reg Baranayasam (gayathri)

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

The following write-up on gayathri japa as meditation on Brahman and

the references to Savita from upanishads had already appeared in a

sister list. Since the discussion has come up in this list, I am

sending this now.

-----------------------

 

Of the various conclusions arrived at by sage Badarayana, the one

regarding Gayathri is being given here. The Vedanta sutras on

Gayathri are

 

# Sutra 25 :- "That which is denoted by the word `Jyotis' (is

Brahman), because there is the mention of (His) feet (in a connected

context)"

 

# Sutra 26 :- `If it be said that, on account of the metre (known as

the Gayathri) being mentioned (in the context, the Light or Jyotis

described above is ) not (the brahman), is not (right to say ) so;

because the teaching (here) relates to the concentration of the mind

(on the Brahman) conceived at that time (Gayathri); indeed, the

scripture declares it accordingly.

 

# Sutra 27:- "because also it is appropriate only thus to declare

that (intelligent) beings and other objects form the feet (of

Gayathri)."

 

The explanation as per Sribhashya:-

The words Jyotis and gayathri are used in Chandogya upanishad to

denote the Brahman. The purvapakshins held jyotis as ordinary light

that counteracts darkness in as much as there is no particular

reference to Brahman here. But the Sutrakara refutes this in two

ways, by pointing out that the passage under discussion talks about

Jyotis as light (1) which also resides in beings to digest food, as

Vaisvanara (refer BG also) and (2) which is also indicated as having

four feet, that is Gayathri.

 

Sri Ramanuja says,".. the metre also known as the Gayathri is

mentioned in the statement, "The gayathri is indeed all this" (Chand

III-12-1) and this Rik verse also which is then quoted after the

statement `therefore this same (Gayathri known as Brahman) is also

declared in a Rik verse" (Chand III-12-5) to the effect "such is his

greatness" (Chand III-12-6) –relate to ( that) metre."

 

It is said " all beings make up His one foot, His three immortal feet

are in the Highest heaven" (Chand III-12-6). This means that all

created beings indicate only a quarter of His power, greatness and

glory, while the remaining three-fourth are not made manifest in our

visible world at all. They are in the Highest Heaven and this Light

is said to shine beyond that Highest heaven. When it is said that

this jyotis has a foot on the world, it is related to Gayathri. It is

taught that one of the ways of meditating on Him is to conceive Him

as the Gayathri metre, which has four feet even as He has His four

feet. "Here it is not merely the metre(gayathri) that is denoted by

the word Gayathri because it is impossible for what is merely a metre

to form the Self of all. But on the other hand it is taught here that

the mind as concentrated on Gayathri is to be applied to the Brahman

Himself." To further elaborate this, Ramanuja quotes other words

like `vidya' and `viraj' (which consists of ten constituent parts)

that are grammatically equated to the concepts related to them.

Therefore whenever it is said that Gayathri is meditated upon, it

amounts to meditating on Brahman in His Highest form having one

fourth of His grandeur and glory in manifest forms and three fourths

in unmanifest forms.

 

We come across reference to Savita in Svethaswathara upanishad also

where it is talked about as the glorious Light that must be meditated

upon as Brahman. This term (Savita) though loosely used in different

verses in this upanishad to mean the Sun, Antharyami and The Creator,

applying the principle of grammatic equation whereby words having

similar import are inter changed, it is deduced that it is "this

great Person of sun-like lustre who is beyond darkness' (Taittri Ar

III-13-7)

 

Inference:- The three levels as denoted by Bhoo, Bhuva and Suwa

perhaps relate to His three feet in heaven (Chand). There seems to

exist a greater purpose in having combined Gayathri with

Sandhyavandana - the latter in effect is a form of upasana of the

Vyuha form of Brahman. The 12 names of Sriman Narayana are divided

into to 4 sub-vyuhas of 3 each and are meditated upon in

Sandhayvandana. It appears that upasana of Para (Brahman) and of

Vyuha forms are being done by means of Gayathri japa and in

sandhyavandana respectively whereas every other upasana seems to be

around the remaining 3 forms of God, namely, Vibhava, antharyami and

vigraha. That is why the injunction on life-long upasana of the

two. When the prapannan meditates on these two highest forms, his

Release is in tandem with what he really aspires for -–to reach

Brahman, because of the injunction that he who thinks of Him becomes

Him. A corollary is to be found in verse 8-5 of Gita too commenting

on which Sri Ramanuja says thus:- "In whatever way he (chetana)

meditates on Me, he attains that very form, in the same manner as the

royal sage Bharata attained the form of the deer remembered by him at

death. Such is the meaning."

 

 

Regards,

Jayasree saranathan

 

 

>

> --- blazee7 <sathupadikesavann> wrote:

>

> > dear bagavathas

> > i have a doubt regarding braranayasam

> > if i do baranayasam "i should completely surrender my

> > self to lord narayana.

> > i should not worship other devathas" this is the meaning

> > am i right.

> > then

> > How is it correct to chant the gayatri mantra as an

> > brahmin while doing sandhaya vandanam?.

> > plz can any one of u clarify me this doubt.

> > thank you.

> > adiyen

> > kesavan

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

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