na gAyatryAH paro mantraH

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[This is a repost for archives]

 

There is a Sanskrit subhAShita that says - "There is no mantra greater

than gAyatrI and there is no devatA greater than one's mother" (na

mAtuH daivataM paraM).

 

There is an equivalent adage in Tamil -

a) thAyiR chiRan^dha kOvilumillai

b) than^dhai chol mikka manthiramillai".

 

Looking at the second line, it is not obvious that the reference is to

gAyatrI. But it is the hidden meaning. In the traditional upanayana

ceremony, it is the father who initiates his son to the gAyatrI

mantra. This is referred here as "than^dhai chol" -- "father's word".

What is spoken here is not any ordinary words of one's father, but to

this special utterance. For, there is no mantra greater than gAyatrI.

This mantra is hidden inside the praNava also, probably that is why

mahAnArayaNopaniShad says "Om ityekAxaraM brahmA gAyatraM chhandam

...." otherwise how would a 1-syllable mantra have a 24-syllable

chhandas. (chaturvigmshati axara, tripada)

 

Coming to the 1st line. This is much more profound than the Sanskrit

saying. The tamil phrase does not equate mother to devatA, but to

temple and says it is the greatest temple. It will be quite obvious,

once you note that the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is known as

"garbha gR^iham" and also consider the fact that jIvA minus the

upAdhi avidya, is brahman. And also, the fact that "jantUnAm nara

janmam durlabhaM". Since mother carries a jIva for 10 months inside

her, nourishing it, protecting it, and sacrificing for it - hence that

garbha gR^iham is considered the greatest temple. There are other ways

to look at it this also, but I will leave it to the reader.

 

In one way, it is the mother's compassion makes us eager to seek The

Mother of all mothers.

 

shrImAtre namaH

 

[Above is based on a conversation with an elder in India and I thank

him for kindly pointing this out]