Gayatri Mantram – Applied Indology

The Gayatri mantra is one of the oldest, most powerful of Sanskrit mantras and has been added in the Rig Veda (3.62.10) by Brahmarshi Vishwamitra. The Rigveda is the oldest of the four and the other three are called Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. It takes its name in part because it is written in a meter called the Gayatri meter, twenty-four syllables divided into three lines of eight syllables each. The chanting of this mantra develops nada, a regular subtle vibration in the nerves of the subtle body.

The word Gayatri also means “she who protects the singer” (from gai, to sing, and trai, to protect). 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. Thus, Gayatri is a name of the Divine Mother, she who protects her children and leads them toward self-realization.

This Mantra is one of the key notes to the transformation of consciousness and is an identical vibration to the vital force in nature. It is one of the oldest prayers known to humanity, being as ancient as light and also the vital force itself.

The soul of the religion / dharma is the Veda and Gayatri is the mother of the Veda and Vedic Literature. Every word and each character of Gayatri are analysed from the viewpoint of the science of Dharma and the study of the Yoga. It is said, realization of the happiness of the temporal world and the world beyond life becomes possible through its chanting and constant exercise.

Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas (Gayatri Chandhasam matha) Gayatri, however, has three names: Gayatri, Savitri, and Saraswathi. These three are present in everyone. Gayatri represents the senses; it is the master of the senses. Savitri is the master of Prana (Life Force). The story of Savitri, who brought back to life her dead husband, Sathyavan. Savitri signifies truth. Saraswathi is the presiding deity of speech (vaak).

The three represent purity in thought, word, and deed (thrikarana shuddhi). Although Gayatri has three names, all three are in each of us as the senses (Gayatri), the power of speech (Saraswathi), and the life force (Savitri). The protective roles of Savithri, Saraswati and Gayatri, in relation to life, speech and the intellect, Gayatri is described as “Sarva-devata-swarupiñi”, the embodiment of all goddesses. In the same order, Gayatri is said to enhance one’s intelligence and intuition by recitation of the mantra, Savitri is said to protect the life forces and Saraswati is said to guard one’s speech.

“Om Bhuh, Om Bhuvaha, Om Swaha, Om Maha, Om Janaha, Om Tapaha, Om Satyam, Om Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayat”

Om bhur bhuvah suvah : bhur(earth) , bhuvah(sun), suvah (milkyway) are terms used here. Bhur, Buvah, Suvah are the 3 worlds or 3 planes of existence. Physical, mental and spiritual worlds. It means god who has manifested as the 3 worlds.

Tat = that, Savitr = creator, varenyam = adored/worshiped , bhargo = glory/sin destroying, devasya = god/light, dhimahi = we meditate, dhiyo = intellect, yo = which, nah = our, prachodayat = enlighten.

“O Self-effulgent Light that has given birth to all the lokas [spheres of consciousness], who is worthy of worship and appears through the orbit of the Sun, illumine our intellect.”

When a fan rotates at 900 RPM, it generates sound through wind. Similarly when infinite planets, solar systems, milkyways rotate/revolve at speed of 20,000 times per second, they also generate a sound. Rishi Viswamitra heard this sound through meditation and declared that this sound is the divine OM. Vedas mention the presence of infinte Planets, Solar systems and Milky-ways, a fact Modern science is revealing now in today’s time and era.

Rishis of that generation concluded that this OM is ever generating and always existing sound in this creation and is a way GOD / Paramathma communicates with his creation. Even in the sacred Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna declared that Om iti ekaaksharam brahma, which means God with no shape can be worshiped through single sound OM.

Yogis call this sound as Udgati Naadam which is recited to reach Samaadhi during meditation. It is added in beginning of all other vedic mantras.

Tat Savitur Varenyam : tat(creator), savitur(a star named sun), varenyam(bowing in front of him).
That means, we’re bowing in front of creator whose sound is OM and who looks like light from infinite stars.

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi : bhargo(light), devasya(god), dhiimahi(worship him).
Which means we need to worship god in the form of light.

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat : dhiyo(knowledge), yo(whoever), nah(to us), prachodayat(in proper channel/way).
Which means who gives us knowledge or shows us path to gain knowledge in proper way, he is god.

In this way, energy emitted from infinite milkyways revolutions is spread all over this creation, which is called Pranavam. This is similar to, K.E. = ½mv2.

There are seventy million supreme mantras contained in the Gayatri Mantra. Among all these seventy million supreme mantras, there are ten million mantras attributed to Siva, twenty million to the sun, five million to Ganesha, five million to Vishnu, and thirty million mantras, more than all the others, are attributed to the Divine Mother, the Goddess of Supreme Energy. The Gayatri Mantra is the essence of all these seventy million mantras. Just as all rivers merge in the oceans, all mantras unite in the Gayatri Mantra, the essence of all mantras. The Gayatri Mantra merges in the great ocean of Omkara, the sound of Om.

