Understanding the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

It is very important to understand the meaning of the words as this makes the repetition meaningful and brings forth the results.

OM is not spelt 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.

मंत्र लाभ -
महामृतुन्ज्य मंत्र जीवन प्रदान करता है (अकाल मृत्यु, दुर्घटना इत्यादि). यह मंत्र सर्प एवम विच्छू के काटने पर भी अपना पूरा प्रभाव रखता है. इस मंत्र का महत्वपूर्ण लाभ है कठिन एवम असाध्य रोगों पर विजय प्राप्त करना. यह मन्त्र हर बीमारी को भगाने का बड़ा शस्त्र है.

भावार्थ -
हम भगवान शंकर की पूजा करते हैं, जिनके तीन नेत्र हैं, जो प्रत्येक श्वांस मैं जीवन शक्ति भर रहे है उनसे हमारी प्रार्थना है की वे हमें मृत्यु के बंधनों से मुक्त कर दें, जिससे मोक्ष की प्राप्ति हो जाए. जिस प्रकार एक ककड़ी बेल मैं पक जाने के बाद उस बेल रुपी संसार के बन्धन से मुक्त हो जाती है, उसी प्रकार हम भी इस संसार रुपी बेल मैं पक जाने के बाद जन्म-मृत्यु के बंधनों से सदैव के लिए मुक्त हो जायें और आपके चरणों की अमृत-धारा का पान करते हुए शरीर को त्याग कर आप मैं मीन हो जायें.

TRYAMBAKKAM refers to the Three eyes of Lord Shiva. 'Trya' means 'Three' and 'Ambakam' means eyes. These three eyes or sources of enlightenment are the Trimurti or three primary deities, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the three 'AMBA' (also meaning Mother or Shakti' are Saraswati, Lakshmi and Gouri. Thus in this word, we are referring to God as Omniscient (Brahma), Omnipresent (Vishnu) and Omnipotent (Shiva). This is the wisdom of Brihaspati and is referred to as Sri Duttatreya having three heads of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

YAJAMAHE means, "We sing Thy praise".

SUGANDHIM refers to His fragrance (of knowledge, presence and strength i.e. three aspects) as being the best and always spreading around. Fragrance refers to the joy that we get on knowing, seeing or feeling His virtuous deeds.

PUSTIVARDHANAM Pooshan refers to Him as the sustainer of this world and in this manner, He is the Father (Pater) of all. Pooshan is also the inner impeller of all knowledge and is thus Savitur or the Sun and also symbolizes Brahma the Omniscient Creator. In this manner He is also the Father (Genitor) of all.

URVAAROKAMEVA 'URVA' means "VISHAL" or big and powerful or deadly. 'AAROOKAM' means 'Disease'. Thus URVAROOKA means deadly and overpowering diseases. (The CUCUMBER interpretation given in various places is also correct for the word URVAROOKAM). 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).

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

MRITYORMOOKSHEYA means to deliver us from death (both premature death in this Physical world and from the neverending cycle of deaths due to re-birth) for the sake of Mokshya (Nirvana or final emancipation from re-birth).

MAAMRITAAT means 'please give me some Amritam (life rejuvinating nectar). Read with the previous word, it means that we are praying for some 'Amrit' to get out of the death inflicting diseases as well as the cycle of re-birth.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra