Shloka 22
दधीच-शाप-हेतु-वर्णनम् / The Cause of Dadhīca’s Curse
Explaining Viṣṇu’s Role at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे त्रैलोक्यं पितरं प्रभुम् । त्रिमंडलस्य पितरं त्रिगुणस्य महेश्वरम्
tryambakaṃ yajāmahe trailokyaṃ pitaraṃ prabhum | trimaṃḍalasya pitaraṃ triguṇasya maheśvaram
We worship Tryambaka, the Three‑eyed Lord, the sovereign Father and Master of the three worlds; the Father of the three spheres, and Maheśvara, the Lord who governs the three guṇas.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Shiva Purana account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Tryambaka as ‘Father of the three worlds’ resonates with Kāśī’s Viśvanātha—Śiva as Lord of the universe who grants protection and liberation; the mantra’s universal sovereignty language aligns with Kāśī’s sthala identity.
Significance: Darśana and japa here are held to grant fearlessness, purification, and (in Kāśī theology) liberation through Śiva’s grace.
Mantra: त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे त्रैलोक्यं पितरं प्रभुम् । त्रिमंडलस्य पितरं त्रिगुणस्य महेश्वरम्
Type: mahamrityunjaya
Role: nurturing
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
It proclaims Śiva as Tryambaka—omniscient through the three eyes—and as Pati, the supreme Lord who fathers and sustains the three worlds while transcending yet governing the three guṇas, guiding beings toward liberation.
By naming Śiva as the sovereign Lord of the cosmos and the guṇas, the verse supports saguna upāsanā—devotional worship of Śiva with attributes—commonly centered on the Śiva-liṅga as the accessible form of the transcendent Maheśvara.
Mantra-japa and dhyāna: repeat “tryambakaṃ yajāmahe” with focused contemplation on the three-eyed Śiva, offering inner worship (mānasa-pūjā); it is especially suited for Mahāśivarātri-style devotion alongside bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa observances.