P.J.
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Mahamrityunjay Mantra,
Om tryambakam yajaamahe
sugandhim pushthivardhanam;
Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan
Mrityormuksheeya maamritaat.
The literal meaning of the mantra is as follows: “We worship the three-eyed one (Lord Shiva) who is fragrant (in a state of supreme bliss), and who sustains all living beings. May he liberate us from the eternal cycle of birth and thereby death. May he lead us to immortality, just as the ripe cucumber is released from its bondage (the vine to which it is attached).”
If one observes the plucking of raw cucumber from the vine, one can see how the vegetable is attached to the stem with a network of raw fibre, needing physical effort of twisting hard, holding the vegetable, with juice oozing out of the attachment. On the other hand, in the case of a ripe cucumber fruit, the fiber attaching the fruit to the branch, is feeble and requires lesser effort to pluck. A fully ripe fruit slowly gets detached and falls to the ground.
Releasing from the Cycle of Birth and Death
'Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanaan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat'
'Tryambakam' refers to the three eyes of Lord Shiva. 'Trya' means 'Three' and Ambakam' means eyes. These three eyes or sources of enlightenment are the Trimurti or three primary deities, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the three 'AMBA' (also meaning Mother or Shakti' are Saraswati, Lakshmi and Gouri. Thus in this word, we are referring to God as Omniscient (Brahma), Omnipresent (Vishnu) and Omnipotent (Shiva). This is the wisdom of Brihaspati and is referred to as Sri Duttatreya having three heads of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
'Yajamahe' means, "We sing Thy praise".
'Sugandhim' refers to His fragrance (of knowledge, presence and strength i.e. three aspects) as being the best and always spreading around. Fragrance refers to the joy that we get on knowing, seeing or feeling His virtuous deeds.
'Pushtivardhanam' refers to Him as the sustainer of this world and in this manner, He is the Father (Pater) of all. Pooshan is also the inner impeller of all knowledge and is thus Savitur or the Sun and also symbolises Brahma the Omniscient Creator. In this manner He is also the Father (Genitor) of all.
'Urvarukamiva': 'Urva' means "Vishal" or big and powerful. 'Aarookam' means 'Disease'. Thus 'Urvarooka' means deadly and overpowering diseases. The diseases are also of three kinds caused by the influence (in the negative) of the three Guna's and are ignorance (Avidya etc), falsehood (Asat etc as even though Vishnu is everywhere, we fail to perceive Him and are guided by our sight and other senses) and weaknesses (Shadripu etc. a constraint of this physical body and Shiva is all powerful).
'Bandhanaan' means bound down. Thus read with 'Urvarookamiva', it means 'I am bound down by deadly and overpowering diseases'.
Mrityor Mukshiya' means to deliver us from death (both premature deaths in this Physical world and from the never-ending cycle of deaths due to re-birth) for the sake of Moksha (Nirvana or final emancipation from re-birth).
'Maamritat' means please give me some Amritam (life rejuvenating nectar). Read with the previous word, it means that we are praying for some 'Amrit' to get out of the death inflicting diseases as well as the cycle of re-birth.
Collected from various sources
My sources
http://greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_shiva-mahamrityunjaya_mantra.php
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2007/ajan07/mrit.shtml
http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/shiva-mantra-siddhi-jaap_193.html5
http://www.shivashantiyoga.com/Blog/?p=23
https://beta.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/srijagannath/conversations/topics/2
yahoo answers
and few more
Om tryambakam yajaamahe
sugandhim pushthivardhanam;
Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan
Mrityormuksheeya maamritaat.
The literal meaning of the mantra is as follows: “We worship the three-eyed one (Lord Shiva) who is fragrant (in a state of supreme bliss), and who sustains all living beings. May he liberate us from the eternal cycle of birth and thereby death. May he lead us to immortality, just as the ripe cucumber is released from its bondage (the vine to which it is attached).”
If one observes the plucking of raw cucumber from the vine, one can see how the vegetable is attached to the stem with a network of raw fibre, needing physical effort of twisting hard, holding the vegetable, with juice oozing out of the attachment. On the other hand, in the case of a ripe cucumber fruit, the fiber attaching the fruit to the branch, is feeble and requires lesser effort to pluck. A fully ripe fruit slowly gets detached and falls to the ground.
Releasing from the Cycle of Birth and Death
'Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanaan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat'
'Tryambakam' refers to the three eyes of Lord Shiva. 'Trya' means 'Three' and Ambakam' means eyes. These three eyes or sources of enlightenment are the Trimurti or three primary deities, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the three 'AMBA' (also meaning Mother or Shakti' are Saraswati, Lakshmi and Gouri. Thus in this word, we are referring to God as Omniscient (Brahma), Omnipresent (Vishnu) and Omnipotent (Shiva). This is the wisdom of Brihaspati and is referred to as Sri Duttatreya having three heads of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
'Yajamahe' means, "We sing Thy praise".
'Sugandhim' refers to His fragrance (of knowledge, presence and strength i.e. three aspects) as being the best and always spreading around. Fragrance refers to the joy that we get on knowing, seeing or feeling His virtuous deeds.
'Pushtivardhanam' refers to Him as the sustainer of this world and in this manner, He is the Father (Pater) of all. Pooshan is also the inner impeller of all knowledge and is thus Savitur or the Sun and also symbolises Brahma the Omniscient Creator. In this manner He is also the Father (Genitor) of all.
'Urvarukamiva': 'Urva' means "Vishal" or big and powerful. 'Aarookam' means 'Disease'. Thus 'Urvarooka' means deadly and overpowering diseases. The diseases are also of three kinds caused by the influence (in the negative) of the three Guna's and are ignorance (Avidya etc), falsehood (Asat etc as even though Vishnu is everywhere, we fail to perceive Him and are guided by our sight and other senses) and weaknesses (Shadripu etc. a constraint of this physical body and Shiva is all powerful).
'Bandhanaan' means bound down. Thus read with 'Urvarookamiva', it means 'I am bound down by deadly and overpowering diseases'.
Mrityor Mukshiya' means to deliver us from death (both premature deaths in this Physical world and from the never-ending cycle of deaths due to re-birth) for the sake of Moksha (Nirvana or final emancipation from re-birth).
'Maamritat' means please give me some Amritam (life rejuvenating nectar). Read with the previous word, it means that we are praying for some 'Amrit' to get out of the death inflicting diseases as well as the cycle of re-birth.
Collected from various sources
My sources
http://greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_shiva-mahamrityunjaya_mantra.php
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2007/ajan07/mrit.shtml
http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/shiva-mantra-siddhi-jaap_193.html5
http://www.shivashantiyoga.com/Blog/?p=23
https://beta.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/srijagannath/conversations/topics/2
yahoo answers
and few more
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