Gayatri Mantra Booklet

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Gayatri Mantra

Om Bhur Bhuvah SuvahaTat Savitur VarenyamBhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo

Nah Prachodayat

We meditate upon theglorious splendor ofthe Vivifier Divine.May He Himself illumine our minds!

The ancient mansion of Hindu tradition and custom is built on the four walls of

Karma, Janma, Dharma and Brahma.Regardless of its size, a house needs four

supporting walls. It follows therefore that in the huge mansion of ancient

Hindu thought, customs and traditions should have a point of meeting together

somewhere. It is not possible for anyone to escape from the consequences of

what one does knowingly or otherwise. You have to face up to the consequences

of all your actions, whether good or bad. Clearly, therefore, the doctrine of

Karma stands as a cardinal principle that governs a person's life. One has to

live and die with this principle. It is this Karma which determines one's joys

and sorrows. And it is through Karma that you are endowed with this life itself

What is the secret of this Janma? This body has been given to you so that you

could undertake your Karma and therein lies the point- that through the body

you have to uphold Dharma.

When you conduct yourself in keeping with Dharma, you qualify to attain Brahma.

The Gita proclaims that when Dharma declines God incarnates as an Avatar.

Truly, what you see in the form of a body is nothing but a manifestation of God

himself. God takes the form of a human being to restore Dharma. What you call

'creation' is a manifestation of the Cosmic Principle. We also refer to it as

nature. Whoever is born in this nature will certainly have the same atribute of

this nature. Man who has the same qualities of this Cosmic Principle, this

creation, this nature, is offering all that is embedded in this creation to

someone for some purpose. To whom is he offering it? Is it for the sake of

one's own selfish ends? Or is it for the benefit of the fellow beings around

him? It is not right to act that way. Whatever you do and whatever you may

perform, if you were to be inspired by the feeling that it is for the Ananda of

God, then it is bound to reach him. Therefore, the abiding feeling in

you should be that whatever you do, you are doing it as worship of the Lord.

This principle contains the very essence of Karma.

CHANTING OF GAYATRI

When an individual is first born from the mother's womb, this is the natural

type of birth. This is the natural state. This is the first birth as such.

After you have been given the Gayatri Manthra, the dawn of a second birth

emerges in your life. What is this Gayatri Mantra? It is the very quintessence

of the Vedas. Verily it is the mother of the Vedas. The meaning of the syllable

"Ga" is Jiva. Gayatri is that which protects and fosters all life forms. You

must realise therefore that on being given this Gayatri Manthra, you have been

given a second birth. When you start chanting this Manthra in conformity with

certain rules and code of conduct, you will certainly be able to reach a state

in fulfillment of this Manthra. You arrive at a new stage, the third stage,

which is called the Vipra. At this stage you begin to chant the Vedas. Even as

you try and understand and chant the Manthras in the Vedas, you must realise

their significance end start

practicing the underlying principle and thus live the Vedas every second of your

life. In this way you will certainly succeed in attaining Brahma. It is only

when you understand this Brahma Thathwa and perform your actions in accordance

with this understanding can one be called a Brahmana. It is not by birth alone

that one becomes a Brahmana. It is necessary that one's actions should

correspond to this understanding. We really deserve to be called a Brahmana

only when we understand the Brahma Thathwa.

TIME FOR CHANTING

It has been laid down that this Gayatri Mantra has to be chanted three times

every day: during the sandhyas of early morning, afternoon and evening. Sandhya

means the conjunction of two stages of time. Pratah Sandhya is the time when

transition from the night to the day takes place. Likewise evening sandhya is

the time when the day slides into the night. Madhyanna Sandhya is the time when

the morning and afternoon are connected. Man is the embodiment of three Gunas.

These three attributes are not confined to man as such; even time has these

attributes. Time also has Sathwa, Raja and Thamo Gunas. What do we mean by time

having Sathwa guna? All these three attributes have 24 hours to go by in a day.

Each of these three Gunas takes up 8 hours by itself i.e, Sathwa has 8 hours,

Rajasik has 8 hours and Thamasik has 8 hours. What are these 8 hours of Sathwik

time? When you designate the period from 4 a m to 8 a m the intervening 4 hours

are Sathwik.

In like manner, the time between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. is also Sathwik. These two

stretches of 4 hours apiece are Sathwik hours. The time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.is

Rajasik. It is during this time that all lifeforms keep doing whatever has to be

done by them. Not only men, but also animals and the like do what is expected of

them during these 8 hours. The factory worker, the farmer, the agriculturist and

anybody that on can think of has to work during these 8 hours of Rajasik time.

So we find that every individual has an experience of this Rajasik time Then we

have the time from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the night. This is the Thamasik time.

