Intro of Maha Mrityunjaya Homam
Maha Mrityunjaya Homam is a popular homam performed to provide longevity to a person. ‘Mritunjaya’ means the one that is capable of defeating death. At the homam, the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra given to Sage Markandeya by Lord Shiva is chanted by the pandits.
Sage Mrikandu and his wife Marudmati were issueless for long, and they did penance towards Lord Shiva to bear a son. Pleased with their penance, Lord Shiva appeared before them and granted the boon of bearing a child but informed the sage and his wife that the child born to them will have a short lifespan of 16 years but will possess deep knowledge. Sage Mrikandu and his wife accepted Lord’s condition and named their newborn son, Markandeya. The child was very handsome and was impressively knowledgeable, but his parents started worrying as he grew older. As they became very distressed every passing day, Markendeya once asked his parents what was bothering them. The sage and his wife told Markandeya the story of his birth. After that, Markandeya decided to start worshipping Lord Shiva to find a solution to his problem.
Markandeya became a sincere devotee of Lord Shiva, who was delighted with the young boy’s piousness. When Markandeys’s end neared, Yama, the god for death, sent his messengers to bring Markandeya’s life. As Markendeya was offering worship to Lord Shiva, Yama’s men were not able to near him. At last, Yama himself went to take Markandeya’s life and threw his Yamapasa at Markandeya, who embraced the Shiva linga he was worshipping. Lord Shiva emerged from the Shiva Linga and kicked Lord Yama and punished him. Lord Shiva thus saved Markendeya from untimely death, blessed him with immortality, and gave him the knowledge of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra.
The Mrityunjaya Mantra
|| Om tryaMbakam yajAmahe sugandhiM pushTivardhanam |
| urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat ||
Meaning of Mantra
We offer our worship and salutations to the Three-Eyed One (Lord Shiva), who is ever-fragrant (Spiritual Essence) and nourishes all beings. May he severe ourselves from the bondage of Samsara (Worldly Life), like a cucumber that severed from the bondage of its Creeper), and thus Liberate us from the ‘Fear of Death,’ by making us aware that our Atma (Soul) is never separate from the Supreme Consciousness.
Why is Mrityunjaya Homa performed?
The reasons for performing the Mrityunjaya Homam are:
When to Perform Mrityunjaya Homa?
This homa usually happens on Sundays and Mondays. Sundays are ruled by the Sun God, who is in charge of the person’s health, and Mondays are very sacred to Lord Shiva. The best days to perform this homa is Masa Shivratri, Maha Shivaratri, and the Shravanmaas (month of Shravan).
It is ideal for organizing the Maha Mrityunjaya Homa during one’s Janma Nakshatram (Birth Star). It is also advisable to perform this homa if a person is suffering from a prolonged illness.
The astrologers suggest the Maha Mrityunjaya Homa when ‘Maraka Dosha’ is found in a person’s horoscope.
Importance of Mrityunjaya Homam
Maha Mrintyunjay Homam protects a person from accidents, calamities, fears of death, etc. By taking part in this Great Homam and by chanting the Mrityunjaya Mantra, a person is believed to attain Moksha (liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth).
Benefits of Mrityunjaya Homa
Mrityunjaya Homam Pooja Procedure
The following is the pooja procedure of the Mrityunjaya homam
1. Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is chanted 108 times
2. A Japa mala of rudraksha beads are used to count the mantra.
3. Pure flowers are offered to the Shivlinga.
4. Followed by Abhishekam with milk and water.
5. Then pure water is poured into a pot, and Lord Shiva’s blessings are sought (Sankalpa)
6. Lord Shiva is worshipped with lamps, incense, water, Bilva leaves, and fruits.
7. Lastly, Havan is performed at the end of Maha Mrityunjaya Pooja.
The following items are required while performing the Mrityunjaya homam and Pooja
You can reach out to us if you are interested in booking a Mrityunjaya homa for you. To receive the choicest blessings of Lord Shiva and stop fearing about Mrityu.
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