Guest guest Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 this is most appreciated. thanks Surya Ammachi, "Mahamuni" <mahamuni wrote: > > 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 > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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