Gayatri Mantra(Mahamantra)

Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra (GUY-ah-tree) is one of the most known and beneficial of the ancient Sanskrit mantras. Gayatri is a mantra of physical, emotional, and mental healing, purifying the subtle karmas, protection from the onslaught of obstacles, and of spiritual awakening or Self-realization.
The handwritten mantra below and the audio sound
sample are by my dear friend, Swami Nardanand.

Aum Bhur Bhuva Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat
On the absolute reality and its planes,
On that finest spiritual light,
We meditate, as remover of obstacles
That it may inspire and enlighten us.


………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
AUM/OM: Absolute reality. That which encompasses the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, represented by AUM, the three levels of gross, subtle, causal, the three levels of conscious, unconscious, subconscious, and the three universal processes of coming, being, and going. Absolute silence beyond the three levels is the silence after AUM.
Bhur: Physical realm or plane; earth.
Bhuva: The subtle or astral plane.
Svah: The higher, celestial plane.
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Tat: That, the essential essence.
Savitur: Bright, luminous, sun-like, inner power of spiritual light, which brings one to Self-realization.
Varenyam: Finest, best, choicest, fit to be sought.
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Bhargo: Destroyer of obstacles. Effulgence
Devasya: Divine, resplendent, shining
Dhimahi: We meditate.
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Dhiyo: Our being of intelligence, intellect, understanding, mind/heart
Yo: Who, which
Naha: Our
Prachodayat: May enlighten, direct, inspire, guide, impel.
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Gayatri Mantra (in Rig Veda)

Gayatri Mantra

There is a famous prayer in Sanskrit that first appears in the Rig Veda (iii /62/10) called the gayatri mantra that almost every Hindu knows. In roman letters it is as follows:

Om bhur bhuvah svah
tat-savitur varenyam
bharo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah pracodayat

Literally hundreds of books and thousands of web pages are currently dedicated to explaining the esoteric meaning of this mantra, so I will not repeat that discussion. Instead I will provide a basic grammatical explanation of this most famous mantra and if you are new to Hinduism and want to know at least one prayer, this is the prayer you should learn.

Gayatri is actually the name for a Sanskrit poetical meter that contains three lines of eight syllables each. There are, therefore, many gayatri mantras, but this particular one is the oldest and most well known of all gayatri mantras. In Hinduism all Gods and Goddesses have a gayatri mantra associated with them. There is a gayatri for Ganesha, one for Shiva, one for Durga, one for Vishnu, one for Lakshmi, and so on. Most people are unaware of this fact and when Hindus talk about the gayatri mantra they mean thee gayatri mantra shown above, which is addressed to Savitri, the sun. The first line: om bhur bhuvah svah that you see above is not actually part of a gayatri mantra. It is a special utterance called vyahriti that has been added to the beginning of this famous gayatri . This vyahriti is important in and of itself and we will discuss it after we have explained the basic gayatri mantra. The three lines of this gayatri mantra are:

1. tat-savitur varenyam.

2. bharo devasya dhimahi, and

3. dhiyo yo nah pracodayat

Here is a word-for-word breakdown of the gayatri mantra that most Hindus know.

tat–that (God)
savitur–of the sun
varenyam–the best
bharo (bhargas)–light, illumination
devasya–divine
dhimahi–let us meditate (a verb)
dhiyo (dhiyah)–thought(s)
yo (yah)–which
nah–of us, our
pracodayat–May it push, inspire (a verb)

The deity associated with this gayatri mantra, as we mentioned, is the sun, savitri. (The second word of this mantra.) The more common name for the sun is surya. Generally "surya" is the name for the sun while it is above the horizon and savitri is the sun as it is rising and setting, just below the horizon. There is a great metaphor in Hinduism that when understood explains a lot about the Hindu way of seeing the universe. The metaphor is: “the sun equals light, which equals knowledge, which equals consciousness.” This metaphor applies not only to the gayatri mantra, but also to the design of temples and homes, and to details such as why we circumambulate from left to right and offer incense and lamps in a clockwise direction.

The most important word in the gayatri mantra is the word, “tat,” which is a neuter pronoun meaning “that.” It is a reference to “that One," God. According to the metaphor mentioned above, the sun, which is the source of illumination, heat, food and so many other things in our life, can naturally be seen as the “representative” or symbol of God in this world. There are two verbs in the gayatri mantra, dhimahi and prachodayat. Dhimahi means, “let us meditate.“ So, “let us meditate on the light (bhargo) of the sun which represents God.” This is the basic meaning of the first part of the gayatri mantra.

The second part is also straight forward. The verb prachodayat literally means , “it should push,” but in more poetic language we can translate it as “let it inspire.” Dhiyah is “thoughts,” so dhiyo yo nah prachodayat means, “may our thoughts be inspired” So the most literal meaning of the gayatri mantra is, “Let us meditate on the light of the sun which represents God, and may our thoughts be inspired by that divine light.”

