Goddess Gayatri Mantra

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OM bhuurbhuvaH svaH

 

tatsaviturvareNyaM

 

bhargo devasya dhiimahi

 

dhiyo yonaH pracodayaat .

 

The Rig Veda (10:16:3)

 

 

 

OM - the Infinite beyond Conception, Brahman, Supreme Lord and State

of Being

 

 

bhuur - Protector of the earth, the material sheath, The Life breath

of the Universe. From the feet to the navel center.

 

 

bhuvaH - the Mental Worlds One of the meanings is the sky. The Lord

who pervades and eliminates all miseries. From the navel to the

throat center.

 

 

svaH - I AM ONE WITH GOD - the Spiritual Worlds, One of the other

meanings is the heavens. He is all Bliss and blesses His devotees

with happiness. From above the throat center to the thousand petaled

lotus.

 

 

tat - That (That Thou Art)

 

 

savitur - The SUN, Creator, Preserver and Self Luminous, the central

mantra of the Solar Science.

 

 

vareNyaM - Most fit to be worshipped. Most choice worthy - most

adorable, enchanting.

 

 

bhargo - The burning splendor of the Sun that dispels ignorance, and

therefore sorrows and miseries.

 

 

devasya - The 'Deva', The God, He who is All Bliss, The Joyful One,

The Shining One, The Revealer of All Glory

 

 

dhiimahi - We meditate upon Him

 

 

dhiyo - Bhuddi, intelligence, Wisdom

 

 

 

yo - which

 

 

 

naH - our

 

 

pracodayaat - Inspires, enlightens, illumns

 

 

 

This is one of the oldest and most powerful of all known mantras. You

should chant this mantra and firmly establish it in your mind, as

your spiritual ideal. If so, you will be able to do the work alotted

to you, your life will be one of light and happiness.

 

The word " Gayatri " itself explains the reason for the existence of

this mantra. It has its origin in the Sanskrit phrase Gayantam

Triyate iti, and refers to that mantra which rescues the chanter from

all adverse situations that may lead to mortality.

 

Goddess Gayatri is also called " Veda-Mata " or the Mother of the

Vedas — Rig, Yajur, Saam and Atharva — because it is the very basis

of the Vedas. It is the basis, the reality behind the experienced and

the cognized universe.

 

The Gayatri mantra is composed of a metre consisting of 24 syllables —

generally arranged in a triplet of eight syllables each. Therefore,

this particular meter (tripadhi) is also known as the Gayatri Meter

or " Gayatri Chhanda. "

 

 

Just like the Sun annihilates darkness, so does the Gayatri Mantra

destroy ignorance. The Gayatri Mantra invokes the power and radiance

of the Sun to energize all earthly life, to destroy our sins and to

reveal the Supreme Self to us. Krishna in the Bhagvad Geeta says: "

Amongst the Mantras, I am the Gayatri "

 

In a loose translation that cannot possibly do justice to the

original it implores: OM, O Lord! You are the all pervading Source of

Light, Sustainer, Protector and Bestower of Happiness, Kindle,

Enlighten and inspire our Intelligence to possess Eternal Qualities.

 

The Gayatri Mantra is the essence of the three Vedas. It is the Vedas

simplified. The more one contemplates and meditates upon the Gayatri,

the more complexities are revealed to one.

 

The story goes that once the Devas, the Shining Ones wanted to learn

the secrets of the Universe. Since learning about the Scientific

aspect 'atoms' etc. did not quite work out, they went to the Lord.

The Lord gave them the Rig Veda, The Yajur Veda and the Sama Veda to

study. After a couple of eons of study, the Devas lost their patience

and wanted to quit. The Lord urged them not to give up and decided to

teach the essence of the 3 Vedas in 3 fragments:

 

Essence of Rig Veda Tat Savitur Varenyam

Essence of Yajur Veda Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi

Essence of Sama Veda Dheeyo Yonah Prachodayaat

 

The more the Devas practiced and contemplated upon the Gayatri, the

more complexities were revealed to them. So they lost patience again

and went to the Lord to make it simpler still. So the Lord gave them

the essence of the 3 segments, in the 3 words:

 

Bhur, Bhuvaha, Svaha

 

The Devas spent a a few cycles of Creation, probably a quadrillion

human years pondering upon the 'maha vyahritis' ie 'Utterances of the

Lord' but became impatient again and urged the Lord to make it

simpler yet. So He Said " All right I'll make it simpler "

 

And He taught them AUM

 

The great western thinker, Arthur Koestler, had once said that the

Gayatri Mantra has the power of a thousand atomic bombs! and the

famous scientists

 

J.B.S. Haldana wrote: " The Gayatri Mantra should be carved on the

doors of every laboratory of the world " .

 

The Gayatri with the Mahavyahritis is uttered as- Om, bhur, bhuvah,

svah tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah

prachodayat This mantra is believed to have been composed by Sage

Vishvamitra. According to others, however, it is so ancient that the

four Vedas were born of it.

 

Initially, this mantra was a simple invocation to the Sun to bless

all on earth. Gradually it came to be regarded as a mystic formula of

universal power. This was probably due to its simplicity and its

power to evolve the idealistic notion of a world that originated from

an all-pervading Intelligence.

 

According to the Skanda Purana, nothing in the Vedas is superior to

the Gayatri. No invocation is equal to it just as no city is equal to

Kashi (see Tirtha). The Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas, it

contains the essence of all the Vedas and of the Brahmanas, for the

Gayatri is believed to embody Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the Vedas.

 

According to the Aitareya Brahmana (see Brahmana), those who desire

to go to heaven should recite this mantra a thousand times. The

Gayatri Mantra must be recited by all 'twice-born' (see Upanayanam)

Hindus, Gayatri Mantra especially the Brahmins, who are expected to

recite it every morning and evening. This mantra was however not

allowed be reciting or even hearing by a Shudra or a woman. In the

early Vedic age however, the status of women was considerably higher

than in the later Vedic age. Rishinis or women rishis like Gargi and

Lopamudra are said to have undergone the Upanayanam and the former

indeed, engaged in debate none less than the law giver, Yajnavalkya.

Later, when this mantra became exclusive to 'twice-born' males, care

was taken not to recite it loudly.

 

The Gayatri Mantra is also recited at various rituals pertaining to

divine worship and the ritual of the manes (see Shradha). It is said

that the recitation of the Gayatri five times a day is as effective

as performing the panchamahayagya.

 

This mantra is taught for the first time during the Upanayanam

ceremony when the guru whispers it into the ears of the newly

Recitation of the Pupil (brahmopadesham). Thereafter the pupil is

expected to recite it every morning and evening throughout his life

 

It should ideally be recited 16 times a day. To keep track, the right

hand is used. When the mantra is recited the first time, the thumb is

placed on the third joint of the ring finger and is held there till

the mantra is complete. With each completion, the thumb moves one

more joints, down the ring finger, up the little finger, over the

tips, down the index finger, up the middle finger and the sixteenth

recitation is completed on the third joint of the middle finger. When

reciting the Gayatri Mantra, the sacred thread (see Upanayanam) is

held across the thumb of the right hand.