Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
महामृत्युंजय मंत्र
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is a Vedic prayer to Tryambaka, the three-eyed Shiva, found in the Rig Veda (7.59.12) and again in the Yajurveda. Its seer is Rishi Vasishtha. It asks to be freed from death as easily as a ripe cucumber slips from its vine, and is traditionally chanted 108 times, especially on Mondays and in times of illness or fear.
- 1 verse
- 0.5 min
- Rishi Vasishtha (Rig Veda 7.59.12)
- Best on Monday
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanamॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritatउर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥
Om. We worship the three-eyed Lord, fragrant and the giver of nourishment and strength. As a ripe cucumber is released from its vine, may I be released from the bonds of death, but never from immortality.
- Omthe sacred syllable
- Tryambakamthe three-eyed one (Shiva as Rudra)
- Yajamahewe worship
- Sugandhimfragrant, whose presence is like a sweet fragrance
- Pushtivardhanamwho increases nourishment and strength
- Urvarukama ripe cucumber or melon
- Ivalike, just as
- Bandhanatfrom its bond (the stem)
- Mrityorfrom death
- Mukshiyamay I be freed
- Manot
- Amritatfrom immortality
Complete
You have reached the end of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.
Make it a weekly practice
Adds a weekly event to your phone’s calendar. No sign-up, nothing leaves your device.
Questions
How many times should the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra be chanted?
108 times, which is one full round of a rudraksha mala. When time is short, 11 or 21 times with attention is also traditional. For a special vow, some families have 1.25 lakh japa done with a priest.
What is the best time to chant it?
Early morning after a bath, in Brahma muhurta or at sunrise. Mondays, Pradosh and Maha Shivratri are especially favoured. Tradition also allows it at any hour when someone is ill, travelling or afraid, so families often chant it at a hospital bedside or before a journey.
Where does the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra come from?
The Rig Veda (7.59.12), and its seer is Rishi Vasishtha. The same verse comes again in the Yajurveda. It is addressed to Rudra as Tryambaka, the three-eyed one, whom we worship as Shiva. The Om at the start is added in japa.
Can anyone chant the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra?
Yes. In most homes everyone chants it, women and children included, with no initiation. Some orthodox Vedic lineages prefer that you learn Vedic mantras from a teacher, with the correct svaras.
Source and review
Source: Rig Veda Samhita 7.59.12 (cross-checked with sa.wikisource Rigveda 7.59 with Sayana bhashya); also Shukla Yajurveda Vajasaneyi Samhita 3.60 and Taittiriya Samhita 1.8.6
The opening "ॐ" is added in japa; it is not part of the Rig Veda verse. The Samhita spelling is "मामृतात्" (mā + amṛtāt); many popular prints write "माऽमृतात्" with an avagraha to show the word break. The pronunciation is the same. Some traditions add the vyahritis and bija syllables (the longer "Mritasanjivani" form); we give the plain Vedic mantra.
We checked the text line by line against the sources named here. The meanings are an AI-assisted draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet.
The meanings are our own first draft. A scholar has not reviewed them yet. If you spot a mistake, please tell us.