Life is hard, filled with sadness and loss. We experience great love in relationship and sooner or later it ends – by disagreement, sickness, death, or just growing apart. We hurt each other, we hurt ourselves, we hurt the world that we live in. As depressing as this reality is, some of us get through it and are happy.
In just the past 2 months, we have experienced a bombing, shootings, deadly tornadoes, and many of us have had illness, injury and great personal loss. I write this on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, which is the holiday that we have chosen as a country to remember and honor those that we have lost in wars. Yet, somehow we are resilient. We come together, we write tributes, we support each other, we dedicate our lives to those we have lost, and walk the path of healing in so many different ways. We get knocked down repeatedly and we get back up again.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is an ancient chant from India, found in the RigVeda, known as the conqueror of death. It is said to protect against all threats and at the time of death eases the process of release. It is one of the more potent of the ancient mantras, a call for enlightenment and a practice of purifying the karmas of the soul at a deep level. It is beneficial for mental, emotional and physical health. It is also a freedom mantra which bestows longevity and immortality.
Every time I see something upsetting, or I get in a car or plane, I chant this mantra. At the time of my uncle’s burial, I took a rose to my heart and chanted this mantra and then threw the rose into the grave. The flower landed on his heart. It is a very special mantra.
Om tryambakam yajamahe
Sugandhim pushti vardhanam
Urva rukamiva bandhanan
Mrityor mukshiya mamritat
Translation:
Om. We worship the three-eyed One (Lord Siva), who is fragrant and who nourishes well all beings; may he liberate us from death for the sake of immortality even as a cucumber is severed from its bondage (to the creeper).
Phonetic
Om tri-yam-bah-come yah-jah-ma-hey
Sue-gan-dheem push-tea var-dah-nam
Oor-va roo-kah-me-va ban-dah-nan
Mrit-your mook-she-yah mom-ri-tat
Chant this prayer to heal yourself of ailments, to extend healing and protection to another, or as you are traveling to protect yourself.
Learn to chant this pose on my CD Mantra Chanting with Rose
