Mantra · Shiva (Tryambaka)
Mahamrityunjaya Mantra — Sanskrit, Transliteration & Meaning
By: Rishi Vasishtha (Rigveda 7.59.12)
Best time to recite
Brahma Muhurta (90 minutes before sunrise), Pradosh kaal (90 minutes around sunset), all of Sawan month, all Mondays, Maha Shivratri.
Repetitions
108 times per session — counted on rudraksha mala. 1.25 lakh (125,000) for major anushthana.
About this Mantra
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra ("the great death-conquering mantra") appears in the Rigveda (Mandala 7, Hymn 59, Verse 12) and is one of the oldest and most-revered mantras in the Vedic tradition. It is also called the Tryambakam Mantra after its opening word — Shiva's epithet meaning "the three-eyed one."
The mantra is offered to Tryambaka (Shiva) for protection against untimely death (akāla mṛtyu), recovery from grave illness, and longevity. The Vedic story attached to it tells of sage Markandeya, who chanted this mantra to overcome a foretold death at age 16 — Yama (the god of death) was unable to claim him as long as he was wrapped around the Shivling.
Traditional recitation is 108 times per session, ideally during pradosh kaal (twilight), on Mondays, in the month of Sawan, or during Maha Shivratri. A 40-day continuous recitation (anushthana) is undertaken for serious health concerns. The mantra is also chanted to anoint a Shivling with milk, water, or honey (rudrabhishekam).
Full text
Mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्। उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्॥
Om Tryambakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam. Urvaarukamiva Bandhanaan Mrityormukshiya Maa'mritaat.
Word-by-word meaning
पद-दर-पद अर्थ
Benefits & when to recite
- ✦Protection from untimely death and accidents
- ✦Traditional remedy during grave illness — recited by family or by professional priests
- ✦Recommended during Saturn-related afflictions: Sade Sati, Dhaiya, Shani Mahadasha
- ✦Pairs with Rudrabhishekam — the ritual anointing of a Shivling
- ✦108 times per day for 40 consecutive days for a specific concern (anushthana)
- ✦No restrictions on caste, gender, or initiation — anyone can chant
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