Mantra · Shiva
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra: meaning, word by word, and how to chant it
The great prayer to Shiva for health, healing and freedom from fear. Its image is gentle: a ripe cucumber slipping from its vine, free and whole.
Listen: Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
A calm computer-voiced recitation over soft music, checked line by line against the text. It is an aid to reading along, not a replacement for a priest or a family elder.
What the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is
Maha Mrityunjaya means “the great victory over death”. The mantra is verse 12 of hymn 59 in the seventh book of the Rigveda, attributed to the sage Vasishtha, and it appears again in the Yajurveda. It is addressed to Tryambaka, “the three-eyed one”, that is Shiva.
Its heart is one image. A cucumber on the vine is held by its stalk; when it is fully ripe it comes away by itself, without being torn. The prayer asks Shiva to free us in the same way, gently, from death and from fear, and not from the deathless. Families chant it when someone is ill, before surgery or a journey, at times of grief, and simply for peace of mind. It is a prayer for strength and calm, not a substitute for medical care.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, with meaning
It is traditionally chanted three times in a row, or 108 times on a mala; the audio recites it once, slowly, so you can repeat after it.
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥
Om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam,
urvarukam iva bandhanan mrityor mukshiya mamritat.
अर्थ: हम तीन नेत्रों वाले शिव की पूजा करते हैं, जो सुगंध से भरे हैं और सबका पोषण बढ़ाते हैं। जैसे पका खीरा अपनी बेल के बंधन से छूट जाता है, वैसे ही वे हमें मृत्यु से मुक्त करें, अमृत से नहीं।
Meaning: We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, who makes all beings grow strong. As a ripe cucumber is freed from its vine, may he free us from death, and not from the deathless.
Word by word
- tryambakam: the three-eyed one, Shiva.
- yajamahe: we worship, we honour.
- sugandhim: fragrant; the one whose goodness spreads like a fragrance.
- pushtivardhanam: who increases nourishment and strength.
- urvarukam iva: like a cucumber (a ripe gourd).
- bandhanat: from its bond, from the stalk that holds it.
- mrityoh mukshiya: may I be freed from death.
- ma amritat: not from the deathless (immortality, lasting life).
How to chant it, step by step
Three rounds take about a minute; a mala of 108 takes about twenty minutes.
- Wash, and sit quietly before a picture of Shiva or a Shivling, or simply facing east or north.
- If you have them, offer water and a bel leaf (bilva) to the Shivling, or light a diya.
- If you are chanting for someone, think of them by name for a moment.
- Chant the mantra slowly, 3, 11 or 108 times, using a rudraksha mala for 108 if you have one.
- Sit in silence for a moment at the end.
Mondays, Pradosh days and the month of Shravan are traditional Shiva times, but this mantra is chanted on any day it is needed. Some families do a long jaap of 1.25 lakh recitations over many days with a priest; for daily use, a few heartfelt rounds are enough.
Questions
When is the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra chanted?
Any time, especially during illness or recovery, before surgery or travel, in grief, and on Mondays and in Shravan. Morning is most common.
Does “mamritat” mean “from immortality”?
It is two words, ma amritat: “not from the deathless”. The prayer asks to be freed from death and fear, but never from the immortal, lasting life.
Can I chant it for someone else?
Yes. Families commonly chant it together for a person who is unwell, keeping that person in mind. It is a prayer of support alongside, never instead of, proper medical care.
How many times should I chant it?
Three, 11 or 108 times. Steady daily chanting matters more than a large number once.
Text and sources
Text: Rigveda 7.59.12 (checked against the Rigveda on Sanskrit Wikisource, with Sayana's commentary) and the same verse in the Krishna Yajurveda (Taittiriya Samhita 1.8.6) and the Shukla Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita 3.60). Om at the start follows common practice; the Vedic accents are left out, as in everyday chanting. The transliteration, word meanings and translation are our own.
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