to know the meaning..

Thats a picture of Natraja, that I took in my yogashram! As you can see I have a lot of time on hand, so I am going to enlighten you a bit today. The other day I was in the temple and a lady asked the pujari the meaning of Mahamritunjaya mantra. The pujari replied by saying it has no meaning. I got really angry and saddened by his ignorance.

I am not claiming to know much, but I do believe that mantras should be learnt with their meanings. (Of course, it helps if you know sanskrit!) It is said that recitation of these mantras is carried out for four main reasons: to praise and glorify God; to thank God; to ask forgiveness from God; or to make a request from God. Anyway I have decided to provide the meaning and significance of two of my favorite mantras. Both Gayatri Mantra and Mahamrityunjaya mantra are the oldest and most powerful mantras.

Gayatri Mantra
"Aum Bhur Bhava Swaha, Tat Savitur varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachidayat"

Meaning - "Oh God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty.
You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss.
You are Destroyer of fear; You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all.
We bow and meditate upon your light. Please guide our intellect in the right direction."

Significance- This mantra is a prayer to God to illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path. Gayatri, the five-faced Goddess, is said to have domain over the five senses or pranas, and protects these five life-forces of those who chant the Gayatri Mantra.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
"Aum Trayambakam yajamahe
Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam
Urvarukamiva bandhanan
Mrityor mukshiya mamritat"

Meaning - "We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, who nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd if freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold immortality.

Significance - The goal of chanting this mantra is to spiritually "ripen" so that Lord Shiva can free us from our bondage to all the material things that bind us! Lord Shiva is referred to as trayambakam, the three-eyed one, because his third-eye was "opened" by the powers of penance and meditation. (spiritual awakening) So through this mantra we pray to Lord Shiva, asking for his blessings and assistance in opening our third eye of spiritual knowledge. So that we are led towards spiritual liberation or moksha, and attain freedom from the cycles of death and rebirth.