} (of the gourd); (the ending is actually long a then -d which changes to n/anusvara because of sandhi)

BANDANAAN means bound down. Thus read with URVAROOKIMIVA, it means 'I am bound down by deadly and overpowering diseases'.

• mṛtyor = From death
• mukṣīya= Free us, liberate us
• mā = not
• amṛtāt = [for] immortality, emancipation

Simple Translation

We hail the fragrant Three-eyed One who nourishes [all] and increases the [sweet] fullness of life. As the cucumber is liberated from captivity [from its stem], may we [also] be liberated (mukshiya) from death (mrityor)not for the sake of immortality (maamritaat).

Actually OM is not spelled out in the Rig-Veda, but has to be added to the beginning of all Mantras as given in an earlier Mantra of the Rig-Veda addressed to Ganapati.

Om Tryambakam Yajamahe th Mrityor Mukshiiya Maamritat

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ [3]
4. ^ Om

• - Video presentation of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mahtra

• - ॐ Aum/Om