By London Swaminathan
Post No. 950 Date 2nd April 2014.
Ancient Hindu saints loved nature. Hindu saints always used nature to illustrate great truths. They lived a simple life surrounded by beautiful flowering plants, lofty mountains, crystal clear running water and singing birds. Their life was as pure as gold. They composed lot of hymns with very positive thoughts to uplift the mankind. The hymns are universal; common to every human being irrespective of their faiths. The beauty lied in the apt similes they used in their hymns called ‘Mantras’ and’ Slokas’. One such mantra known as — MAHA MRUTYUNJAYA MANTRA–is in the oldest religious literature of the world, the Rig Veda. But the same mantra is in the Rudram-Chamakam hymn of the Yajur Veda as well. Since this Rudram is used every day in the temples and at homes of orthodox Hindus, the Mrutyunjaya mantra was popularised through Rudram.
Sri Rudram has two parts ‘Namakam’ and ‘Chamakam’. Mrutyun Jaya Mantra comes in the Namakam. The most famous mantra NAMASIVAYA comes in the same Rudram for the first time in the Vedas. Following this Namasivaya, comes this short and sweet Maha Mrutyun Jaya Mantra. The meaning is Great Death Conquering Mantra.
(Maha means Great, Mrutyu means death. English words linked to death such as ‘mortal’ came from this root. Jaya means win, conquer. Mantra is a spell, a hymn or a prayer to god).
Hindus believe that mantras are ‘not composed’ but given by god. The seers ‘hear’ it as we hear certain radio stations when we fine tune to particular frequencies. When the Vedic seers fine tuned their minds after a great penance they ‘heard’ the mantras and passed on to us by word of mouth for thousands of years. So the Vedas are called Sruti = That which is ‘heard’. The seer or Rishi for this mantra is Markandeya.
Mrutyun Jaya Mantra is very short. It runs as follows:
(Om) Trayamabakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvaarukamiva Bhandhanaan Mrtyoor Mukshiiya Mamrutaat
The meaning is very simple: We worship the Three Eyed Lord, who is fragrant, who nourishes all living beings. As the ripe cucumber is freed from its bondage (attachment to the plant), May He liberate us from death and give us immortality.
Key Words: Trayambakam= Three Eyed; Sugandhim= Fragrant; Pushtivardhanam= Nourishing; Urvaaruka = Cucumber Fruit; Maa Amrtaat = Give us immortality.
Why did Markandeya Rishi use Cucumber Fruit simile?
Most of the fruits are hanging in the upper part of a tree or a shrub. When it is ripe it falls due to the gravity of the earth. We know the impact of a falling fruit. It creates shock on the earth and if a coconut falls on our heads, it gives us ‘Kapala Moksha! (Straight death). But the beauty of Cucumber plant is, when the fruit is ripe, the stem loosens itself and detach without any impact or fuss! So we pray to god such a smooth detachment when our final minute comes. In the case of other fruits, the fruit is displaced; either it falls to the ground from the top or thrown away. In the case of a cucumber, the fruit never moves even an inch. It stays put.
Cucumber fruit stands for a full life as well. When a ninety or hundred year old person dies in the house, the relatives don’t cry. They know it is the law of nature. Whoever is born must die, but when a person dies after living a full life, we say ‘Good Bye and RIP’ to the departed soul. Cucumber fruit stands for such a ripe old person. Moreover, the way the fruit detaches itself from its stem stands for a peaceful detachment/death. Such a peaceful detachment will release one from the cycle of birth and death. So the prayer is to get released from the bondage of life and death smoothly, as smooth as like the cucumber fruit – stem detachment. The last few words clearly say give me Amrta = sweet nectar of immortality. Amrita in Vedic literature stands for immortality. Every spiritual aspirant knows the famous prayer from the Brihad Aranyaka (Big Forest) Upanishad “ Lead me from the unreal to the Real; Lead me from darkness to Light; Lead me from death to Immortality (Mrtyor Ma Amrtam Gamaya).
In the modern documentaries on Nature we see how a flower blooms or a how a pod ripens in slow motion. We enjoy the marvel at nature. In the olden days there was neither powerful camera nor slow motion display. But yet our ancient seers watched the cucumber detaching from its plant and feeling happiness in slow motion through their third eye or keen observation. The simile the seer chose for this occasion is very apt.
Mrutyunjaya is considered a panacea for all diseases by the Hindus. When they want to get rid of the fear of death they recite it. When they smear Vibhuti on their foreheads and at the start of a journey they recite it just to avoid untimely death. When they want to lengthen the life span of a person they recite it hundreds of times. They even do Homas (Fire Ceremonies) with this mantra. They give water or Vibhuti (holy ash) after reciting this mantra a number of times to ward off diseases. One can easily memorise it and say whenever one feels low or scared.
(Kanchi Paramacharya has dealt with this simile very briefly in in his Madras discourses between 1957 and 1959 )
References to Cucumber in the Vedic Literature:
‘URVAARU’ (Cucumber plant or Cucumber or its fruit)
AV 6-14-2 (Plant)
RV 7-59-12; 14-1-17 (FRUIT)
MAITRAYANI SAMHITA 1-10-4
TAITTIRIYA SAMHITA 1-8-6-2
VAJASANEYI SAMHITA 3-60
PANCHAVIMSA BRAHMANA 9-2-19
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