Mrityu-Ashtakam: Markandeya's Hymn Against Death

Verse 1 (garuda.1.233.1)

सूत उवाच । स्तोत्रं तत्सं प्रवक्ष्यामि मार्कण्डेयन भाषितम् । दामोदरं प्रपन्नोऽस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

sūta uvāca stotraṁ tatsaṁ pravakṣyāmi mārkaṇḍeyana bhāṣitam dāmodaraṁ prapanno'smi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

Suta said: I shall now declare that hymn spoken by Markandeya: 'I have taken refuge in Damodara — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 2 (garuda.1.233.2)

शङ्खचक्रधरं देवं व्यक्तरूपिणमव्ययम् । अधोऽक्षजं प्रपन्नोस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

śaṅkhacakradharaṁ devaṁ vyaktarūpiṇamavyayam adho'kṣajaṁ prapannosmi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

'I have taken refuge in the god who bears the conch and discus, of manifest form, imperishable, the unfallen Adhokshaja — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 3 (garuda.1.233.3)

वराहं वामनं विष्णुं नारसिंहं जनार्दनम् । माधवं च प्रपन्नोऽस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

varāhaṁ vāmanaṁ viṣṇuṁ nārasiṁhaṁ janārdanam mādhavaṁ ca prapanno'smi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

'I have taken refuge in Varaha, Vamana, Vishnu, Narasimha, Janardana, and Madhava — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 4 (garuda.1.233.4)

पुरुषं पुष्करक्षेत्रबीजं पुण्यं जगत्पतिम् । लोकनाथं प्रपन्नोऽस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

puruṣaṁ puṣkarakṣetrabījaṁ puṇyaṁ jagatpatim lokanāthaṁ prapanno'smi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

'I have taken refuge in the Purusha, the seed of sacred Pushkara, the meritorious Lord of the universe, the Lord of the worlds — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 5 (garuda.1.233.5)

सहस्रशिरसं देवं व्यक्ताव्यक्तं सनातनम् । महायोगं प्रपन्नोऽस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

sahasraśirasaṁ devaṁ vyaktāvyaktaṁ sanātanam mahāyogaṁ prapanno'smi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

'I have taken refuge in the thousand-headed god, manifest and unmanifest, eternal, the great yoga — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 6 (garuda.1.233.6)

भूतात्मानं महात्मानं यज्ञयोनिमयोनिजम् । विश्वरूपं प्रपन्नोऽस्मि किन्नो मूत्युः करिष्यति

bhūtātmānaṁ mahātmānaṁ yajñayonimayonijam viśvarūpaṁ prapanno'smi kinno mūtyuḥ kariṣyati

'I have taken refuge in the Self of all beings, the great Self, the source of sacrifice, unborn of any womb, of universal form — what can Death do to me?'

Verse 7 (garuda.1.233.7)

इत्युदीरितमाकर्ण्य स्तोत्रं तस्य महात्मनुः । अपयातस्ततो मृत्युर्विष्णुदूतैः प्रपीडितः

ityudīritamākarṇya stotraṁ tasya mahātmanuḥ apayātastato mṛtyurviṣṇudūtaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ

Having heard this hymn thus uttered by that great soul, Death, tormented by Vishnu's messengers, then fled away.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.233.8)

इति तेन जितो मृत्युर्मार्कण्डेयेन धीमता । प्रसन्ने पुण्डरीकाक्षे नृसिंहे नास्तिदुर्लभम्

iti tena jito mṛtyurmārkaṇḍeyena dhīmatā prasanne puṇḍarīkākṣe nṛsiṁhe nāstidurlabham

Thus was Death conquered by the wise Markandeya; when the lotus-eyed Narasimha is pleased, nothing remains unattainable.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.233.9)

मृत्य्वष्टकमिदं पुण्यं मृत्युप्रशमनं शुभम् । मार्कण्डेयहितार्थाय स्वयं विष्णुरुवाच ह

mṛtyvaṣṭakamidaṁ puṇyaṁ mṛtyupraśamanaṁ śubham mārkaṇḍeyahitārthāya svayaṁ viṣṇuruvāca ha

This meritorious, auspicious Mrityvashtaka, which pacifies death, Vishnu himself spoke for the benefit of Markandeya.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.233.10)

इदं यः पठते भक्त्या त्रिकालं नियतं शुचिः । नाकाले तस्य मृत्युः स्यान्नरस्याच्युतचेतसः

idaṁ yaḥ paṭhate bhaktyā trikālaṁ niyataṁ śuciḥ nākāle tasya mṛtyuḥ syānnarasyācyutacetasaḥ

Whoever, pure and disciplined, recites this with devotion three times a day — for that man, whose mind is fixed on the Imperishable, death shall never come untimely.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.233.11)

हृत्पद्ममध्ये पुरुषं पुराणं नारायणं शाश्वतमप्रमेयम् । विचिन्त्य सूर्यादतिराजमानं मृत्युं स योगि जितवांस्तथैव

hṛtpadmamadhye puruṣaṁ purāṇaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ śāśvatamaprameyam vicintya sūryādatirājamānaṁ mṛtyuṁ sa yogi jitavāṁstathaiva

Meditating upon the ancient Purusha, Narayana, eternal and immeasurable, shining even more brilliantly than the sun, within the lotus of the heart — that yogi likewise conquered death.