So Let's Chant the exalted Gayatri Mantra!

January 17, 2008

Gayatri mantra is often respectfully and adoringly called Veda Janani, the mother of Vedas. Vedas are supersensuous knowledge, beyond mortal senses, revealed to Rishis who saw them as Truths through Jnana-chakshus, ie divine eyes powered by knowledge. The aim of the chanter of the Gayatri is to reveal the divine knowledge to him and to the group he belongs to, which might as well refer to the entire human race. This knowledge is hidden to his senses, hence he needs divine aid to perceive the knowledge.

The fact that this knowledge exists and is hidden to normal humans, is attested to by several Vedic references. The Purusha Sooktam which proclaims the grandeur of the Supreme Purusha in it's very first verse states... "that Purusha, after encompassing the entire universe (here I translate the word 'bhumi'

as Universe)...extends still beyond". The Rishi of the Purusha Sooktram states "I have seen this Supreme Purusha, radiant like the Sun, and entirely beyond all darkness". So the Purusha exists and could be seen, provided one has the means to see Him. Those who are able to see transcendental truth, become

Rishis. They express the truths they perceive, through divine poetry which has come to us in the form of Vedas, Upanishads and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, even such stalwarts like Kalidasa.

Sri Krishna in the 11th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita reveals his Supreme form to Arjuna. He enables Arjuna with Divyam Jnana Chakshusham, to help him see the divine God. The God's splendour is incomparable, it's even mightier than a thousand Suns blazing together.

So we humans could not perceive this ever-existent Lord through the senses available with us. Still, we do perceive the Sun radiating his light regularly and unceasingly, for the benefit of the universe. And The Sun as pervaded by the Supreme Lord, is the best guiding light we have for us, the best indicator of the glories of the Lord. So, even as we meditate on the Sun's divine rays, we seek to address the light that makes the Sun shine, to reveal to us the divine truth that is beyond the material Sun.

In the Ishavasya Upanishad, the Rishi says - the face of Truth is hidden by a Golden Covering, the material Sun. He beseeches to the Lord to reveal the Truth to him, by removing the outer covering. This is for "satyadharmaya dhrishtaye" - to understand Truth and Dharma.

The way out is to surrender to Him. To pray to That Supreme Lord with full heart. To meditate on His Sin-dispelling divine rays, as the Gayatri mantra advises us. The Gita says, even if one is the worst of sinners, this path would slowly but certainly help reveal the Truth to him too.

So why should we know the Truth? The Vedas and Upanishads are replete with sayings on the benefits one accrues when he perceives the Truth. The most significant Truth is the crossing over of Death. One becomes immortal. And one becomes fearless. "Na bibhethi kadachaneti". Even the heaviest danger or sorrow becomes like child's play to he who has, with god's grace, perceived the Divine Truth.

The Bhagavad Gita states "yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vicalyate". Once he has achieved that, he does not see any other thing as as better gain than that, and established in that truth, he remains unchanged, even when faced by the heaviest of sorrows.

Regards,

Hari