What Is The Maha Mrityunjaya Puja And Its Significance

1. What Is The Maha Mrityunjaya Puja And Its Significance With the second wave of the pandemic upon us, we once again have had to resort to moving our activities online, be it grocery shopping or even performing pujas. With the recent boom in Online Puja Services, almost every temple in the country now has provisions that allow for darshans and pujas virtually. Whether a Gujarat famous temple, or the Kedarnath shrine in the Himalayas, nearly every big temple is equipped with e-puja services. In fact, though the Somnath temple went digital a few years ago, according to news reports, recent times have seen over 15 crore digital visitors during the month of Shravan as against 28 lakh devotees last year during the same period, owing to the travel restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. With the pandemic showing no signs of ebbing in the near future, the rise in demand for online puja services has increased. Devotees are now rushing to offer their gratitude and prayers to various deities in these uncertain times, drawing strength from their faith. One such puja is the maha mrityunjaya puja which is also available in the form of online puja services Ideally performed during the festival of Maha Shivaratri, when Lord Shiva unites with his consort Parvati and takes on the form of a Linga, the maha mrityunjaya puja is done to grant the doer with a long life, good health and preventing an untimely death. It is hence no surprise that this puja assumes significance at a time like now when several people are undergoing uncertainty regarding their own or their loved ones’ health. According to tales of yore, the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra was bestowed upon a young Rishi Markandeya, who was foretold to have a short life, by Lord Shiva himself. The powerfulness of the mantra is said to have deterred Yama’s messengers from taking Markandeya’s soul from him, prompting Yama to come himself. Yama in turn was defeated by Lord Shiva from taking Markandeya away, thus rendering the Rishi immortal. The name Maha Mrityunjaya puja translates to great victory over death. While the mantra is believed to overcome death, it does not necessarily mean just physical death, but also spiritual death. In fact, according to the ancient Puranas, this mantra was passed on by Rishi Markandeya to Sati, who saved her husband Chandra from Kinga Daksha’s curse of a short lifetime. The mantra is widely believed to have been written by Sage Vasishta, and can be found in the Rigveda. According to several ancient traditions, the mantra not only ensures a long and healthy life, but also negates any negative energy and protects one from coming under the influence of the same in the future as well. Similarly, it is also believed to help one get rid of several doshas on their birth chart or kundali, leading to a health, wealthy and prosperous life.

2. In a typical maha mrityunjaya puja, the mantra is chanted either 51,000 times by 3 pandits, or 1.25 lakh times by 5 pandits. Also, during the period of the puja, it is advised not to eat non-vegetarian food or consume alcohol.