Is it true Mahamrityunjaya mantra is not dedicated to Lord Shiva?

Question

I have found a lot of guys claiming over here, Maha Mrtyunjay Mantra is not dedicated to Lord Shiva. Is it true? I mean, are there any evidences from scriptures which clearly say the Mantra is for Lord Shiva only? Also, an enthusiastic guy was freaking here telling this Mantra is not for Moksha. Also please clear this second doubt whether the Mantra is for Moksha only or not? I mean is there any possibility of different translation of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra?

Answer 1

First of all to which deity a revealed Veda mantra is addressed to is known by looking at 'Devata' of the mantra. Each revealed Veda mantra has a 'Rishi' denoting sage who heard the mantra, 'Chhanda' denoting in which meter is that mantra revealed and 'Devata' to whom deity is a mantra addressed. So, it is not that one makes up Devata with his wild imaginations, it's already known through Anukramani of Veda.

And same is the case for Maha Mrityunjaya mantra too. Maha Mrityunjaya is revealed in several Vedas like Rig Veda 7.59.12, YajurVeda Vajasaneyi Samhita 3.60, Taittariya Samhita 1.8.6.i etc...

Let's see in RigVeda 7.59.12

Rishi: Vasistha
Chhanda: Anushtup
Devata: Rudra

So, it's beyond doubt that the deity of mantra is Lord Rudra.

It's further clarified through YajurVeda. Shukla YajurVeda Samhita just after describing Mahamrityunjaya Mantra features also other features of Lord Rudra:

ए॒तत्ते॑ रुद्राव॒सं तेन॑ प॒रो मूज॑व॒तोऽती॑हि ।अव॑ततधन्वा॒ पिना॑कावस॒:कृत्ति॑वासा॒ अहि॑सन्नः शि॒वोऽती॑हि ॥ (Yajurveda 3.61)

61 This, Rudra, is thy food: with this depart beyond the Mûjavân mountain. With Pinaka bow unstrung, with muffled staff, clothed in a garment made of skin, gracious, not harming us, depart.

So the characteristic of that God Rudra is:

1) Trayambakam: He is three eyed.

2) Pinakavasa: Who wields Pinaka bow.

3) Krittivasa: Who wears animal hide.

4) Mujavan: Who lives beyond Mujavan mountains.

So, it is again more clear from above YajurVeda passage.

Trayambakam is three eyed one as I discuss here. and also adressed here in Harivamsha and also there is a famous Jyotirlinga called Trayambakeshwara. Pinakapani is Lord Shiva.

The Rik itself is called 'MrityuVimochini Rik' ie. 'For Mukti from Death' ie. It is for the purpose of liberation. I also discuss it in my answer here.

And more importantly MahaMrityunjaya mantra isn't the only Mantra which asks Moksha from Lord Shiva. There are several other Veda mantras too and a mantra very similar to MahaMrityunjaya mantra is Sadyojata mantra which is from Taittariya Aranyaka of Yajurveda (10.17) and also in AtharvaVeda Parishistam which I also discuss here.

सद्योजातं प्रपद्यामि सद्योजाताय वै नमो नमः।
भवे भवे नाति भवे भवस्व मां भवोद्भवाय नमः॥

I take refuge in Sadyojata. Verily I salute Sadyojata again and again. O Sadyojata, do not consign me to repeated birth; lead me beyond birth, into the state of bliss and liberation. I bow down to Him who is the source of transmigratory existence.

Also as Lord Shiva is the one who is the lord of all who is in bondage (Pati of Pashu) as I discuss here so he is the one who delivers beings from bondage and MahaMrityunjaya mantra is also asking to provide liberation from bondage of death for the sake of Immortality.

Conclusion:

MahaMrityunjaya mantra is asking to liberate being from death for the sake of Immortality. It is asking from Lord Rudra who is three eyed, who holds Pinaka bow in his hand and who wears animal hides.

Answer 2

The meaning of the word - 'trayambakam' of RigVedic hymn RV.7.59 (12), which is often used to relate Lord Shiva to RigVedic Rudra , is misinterpreted purposefully . No where in the literature or in general use we find the meaning of the word - 'amb' to mean 'eye' except with the reference to Lord Shiva . On the other hand we have wide range of words containing 'amb' which mean 'water' e.g. ambuj (born of water), ambud (holder of water), amber (sky,air contain in water) etc. In ancient time people believed that life had initially germinated from water thus " ambe' meant mother. In RigVeda the river Sarasvati is refered as 'ambetame' - you are mother (RV.2.41 (16). Therefore, 'trayambakam' should mean here confluence of two rivers where third one is emanating, where brightened (suryatvachah) priests ( kavi ) are invoking Maruts to grant them immortality. Apart from this RigVeda always refers to Rudra in plural sense, so to Maruts, not as an individual deity. Thus, we find in RigVeda Aditya gan, Vasu gan,Rudra gan and Marud gan and none of them as individual deity although many times they are refered as Aditya,Vasu,Rudra and Marut.