GAYATRI MANTRA

GAYATRI MANTRA---------Vedic Mantra for New Year!

 

The most sacred, celebrated prayer-Mantra from Rig Veda is Gayatri Mantra given by Sage Vishwamitra. It is the smallest, 24 letters Mantra and is known as Metre. It is also known as Savitri Mantra and Guru Mantra. Gayatri Mantra as it appears in Rig Veda,

“Tat Savitur Vaarenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi

Dhiyo yo Nah Prachodayat.”

In Yajur Veda, Gayatri Mantra appears along with the first three great mystic syllables called Vyabrites. Thus, the complete Mantra is;

“AUM BHUR- BHUVAH- SUVAHA

TAT-   SAVITUR-     VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA   DHIMAHI

DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT’’

“Oh Protector, All Pervading Supreme God, Dispenser of miseries, Bestower of Comfort, we meditate on Your Supreme effulgence and surrender to you. You keep our intellect off evil deeds and put it on right path.”

AUM                     Almighty God
BHOOR                Embodiment of vital or spiritual energy
BHUVAHA          Destroyer of suffering
SWAHA -             Embodiment of Happiness
TAT -                    That (indicating God)
SAVITUR -           Bright, Luminous, like sun
VARENYAM -     Supreme, Best
BHARGO -           Destroyer of Sins
DEVASYA -         Divine
DHEEMAHI -      May receive
DHEEYO -           Intellect
YO -                      Who
NAH -                   Our
PRACHODAYAT - May inspire

The Atharva Veda incorporates a prayer (19/1/71) in praise of Gayatri stating it grants longevity, energy, power, fame, wealth and divine brilliance (Brahmin Tej).

Lord Krishna says to Arjuna “Among the Vedic hymns I am the hymn known as Gayatri.” Manu also says that the ‘Gayatri Mantra’ leads one to the peak of spiritual splendor, wisdom and longevity. Worshipping Maha Gayatri can always enlighten Sadhak and make him righteous in thought and deed.

Gayatri is the root of our religious tree, Vedas are its branches and religious acts are its leaves. The secret of the supernatural impact of ‘Gayatri Mantra’ in the physical domains of life lies in its unique configuration of the specific syllables---the seed of Shabda,  which is derived from the esoteric depths of the absolute science of Shabda Brahmin---  Nada Brahmin.

 

Sl.	LETTER	GLAND	POWER
01.	Tat	tapini	success
02.	Sa	saphalata	bravery
03.	Vi	vishwa	perseverance
04.	Tur	tustu	welfare
05.	Va	varada	yoga
06.	Re	revati	love
07.	Ni	sukshma	wealth, money
08.	Yam	gyan	brilliance
09.	Bhar	bharga	protection
10.	Go	gomati	intellect
11.	De	devika	subjugation
12.	Va	varahi	devotion
13.	Sya	simhani	determination
14.	Dhee	dhyana	Life force
15.	Ma	marayad	self restraint
16.	Hi	sphuta	penance
17.	Dhi	medha	farsightedness
18.	Yo	yogamaya	awakening
19.	Yo	yogini	production
20.	Naha	dharini	sweetness
21.	Pra	prabhav	ideal
22.	Cho	ushma	courage
23.	Da	drishya	wisdom
24.	Yat	niranjana	service, unselfishness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being the source of ultimate evolution and beatified salvation of Prana, the Adi Shakti is called Gayatri. The Vedic scripture Aitareya Brahmana describes this meaning as, ‘Gayan Trayate Sa Gayatri; meaning, ‘That, which protects the gaya (prana) is Gayatri’.  Shankaracharya Bhashya, further explains the Gayatri as “GiyateTatva Manaya Gayatri”, meaning; ‘the discerning, pure intellect’-- Ritambhara Pragya, which unfolds the ultimate truth and absolute knowledge, is Gayati. Gayatri-Upasana, is the devotion of the eternal mother for spiritual elevation. Even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, when they trod on earth, regularly practiced the Gayatri---Upasana.

The Gayatri- Shakti encompasses three supernatural virtues; Hrim--divine intelligence, Srim--divine prosperity, Klim--divine might. The Gayatri-Shakti is a spiritual confluence of the absolute power of   the trinity Gods; Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kali. Vedmata, Devmata and Viswamata are three eternal manifestations of Gayatri. The Hrim, Srim and Klim powers of the Gayatri are the eternal sources of righteous intellect, prosperity and might. These eliminate all ignorance, infirmities and scarcities from the Sadhaka’s life and expunge his sufferings, Sorrows and burdens forever.

Rishi Bhardwaj says that, “Even God Brahma performs the Japa of the Gayatri Mantra. It leads to ultimate realization of the Brahman.”

According to ‘Devi Bhagavatam’ ---‘Gayatri’ is the essence of all Vedas. Gods like Brahma chant and meditate on ‘Gayatri’ at Sandhya time. ‘Sankha Smriti’ says, ‘Gayatri’ is the mother of the Vedas and destroyer of all sins. ‘Gayatri’ bestows all desires. ‘Samvarta Smriti’ insists, to cleanse from the sins, there is nothing above ‘Gayatri’. It should be chanted along with ‘Mahavyahrtis’ and the ‘Pranava’. “Therefore the excellent ‘Gayatri-Upasana’ should be practiced daily as an obligatory duty.

