ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्, उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्!!
Lord Shiva is one of the main deities of Hindu religion and millions of Hindus from all over the world are devoted to his worship to seek his blessings. The holiest shrines of Lord Shiva in India are the Jyotirlinga temples at Varanasi, Nashik, Ujjain, Rameshwaram and many other locations.
The scriptures of ancient India are filled with stories, myths, and legends in which philosophy is entwined with devotion. Great personages appear in these tales, among them the sage Markandeya, whose teachings are found in the Markandeya Purana. His text is remembered especially for its account of the glory of the Divine Mother. Markandeya is also acclaimed for his vision of the cosmic deluge, and in the Mahabharata, he is an honoured guest at the forest encampment of the heroic Pandava brothers. But his story begins before his birth.
Childless, the forest-dwelling sage Mrikandu and his wife, Marudvati, undertook a long penance, hoping to earn merit and the boon of a child. They were rewarded with a vision of Lord Shiva, their ishtadevata (the deity of their hearts). After hearing their request, Lord Shiva told them they could either parent a child who would be a brilliant spiritual light but whose life would be a scant sixteen years, or they could raise a long-lived child who would be witless and self-absorbed.
They chose the child with spiritual virtue, and in time Marudvati gave birth to a boy they named Markandeya. The couple decided not to tell him that he would have a short lifespan, but as he approached his sixteenth birthday his parents’ growing sadness betrayed them. And when he asked them to explain their downcast mood, they told him what Lord Shiva had said. Already an accomplished yogi, Markandeya rededicated himself to his practice.
On the day of his sixteenth birthday, Markandeya took refuge in a temple and sat next to a Shiva lingam (a symbol of divine consciousness) to do his worship and meditation. When the messengers of Lord Yama, the lord of death, arrived to take him away, they found him so absorbed in his prayers; they could not complete their mission.
Returning to Yama, they described their dilemma. So Yama himself travelled to the temple to accomplish the task. He urged Markandeya to follow the natural laws of life and death and to come willingly, but Markandeya wrapped his arms around the Shiva lingam and surrendered himself to its protection. Yama threw his noose to gather Markandeya in, but the noose encircled the lingam as well, and immediately, Shiva, dwelling in the image, split the lingam open and emerged in a rage. Yama had thrown his nose too far, for he had no authority to encircle Shiva himself.
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Markandeya-Getting Protected by Lord Shiva
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Yama was killed with a blow from Shiva’s foot as the other gods looked on in dismay. Fearing that Yama’s death would upset the order of the universe, they implored Shiva to bring him back to life—and in the end, Shiva complied. But he pointed out that Markandeya devotion had protected him, and he was therefore blessed to remain a sixteen-year-old sage eternally. The ancient belief is that the realised soul of Markandeya is still moving in the universe.
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Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is one among the oldest and most important Mantra in Indian mythology and spirituality. This mantra belongs to Lord Shiva. It is a combination of three Hindi language words i.e. ‘Maha’, which means great, ‘Mrityun’ means death and ‘Jaya’ means victory, which turns into conquer or victory over death. It is also known as ‘Rudra Mantra’ or ‘Trayambakam Mantra’. The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is said to have been created by Rishi Markandeya. The Moon was once in trouble, cursed by King Daksha. Rishi Markandeya gave the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra to Sati, Daksha's daughter, for the Moon. According to another version, this is the Bija mantra as revealed to Rishi Kahola that was given by Lord Shiva to sage Sukracharya, who taught it to Rishi Dadichi, who gave it to King Kshuva, through whom it reached the Shiva Purana.
Meaning of this mantra
Aum: It is a sacred syllable in Hindu religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
Trayambakam: It means the three-eyed one (accusative case)
Yajamahe: We worship, honour, adore, revere
Sugandhim: Sweet smelling or fragrant (accusative case)
Pushti: Prosperous, thriving, fullness of life
Vardhanam: One, who strengthens, nourishes and causes to increase (in health, wealth, and well-being),
Urvarukamiva: Like the melon or cucumber (accusative case)
Bandhanan: From captivity i.e. from the stem of the cucumber (of the gourd)
Bandhanan: Stands for bound down. If read with urvarukamiva, it means ‘I am bound down just like a cucumber to a vine’.
Mrityor mokshiye: Liberate from death
Maamritat: Ma+amritat = Not+immortality, nectar.
Benefits of chanting Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra:
1. It’s a life-saving Mantra.
2. Chant it with sincerity, faith and devotion.
3. Best time to chant is early morning hours (Brahma Muhurta), around 4.00AM.
4. You can chant anytime, anywhere with pure devotion and love for Lord Shiva.
5. Make it a practice to chant minimum 9 times before you go to the office or leave the house.
6. Make it a practice to chant minimum 9 times before going to bed.
7. Make it a practice to chant at least 3 times before you start driving. Pray to Lord Shiva for a safe drive.
8. Chant 108 times daily to get good health and wealth.
9. Make it a practice to chant 9 times before taking any medicines.
10. Make it a practice to chant once when you apply bhasma or holy ash or vibhuthi or Chandan or kunkum.
11. Take a glass of water, sit facing east, pray to Lord Shiva, close the top of the glass with your right-hand palm, chant the mantra for 1008 times, spray the water inside the house, take few teaspoons and give it to people. You can invoke the energy of Lord Shiva in the water by doing this.
12. Chant as many times possible sitting next to people who are ill or under pain.
13. Regularly chant or play it in a recorder if there is a terminally ill patient around.
14. If your friends or relatives are suffering from cancer, play the mantra or chant regularly to reduce the pain.
15. It is said that chanting of Maha Mrityunjaya generates divine vibrations that ward off all the negative and evil forces and creates a powerful protective shield.
16. Regular chanting will protect you from sudden death, accidents, famine, misfortunes of any kind, calamity and unexplained situations.
17. Maha Mrityunjaya rejuvenates, bestows health, wealth, long life, peace, prosperity and contentment.
18. The healing and nourishing forces enter the human body through foods, medicines, supportive emotions, and encouraging thoughts. The Maha Mrityunjaya mantra attracts these forces and creates an inner environment to enhance their effectiveness.
19. Have faith and Lord Shiva is there to protect you.
How to chant Mahamrityunjaya mantra
· According to Shastras, the best time is early morning (2-4), but if you are unable to do it during this time then after taking a bath and finishing the chores, you need to recite this mantra at least five times a mala.
· Use a Rudraksha mala while chanting the mantra as it is considered auspicious.
· Rudraksha mala will help you keep a tab on the number of times you have recited the mantra. You need to remember that your count cannot be less than the previous day.
· At the time of Jaap, you need to concentrate fully on the sound vibrations of the mantra and meditate on the mantra’s meaning. Don’t allow your mind to wander or external factors to distract you.
· It is ideal if there is Shiva’s idol, Shiva linga or Mahamrityunjaya yantra next to you while you are chanting the mantra.
· If you leave non-vegetarian food and chant the mantra, you will see the results soon.
