What it means
We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, who nourishes all that lives. As a ripe cucumber slips from its vine, free us from the grip of death, but not from the deathless.
Where it comes from
It sits in the seventh mandala of the Rigveda, the book linked with the sage Vasishtha, and is repeated in the Yajurveda. The cucumber image is the heart of it. A ripe cucumber doesn't need to be torn off; it simply lets go. The prayer is for that kind of release. When someone at home is unwell, families often chant it together, and many temples hold anushthans of 125,000 repetitions.
How to chant it
Pronunciation matters with this one, so if you can, hear it once from someone who knows it. Chant on a rudraksha mala while pouring a slow stream of water over a Shivling. Go slowly at first; speed comes on its own.
When: Morning and the pradosh hour. Mondays and Maha Shivratri especially.
Try it now
The japa counter opens with this mantra selected and keeps count for you.