The specialty of the ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is that it contains the essence of ‘Gyana Yoga’, ‘Bhakti’ and ‘Karma Yoga’. It is the essence of ‘Gyana Yoga’ because we are no longer subject to the primal ‘An nana’ (ignorance) of preferring our own transitory desires to the purposes of the Supreme Spirit. It is the essence of ‘Bhakti Yoga’ because we willingly surrender ourselves to Supreme Lord. It is the essence of ‘Karma Yoga’ because we are to be prompted in all our activities not Yoga by self-will, but by the will of Supreme Lord. The ‘Gayatri Mantra’ thus contains in a nutshell the highest religious philosophy of the Hindus.

In ‘Gayatri Mantra’, two words have great significance; ‘Bhargah’ means the light of sun, which symbolizes Divine Consciousness and ‘Dhiyah’ means phases of individual consciousness. Therefore, the meditation on Consciousness, we pray in the ‘Gayatri’, ‘Kindly direct my intellect towards Gayatri Mantra, helps individual consciousness to grow into Divine Thee.’It beautifies our intellect and this helps intellect seek the right path.

According to Veda Vyasa, one of the greatest seers, who compiled the four Vedas, authored eighteen Puranas including the great Mahabharata, has recorded importance of the Gayatri-Upasana in following words; “The Dwija (twice-born) is the stem of the tree (of religion), Sandhyavandana (i.e,Gayatri-Upasana) is its roots, Vedas are its branches and religious acts are its leaves; therefore the root must be protected (i.e, Gayatri-Upasana should be practiced) at all costs.” The Dwija (twice-born} so-called, who neglects this duty is not qualified to perform any other religious act.”  Devi Bhagavata.

According to Sri Adi Shankara, rightous intelligence through which that Being, that Reality, can be known is ‘Gayatri’.Gayatri acts as divine light and gives spiritual and mental bliss. It grants righteous knowledge and wisdom to attain self-awakening. He further describes, “It is beyond human competence to describe the glory of Gayatri. Nothing is more important in the world than to attain spiritual wisdom, which is inspired by Gayatri Sadhana. ’Gayatri’ is the primordial ‘Mantra’. Its ‘Sadhana’ destroys all sins and inculcates divine virtues.”

Devarshi Narad adds,” Gayatri is devotion personified. Wherever there is Gayatri in the form of devotion, God un-doubtfully resides there.”

In the words of Atri Muni,”All the deep-rooted defects and vices are cleansed out by the divine power of Gayatri. Nothing else remains to be attained in this world by one who fully understands the substance of Gayatri.”

According to Maharishi Vishwamitra, there is no other Mantra like the Gayatri Mantra. All the Vedas, Yagyas, Tapas, charities together are not equivalent even to a small fraction of the supreme potency of the Gayatri Mantra. Maharishi Vyas adds, “Just as honey is the essence of flowers, ghrit of the milk, in the same way Gayatri is the essence of all Vedas. It is like Kamadhenu for the one who acquired mastery in its true knowledge”. Yogiraj Yagyavalkya says, “Gayatri and all the Vedas were weighed in a balance. The scale was found tipped in favour of Gayatri.”     

 Similar views, have been expressed by almost all the great Rishis.

Swami Ramakrishna Paramhans had affirmed the astonishing power of Gayatri Mantra and he used to guide his disciples to perform simple Gayatri Sadhana rather than arduous, complicated Sadhans. In his views, all the Siddhis are attainable by Gayatri Mantra.

Swami Ramteerth describes,” The purpose of Gayatri Mantra is to remove intellect’s craving for sensuous pleasures and inculcate in it deep interest for God. He alone can realize thee whose intellect is so pure and stable.”

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj, was a staunch worshiper of Gayatri. He preached Gayatri as the paramount Guru Mantra of all Vedas.

Swami Vivekananda used to regard this Mantra of Saad Buddhi as the preeminent crown of all Mantras.

Maharishi Raman preached that of all masteries, the mastery of a Mantra is extremely powerful. Marvelous results are achieved by the power of Mantras. Gayatri is such a Mantra, which bestows both material as well as spiritual benefits.

Sri Aurobindo has also advocated Gayatri Mantra. According to him, Gayatri has supernormal potency to accomplish great and noble aims.

The great Indian poet Ravindranath Tagore says, “The Mantra that can awaken India is so simple that it could be uttered in a single breath. It is the Gayatri Mantra”.

According to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, “Gayatri Mantra is the most precious gem, which has been given to us by the Rishis. It purifies the intellect and enlightens the soul with the light of God.”

Lokmanaya Tilak believed that, “Political freedom alone will not liberate Indian people from the bonds of slavery. For this, the inner soul should be enlightened. The great Gayatri Mantra is endowed with this superme power.” Even Vaidraj Charak, percribed recitation of ‘Gayatri Mantra’ for longevity of life span. In nutshell, Gayatri Mantra is considered the most potent means of invoking the divine brilliance or energies, latent in the deeper layers of consciousness, for the realization, refinement, upliftment and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole. Interestingly, in a significant judgement,the Tamil Naidu High Court in 1992, upheld, that ‘Gayatri Mantra’ had stood well above the barrier of religion i.e. as universal and secular. 

 

  COMPILED BY; C.L.GADOO