That it is indeed Thamasik we know from our experience. The chief quality that

is associated with this time is sleep. Sleep is being equated to Thamasik in

this analysis. It is during the Sathwik time viz., from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m and

from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that we should undertake our sacred and noble duties.

This will sanctify our life. We should

understand and appreciate how time has been divided for various activities and

only then can we realise the true nature of our existence. This Gayatri Manthra

has to be taken up for chanting at any time during the period of from 4 a.m. to

8 a.m., and then at any time between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. lt is absolutely

necessary that you chant this Gayatri Manthra either in the early hours of the

morning or in the evening hours. During the mid-day also it can be taken up for

chanting, but for certain purposes. When you look upon it as a Sadhana, it is

the morning and evening hours which are sacred for chanting. You should chant

this Manthra at least three times in the morning hours and three times in the

evening time. When you do this, you can certainly free yourselves from the

fruits of your Karma. It is said that a day's chanting takes care of all the

ill effects of the day's Karma. To illustrate this point, let me cite an

example. When you go and buy a certain thing on loan, not only does

the loan amount increase, but also the interest on it goes up. On the other

hand, if you were to barter something for the item at the shop, there is no

loan to be cleared, nor is there any interest to be paid. When you have

borrowed something on loan, then you find that whatever you have earned has to

be given for repayment of the loan, and the interest thereof. So, when you try

and clear your debts as and when you buy a certain thing, then there is no loan

nor is there any interest to be paid back. In the same manner, chanting Gayatri

three times in the morning and three times in the evening hours before you go

to bed would take care of all your errors in the form of loan and interest to

be cleared off. By chanting this Manthra with this feeling you can certainly

transcend Your Karma, you can even reach the state of Nishkama Karma. You can

sanctify your life in this manner. Therefore, in order that you may understand

the significance and reap the benefits of chanting Gayatri, you

should know the significance of the morning and evening hours. There are those

who feel that they do not have the time either in the morning or in the

evening, to chant Gayatri. You do have the time indeed! Where there is a will,

there is a way, it is said. We do fritter away a lot of our time. A fraction of

your time that you waste, if directed to chanting Gayatri, can purify your life.

You do have a bath every day. So, even as you bathe, if you chant this Manthra,

you are not only chanting this Manthra and deriving the benefits thereof, but

it becomes a form of worship. So also, in the afternoon, if you were to chant

this Manthra as you eat your food, the meal becomes sanctified- the food

becomes a Naivedya. You may or you may not chant any other Manthra, but do

remember that chanting the Gayatri is beneficial and you can experience this

yourself.

EXPLANATION OF THE MANTHRA

Gayatri is the embodiment of all forms of Godhead- "Sarva Devatha

Swaroopam."Gayatri does not belong to any caste, to any sect or to any religion

as such.It is universal in its scope.

Gayatri has nine important attributes. These are:

1. Aum

Sound as the basis of Creation, Brahman.

2. Bhuh

The Earth, the gross.

3. Bhuvah

The Atmosphere, the Ether, the Subtle.

4. Suvah

Heaven, the region beyond Bhuvah the Causal.

5. Tat

Stands for That. The Ultimate Realityis simply referred to as That becauseit

defies description through speech or language.

6. Savitur

Stands for Divine Savitri, equatedwith the vivifying power containedwithin the Sun.

7. Varenyum

Adore.

8. Bhargo

Radiance, Lustre, Illumination.

9. Devasya

Divine Radiance or Grace.

"Dheemahi" signifies worship of or meditation on the Lord. "Dhiyo Yo Nah

Prachodayat" as the last syllable, is a prayer. Therefore, in the Gayatri,

there is Varnam, Dhyanam and Prathana (description, meditation and a prayer)

these aspects converge in the Manthra.

GAYATRI AND ADVAITHA

What goes on within you, depending upon the circumstances, are classified as

follows - we talk of Sankalpa and for this we use the "manas" or the mind. When

we talk of the aspect of "wavering" we have the "Chithha." When you think of

discrimination, "Vicharana," we use the tern "Buddhi", the intellect. When you

have the motive of selfishness, you talk of "Ahamkara" or ego. What you have to

understand is that basically one entity is described as mind, chithha, intellect

and ego. We will do well to understand the basic difference between the mind on

the one hand and the intelligence on the other. Mind is something that has got

in its nature a divisive tendency. The intellect is beyond such divisions.

Therefore this intellect is associated with the principle of "Adwaitha". When

there is a division taking place in understanding the phenomena, we are

assailed by the "Dwaitha" bhava. When you have this divisiveness in you, when

you tend to see more

than one thing, it is the mind that perceives this duality. The intellect tries

to see the one among the many. What you should try and do is see the underlying

unity in the diversity and not the other way around. This Gayatri is a sacred

Manthra which tells you about this underlying unity in the diversity of things.

