The Divine Gayathri Manthra

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The repetition of the “Gayatri” is an important part of the ritual worship of The Divine. It is not only important but indispensable. Before one can learn why it is so indispensably important for the succees of any spiritual endeavour, One must get rid of some wrong notions associated with the Gayatri: 1. Any three lines with the words ‘Vidmahe’, ‘dhimahi’ and ‘prachodayat’ do not constitute a Gayathri. Gayathri is a metre in which verses, composed in Sanskrit language, consists of three lines with eight letters in each line. (The letters in Sanskrit are often compound syllables and are counted differently, unlike the English letters. For example, the word ‘Bhargo’ contains six letters but in Sanskrit contains two letters, ‘Bha’ and ‘rgo’!) Not knowing this, some people compose what they call as Gayathris. For instance, I have come across one which begins with the first line “Om Sri Sathya Sayeeswaraya Vidmahe” which

in Sanskrit contains twelve letters/syllables. 2. The Gayathri is supposed to be recited by Brahmins only. This idea is wrong. Actually one becomes a Brahmin by the Gayathri Mantra and not by birth. The determination of a person’s class by birth is an abherration: as the Bhagavad Gita says, men are to be classified only on the basis of their natural tendencies and their work. (ref: Gita:4:13). Any one can try to become a Brahmin by adopting the spiritual practices including Gayathri recitation etc. 3. The Gayathri is not supposed to be recited by women. This also is an abherration that gained currency sometime in the course of human history and not found in the Vedic period. Bhagawan has made it clear that no one is to be barred from the recitation of the Gayathri. 4. The Gayathri is supposed to be recited only after a bath and in a very calm and secluded place

or on the banks of a river, water tank at dawn, dusk etc. In a bygone era these might have been easily available but now they are not: people especially in developing countries often live in apartments and flat, where calm and seclusion are an exception rather than the rule and there is a rush to go to the school, office in the mornings and return home in the evenings. So, to impose conditions for the recitation of Gayathri is to effectively bar its practice. That is why Swami has said that the Gayathri can be recited within the mind even during commuting to and from your work place amidst the din of traffic if necessary. Of course calm and secluded surroundings are very conducive to the recitation and repetition of and meditation over the Gayathri but in the absence of such conditions, the recitation can induce inner calm which will help us to cope up with the external noise. 5. Traditionally, the

recitation of the Gayathri is associated with the recitation of many other verses whose purport is to welcome the goddess personifying the Gayathri, to offer her worship and seek her blessings to purify the place, limbs and so on. This may be done in advanced stages but for the beginner as well as for one who is after the essence of an activity, the short version consisting of five lines viz., Om

Bhur Bhuvah Suvah Tat Savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi Dhiyo yonah pracodayat The Gayathri’s main function is citta suddhi: the

purification of our minds to make them fit receptacles or reflectors of higher knowledge. Without citta suddhi, the spiritual realms are not reached and we will be bound to the field of analytical rational mind and limitations of the body. In that condition divinities are not contacted. The worship with the Gayathri can be done in two ways: (i) by proper recitation and (ii) by contemplation over its implications as indicated by the definitions ‘Gayantam trayate Gayathri’ and ‘mananat trayate mantra’: In other words one can recite and repeat the Gayathri with proper pronunciation, which can be learnt from proper persons or one can know the meaning of the words and contemplate as much as possible over its implications. The second method is perhaps more appropriate nowadays. All can

not be familiar enough with the correct method of pronouncing the words in the Gayathri which differs from the method of pronouncing the words in other contexts. Hence the freely translated meanings are given below: Om = God Bhur Bhuvah svah = is omnipresent (in the worlds perceived in wakeful, dream and deep sleep states or in the earth, the higher and thehighest planes, all the time) Note: This is not part of the Gayathri per se but an essential opening statement. Dhimahi = let us meditate on Devasya = that effulgent God

Bhargo = of light supreme (of wisdom) Tat = that Savitur = source Varenyam = which is the most supreme and worship-worthy

Yo = who Pracodayat = will kindle and promote Nah = our Dhiyo = higher consciousness or intelligence In this Gayathri, we can discern the three steps required for the realisation of the omnipresence of God. (i) Praise and worship of God, persons and things in which He

is especially manifest such as the great Saints, the Sun etc. This is possible only if we are humble (without ego) and aspiring to imbibe their values. (ii) Meditation or a conscious turn towards the inner world/person from the preoccupation with the outer world/persons. (iii) Faith in and patience with God who alone can help the growth of higher consciousness. Many people fail to harvest the fruit of the Gayathri worship because they do not know how to pronounce the words in all their nuances in the context of worship and commitment to spiritual goals. Sometimes they do not fulfill the conditions for enlightenment namely humility, readiness to imbibe higher values of life, an inner rather than outer orientation involving introspection, detached witnessing etc. and faith in and patience with God’s wise ways. Meditation, to be fully effective, must be a 24-hours-a-day activity rather

than a part-time one. In other words, it is a dedication of all activities of the day for realising the omnipresence of God and feeling His presence within ourselves too. May we aspire and reach that goal with the guidance and help of Swami who has come just for that purpose. Gurus help limited number of people towards that goal; but Avatars alone can help enormous numbers of human beings to attain Self realisation, especially the Yuga Avatars or the Avatars for the age. So, let us bow, in our minds, at the divine feet of Bhagawan and pray for His Grace, simultaneously to the best of our abilities leading our day-to-day lives in a spirit of total dedication. Like the pace maker to an ailing physical heart, Gayathri will help in harmonising our spiritual selves with the supreme

Self . Om Sai Ram

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