Lyrics · Meaning · Audio
The great “death-conquering” mantra from the Rig Veda — a prayer to the three-eyed Shiva to be released from fear and death like a ripe fruit falling gently from its vine.
Rig Veda 7.59.12, seen by the sage Vasishtha
Listen
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
Son of Kali · Mahashivaratri Mantras
Each line shows an easy way to say it, with its English meaning. Turn on the Sanskrit, the exact pronunciation or the word-by-word meaning whenever you want to go deeper.
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe
Om — we worship the three-eyed one,
सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
Sugandhim Pushti-Vardhanam
sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam
who is fragrant and makes all life flourish.
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्
Urvarukam-Iva Bandhanan
urvārukam iva bandhanān
Like a ripe cucumber freed from its vine,
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat
mṛtyor mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt
may I be freed from death — but never from immortality.
Maha Mrityunjaya means “the great victory over death.” The mantra is far older than most Hindu prayers: it comes from the Rig Veda (book 7, hymn 59, verse 12), where it is credited to the sage Vasishtha, and it is repeated in the Yajurveda. For thousands of years it has been chanted for healing, for protection, and at the bedside of the sick and the dying.
Its central image is beautifully gentle. A cucumber or gourd ripening on the vine does not need to be torn off — when it is ready, it simply releases from the stem. The prayer asks for that kind of freedom: to let go of fear, attachment and death naturally, without violence, while never being separated from the deathless (amṛta), our eternal nature.
The mantra is addressed to Tryambaka, “the three-eyed one” — Shiva, whose third eye sees past the surface of things. The word sugandhim, “fragrant,” is a lovely detail: the divine is pictured not as frightening but as a sweet fragrance that pervades everything and nourishes all life.
A childless couple prayed to Shiva and were offered a choice: a long-lived son of ordinary gifts, or a brilliant, saintly son who would live only sixteen years. They chose the saint, and named him Markandeya.
On his sixteenth birthday Yama, the lord of death, came for him. Markandeya threw his arms around a Shiva Linga and kept chanting. When Yama cast his noose, it fell around both the boy and the Linga — and Shiva burst out of the stone in fury, struck Yama down, and granted Markandeya eternal youth. That is why Shiva is called Mrityunjaya, the conqueror of death, and why this mantra is tied to Markandeya’s story.
The image of the urvāruka — a cucumber or melon — is one of the most loved metaphors in the Vedas. An unripe fruit clings tightly to the vine and has to be ripped away. A ripe one lets go by itself.
The mantra is read as a prayer for spiritual ripeness: to mature so fully in wisdom and love that, when the time comes, we leave our bonds behind easily, without struggle or fear.
When to chant
How many times
108 times on a rudraksha mala is traditional. In times of illness families often keep a vow of 108 a day, or a total of 125,000 shared among many people.
Sit facing east if you can, with a glass of water in front of you — traditionally it is sipped or offered after chanting.
Listen to the recording once and follow the English meaning.
Chant slowly, one line per breath, feeling each image: the three eyes, the fragrance, the ripe fruit releasing.
Keep count on a mala, moving one bead per full mantra.
Finish by holding the person or situation you are praying for in your heart for a moment of silence.
The sounds that trip people up most in this hymn, and how to say them.
tryam — tryambakam
One quick syllable: “tryum”, not “tri-yum”: tryum-ba-kum.
ā — yajāmahe
The long “aa” is held: ya-JAA-ma-hey.
ṣṭ — puṣṭi
Tongue curled back for “sht”: push-ti.
mṛ — mṛtyor
The ṛ is a short rolled “ri”: mri-tyor.
kṣ — mukṣīya
Said “ksh”: muk-shee-ya.
mā'mṛtāt
Two words run together — mā + amṛtāt — said “maam-ri-taat”.
The music
by Son of Kali
What is the meaning of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra?
“We worship the three-eyed one, who is fragrant and nourishes all beings. Like a ripe cucumber freed from its vine, may we be freed from death — but not from immortality.” It is a prayer for release from fear and death while staying connected to our eternal nature.
Where does the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra come from?
It is verse 12 of hymn 59 in book 7 of the Rig Veda, credited to the sage Vasishtha, and it also appears in the Yajurveda. That makes it more than three thousand years old.
What are the benefits of chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra?
Traditionally it is chanted for healing, protection, a long life and freedom from the fear of death. Many people also use it simply as a calming meditation in difficult times. It is a prayer, not a replacement for medical care.
When should the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra be chanted?
Any time, but early morning before sunrise, Mondays and Maha Shivaratri are considered especially auspicious. It is also chanted for someone who is ill or before a journey.
How many times should I chant it?
108 repetitions on a mala is the traditional practice. Even chanting it 3, 11 or 21 times slowly and attentively is meaningful.