Gayatri Mantra

[Guest guest]

How does the power/potency of the Gayatri mantra compare to that of the HareKrsna mahamantra?

I have been reading various books regarding hinduism and most say that the Gayatri is most powerful. However, vaishnava texts preech about the greatness of the Mahamantra in this age.

Please help. I am confused.

[mark 0]

Hare Krishna

 

Please excuse my ignorance but what are the words of the Gayatri mantra, and their meaning?

 

My regards and obeisances to all devotees

 

Mark

 

[Guest guest]

Mantra: Circle within a Circle

 

Srila Sridhar M.

 

Jiva Goswami has written that the name of Krsna is the principle thing

in the gayatri mantra. Within the mantra, there are also so many other

words, but the name is the most important. If the name of Krsna is

taken away, and replaced with some other name, the whole thing will

be rotten. This is the decision of Jiva Goswami. The holy name of

Krsna is all in all. The holy name of Krsna is there in the gayatri

mantra, and so many other words are couched there. But if Krsna's

name is taken away and replaced with the name of Siva, then the

whole thing will go to Siva. The holy name is the all-important factor.

The holy name of Krsna is so important that even the gayatri mantra

may not be necessary. It is said: na ca sat kriya, na dikse na ca

purascarya manadilate mantrayam rasana spri hanato sri krsna

namatmaka: "One need not undergo all the purificatory processes, or

follow the six ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas for pious

life; one need not even take initiation into the gayatri mantra. If one

simply chants the holy name of Krsna without offense, everything will

be successful." The holy name of Krsna is the most important

consideration. The gayatri mantra may not even be necessary.

We accept the mantra only to help the nama-bhajana, the worship of

the holy name. Otherwise, it may not be necessary at all. It has been

judged in such a way. The name alone can do everything for a person.

It is full and complete. The mantra helps us to do away with the

aparadhas, offenses, and the abhasa, or hazy conceptions in our

bhajana. The mantra comes to help us only so far.

An example is given of larger and smaller circles. The holy name of

Krsna is the larger circle. It extends from the highest to the lowest.

The mantra circle is a smaller circle within the larger circle. The

mantra cannot reach to the lowest point. The holy name can extend

itself down to the lowest position. The mantra gives us entrance into

liberation, and then the name carries us further. This is the nature of

our connection with the mantra and the name.

The name extends to the lowest position, to the candalas and yavanas.

Everyone can receive the name. But everyone is not eligible for the

gayatri mantra. Only after one has reached a developed stage can the

mantra be conferred upon him. And the mantra's jurisdiction will be

finished when liberation is attained. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi.

7.73):

krsna-mantra haite habe samsara mocana

krsna-nama haite pabe krsnera carana

"The Krsna gayatri mantra liberates one from repeated birth and death

in this world; the holy name of Krsna gives one shelter at the lotus feet

of Krsna." The gayatri mantra helps us achieve liberation, and then the

mantra retires. After giving us liberation, the mantra is finished. But

the name will continue all along, from the lowest to the highest.

Inchanting the name, there is no mention of any petition - it is an

address only. We should not chant with the mentality that, "I want

this." We must simply chant the name spontaneously. That will

encourage good will in us. So, because the function of the mantra is

limited, but the name is all-important, the nama guru will be honored

first, and next, the mantra guru, and then the other Vaisnavas.

[Guest guest]

has prabhupad ever lectured on the gayatri mantra?

[Guest guest]

gayatri exists in the heart of vishnu and therefore possesses the greatest power

 

om bhur bhuvah svah

tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi

dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

 

o existence absolute, consciousness absolute, and bliss absolute, creator of the three dimensions, we meditate on thy transcendental light, illumine our intellects.

[Guest guest]

"greatest"

i thought mahamantra was greatest

[Guest guest]

The reply of one of the devotees exposes that some followers of "Hare Krishna" movement have not understood the real meaning of the Gita.

To say that by removing the name of Krsina the whole motive of prayer is lost,is like saying that you can attaine god's blessings through jesus only.

Let me tell you what makes a person follower of "vedic"

or "sanatan dharma".

1. God is present everywhere whih implies he/she can manifest in any way.

2. God can be attained or one can become fully immered in god by worshipping him/her in any form.

3.A person becomes one with god when he is becomes devoid of envy,hate,pride,and can't distinguish between god and his surroundings.

AA person can attain god wheather he wirships him as krishna,or as rama, or as shiva or as kali, or as gayatri. the path does not matter it is the destination that counts.

[Guest guest]

Yes and the destination depends upon whom you finally surrender to. You surrender to Krishna then you go to Him, surrender to Siva you go to Him and so on.

 

Second God is not he/she. God is He, for He is the param purusha, everything else is prakriti.

 

Hope this does not turn into a debate on its own.

[Guest guest]

prakriti is god too, God it is Father/Mother, not just father, remember Radha is Krishna too, Srila Prabhupada said this, all of this nature is God's expansive energy, and God has form, yes, God will approach each individual according to their need, that is why there are so many different forms and names that are considered supreme, the most important aspect of religion is a pure and genuine heart, not fighting over which form and name are highest, the world will be fighting forever, lets respect other people have a different God, whether you follow Shvia, Vishnu, Gayatri etc. doesn't matter, but how you live and practice sadhana is most important...

[Guest guest]

As it is said in the Gita [ch.7 v.23], "Those who worship the Demigods go to the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach my planet."

Shiva is not Krishna but a demigod. This is not God's name so what is implied by His Divine Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj is that if any of God's names are removed from the Gayatri Mantra the mantra loses it's potency, which is logical.

So as people who are in perfect understanding of the Gita already knew, Guru Maharaj has no lack of understanding the Gita as he is situated in perfect knowledge.

Furthermore, if you use the Gayatri Mantra in Shiva's name, thinking Shiva to be the Supreme, you will not attain God.

And if on the other hand, you understand that Krishna is the origin of all the demigods you would automatically find it inappropriate to use the Gayatri mantra in Shiva's name.

In other words; to chant the Gayatri mantra in this knowledge but using Shiva's name would feel very odd and illogical. It would be like giving water to a single leaf of a tree, instead of watering the root of the tree.

Plus the name of Shiva(or any other demigod),if used in the understanding that Krishna is the original source, is simply not as powerful as the names of God Himself. If one takes devotional service too liberal and does not approach the Lord directly, one has to be wary of Rasabhasa.

 

As quoted from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

 

"Rasabhasa

 

Madhya-lila 8.90 PURPORT Even a devotee of the Personality of Godhead Narayana cannot actually understand the transcendental attractive features of Krishna.. Indeed, a devotee of Krishna who is attached to the sublime attractive features of the Lord does not consider Narayana very important. When the gopis sometimes saw Krishna in the form of Narayana, they were not very attracted to Him. The gopis never addressed Krishna as Rukmini-ramana. Krishna's devotees in Vrndavana address Him as Radha-ramana, Nandanandana and Yasodanandana, but not as Vasudeva-nandana or Devaki-nandana. Although according to the material conception Narayana, Rukmini-ramana and Krishna are one and the same, in the spiritual world one cannot use the name Rukmini-ramana or Narayana in place of the name Krishna. If one does so out of a poor fund of knowledge, his mellow with the Lord becomes spiritually faulty and is called rasabhasa, an overlapping of transcendental mellows. The advanced devotee who has actually realized the transcendental features of the Lord will not commit the mistake of creating a rasabhasa situation by using one name for another. Because of the influence of Kali-yuga, there is much rasabhasa in the name of extravagance and liberal-mindedness. Such fanaticism is not very much appreciated by pure devotees."