It is through this vision on unity that we can perceive divinity and sanctify

our lives. In this world we have mud or clay in one form or another. This clay

can be one but the forms that it can take are multifarious. Likewise, gold is

one, but the ornaments could be many. Milk is one, but the cows can be many in

description. So also the Atma is one, but the forms that it indwells are many.

In the world around you, beyond the names and forms, there is no third entity.

This world is nothing but the convergence of name and forms. One form, one

name. Between these two viz., the name and form- is the form that changes

continually, something which withers away and fades away

and finally disappears. Though the form disappears, though the form undergoes

change, the name as such remains the same at all times (Nithya Sathya); it

remains changeless. For example, you have given the name cow to an animal. Tho

cow, the animal, will disappear with the passage of time. But the name will

remain. Forms will disappear but the name will last forever.

The sanctity of the name needs to be understood properly. It will be difficult

for you to try and identify a person in a crowd by means of his form. However

even in a huge congregation of people, if you were to call out the name of an

individual, he would respond to your call. Through this name, therefore you can

recognise the individual. In the same way if you take up the Lord's name as the

basis, you can understand that forms in various hues and sizes have taken that

name. If you know the name of the station, you can ask for a ticket for that

station and undertake your journey. When you are not aware of the name of the

station, how can you possibly proceed on the journey? Therefore it is the name

that is important, and not the form as such. When you understand the full

efficacy and the significance of this Gayatri, you will be in a position to

understand the true nature, the underlying unity, the Atmic principle dwelling

in all different

forms.

ITS GREAT BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

Who is this Gayatri? She is the personified unity of the triumvirate divinity -

Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswathi. Gayatri is also known as the five-faced

divinity. The first face signifies Om. The second is Bhur Bhuvah Svah. Thath

Savithur Varenyam is the third face. Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi is the fourth

face. Dheeyo Yo Nah Prachodayath is the fifth face. This is the Pancha Mukhi

Swaroopam, the five-faced divinity. From these five faces emanate the five life

forces, Pancha Pranas. These five life forces are fostered and protected by

Gayatri and therefore She is called the benefactor and the protector. During

the time She is protecting thus, She is called "Savitri." You may have read

about the story in the epics that Savitri protected Satyavan. Who is this

Savitri? She is the Pancha Prana Swaroopini. This truly means that Savitri

protects and guides those who lead a life of truthfulness. When She tries to

improve your qualities, She is called

Gayatri; when She protects and fosters your word, She is called Saraswati.

Therefore, this Goddess protects the intellect, the life force and the word,

and thus in every way She protects the individual at all times. Today you have

been given this Gayatri Manthra. It is verily a day when you are having your

second birth. Purify and sanctify your second life and then you become eligible

for the third stage of Viprathwa. From there you will proceed to the stage of

attaining Brahma. "Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavathi" - how do you attain this

state? You can attain in only when you have understood your own nature. When

you ask the question, `when do we become deserving to attain the state of

Brahma?' then can you understand this. Before being married, a girl would be an

ordinary person. After the marriage, she has the privilege of claiming half of

whatever her husband has, as a matter or right. What is it that marks out from

the earlier stage of being an alien and the latter stage of married

life when she can claim something by right? That right is conferred on her by a

sacred thread tied to her neck, the Mangal Sutra. In the same manner, so long

as you have not reached the state of surrender, you are an alien to the Lord.

Once you have put the thread of surrender around your neck, you become One with

Him, and you have earned the right to, and can demand from God, half of whatever

He has. Therefore, through your own efforts you should try and reach the state

of surrender to GOD. How is it possible, you might ask, by chanting this

Gayatri continuously, to reach the state of fulfillment and sense of feeling

that you have received something? There is an inner meaning in giving this

Gayatri Mantra to young people. We have in this Mantra the concluding words,

Dheeyo yo nah Prachodayat. The meaning is this: Before you were given this

Mantra, you may have been backward intellectually, or were a bit lazy. But now

that you have been given this Mantra, you become sharper in

intellect, become more zealous, more enthusiastic, and certainly become more

qualified for scaling greater heights in acquiring knowledge.

CONCLUSION

Before the sun rises, everything is enveloped in darkness. Even as the rays of

the Sun dispel this darkness, so also the chanting of this Gayatri dispels all

darkness and ignorance. The rays of this Sun dispels the area of darkness.

Darkness has no place where the rays of the sun reach out. So also once your

intellect blossoms forth by virtue of your having been given this Manthra, your

intellectual rays will dispel the ignorance which has been persisting in you,

will drive away all darkness and endow you with intelligence.

Compiled from Divine Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba during Upanayan

CeremonyTranslated & Published for Free Distribution by:SRI SATHYA SAI CENTRE,

No: 6, Police Park Terrace, Colombo 05 Sri Lanka

Sai Bhakt

http://www.saibaba.ws/teachings/gayatribooklet.htmJyoti

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