As with most things Hindu, the gayatri mantra is also personified as the Goddess, Gayatri Devi. She is the wife of Brahma and is pictured with five heads sitting on a lotus. She is the embodiment of the supreme brahman. You will also see other depictions of Gayatri Devi that vary somewhat.

The gayatri mantra is traditionally whispered into the ear of a young boy in a ceremony called The Thread Giving Ceremony (upanayana), which is one of the rites of passage followed by many Hindus. In addition, the gayatri mantra is repeated during daily prayers performed by many Hindus three times a day, while facing the sun: at sunrise, at noon and at sun set. It is also common to recite the gayatri as part of a havan, or to recite it in a collective way in temples or homes.

The Great Utterance

The first part of the gayatri mantra, om bhur bhuvah svah, which we mentioned at the beginning as not part of the mantra, is called vyahriti or the “great utterance.” This mantra is repeated not only in conjunction with the gayatri mantra, but also separately during havans or fire ceremonies. The word om is a auspicious sound made at the beginning of many prayers. The expression bhur bhuvah and svah is technical, but a simple way to think of it is as a “call to creation,” that the light of the sun (the light of God) shines on the earth (bhur), in the sky (bhuvah), and in space (svah), and therefore the implication is, “let that light also shine on me.”

The technical explanation vyahriti has to do with subtle practices of meditational yoga. This earth is simply one of many planes of existence. In fact, above this earth are six higher planes, heavens as it were. Including this earth, there are seven planes up (heavens) and seven planes down, or hells below this earth. The earth is in the middle. If you have ever heard the expression, “he is in seventh heaven” you should understand that this is a reference to the Hindu idea of heavens. The seventh heaven is the highest heaven. The first three of these planes starting with the earth are called bhur, bhuvah and svah. The utterance bhur bhuvah svah, therefore, refers to the first three subtle planes of existence that may be reached in meditation by a yogi.

om sweet om

Gayatri Mantra (in words of Dayanand saraswati)

Summary of the Gayatri Mantra

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

Summary of the Gayatri Mantra

Gayatri Mantra (the mother of the vedas), the foremost mantra in hinduism and hindu beliefs, inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". The mantra is also a prayer to the "giver of light and life" - the sun (savitur).

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

Gayatri Mantra in Sanskrit

Word for Word Meaning of the Gayatri Mantra

Aum = Brahma ;
bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ;
bhuwah = destroyer of sufferings ;
swaha = embodiment of happiness ;
tat = that ;
savitur = bright like sun ;
varenyam = best choicest ;
bhargo = destroyer of sins ;
devasya = divine ;
dheemahi = may imbibe ;
dhiyo = intellect ;
yo = who ;
naha = our ;
prachodayat = may inspire!

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Origin, Benefits and Chanting of the Gayatri Mantra

The Vedas are widely considered to be the source of all true knowledge, the word "Veda" itself meaning "Knowledge". Gayatri Devi also gave to mankind the "Gayatri Mantra", also known as the "Guru Mantra" or the "Savitri Mantra". It is one of the oldest mantras, and generally thought of as being amongst the highest and most powerful mantras of all. This mantra is therefore often referred to as "the Mother of the Vedas". It appears in Yajur Veda - Chapter 36, Mantra (Verse) 3.

Rishis selected the words of the Gayatri Mantra and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. The ideal times for chanting the mantra are three times a day - at dawn, mid-day, and at dusk. These times are known as the three sandhyas - morning, mid-day and evening. The maximum benefit of chanting the mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may chant it for 3, 9, or 18 times when pressed for time. The syllables of the mantra are said to positively affect all the chakras or energy centres in the human body - hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important.

Chanting of Gayatri Mantra removes all obstacles in our path to increased wisdom and spiritual growth and development. The teachings and powers incorporated in the Gayatri Mantra fulfill this purpose. Righteous wisdom starts emerging soon after Jap(recitation) of the Gayatri Mantra is performed.

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References to the Gayatri Mantra in Scriptures

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेन्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

Gayatri Mantra audio mp3 by Anuradha Paudwal(218K, 28sec)

The Upanisads (secret texts) of Hinduism contain several references to the Gayatri Mantra.

Chandogya Upanisad 3.12.1,2,5 (Qualities of Gayatri)

• 1. This entire creation is Gayatri. And the Gayatri is speech - for speech sings (gayati) and protects (trayati) this entire creation. Gayatri indeed is all this, whatever being exists. Speech indeed is Gayatri; for speech indeed sings and removes fear of all this that exists.
• 2. That which is this Gayatri, even that is this earth; for on this earth are all the beings established and they do not transcend it.
• 5. This well-known Gayatri is four-footed and sixfold.

