WHAT IS THE MEANING OF MAHA MRITYUNJAY MAHAMANTRA
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushthi Vardhanam
UrvaRukamiv bandhanat
Mrytyor Muksheeya Mamritat ||
It is 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.
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
symbolises Brahma the Omniscient Creator. In this manner He is also the Father
(Genitor) of all.
URVAAROKAMEVA: 'URVA' means "VISHAL" or big and powerful . 'AAROOKAM'
means 'Disease'. Thus URVAROOKA means deadly and overpowering diseases. 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).
BANDANAAM: 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 deaths in this Physical
world and from the never-ending 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 rejuvenating 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.