Gayatri Mahima

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Q.2. What is the truth in the belief that God Brahma, and rishis Vashistha and

Vishwamitra had laid a curse (shaap) that success will elude the practitioner

unless he/ she recites certain verses (shlokas)?

 

Ans. That this is baseless, is established by the following references from the

scriptures:-

 

a) Gayatri is well known as the inherent creative power of God. She is also at

places referred metaphysically as spouse of God Brahma. Scriptures say that with

the help of Gayatri, He (Brahma) created the universe and expounded the

doctrines of Vedas (the four faces of Brahma symbolize the four streams of Vedic

revelation).

 

b) Vashistha inflicted a crushing defeat on Vishwamitra with the help of

Nandini- the symbolical cow which fulfils all wishes and is regarded as the

counterpart of Kamdhenu of heaven (Swarg).

 

c) To Vishwamitra goes the credit of unraveling the mystery of Gayatri. Not only

he practiced Gayatri for a very long period with strictest of self-discipline,

and acquired immense occult powers there from, but also developed the expertise

and methodology for invocation of divine powers through practice of Gayatri

Sadhana.

 

From the aforesaid, it is evident that the great spiritual personalities of yore

had used the power of Gayatri to fulfill their objectives. There is, therefore,

no logic in assuming that they had cursed it and deprived other human beings of

its fruits. It appears that the feudal lords of the medieval ages, propounded

their independent cults and to establish their own doctrines found it necessary

to discredit the traditional practice of Gayatri. The concocted story of `curse

on Gayatri' was the easiest and simplest way of striking at the roots of faith

and confidence of the masses. This could have been one reason behind this

baseless assumption. Otherwise, who in this universe has the capability to put a

curse on divine manifestations like the sun, clouds, air, lightening, the earth

etc. Gayatri is, in essence, the primordial energy of the Almighty. Hence, all

are free to utilize it without any restrictions or apprehensions whatsoever. At

the most, the concept of the so- called " curse " may be symbolically indicative

of the need for a Guru of the status of Vashistha and Vishwamitra, in absence of

whom success eludes the worshipper.