Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityur Mukshiya Mamritaat

I first came across the Mahamrityunjaya mantra – the death-conquering mantra – when my dear friend told me about her dad dying. He had been ill for a while, but his last few hours were very tough and my friend was at his bedside. She described how he struggled with his breath, wrestled painfully to hold on to life. It was heartbreaking. She sang the ‘Om Tryambakam Yajamahe’ mantra to him, to help him surrender and let go. And he did. As Jen sang to him, he let go of his physical body.

Total surrender

How tough that must be! To let go of all that this consciousness has ever known, to surrender totally to the unknown. And how much trust must the vibration and intention of ‘Om Trayambakam Yajamahe’ wrap you in, to help you release everything. Absolutely. Every. Thing.

So as well as helping souls to pass over, the Mahamrityunjaya mantra brings with it LIFE. As you let go of things that you may have held on to for too long – the job, the relationship, the home, the things that bring ‘security’ but that Marie Kondo would stamp her feet about – you embrace infinite potential and possibility!

So for those of us who are fearful of letting go, or don’t know how to let go, or who are terrified about not being able to see what’s beneath the next step, ‘Om Trayambakam Yajamahe’ gives the strength and courage to drop it and move forward. And in doing so, this mantra nourishes our soul’s continuous evolution, and supports it to spontaneously express itself.

My experience

I’ve been chanting ‘Om Trayambakam Yajamahe’ daily for 31 minutes for 40 days, with my arms raised in a circle around my head for blessing. One of the things I’ve noticed is the incredible sense of openness this mantra has brought with it. I’m embracing life in all its diversity and all its craziness, and I feel very grounded and safe in the midst of it all. Being a Taurus, I find change challenging. But this mantra brings with it a sweet courage to accept everything with open-hearted trust, and it really does help keep in check that nervous, judgey little voice from the negative mind that prefers the safety of the known, the tried and tested.

‘Om Tryambakam Yajamahe’ really feels like a balm for my soul. And when I told Jen about it, she reminded me of the meaning: to allow the ripe, heavy cucumber fall from the vine. Ha!

Here’s a really beautiful version by Reema Datta:

And one that’s very easy to chant along with:

Sat nam x

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