Mrityunjaya Mantra

"SRath "
SRath wrote:

JAYA JAGANNATH

Dear Gautam,

The Mahamrutunjaya Mantra Reads: OM TRYAMBAKKAM YAJAMAHE SUGANDHIM PUSTIVARDHANAM URVAROOKAMEVA BANDANAAN MRITYORMOKSHEEYA MAAMRITAAT.

OM is not given in the Rig Veda, but has to be added to the begining of all Mantras as given in an earlier Mantra of the Rig Veda addressed to Ganapati. This Mantra is given in the Prayer page of my Book Maharishi Jaimini's Upadesa Sutra.

TRYAMBAKKAM refers to the Three eyes of Lord Sadashiva. Trya means Three and Ambakam means eyes. These three eyes or sources of enlightenment are the Trimurti 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 vision 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..three aspects) as being the best and always spreading around. Gautamji has interpreted this very correctly as: Sugandhim (Prasarit Punya Kirtim, that is Whose virtuous deeds are spread to all four sides)

PUSTIVARDHANAM: Pooshanam refers to Him as the sustainer of this world and in this manner, He is the Father of all. Gautamji has given an excellent interpretation as seed of the World. Gautamji wrote:- Pustivardhanam ( Seed of the world, one who increases the number of worshippers or one who increases the Shakti or power such as Anima, Garima etc.)

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

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 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.

Hare Krishna,
Sanjay Rath
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