Chapter 54 - Worship with Triyambaka mantra

Sūta said:

1. With the Triyambka^[1] mantra one shall worship the three-eyed lord of Devas in a Bāṇaliṅga or in a self-born Liṅga.

2-6. Those who wish to prolong their lives and those who are conversant with the Vedas shall worship Śiva with a thousand and eight white lotuses or a thousand red lotuses or a thousand blue lotuses. After the worship one shall give milk pudding, cooked rice soaked in ghee, cooked green gram and rice mixed with honey, fragrant sweets and other edibles. He shall perform Homa in the fire with the flowers mentioned before as well as with Caru in particular. He shall perform japa a hundred thousand times and perfectly conclude everything in due order. He shall then feed a thousand brahmins and offer them Dakṣiṇās. After giving a thousand cows he shall in the end give gold also.

7-8. Thus, everything including the secret doctrines has been succinctly mentioned to you. This had been formerly mentioned to Skanda of unmeasured splendour on the top of the mountain Meru by the trident-holding Śiva, the lord of Devas. This was then mentioned to the intelligent son of Brahmā by Skanda the lord of Devas.

9. This was then mentioned to Vyāsa by Sanatkumāra the well-wisher of the worlds. Thus, this has been handed down traditionally.

10. When Śuka passed away the highly-blessed great sage Vyāsa saw the three-eyed lord Rudra and dispelled his misery.

11- 12. The sage listened to the story of the birth of Skanda. As he stayed there the glory of Triyambaka mantra was fully mentioned to him. Thanks to his grace I shall now mention everything to you.

13. One shall repeat the Triyambaka mantra after duly-worshipping the lord. One is liberated from all sins accumulated in the course of seven births.

14. He shall gain victory in the battle and attain incomparable good fortune. He who seeks a realm shall acquire it by performing a hundred thousand Homas and shall be happy.

15. He who seeks a son shall undoubtedly attain a son with a hundred thousand Homas of this mantra. He who seeks wealth shall unhesitatingly repeat the japa a million times.

16. He will be fully and perfectly endowed with riches, food grains and all other auspicious materials. He will play with his sons and grandsons. When he passes away he will go to the heaven.

17. O sages of good holy rites, there is no mantra on a par with this one both in the world and in the Vedas. Hence, one shall continuously worship the three-eyed lord thereby.

18- 23. The fruit thereof shall be eight times the benefit of Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.

The word Triyambaka is interpreted thus. He is the lord of the three worlds, three Guṇas, three Vedas, three Devas, and three castes—brahmins, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. He is expressed by the three syllables “A”, “U”, “M”.^[2] He is the lord of the three fires, viz., the moon, sun and fire. Umā, Ambā and Mahādeva constitute the trio.^[3] So he is Triyambaka the lord of the three.

(The word Sugandhi in the mantra is interpreted thus). The splendid fragrance of a tree in full bloom is wafted to a great distance. Similarly is the fragrance of the great lord. The lord is fragrance or the holder of fragrance unto all other Devas.^[4] His fragrance is wafted in this world and in the firmament when the wind blows.^[5] Hence, the attribute Sugandhi refers to the lord. Now the word “Puṣṭivardhanam” [puṣṭivardhana] is interpreted.

24-26. Formerly, the semen of the lord Siva was deposited in the womb of Viṣṇu. It was from this semen that the cosmic golden egg, the source of origin of Brahmā originated. The nourishment of his semen extends beyond the moon, sun, stars, earth, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ. Mahaḥ, Tapaḥ and Satya. The five elements, the cosmic ego, the cosmic intellect and Prakṛti are nourished by his semen virile. Hence, the lord is Puṣṭivardhana (the increaser of nourishment).

27-28. The word Yajāmahe (we worship) is interpreted. We worship that lord duly and devoutly by performing Homas with ghee, milk, honey, barley, wheat, black gram, Bilva fruits, lilies, Arka flowers, Śamī leaves, white mustard and Śālī rice grains in the Liṅga.

29-30. Now the latter half of the mantra is interpreted. By the grace of this Ṛta (systematic worship) let me be released from the bondage of actions and reactions as well as the fetters of death. Let me be released from the glitter of worldly existence. Just as the ripe cucumber fruits fall out from their stalks when the season arrives, so also the time for liberation has come by the grace of this mantra.

31-35. One shall worship Śiva’s Liṅga after understanding the meaning and the rites of this mantra. That Yogin shall sever all bonds. He can control death. O sages of goodsholy rites, there is no other lord so merciful as Triyambaka. He is propitiated and delighted easily. So is the mantra. Hence, one shall forsake everything and worship the three-eyed lord of Umā by repeating this Triyambaka mantra. He shall worship with great concentration whatever may be his plight; he shall undoubtedly be liberated from all sins by the meditation on Śiva and he shall become Rudra himself. Although one incurs sins by killing and piercing living beings or by eating and enjoying unjustly he shall be liberated from all sins by remembering Śiva alone once.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

triyambaka [triyambakena]—with the tryambaka mantra. Cf. Liṅga, II.28.62.

[2]:

akārokāramakāra—Śivatoṣiṇī. dissolves [trayaḥ (akārokāramakārāḥ) ambā (aviśabde) yasmāt]—who is the source of origin of the three-syllabled a u m.

[3]:

Śivatoṣiṇī. offers another set of three fanciful derivations of sugandhim (i)—[śobhanaḥ gandho'styasyete saḥ] (ii)—[suṣṭhu ca tadgaṃ (gītaṃ) ca dadhāti iti saḥ] (iii)—[suśobhanāṃ gāṃ giraṃ dadhātīti saḥ]

[4]:

Śivatoṣiṇī. offers another set of three fanciful derivations of sugandhim (i)—[śobhanaḥ gandho'styasyete saḥ] (ii)—[suṣṭhu ca tadgaṃ (gītaṃ) ca dadhāti iti saḥ] (iii)—[suśobhanāṃ gāṃ giraṃ dadhātīti saḥ]

[5]:

Śivatoṣiṇī. offers another set of three fanciful derivations of sugandhim (i)—[śobhanaḥ gandho'styasyete saḥ] (ii)—[suṣṭhu ca tadgaṃ (gītaṃ) ca dadhāti iti saḥ] (iii)—[suśobhanāṃ gāṃ giraṃ dadhātīti saḥ]