Udisha
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is from the Rig Veda, verse 7.59.12. A prayer dedicated to Hindu God of Destruction, Shiva it is considered to be very powerful.
The famous legend
The legend of the mantra goes back to the sage Markandeya who was doomed to die at 16 years of age. However, he managed to defeated Hindu God of Death, Yamaraj by chanting the mantra in a trance. Lord Shiva appeared to him and blessed him with immortality.
The curse
Markandeya's initial curse to die at 16 was because of Lord Shiva as well. He had given his parents, sage Mrikandu and his wife Marudvati that they can either have a dumb kid who lives a full life or a genius who will pass away at 16. The parents chose the brilliant mind.
The Saviour
However, when Yamaraj came to take him away to hell, Markandeya, a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva chanted the Mahamrityunjaya mantra revealed to him by the God. As he held on to the Shiva Linga, Shiva had no option but to save him from Yama, thus marking the 16-year-old's victory over death. The mantra is also known as the Markandeya mantra.