Mahamrutyunjaya Mantra Explained in Shivapurana

 Shiva Purana Book 1, Section 2, Chapter 38, Shlokaas 21 - 34

शुक्र उवाच | 

-- Shukracharya Said

दधीच तात संपूज्य शिवं सर्वेश्वरं प्रभुम् ।
महामृत्युंजयं मन्त्रं श्रौतमग्र्यं वदामि ते ॥ २१ ॥

-- Oh dear dadhicha! After I bow down to Lord Shiva, the lord of everyone, I am going to instruct you the highly potential Vedic mantra Mahāmṛtyuñjaya.

त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे त्रैलोक्यं पितरं प्रभुम् ।
त्रिमण्डलस्य पितरं त्रिगुणस्य महेश्वरम् ॥ २२ ॥

-- We worship the 3-eyed Lord Shiva, the Father and the Lord of the 3 worlds (bhu, bhuvah, svah), the father of the three spheres (vahni mandala, sUrya mandala, chandra mandala), the lord of the three guṇas (satva, rajas, tamas). The supreme Lord. 

त्रितत्त्वस्य त्रिवह्नेश्च त्रिधाभूतस्य सर्वतः ।
त्रिदिवस्य त्रिबाहोश्च त्रिधाभूतस्य सर्वतः ॥ २३ ॥

-- He is the essence of the three Tattvas (brahma tatva, vishnu tatva, shiva tatva), three fires  (गार्हपत्याग्निः,  आहवनीयाग्निः,  दक्षिणाग्निः), of every thing that is a multiple of three. The three heavens, three arms (triangles), everything that is a multiple of three. 

त्रिदेवस्य महादेवः सुगन्धि पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।

सर्वभूतेषु सर्वत्र त्रिगुणेषु कृतौ यथा ॥ २४ ॥

- the greatest of the three deities. He is the fragrance (the virtuous), the nourisher in all living beings, everywhere, in the three Guṇas, in the creation. 

इन्द्रियेषु तथान्येषु देवेषु च गणेषु च ।

पुष्पे सुगन्धिवत्सूरः सुगन्धिममरेश्वरः ॥ २५ ॥

-- He is the fragrance (the virtuous), the nourisher in the sense-organs, in the devas, and gaNAs. He is the essence as the fragrance in a flower. He is the Lord of devas.

पुष्टिश्च प्रकृतेर्यस्मात् पुरुषाद्वै द्विजोत्तम ।
महदादिविशेषान्तविकल्पश्चापि सुव्रत ॥ २६ ॥

- Oh the best among the learned ones, He is called the nourisher because it is from Him the supreme Puruṣa Śiva that the Prakṛti, the different Tattvas from Mahat to the different Indriyas, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, the sages, Indra and the devas derive their nourishment.

विष्णोः पितामहस्यापि मुनीनां च महामुने ।
इन्द्रियस्य च देवानां तस्माद्वै पुष्टिवर्धनः ॥ २७ ॥

-- He is the source of nourishment to Vishnu, Brahma, the sages, great sages, of Indra, and all the devatAs, and that's why he is the "pushTivardhanam" (the Nourisher)

तं देवममृतं रुद्रं कर्मणा तपसापि वा ।
स्वाध्यायेन च योगेन ध्यानेन च प्रजापते ॥ २८ ॥

सत्येनान्येन सूक्ष्माग्रान्मृत्युपाशाद्भवः स्वयं ।
बन्धमोक्षकरो यस्मादुर्वारुकमिव प्रभुः ॥ २९ ॥

- That immortal deity shiva should be meditated upon through sacred rituals, penance, contemplation, yogic practices, meditation, observance of truth and all other means. You will be freed from the noose of Yama. The lord is the cause of both bondage and salvation.

मृतसञ्जीवनीमन्त्रो मम सर्वोत्तमः स्मृतः ।

एवं जपपरः प्रीत्या नियमेन शिवं स्मरन् ॥ ३० ॥

जप्त्वा हूत्वाभिमन्त्र्यैव जलं पिब दिवानिशम् ।

शिवस्य सन्निधौ ध्यान्वा नास्ति मृत्युभयं क्वचित् ॥ ३१ ॥

-- In my opinion this Mṛtasañjīvanī mantra is the most excellent of all. Meditate upon it remembering Śiva with devotion. After Japa, Homa and recitation of the mantras observe fast, but drinking water, day and night. If the meditation is conducted in the presence of Śiva there is no fear of death from anywhere.

कृत्वा न्यासादिकं सर्वं संपूज्य विधिवच्छिवम् ।

संविधायेदं निर्व्यग्रः शङ्करं भक्तवत्सलम् ॥ ३२ ॥

-- Through nyAsa and other rituals worship Shiva according to the prescribed procedures. Shiva who is merciful towards His devotees can thus be pleased. 

ध्यानमस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा ध्यान्वा जपन्मनुम् ।

सिद्धो मन्त्रो भवेद्धीमान् यावच्छम्भुप्रभावतः ॥ ३३ ॥

-- I shall also mention the observance of this meditation. It is after this meditation that the mantra shall be repeated as long as the purpose is realised due to Śiva’s power.

हस्ताम्बुजयुगस्थकुम्भयुगलादुद्धृत्यतोयं शिरस्सिञ्चन्तं

करयोर्युगेन दधतं स्वाङ्केभकुम्भौ करौ ।
अक्षस्रङ्मृगहस्तमम्बुजगतं मूर्द्धस्थचन्द्रस्रवत्त्
पीयूषार्द्रतनुं भजे सगिरिजं त्र्यक्षं च मृत्युं जयम् ॥ ३४ ॥

हस्ताम्बुजयुगस्थकुम्भयुगलात्

• हस्त = hand

• अम्बुज = lotus

• युगस्थ = placed in a pair (yuga = pair, stha = placed)

• कुम्भयुगलात् = from a pair of pots

• उद्धृत्य = having taken out / lifted

• तोयं = water

• शिरस् = on the head

• सिञ्चन्तं = sprinkling / pouring

• करयोः = with two hands

• युगेन = pair

• दधतं = holding

• स्वाङ्के = on own lap

• इभ = elephant

• कुम्भौ = two pots (kumbha = pot)

• करौ = hands

• अक्षस्रक् = rosary (string of beads)

• मृगहस्तं = deer in hand

• अम्बुजगतं = seated on a lotus

• मूर्धन् = on the head

• स्थ = placed

• चन्द्र = moon

• स्रवत् = dripping

• पीयूष = nectar

• आर्द्र = wet / soaked

• तनुं = body

• भजे = I worship

• स-गिरिजं = with Girijā (Parvati)

• त्रि-अक्षं = three-eyed

• च = and

• मृत्युञ्जयम् = the conqueror of death

I worship the three-eyed Lord Shiva, the conqueror of death, who is with Goddess Girijā (Parvati), seated on a lotus, holding a rosary and a deer in his hands, with a pair of pots placed in his lotus-like hands from which he draws water and sprinkles it on the head, placing the pots on his own lap with elephant-like arms, and whose body is moistened with nectar dripping from the moon placed on his head.

Shiva Purana Chapter 38 [Sanskrit text]