Maha-Mrtyunjaya Mantra - Immortally Mortal
Maha Mrityunjaya mantra
Aum
Tryambhakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityor Mokshiya Maamritat.
AoËm\
”y.bk. yjamhe
sugiN.2 pui*3v2Rnm\|
]vaR=kimv bN2naNm<TyomuzIy
Ma™m<tat\||
(Rg. Veda 7th Mandala, 59th Chapter)
Aum – Wherever Aum is used in Vedas, it is used to indicate the Universe. According to Mandukya
Upanishad . Aum is equivalent to the model of universe, as it is known today.
Tryambakam -Tryambakam indicates the three forces that come out of Amba.
Amba-Nasadiya suktam says at the night of universe, when everything has been consumed into vyom,
amba forms and shines blissfully. The process by which Amba splits, fuses and originates the natural
forces is explained in Nasadiya Suktam. It says the aim of this is to continuously evolve into species of
higher intelligence. The place from which the natural forces originate (the place of fusion between
constituents of Amba) is often referred to as dyuloka in Vedas and Upanishads. Thus dyuloka is said to
be held or supported by Amba.
According to Aitreya Upanishad from Amba which came first, the natural forces that originate are marichi,
maram and Apa. Hence Marichi, Maram and Apa are said to be residing in dyuloka, originating from the
fusion of constituents of Amba. Nasadiya Suktam also says what constitutes this fusion is not known.
Marichi. Marichi is a term used in connection with a particle as well as a field. It is used to denote a field of light,
in particular that of a mirage. It is also used to denote a shining speck of a particle. Aitreya Upanishad says Marichi
forms the Space. Hence Marichi means field or Quanta of a field that forms the space. Space is visualized here as a
field (or combination of fields ..?) that originate from Amba. A Quanta is a manifestation of the field at a particular
point, which occurs when the field manifests itself on matter. This Marichi is often referred to as the first world that
came in Vedas and Upanishads.
Maram. Maram means subjected to change or transformation. In other words, something that is of
mortal form. Anything where change or transformation is perceivable explicitly, it is called mara or of
mortal form. All objects of mara form die or change perceivably. All gross substances that are built up of
particles of matter are of mara form. Hence mara could be interpreted as matter that has a form and is
subjected to change and death. Aitreya Upanishad says Earth was made of Mara, which means that it is
of mortal form and it will die someday. All such stars, rocks and planets which came second are often
referred to as the second world.
Apa. After all of them came the third world that is Apa.
Aitreya Upanishad says Apa is the one that rose
out of the discharge of the virile Semen of Atma. Apa also refers to celestial waters that are supposed to
have originated life.
The three forces of Amba. Simplistically put, the first world of Marichi is the world of physics.
The second world of Maram is the world of Chemistry. The third world of Apa is the world of biology. Thus
Triambakam indicates the three forces (physics, chemistry and biology) that originate from
Amba.
The Fourth one: Guiding force of Purusha- Aitreya Upanishad also describes the
fourth one, Purusha, as the guardian or the guiding force of marichi, maram and Apa. According to
Aitreya, such a Purusha does not interact with any of these and stands apart from any of these, but
guides/protects them in their evolution. It is said to have been released from the agitations of Amba and is
present everywhere.
Purusha could be the dark-matter that is formed along with mara (evolution of matter which I mapped to
chemistry), marichi (quanta of energy that forms various sub-atomic forces which I map to physics) and
Apah (evolution of life which I map to biology) and guides their evolution further.
Yajamahe- Yaj – on its own offers, sacrificially. Amahe – grants, gives Yajamahe means sacrificially
grants, sacrificially offers
Sugandhim Pushivardhanam-
Sugandhim - Ever spreading Pure. Pushti – nourishes
vardhanam – grows. Ever spreading pure Growth and nourishment
.
urvArukam- urVarukam-iva – Like Cucumber plant. Bandhanan – binding, dependent. Mrtyor – death
Moksya – to liberate. Mamritat – (from) mortality
Summary. The Three forces of amba sacrificially offer ever spreading pure growth and nourishment
to the Universe like a cucumber plant (that spreads in all directions), dependent on death to liberate from
mortality (to provide immortality).
Commentary- The key thing is 'Death' is a way to achieve immortality. Death returns the seeds of
life back to Universe. Death gives rise to newer and advanced froms of life and is the basis of
evolution. This law of immortality applies all things that are mortal. Thus through death, immortality is
achieved for living beings.
The Universe grows like a plant nourished by the three forces of Amba, which are forces of physics,
chemistry and biology. Like a fruit that carries the seed of life (which is a manifestation of Apa) is carried
by Prthvi (Earth) and its beings. Indeed the 'concept' of life is applicable to all matter and beings which are
mortal. Hence every matter including Earth, every being including the most primitive undergo death to
remain immortal and evolving.
When a plant dies or when it is eaten/consumed, its seeds get spread in all directions and gives rise to
more lives. Prithvi or Earth which has life or Apa in it could be viewed as a fruit and when it dies, the
seeds of it are carried over to other planets and probably life spreads and thrives there. When a being
dies, it facilitates the evolution of its progeny by not competing for the same resources, while at the same
time handing over its lessons of evolution to the progeny. Death returns the seeds of life back to Earth,
which gives rise to newer, advanced and more adapting forms of life.
Thus Maha Mrtyunjaya Mantra teaches us to see death as a way to be immortal, rather than cringe in fear
about death. Death is not about mortality, but becoming immortal through evolution is the basic concept
of this mantra.
Kewal Ahluwalia.