बीज (Beej) रूप
ॐ हौं जूं सः ॥
मृत संजीवनी मन्त्र
ॐ जूं सः माम् पालय पालय सः जूं ॐ ॥
संयुक्त रूप
ॐ हौं जूं सः ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ।
ॐ स्वः भुवः भूः ॐ सः जूं हौं ॐ ॥
Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra
The Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra - the concise seed (beej) form of the death-conquering mantra of Lord Shiva.
bija (Beej) rupa
om haum jum sah ॥
mrita samjivani mantra
om jum sah mam palaya palaya sah jum om ॥
samyukta rupa
om haum jum sah om bhurbhuvah svah
om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pushtivardhanam ।
urvarukamiva bandhananmrityormukshiya mamritat ।
om svah bhuvah bhuh om sah jum haum om ॥
Frequently asked questions about Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra
What is the akshara or beej form?
Om Haum Joom Sah - the seed syllables that carry the force of the full Maha Mrityunjaya in three sounds, with the Mrita Sanjivani mantra as its extended form. The combined recitation puts the beej before the whole Vedic verse.
Is it more powerful than the full mantra?
Not more powerful - more concentrated, and correspondingly stricter. The tradition treats beej mantras as needing exactness in pronunciation and a settled discipline, which is why the full Tryambakam verse is what most people are given to chant.
Does it need a guru?
The traditional position on beej mantras is yes - they are taken at diksha, with the pronunciation given by the teacher. Practice today is looser, but if you want to use the beej form seriously rather than occasionally, seek initiation.
What is the Mrita Sanjivani mantra?
Om Joom Sah, mam palaya palaya, Sah Joom Om - a protective prayer chanted for someone gravely ill or in danger, usually by a family member on their behalf, along with the full Mrityunjaya. Sanjivani means life-restoring.
When is it chanted?
On Mondays, at Pradosh and through Shravan, and during illness or crisis as a sankalpa of a fixed count over a fixed number of days. Alongside proper medical care, never in place of it.
About the Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra
The Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra - the concise seed (beej) form of the death-conquering mantra of Lord Shiva.
Meaning
The compact beej form - "Om Haum Joom Sah" (and its expansions) - condenses the power of the Maha Mrityunjaya prayer into seed syllables that invoke Shiva's healing, protective force.
Benefits
Chanted for healing, longevity, protection from accidents and untimely death, and relief from fear and disease; used when a shorter, repeatable form of the Mrityunjaya is desired.
The Seed Syllables, One by One
The beej form condenses the full Maha Mrityunjaya into three seed sounds. Haum is the Shiva-beej - the seed syllable of Shiva himself, combining "ha" (the breath of life) with the anusvara that turns a syllable into a living seed. Joom (jum) is the Sanjivani beej, associated with the restoration and protection of life. Sah completes the triad and is traditionally connected with amrita, the deathless essence. Together - "Om Haum Joom Sah" - they invoke Shiva as Mrityunjaya, the conqueror of death, in three breaths.
The Mrita Sanjivani mantra expands the seeds around a plain request - "mam palaya palaya," "protect me, protect me" - and then folds the syllables closed in reverse order, a classical tantric structure in which the mantra seals itself. The samyukta (combined) form wraps the full Rigvedic Tryambakam verse inside the seed syllables and the vyahritis (bhur bhuvah svah), joining the Vedic and tantric streams of the practice into one recitation.
How to Chant
Use the short beej when a full-verse practice is not possible - it is designed for repetition in quantity, traditionally 108 times or more on a rudraksha mala, in the early morning or during illness and convalescence. The combined form is chanted 11, 21 or 108 times on solemn occasions: before surgery in the family, during a health crisis, on birthdays and during Shravan. Face east, keep water beside you during japa, and sip a little afterwards as prasada of the mantra.
Who Chants It, and When
Seed-mantra practice sits within the tantric tradition, and older custom prefers that the Mrita Sanjivani be received from a guru; the simple beej and the combined form with the Vedic verse, however, are widely chanted by householders for healing and protection. When in doubt, the full Maha Mrityunjaya verse itself is always open to everyone and carries the same grace.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Akshara Mantra above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.
A mantra is a compact formula for japa, not a long hymn. Forty-verse hymns live under Chalisa; lamp-songs under Aarti; longer stotras under Stotram. Browse every formula on the Mantra index. Count repetitions with the online japa mala counter.