Chandogya Upanisad 4.17.1-6 (Origin of Bhur Bhuvah Svah)

• 1. Prajapati (the progenitor of the worlds) brooded on the three worlds. From them he extracted their essences; fire from the earth, air from the sky and the sun from heaven.
• 2. He further brooded on these three deities. From them he extracted their essences: the Riks (Rg-veda) from fire, the Yajus-mantras (Yajur-veda) from air, and the Saman (Sama-veda) from the sun.
• 3. He brooded on the three Vedas. From them he extracted their existences; Bhuh from the Riks, Bhuvah from the Yajus-mantras and Svah from the Samans.
• 4-6. Therefore if the sacrifice is rendered defective on account of the Riks (or Yajus or Samans), then with the Mantra ‘Bhuh Svaha’ (or 'Bhuvah Svaha' or 'Svah Svaha'), the Brahman priest should offer an oblation in the fire. Thus verily, through the essence of the Riks (or Yajus or Samans), through the virility of the Riks (or Yajus or Samans), he makes good the injury of the sacrifice in respect of the Riks (or Yajus or Samans).

Brahadaranyaka Upanisad 5.14.4 (Gayatri as the Protector)

The Gayatri Mantra is based on truth. For truth is based on strength. Strength is breath, and is based on breath. So, Gayatri protects (tra) the wealth (gaya) (the breath!) of those who speak it with earnestness and devotion. When one recites Gayatri on behalf of someone, it protects that person's breath too!

Brahadaranyaka Upanisad 5.14.5 (Four 'foots' of the Gayatri)

This verse talks about the unbounded wealth contained within the four 'foots' of the Gayatri Mantra.

• The first foot (aum bhur bhuvah svaha) is said to be equivalent to the wealth contained in the three worlds put together.
• The second foot (tat savitur varenyam) is said to be equivalent to the wealth contained in the three main vedas.
• If one were to receive a gift extending as far as there are living beings, that would equal the third foot (bhargo devasaya dheemahi).
• The fourth foot (dheeyo yo nah prachodyaat) is based on the glory of the sun, whose power and wealth remains unequaled and unrivaled. Hence, there is no amount of wealth that can equal the fourth foot of the Gayatri!

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Gayatri Mantra - Long Form and Praanayama

The complete form (or long form) of the Gayatri Mantra contains an invocation to the seven spheres, followed by the traditional 24-syllable mantra that is most commonly chanted (Details of each syllable can be found in the Gayatri by Words article). The final part of the mantra is an invocation to the Goddess of light to illuminate our path as we move towards higher consciousness.

ॐभू: ॐभुव: ॐस्व: ॐमह: ॐजन: ॐतप: ॐसत्यम, ॐतत्सवितुर्वरेन्यं, भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

AUM bhUH, AUM bhuvaH, AUM svaH, AUM mahaH
AUM janaH, AUM tapaH, AUM satyam
AUM tatsaviturvarenyM bhargo devasya dhImahi
dhIyo yo nH prachodayAt.h.
AUM Apo jyotiH rasomRRitaM
brahma bhUR bhuvaH svar AUM..

AUM, the primordial sound, resides in all elements of the universe. It permeates the earth (-bhUH), water (-bhuvaH), fire (-svaH), air (-mahaH), ether (-janaH), intelligence (-tapaH) and consciousness (-satyam). We pay homage to Gayatri, the one who shines like the sun (tat savitur), the one who destroys all our sins through her everlasting and effulgent light. Dear Goddess Gayatri, please illuminate our path towards our higher consciousness and lead us to our true purpose in life. Please shine your light (-jyotiH) in our path so we may partake of the everlasting nectar (rasomRRitaM) of brahman while chanting the primordial sound, AUM!

Listen to the Gayatri Mantra Praanayama (mp3 extract, 30sec, 220K)

The Gayatri Mantra CD by Pandit Jasraaj and Rattan Mohan Sharma includes a 40+ minute rendition of repeated chants of the Gayatri Mantra. It is perfect to play in the background for your meditations.

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Gayatri Mantra - Mantra or Prayer?

The Gayatri Mantra occupies a unique place in that it has both the power of mantra and of prarthana (prayer). It is important then in considering the Gayatri Mantra to distinguish the difference between these two deceptively similar words.

A mantra may be articulate or inarticulate, or a combination of them, as with AUM. It has an inherent power, known as "Mantra shakti", which has a positive influence not due to any philosophical meaning behind the mantra, but simply due to its utterance alone (of course, "utterance" may or may not be vocal or heard - it can be silent, expressed only in the mind, or at the deepest level, heard only by the soul itself). As explained, a pure mantra may or may not have any actual meaning or philosophical significance, its power being intrinsic to the mantra itself, and not instrumental to any meaning.

