GAYATHRI AS A MANTRA

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GAYATHRI AS A MANTRA

 

 

" Mannanat traayate ithi mantra " the more we mentally chant, the better it saves

us - is the meaning of Mantra.. Meditation in utmost silence is the " Sampradaya "

(Good tradition). But it is, somewhat, different in the case of Gayatri as a

Mantra. " Gayataam traayate itih gaayatri " is the slokam, which means that the

more we chant it aloud rhythmically as a song, the better, we may say, it

protects (Trayate) us. " Mantro devaadhi saadhanam " - divine powers are achieved

through mantra - is what our " Arsha Sampradaya " (ancient Indian tradition)

proclaims. Gayatri Mantra activates (Prachodaayat) all divine powers. That is

why we find, now-a-days, that no Pooja or Saadhana is complete without the use

of this Mantra. Mundane or spiritual happiness is attained when it is chanted

with " Sankalpa Suddhi " (ideal thoughts that are chaste and aware to do good).

The power of Gayatri is taken help of in attaining all kinds of " Siddhis " . That

is why Gayatri is said to be

" Mantra Raaja " (King among Mantras). The number of Mantraakshara (letters of

Mantra) is 24 (Twenty-four). While " OM BHOOH BHUVASSUWAH " are the " Vyaahriti "

(that which uttered to precede the ‘Moola’ (Main) Mantra - a separate entity

by itself.

 

" OM TATSAVITURVARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI

DHIYO YONAH PRACHODAYAAT " -

 

is the Moola(Original) Mantra. The singular sound that emanates from the unity

of letters, namely, " A + U + M " . is pronounced as " OM " and the above three lines

of Gayatri are the under - current of " OMKAR " which is known as Parabrahma " , and

Brahma Himself is the embodiment of " OM " (Omityekakseharam Brahma - Chapter 8 -

13 of Bhagawad Geeta). " BRAHMA VEDABRAHMAIWA BHAWATI " (Brahma is the embodiment

of Supreme knowledge) - thus says the Mundakopanishad (3-2-9) (the Upanishad

pronounced by Muni Mandukya) - regarding the use of Pranava (Omkar) in any kind

of meditation. That is why our ancient seers (Rishis) proclaim Gayatri as

" Pranava Swaroopini " (Embodiment of Omkar). Omkar is omnipotent, and without

Omkar, no Mantra is complete. This " OM " is preceded by each and every Mantra and

Gayatri is no exception. That is why the Moola Mantra " , i. e.

" TATSAVITURGVARENYAM———PRACHODAYAAT " is preceded by " OM " and without this

" OM " theMoola Mantra " in Deva Nagri

will comprise of 23(Twenty-three) letters only.

 

Even though the " Mantradhi Devata " of Gayatri is " Avyaya " (that which has no

gender), some cell it a male, known as the embodiment of " (Surya) Narayana " , the

" Savitru MandalaMadhya Varti " (the one that moves in the path or way of Sun as

visible to us). But some others proclaim the " Adhi Devata " (Spreme God

embodiment) a Woman, and she is said to be " Saavitri " ,the‘Savitru Mandala

Madhya Varthini’. The Male Deity, is meditated as –

 

" DHYEYASSADAA SAVITRU MANDALA MADDHYA VARTHEE

NAAR YANASSARASIJAASANA SANNIVISHTA

KEYURAVAAN MAKARAKUNDALAVAAN KIREETI

HAARI HIRANMAYA VAPUDHRITA SAMKHACHAKRAH " .

 

And as a Female Deity, Gayatri Mantra is chanted as –

 

" MUKTAA VIDRUMA HEMA NEELADHAWALACHAAYAI Mukhai SSTREEKSHNAIRYUKTAA MINDU

NIBADDHA RATNA MAKUTAAM TATWARDHA VARNAATMIKAAM

 

GAYATREEM VARADAABHAYAMKUSAKASAASSUBHRAM KAPA AMGADAAMSANKHAM

CHAKRAMATHHAARAVINDA YUGALAAM HASTAIRWAHANTEEM BHAJE. "

 

As a matter of fact the, God of ‘Upaasana’ has no gender. In Sanskrit, it is

known as ‘Kleebam’ (Which has no gender). This point of light, known as

" Bhrugus " (BHARGO DEVASYA), is acclaimed as the medium of " Aaradhana " (Prayer

adopted). It is an embodiment ‘par-excellence’ and its Sakti or the strength

is known as " Bhrugus " , " Gooddha " , " Jyothish " , " Paranjyoti " and " Gnan Swaroopa "

Paramaatma. The Vedas described Him as " HIRANYA GARBHA "

 

Use of Gayatri as part of Sandhya Vandana in Upanayanam is imperative. By

Upanayana is meant a separate or an additional eye gifted in vaidika

Sampradaya’ (Tradition of Vedas) to fetch and know " Paramaatma " (the Supreme

deity " ). In other words, it is a " Gnana Chakshu " (Eye of knowledge)

prakriya(manner or method) gifted. In short upanayana is the method of gifting

an eye of knowledge by a person known as Guru. The person undergoing Upanayana

has to chant Gayatri at the " Tri Sandhyas " , known as morning, mid-noon and

evening, by adoption of a fixed time, say 6 A.M, 12 - noon and 6 P.M.

 

The light of the sun is denoted as mother Gayatri and she is five-headed with

embodiment of five colours known as " Mukta (Glittering white), " Vidruma " (Dark

Red), " Haema " (Golden yellow), " Neela " (Blue), " Dhawala " (Pure white). Her

appearance is illuminated by the coolness of the moon on head, the " Sahasraara " ,

sun at the heart, the " Anaahata " , and fire at navel, the " Swaadhishtaana " .

 

Gayatri is more commonly meditated upon as an embodiment of " Stree’ (Woman).

She is adored in 24 shapes known as 1. Aadya Sakti, 2. Brahmee Sakti, 3.

Vaishnavee Sakti, 4. Saambhavi, 5. Vedamaatha, 6. Devamaatha, 7. Viswamaatha, 8.

Ritambhara, 9. Mandaakini, 10. Ajapa, 11. Buddhi, 12. Siddhi, 13. Saavitri, 14.

Sarawati, 15. Lakshmi, 16. Durga, 17. Kundalini, 18. Praanagni, 19. Bhawanee,

20. Bhuwaneswaree Sakti, 21.Annapoorna, 22. Mahamaayaa Sakti, 23. Payaswinee

sakti, and 24. Tripura Sakti...

 

 

MANTRA

 

A Mantra differs from a sentence in that the sentence is used to convey the idea

of a person, whereas the Mantra is used to transmit the experience of a

phenomenon in Nature at all levels. In a sentence words are used meaningfully

whereas in a Mantra they are employed in a significant way. Meaning is logic

bound and logic is but human. Nature that creates us as a part of the Universe

has a logic of it own which is more than what we know as logic. It is Law that

Nature expresses as logic. A Manthra is to make the occultist feel the Law of

Nature and make an effective approach to it. The meanings attached to words are

but human and they too are used as the components of a keyboard along with the

alphabet and syntax. It is not for the keyboard is to mind, but to form a

channel between the cosmic intelligences and the intelligence of man via this

Solar and the planetary intelligences. Infact sound is also used for the same

purpose as we experience it in real

music. Hence the whole Manthra in Gayathri is utterer himself who is called the

word OM.

 

FROM MIHIRA

 

REGARDS

Bharathi.A