Tryambakam Yajamahe in Sanskrit, English with Meaning

Tryambakam Yajamahe

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे
सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥

oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe
sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam .
urvārukamiva bandhanān
mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt ..

We worship Lord Shiva the three-eyed one, the one who is the master of all senses and qualities and the one who is the sustainer of all growth. May he release us from the bondage of death, just as a ripened cucumber is released from its stalk, and may he (not deprive us of immortality) grant us immortality.

Description

The Mrityunjaya Mantra (‘Death-defeating mantra’) also known as the Rudra Mantra or Tryambakam Mantra, is a verse of the Rigveda (RV 7.59.12) addressed to Tryambaka, “The Three-eyed One”, an epithet of Rudra who is identified with Shiva. The verse also recurs in the Yajurveda. The mantra is beneficial for mental, emotional, and physical health and consider it a moksha mantra which bestows longevity and immortality. It is chanted while smearing vibhuti over various parts of the body and utilised in japa (mantra repetition) or homa (religious offering ceremony). This mantra is also from the Sri Rudram, which is a hymn on Lord Śiva.

This verse contains a beautiful metaphor. The urvāruka fruit is a melon which grows on the ground attached to a vine. It takes its time to ripen. When fully ripe, it does not have to be plucked. It detaches itself from effortlessly, remaining where it is, but free from the vine.

Amṛta is total freedom from the sense of all inadequacy and limitation. An essential requirement in gaining amṛta is emotional maturity, which is gained by the process of inner growth, by living a life of values and prayer. This maturing of the mind is likened to the ripening of the fruit.

There is another important aspect in this example. Freedom being the essential nature of the self, the mature mind does not have to seek outside itself to gain this freedom. When a mature mind is exposed to the teaching, it effortlessly comes to recognize that freedom. That is the gain of that which already has been gained. Thus, this is a prayer of mumukṣu, a person who has desires that total freedom and who makes it his main pursuit in life.

It is also a mantra which is traditionally chanted by family and friends for a person who is ill and approaching death. This prayer should be learned and recited using the three svaras, tones that are used in Vedic chanting.

Other Shiva Shlokams

Tryambakam Yajamahe – Shiva – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Translation and Meaning. Commentary for selected Shlokams.