The universal prayer is addressed to the Surya deva of this solar system and Milky way, addressed as ‘Savitha’ as the Life-Giver on Earth. Goddess Gayatri or Annapurna is believed to be the divine Mother God that animates all Life. Considered to be the essence of the Vedas, Gayatri Mantra fosters and hones the knowledge-yielding faculty of a person. The four ‘mahavakyas’ or ultimate sentences of Gayatri Mantra, is a sacred mantra that demonstrates the unity that underlies multiplicity and manifoldness in creation.

Gayatri is the Mother, She is present, wherever Her name is chanted. She is very powerful. The One who nourishes the individual being is Gayatri. She bestows pure thoughts on anyone who worships Her. She is the embodiment of all Goddesses. Our very breath is Gayatri, our faith in existence is Gayatri.

Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati are latent in everybody. Bhur, Bhuvah and Swah in the Gayatri mantra refer to the body (materialization), the life-force (vibration) and the soul (radiation). Bhur means the earth, which is nothing but the combination of materials. This denotes the human body, which is also a combination of materials. Bhuvah refers to the life-force, which makes the body vibrate. Swah refers to Prajnāna-shakti, which sustains the life-force. This Prajnana shakti is known as constant integrated awareness. This is also termed as radiation. All three, namely, materialization, vibration and radiation are present in a Human being. We are not one, but three, the one you think you are (physical body), the one others think you are (mental body) and the one you really are (Atma).

The deity Gayatri is said to be ‘Panchamukhi’ (having five faces). These five faces are actually the five senses guarded by her or alternatively, five ‘pranas’ of life forces protected by her as Savitri. They are the five life principles. She has nine descriptions, they are ‘Om, Bhur, Bhuvah, Swah, Tat, Savitur, Vareñyaṃ, Bhargo, Devasya’.

Mother Gayatri nourishes and protects every being and she channelizes our senses in the proper direction. ‘Dhimahi’ means meditation. We pray to her to inspire us with good intelligence. ‘Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat’ – We beseech her to bestow on us everything we need. Thus Gayatri is a complete prayer for protection, nourishment and finally, liberation.

Womanhood is held in the Highest Esteem, and the universe, including the Trimurtis (Brahma, Vishnu, Siva) are created by Goddess, who manifested herself into different forms. Women can chant of Gayatri Mantra for 3 to 5 times while performing Pooja. But they should not do Gayatri Japam chanting for 108/1008 times. Each vedic mantra has certain frequency and acts upon different parts of human body, glands, chakras and organs.

Gayatri Mantra’s 24 digits produce vibrations that work on 3 invisible spiritual chakras (Mooladhara, Swadhishhtana, Manipura) in our body. Pituitary gland (near brain) and Prostate(near reproductive organ) glands in human body, both of which affect gender growth; chanting of mantra deeply affects the functioning of both these glands. These two glands release hormones that separate male from female kids while they attain puberty.

If a woman starts chanting these versus regularly, she is likely to lose her female hood character and can get manly tendencies developed in physical appearance and behaviour. Women develop abrupt growth of facial hair, misbalanced menstruation cycle and changing of skin color. Even it effects vocal chord which differentiates voices of men and women.
We must understand that Humans are divided as men and women by nature – not by humans. By birth, our gender is decided and our bodies are assigned few duties which cannot be altered.

A man going through menstrual cycle or getting pregnant is considered abnormal, and so is a woman with facial hair. Mantra sastra prescribes chanting of mantras related to female goddesses by men and male gods by women for quicker and effective results, because opposite poles attract.

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About Author:
Subhasini BA, is a Screenplay writer, Director, creative director, costume designer and producer, whose work has featured in some of the most prestigious film festivals in the country and internationally. She has collaborated on several film projects juggling different roles. 

In beginning of her career, she worked as Associate director and Costume Designer with the acclaimed director Girish Kasaravalli. She’s written and directed a documentary film on the famed Krishna Temple in Udupi, and also written plays, screenplays for films and short form content for some of the leading technology companies in India, including Microsoft, Akamai Technologies, LAM Research, and SAP. 

With Knowledge in Sanskrit, Subhasini is a seeker of the Eternal Truth / Santana Dharma, writes on dharma. She is passionate about History, Mythology, Philosophy and Spirituality. She believes Dharma is the manifestation of the natural strength of every living soul.
She lives in Cincinnati.

Image Courtesy: Religious Talks

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