Gayatri interpreted as Sharanagati (Surrender)

[Guest guest]

Namaste

 

There was a question (in a private mail) by Lalit Misra-ji

on the full significance of Gayatri. To write on the full

significance of Gayatri one may have to write volumes. But

here I want to touch upon the significance for the

Sharanagati (Surrender) concept.

 

The three lines of the Gayatri reverberate beautifully with

three facets of surrender.

 

“tat-savitur-vareNyaM” (That – of the Originator – Most

excellent) is the supreme Glorification of the Self. The

word ‘savituH’ indicates the Originator because ‘savitA’

goes back to the same root word that ‘prasava’ (birth,

creation) goes to. This glorification is what motivates

‘asato mA sad gamaya’ (Lead me from the Unreal to the

Real). This is the surrender of the karma yogi to the

shakti of Supreme Existence (‘sat’). Both the ‘good’ and

‘bad’ of our finite existences (*sarva dharmAn* of the

karma yogi) are then destroyed; the bottled ‘kuNDalinI

shakti’ is released as Infinite shakti.

 

“bhargo devasya dhImahi” (Light - of God – Let us

meditate) is the supreme worship of the Infinite, that

automatically brings in the Ananda, because meditation of

the Supreme is itself bliss. So the finite self is taken to

the Immortal Bliss of the Infinite Self. ‘mRtyor mA amRtam

gamaya’ (Lead me from Death to Immortality). This is the

surrender of the Bhakti-yogi to the shakti of Supreme

Bliss (‘Ananda’, that is, Bliss personified). The dualities

of life (*sarva dharmAn* of the Bhakti yogi) that come and

go are then destroyed. We are released from the wrong

tunings of ours to the drama of life and thus fine-tuned to

the music of that Infinite Bliss.

 

“dhiyo yo naH pracodayAt” (Intellects – He who – our – may

prompt) is the supreme Prayer to that Infinite

Knowledge-shakti. This is what takes us to the realisation

of the effervescence of that ultimate ‘cit’. ‘tamaso mA

jyotir-gamaya’ (Lead me from Darkness of Ignorance to the

Light of Lights). This is the surrender of the jnana-yogi

to the shakti of Supreme Knowledge (‘cit’). The VasanAs of

both kinds (*sarva dharmAn* of the jnana-yogi) of ignorance

as well as wisdom, are then destroyed. We are released from

our wrong perceptions and the eyes are opened

(‘jnAna-cakshhus’) for the Infinite Light to reveal itself.

 

And thus Gayatri constitutes the greatest form of

SharaNAgati (surrender). That is perhaps one of the reasons

why it is extolled by every part of Hindu scriptures. It is

the essence of the entire religion and philosophy. Of

course the above analysis already implies that the three

lines of the Gayatri stand for the Sat-Ananda-Cit svarupa

of Brahman.

 

PraNAms to all who revere Gayatri.

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

Latest on my website: A conversation on the Concept of God in Hinduism.

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/ConceptofGOD.html