Meditations on Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra (The Chant of Immortality)

India is truly a magical land. As an Indian the aspect that strikes me the most is the matchless Indian Philosophy that sees Divinity in the mundane and Pure Truth in every facet of existence. An unique aspect of Indian Philosophy that I have noticed in almost every school of thought (with possible exception of purely materialistic thought processes such as those of Charvaka) is visualization of the Divine as the One who has both creative and destructive attributes. The eventual destruction of everything that exists is neither considered in a negative light nor is considered final. For with destruction the universe (or as I always like to point out,- multiverse) collapses into a state of suspension from whither the cycle of creation starts anew. Thus the One becomes the single Constant or Nitya of existence, the bedrock which holds up the eternal cycles of creation and dissolution. Lord Shiva, regarded often as destructive aspect of the divine trinity, is therefore seen also as the protector and giver of boons. This apparent contradiction doesn't result in the Philosophy breaking down, for Shiva is existence itself and encompasses all its forms and aspects.

 

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is an example of such a prayer wherein Lord Shiva's healing and protection potentials are meditated upon. It goes thus:

OM! Tryambakam yajamahe Sugandhim pushtivardhanam; Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan- Mrityormuksheeya maamritaat.

Roughly it translates to:

Om. We worship the Three-Eyed One (Lord Shiva), who is naturally fragrant, immensely merciful and who is the Protector of the devotees. Worshipping Him, may we be liberated from death for the sake of immortality just as the ripe cucumber easily separates itself from the binding stalk. By your Grace, Let me be in the state of salvation (Moksha) and be saved from the clutches of fearful death

This childlike plea for protection from death from a powerful deity, however has a much deeper meaning than is immediately apperant. In Indian Philosophy the third eye is associated with pure consciousness even as ignorance and bindings are regarded to be synonymous to death. Immortality is achieved through awakened consciousness. With this back ground, the mantra takes a entirely different meaning (even to someone as ignorant as me). Can it not mean something as follows:

O personification of pure consciousness, who pervades the entire creation as a sweet fragrance of truth, bestow the Amrit (nectar, elixer of life) of Knowledge unto me that I be delivered from the death-like bondage of ignorance.

It is wonderful how the hue changes altogether as soon as the frame of reference is altered slightly. As I sat listening and chanting this mantra last night with my mother, another thought stuck me, does this mantra mean something even deeper and closer. It is the word Sugandhim (fragrant) that fired my limited imagination. The musk deer, found in Northern India, is particularly prized for the fragrance it gives out from its body at maturity. The folklore goes that once it starts giving out its fragrance, the deer itself being unaware where the scent comes from, runs around seeking the source. (There's a Bangla song also on this). While I am not really sure of the authenticity of this behaviour (I mean, c'mon), it makes for a very poignant metaphor for someone who doesn't know his own potential. Adviata claims our union with the one is separated only by our degrees of ignorance. So can this mantra be directed to the One who is within, whose power is evident all around us (First principle) but who we due to our ignorance fail to perceive as the in-dweller in us and everything else. So maybe the mantra means:

O divine one, whose majesty I perceive as the fragrant creation all around me, not realizing that you dwell within me, open thee, my third eye of unalloyed consciousness, so that I realize my own nature as the nectar of immortality and thus gain deliverence from my bondage

Philosophy or rantings? You decide. :) Truth be told, it is in times of challenge that one often remembers the divine and last evening I was quite bothered. In such times I find that meditations are of tremendous help. My father had written a song many years back, which possibly holds true for me. "Aadhare tor rup bujhi Ma, Aaloy tore bhule jai", "O mother I remember you only when it is dark, and forget you in the light of day." Maybe my hunt shall lead me to that paradise where pure consciousness becomes my constant companion. With that shall come deliverence. 

Om Namah Shivaya