Answered from scripture
What is the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and its meaning?
In short
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is the 'great death-conquering' mantra to Shiva, drawn from the Rigveda. It prays to be freed — like a ripe fruit slipping from its stem — from fear, bondage, and death, not from life. It is chanted for healing, protection, and courage, for oneself or someone unwell, often 108 times.
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The mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥
oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam, urvārukam-iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt
A healing prayer to Shiva — for release from fear and death, and for wholeness and life.
In depth
Its name joins maha (great), mrityun (death), and jaya (victory): the great victory over death. It addresses Shiva as Tryambaka, the three-eyed, the healer and liberator, asking for release from what binds and frightens us — a freeing into fullness of life, not an escape from it.
Among the most revered of Vedic mantras, it is turned to in illness, danger, and grief. As with any mantra, a calm and sincere heart is the essence; the traditional 108 repetitions on a mala are a support for that steadiness, not a mechanical rule.
Related questions
What is the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra for?
For healing, protection, and release from fear — it invokes Shiva as the conqueror of death, and is often chanted during illness or difficulty, for oneself or others.
Where does the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra come from?
From the Rigveda. It addresses Shiva as Tryambaka, the three-eyed healer, and is one of the most revered mantras of the Vedic tradition.
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