Japa is the repeated recitation of a mantra. Some mantras are traditionally received through initiation; this page presents textual context, not a substitute for a teacher.
Mantra
Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
महामृत्युञ्जय मन्त्रः
A single Vedic verse addressed to Tryambaka, the three-eyed Shiva, praying that he loosen the bonds of death as a ripe cucumber is freed from its stem, yet leave immortality untouched. Among the most revered of all healing mantras, it is repeated in japa, often in rounds of one hundred and eight, for recovery from illness, long life, and protection from untimely death.
