Is Mrityunjaya Mantra Powerful?

“Can Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra (a Vedic hymn) defy death and cure us from diseases, Udayji?”

“I asked my son to recite Lord Shiva’s Mrutunjaya Mantra. He says it doesn’t have any logic in it…May I request you to explain the science behind it, as you say all Vedic scriptures are scientific”

“You know Uday, our great thinker Rishi Markandeya has written this Mritunjaya mantra for people who want to conquer over untimely death in life. The Mrithunjaya Homam (haven) will prevent premature deaths due to health problems, accidents, injuries, etc…”

In my humble opinion, all these statements pop up from some misunderstanding.

To start with, Shiva is not a Vedic God. Lord Shiva is a Puranic concept of God and not a real person. (See Is Shiva For Real?)

There are absolutely NO thinkers among Hindu Sages. They were NOT writers. Mantras are recited as they see it or experience it. That experience surpasses mind. With limited conditioned mind we cannot experience the cosmos. Thinking happens with mind only. So, they were not thinkers. They recited in the state of being oneness and those who heard it repeated. Mantras were written down thousands of years later.

The mantra (Rig-Veda, Mandala 7, Hymn 59) is clearly attributed to the rishi Vashishta – one of the Saptarishis. Hence the mantra is not written by Markandeya.

Nothing can defy death. This mantra cannot be for personal selfish benefits.

The Vedic meaning of Mrityu, according to experts, is not death. It is pain (physical and mental) arising from bondage with the attached.

So instead of blindly following nonsense, let’s check step by step about what’s the real meaning of the Tryambaka mantra (which is known as Mrityunjaya Mantra). What’s the logic and scientific aspects of this mantra?

This is the mantra:

“Om Tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam, Urvaru kameeva bandhanan mrityormukshiya mamratat!”

Now, the Mantra starts with Om.

Om – “Infinite” – of no defined shape – known as “Ongkaaram” in vernacular languages and “Pranavam” in Sanskrit. Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m. It is said, “Pranavo dhanu hu”, means Omkara is represented with bow. So with reciting Om you are producing three different sound frequencies which are targeting three worlds.

Tryambaka: Which are those three worlds? The next word explains that. The word “Tryambaka” was popularly attributed to Shiva. As I said, Shiva or the three-eyed is added later to this context. The Vedic meaning of Tryambaka is pervading the three worlds.

World 1: Jagrat – related to earth. The world as we experience through the five senses. The world which we see as real.
World 2: Swapnam – The world we create or a world that we dream of. Laymen like us call it “swargom” (Heaven) as it represents just a good dream today.
World 3: Sushupthi – A state of deep sleep. You are in the territory of the unknown and uncanny. Laymen call it Pathala (Hell is not the actual meaning)

According to some experts these worlds can also be narrated as mano-lokam (the experiencing world), adholokam (underworld = non-dharmic world) and urdhalokam (upper world = dharmic world)
In short we take the bow and aim at all these three worlds.

Yajamahe – we do offerings (upasana). Note – There is no “I”. It is for US and by US. So this is not a selfish personal prayer.

Su-gandhim: our lives to become fragrant with dharmic deeds

Pushti-vardhanam: well nourished (let it strengthen and increase)

Urvarukam-iva: like field yielding crop – like a melon (or cucumber) tied through vine to the plant (which will naturally fall off the vine upon ripening)

Bandhanat = we are also connected (like the melon) to these worlds with a vine

Mrtyoh: “From bondage of pain or pain derives from attachment”

Mukshiya: “Be released, attain moksha.”

Ma-amrtat: “May I never again be parted from amrta (immortality)

When a melon (or cucumber) becomes ripen it will naturally get separated from its plant. Similarly, please bless me to detach from the three world (which are unreal) and grant me immortality (being one with cosmic).

It’s the most beautiful and profound mantra after the Gayatri mantra. The prayer has logic, reasoning and scientific base, right? It doesn’t call for any miracle. Everyone can recite it. But first we need to understand that the Hindu sages saw the entire world as one, so all prayers are for the world and not the likes of “God Save My Ass” which came to India from outside.

“Udayji, so is it wrong to imagine Lord Shiva while reciting it?”

“I do see Lord Shiva while reciting this mantra. I have limited brain and I need an image. My mind and intellect have lot of limitations. And Shiva is an apt form here – he represents the three worlds.”
“How is he representing 3 worlds?”

“Shiva represents energy transformation – the cosmic dance. There are three stages – one destruction of one form of energy, processing towards the next one (time) and creation of the new form of energy.
These three processes are one, though we explain it as three. When you burn a paper to ash, the process is one, but there are three stages or states. Shiva also means mangalam (Auspicious). So let’s pray to Shiva for an auspicious life.”

“But Uday, what about its co-relation with untimely death. Millions believe that this mantra prevents untimely death.”

“There is nothing like untimely death. Your date of death is your time. And no mantra and no God can save you from death. It’s the only truth after birth. Do you think our Vedic sages didn’t know this simple truth to lure you with such fraudulent prayers?”

“So, how to use this mantra? What time we should recite this?”

“There is no hard and fast rule. This is Sanatan Dharma and it is not a prescriptive or commanding cult or religion. You can recite it whenever, wherever possible. If your disease is curable, visit a good doctor, follow his advise and heal it. It’s great if you recite this mantra also. It will give you a psychological support.”

If it is an incurable disease, there is no point in going to a mechanic (doctor), instead, go directly to the manufacturer. Who is your manufacturer? The DNA.

It’s said that the DNA can be altered using some sounds in specific frequency. Though it is not scientifically proven, our sages revealed their experiences as mantras. We can trust our ancestors – is there any other go in such situation? So try it.

If you recite it with dedication, devotion and determination, many things can happen in your life provided other appropriate Karmic deeds are also in place. Probably, this mantra can alter your brain mapping and thus change the modes of hormones production or even work on your DNA. Who knows? Today’s science has no way of knowing it. But our experienced sages say it has the power. So why can’t you give it a try?

“Uday, you didn’t tell about homam (haven)!”

“As far as homam (havan or fire offering) is concerned I have serious reservations. Apart from making the greedy priests and fake astrologers rich, it will seldom help you – especially when the samagris (things offered to the fire) used are Chinese products, artificial products, duplicate material, paraffin oil and petroleum and plastic products. Such homam can create serious harm and backlash.