A prarthana on the other hand does have a philosophical meaning behind it, and it is generally through this meaning that the prarthana has its power. Since the mantra is devoid of any kind of actual meaning, it cannot be conceptualised or visualised. This makes its understanding extremely difficult to the normal human mind, thus rendering its correct enunciation almost impossible to the untrained person. A prarthana however, having a meaning that can be comprehended through purely intellectual means, is far easier to be understood, since rational thought, unlike spiritual meditation, is much more in the reach of the ordinary person. Thus, the method of prarthana is generally the form of worship used today.

The Gayatri, or Guru, Mantra possesses both the power of mantra and the power of prarthana, and thus has both an intrinsic power (ie "mantra shakti"), through its mere utterance alone, and also an instrumental power (ie "prarthana shakti"), which is derived from the exposition and understanding of its meaning and philosophical significance. The repeated and correct chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, with proper understanding of its meaning, is believed to be of the greatest good to the individual.

Related reading at this site:

• Lord Ganesha Mantra - Vakratunda Mahaakaaya - Mantra for removing obstacles (http://www.eaglespace.com/lordganesha.php)
• Lord Shiva Mantra - Aum Triyambakam - Mantra for good health and long life (http://www.eaglespace.com/mahamantra.php)
• Gayatri in Audio - Audio Clips of the Gayatri Mantra (http://www.eaglespace.com/gayatri_audio.php)

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Gayatri Mantra

Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi, Dhiya Yo Nah Prachodayat We meditate on that Ishwara’s glory, Who has created the universe, Who is fit to be worshipped, Who is the embodiment of knowledge and Light, Who is the remover of all sins and ignorance. May He enlighten our intellects. OM Symbol of the Par Brahman Bhur Bhu-Loka (Physical plane) Bhuvah Antariksha-Loka (Astral plane) Swah Swarga-Loka (Celestial plane) Tat That; Transcendent Paramatman Savitur Ishawara or Creator Varenyam Fit to be worshipped or adored Bhargo Remover of sins and ignorance; Glory Effulgence Devasya Resplendent; Shining Dheemahi We meditate Dhiyo Buddhis; Intellects; Understandings Yo Which; who Nah Our Prachodayat Enlighten; Guide; Impel GAYATRIES OF DIFFERENT DEITIES Gayatri is a verse of specific length and meter. Although the Gayatri described above is one of the most sacred of the Vedic Mantras and is called “Mother of the Vedas,” this verse form is also used to praise and invoke many of the deities. Mantras for JAPA 1 OM Ekadantaya Vidmahe Vakkratundaya Dheemahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Ganesha. 2 OM Narayanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dheemahi, Tanno Vishnuh Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Vishnu. 3 OM Tatpurshaya Vidmahe Sahasrakshaya Mahadevaya Dheemahi, Tanno Rudrah Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Siva. 4 OM Dasarathaye Vidnahe Sitavallabhaya Dheemahi, Tanno Ramah Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Rama. 5 OM Devakinandanaya Vidnahe Vasudevaya Dheemahi, Tannah Krishnah Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Krishna. 6 OM Katyayanyai Vidmahe Kanyakumaryai Dheemahi, Tanno Durga Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Durga. 7 OM Mahadevyai Cha Vidmahe Vishnupatnyai Cha Dheemai Tanno Lakshmih Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Lakshmi. 8 OM Vagdevyai Cha Vidnahe Kamarajaya Dheemai Tanno Devi Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Saraswati. 9 OM Sarvasammohinyai Vidmahe Visvajananayai Dheemai Tannah Shaktih Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Shakti, Cosmic Power. 10 OM Gurudevaya Vidmahe parabrahmane Dheemai Tanno Guru Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of the Guru. 11 OM Bhaskaraya Vidmahe Mahadyutikaraya Dheemai Tanno Adityah Prachodayat This is the Gayatri of Surya, the Sun. aum sweet aum

Why Gaytri mantra

" GAYTRI MANTRA"


OM Sarwshaktimaan,sarwvayapak,Pranrakshak

BHUR Srishtikarta,Pranadhar

BHUVAH Papnashak,Chaitnayswarup

SWAH Annandmay,Prakashswarup,Sukhdayak

TAT Us

SAVITUR Sarwprerak,Gyandata,sarwotpadak

VARENYAM Varniya,Bhajaniya,Poojniya

BHARGO Divya Gyanmay

DEVASYA Dewta Ka

DHEEMAHI Dhyan Aur Smaran Karte Hain.

DHIYO Vivek ko

YO Jo

NAH Hamari

PRACHODYAT Prerna de,prerit kare.


" We devotees meditate upon the Adorable Glory of God,the Supreme Lord who is Creator ,Ordainer and Sustainer of the Universe,Giver of Knowledge,Peace and Bliss.He may kindly inspire our intellect,and prompt our actions for noble course,acts and deeds."


It is the "Mool Mantra" for an elevated life.

What is Gaytri mantra