interesting info I found on Gayatri

[Guest guest]

Many of you may already be familiar with all this but I thought I would post

this anyway. I found it on the web.

 

Pranams,

 

Surya

 

 

Gayatri is a Mantra

 

If by Gayatri you mean the Mantra "om tat savitur...", then I can give so

many reasons why it should be called a Mantra.

The word "Gayatri" is in fact a technical term that is used for a

particular meter of Vedic poetry. This meter is only used in the Veda and

most of the Vedic Mantras are in Gayatri Chanda, as is also the famous

Gayatri Mantra. It is called "Gayatri Mantra" because it is constructed in

Gayatri Chanda (having three paadas, not four paadas like in an Anushtup

Chanda).

This Gayatri Mantra is also called "Saavitri", because the Devataa, which

has been glorified in this Mantra is Savitaa, by the word "savituh". So,

since it is related to "Savitaa", (Sun, literally -- The Creator) it is

also called Saavitri.

 

So, some proofs why Gayatri is a Mantra.

 

1. There are two meanings of the word "Mantra". mananaat traayate yasmaat

tasmaan mantrah prakiirtitah, a verse that protects us if we contemplate

on its meaning (i.e. meaning of its words and also the objects which has

been described, as "artha" in Sanskrit means both) is called a Mantra. If

one contemplates the meaning of the Gayatri Mantra and if one meditates

upon the object which has been described in the Gayatri Mantra, the Divine

Radiance of the Sun, (radiance which destroys all our impurities and

motivates our mind) he would be protected/saved from this cycle of birth

and death. Therefore Gayatri is a Mantra.

 

2. The root "matri" from which the word Mantra is derived, means to

describe something hidden. All the Vedic Mantras, including Gayatri

Mantra, describe the hidden truths of Spirituality. They are "niNyaa

vacaamsi", hidden voices, as described by the Rig-veda itself.

All the Devas live in the Mantras, as is clearly said in the Rig-veda

(1-40-5), "The protector (pati) of the Divine Voice pronounces the

Mantras. Indeed, in these Mantras Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aryama and all

other Devas have made their place to live". So all these Divine Beings

live in these Mantras of the Rig-veda, including in the Gayatri Mantra.

Therefore, it is a Mantra.

 

3. While writing his Bhaashyam on the Gayatri Mantra, Bhagavan Shri

Shankaracarya calls this Gayatri "MAHA MANTRA", i.e. the greatest Mantra.

Therefore, Gayatri is not only just a Mantra, it is Maha Mantra. The

Greatest Mantra from the Veda.

 

4. The verses from the Samhita portion, as opposed to the Brahmana portion

are called Mantras. Since this Gayatri Mantra comes from the Rig-veda

Samhita and the seer of it is Bhagavan Vishvamitra, may his blessings be

always with all of us, it is a Mantra.

 

Just for you kind information, this is one of those few Mantras that

occurs in more then three Vedas. It occurs in Rigveda, Samaveda, Shukla

Yajurveda and KrishnaYajurveda. In the last two, I think it even occurs

twice.

Love and Respect,

Siddhartha Krishna