Informative

Decoding the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra: Origin, Meaning, and Benefits

Lord Mahadev has the highest position among all the deities in Sanatan Dharma. He is called Mahakal, the Lord of endings. By his grace, even death can do no harm to a human being. Many miraculous mantras of Lord Shiva have been described in the scriptures. One of these is the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra.

मृत्युर्विनिर्जितो यस्मात् तस्मान्मृत्युंजयः स्मृतः या मृत्युंजयति इति मृत्युंजय|

Mrityurvinirjito Yasmat Tasmanmrityunjayah Smritah Ya Mrityunjayati Iti Mrityunjay|

The one who conquers death is called Mrityunjaya.

Please note, that this isn’t the MahaMrityunjay Mantra. This is just the definition of Mrityunjay. 

Maha Mrityunjay mantra is one of lord Shiva’s most ancient, potent, and sacred mantras, yielding many benefits. In this blog, we discuss its origin, decode it and understand its benefits. 

Origin

According to legend, once upon a time, sage Markandya did severe penance to Lord Shiva to be blessed with a child. Pleased with the penance of his devotee, Lord Shiva gave a boon to sage Markandya to get a son, going against the universal plan. While blessing him, Lord Shiva told sage Markandya that this son would be short-lived. After some time, Rishi Markandya was blessed with a son with a very keen intellect. After the birth of a son, the sages told Markandya that the age of this child would be only 16 years. On hearing this, sage Markandya was filled with sadness.

The sage named his son Markandeya and also gave him the Shiva mantra. Markandeya was always engrossed in devotion to Shiva. Time passed, and Markandeya grew up. When the time came, sage Markandya told his son Markandeya about his short life. Along with this, he said that if Shivji wants, he will postpone it.

To remove the sorrow of his parents, Markandeya started worshiping Lord Shiva to get the boon of longevity from Lord Shiva. To worship Lord Shiva, Markandeya composed the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra and started chanting it continuously, sitting in the Shiva temple. When Markandeya’s time was over, the Yamaraj (Lord of Death) came to take his life. Still, at that time, Markandeya was busy with the penance of Lord Shiva. As soon as YamaRaj put his noose on Markandeya to take his life, the child Markandeya hugged the Shivling.

Mahadev became furious over Yamraj’s aggression and appeared before him to protect his devotee. Yamdev reminded him of the rule of nature, and Markandeya’s time was over. Still, Bholenath changed the law by giving Markandeya the boon of longevity.

In this way, Markandeya composed the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra while engrossed in Lord Shiva’s devotion, and Lord Shiva saved his life from Yamraj. Since then, the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra has been called the death-averting mantra.

Decoding the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra

ॐ हौं जूं स: ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॐ स्व: भुव: भू: ॐ स: जूं हौं ॐ !!

Om Haum Joom Sah: Om Bhur Bhuva: Sva: Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanaan Mrityormukshiyaa Maamritat Om Sva: Bhuva: Bhu: Om Sa: Jum Haum Om !!

Trayambakam- The one with three eyes

Yajamahe- We worship, we respect. We respect.

Sugandhim- sweet-smelling, fragrant.

Pushti- a well-nourished condition, a fruitful person. The fullness of life

Vardhanam- He who nourishes, gives strength.

Urvarak- cucumber.

Miva- like, thus.

Bandhanatra- is actually longer than the termination.

Mrityu- from death

Mokshiya- set us free, give us liberation.

Amritat- immortality, salvation.

The meaning of the mantra is, “We worship Lord Shiva, who has three eyes, who infuses life force into every breath and sustains the entire universe.”

It is imperative to chant the pronunciation of each word in the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra accurately because each word is this mantra in the pronunciation itself. Each word mentioned in this mantra carries the meaning of a potent Beej Mantra in itself.

Benefits of chanting the Maha Mrityunjay mantra

Untimely death is averted by chanting the Maha Mrityunjay mantra and following the rules and regulations. Diseases, grief, fear, etc., are destroyed, and a person receives the gift of excellent health. While taking a bath, if you chant the Maha Mrityunjay mantra while pouring water on the body, you can eliminate skin-related problems.

If there is any apprehension of any evil, it has been mentioned in the scriptures to chant the Maha Mrityunjay mantra for its prevention and peace. This mantra is one of the favorite mantras of Lord Mahadev, and the devotee becomes free from any diseases and enjoys a long life when they please Mahadev with this mantra.

According to astrology, Shani Dev is the bringer of sorrow, calamity, or death and the God of prevention because Shani gives fruits to people according to their Karma. According to the scriptures, Markandeya’s life was very short. Still, by chanting the Maha Mrityunjay mantra, he received Mahadev’s blessings and the boon of being immortal. Lord Shiva is also the Guru of Shani Dev, so by chanting the Maha Mrityunjay mantra, pains related to Shani can be reduced.

How many times should one chant the Maha Mrityunjay mantra?
1100 times to get rid of fear.
11000 times to get rid of diseases.
To become a parent, for progress, and to avoid premature death, it is recommended to chant the mantra 125 thousand times. If the seeker does this practice with complete devotion and faith, there is a strong possibility of getting the desired results.

Note: Devotes can also get mantra chanting and rituals done by their own Brahmin/Purohit, adhering to the proper rules and regulations. People who cannot chant and complete the rituals of the Maha Mrityunjay mantra with complete rules and regulations can also contact us for further guidance. We hope this blog helped you understand the story and benefits of the Maha Mrityunjay mantra.

Even though plenty of literature is available on mantra chanting and meditation, it is highly recommended that one learn these steps under the supervision of a Guru. Everyone has unique spirituality, personality, and experiences. One solution cannot fit all; therefore, it is imperative to seek guidance from spiritual experts to get that special mantra and meditation method crafted exclusively for you. And hence, we recommend you practice these mantra chanting methods mentioned above under the guidance of an expert. 

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