Upanishads · Tripurātāpinī 82
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ मृत्युंजयं नो ब्रूहीत्येवं ब्रुवतां सर्वेषां देवानां श्रुत्वेदं वाक्यमथातस्त्र्यम्बकेनानुष्टुभेन मृत्युंजयं दर्शयति । कस्मात्त्र्यम्बकमिति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha mṛtyuṃjayaṃ no brūhītyevaṃ bruvatāṃ sarveṣāṃ devānāṃ śrutvedaṃ vākyamathātastryambakenānuṣṭubhena mṛtyuṃjayaṃ darśayati | kasmāttryambakamiti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथ मृत्युं-जयं नः ब्रूहि इतिatha mṛtyuṃ-jayaṃ naḥ brūhi itinow tell us of victory over death
सर्वेषां देवानां श्रुत्वा इदं वाक्यम्sarveṣāṃ devānāṃ śrutvā idaṃ vākyamhaving heard this speech of all the gods
त्र्यम्बकेन अनुष्टुभेनtryambakena anuṣṭubhenaby the tryambaka mantra, anuṣṭubh
मृत्युं-जयं दर्शयतिmṛtyuṃ-jayaṃ darśayatireveals victory over death
कस्मात् त्र्यम्बकम् इतिkasmāt tryambakam itiwhy «tryambaka»?
Translation
««Now tell us of victory over death», so said all the gods. Having heard this speech, [the Lord], by the tryambaka mantra, [in the meter] anuṣṭubh, reveals victory over death. — Why «tryambaka»?»
Version
1e93be53b47b · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The analysis of the mṛtyuñjaya begins, and it is conducted by a method not used before in this book: question — answer, word by word. The order runs: «why is «tryambaka» said? — because… why is «yajāmahe» said? — because…» And so to the end of the verse. This device is ancient in the Vedas and is called nirukta, «interpretation»; the whole book of Yāska, discussed when reading the fortieth line, is written this way.
This method is good in that it does not allow the interpreter to overflow. He must take the word standing in the verse and speak about it — not about what he feels like saying, but about this word; and every reader can see whether the question has been answered or not. For this reason such analysis deserves preference over everything in the first three parts. There, syllables were derived one from another, and there was nothing by which to verify the derivation; here we have a verse before us, anyone can read it, and every explanation can be checked against the word.
Worth noting too that the fourth part will be shorter than the others and will turn out to be the best. This is often so: a composition that has long circled around finally speaks simply — and what is said simply turns out to be the most important thing.