Gayatri mantra

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Om Namo Narayanaya. Significance of the Gayatri at its simplest: In the eleventh discourse of the Gita in which Krishna revealed his Divine self to Arjuna, He said, “I am the Gayatri mantra”. - Here is a compilation of details about the revered Gayatri mantra: -----------------------an article examining the scientific study of the Gayatri, this is what the HinduismToday newsletter says Hardwar Institute Tracks Power of Gayatri Yagna (http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1992/09/1992-09-02.shtml)-- "The Gayatri mantra has 24 syllables and when recited, those syllables address 24 different centers in the body.

The mantra which occurs in the Rig Veda (3.623.10) reads as follows: Aum bhoor bhuvam swaha, tatsaviturvarenyam, bhargo devasya dheemahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. That is sound therapy and the power of the sound vibrations have long been established by the scientists. The 24 syllables are bijamantras, and their ultrasonic wave patterns. They positively affect the subtle centers of the human body, and almost act like a password to human consciousness. The synergistic waves help open the door of the insight, and a spiritual treasure is unveiled. Thousands of Hindus who do not yet know the institute's findings have experienced very soothing and uplifting effects when they recipe the Gayatri mantra in their daily lives. Ideally, the mantra should be recited in the early morning sun and bharga is its new, golden luster. "If millions of people recite the

Gayatri mantra at the same time, it can act as an invisible sound wave protection for those people, even in a nuclear holocaust," said Dr. Pandya.Several scholars outside of India have understood the potent power of the sound vibrations of Gayatri. Arthur Koestler, the famous Hungarian author, had visited India and lived in Benaras in the 1950's. In an interview with Blitz periodical's B.K. Karanjia, as reported in the Navneet Hindi digest, he said, "The Gayatri mantra is like an antidote to the nuclear holocaust. It is a great resource and this powerful mantra can act as a great shelter to India. If millions of people recite the mantra at the same time, the collective consciousness can act as a septic guard for them." Scientific research has been done on the power of the Gayatri mantra in Japan and Japanese people are very receptive. In India, Mahayogi Aurobindo

observed, "Very important work can be achieved with the power of Gayatri." Rabindranath Tagore had said, "It is the Gayatri mantra which has awakened India and which is so simple as can be chanted in one breath." ------------------------ Also, from http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030123/edit.htm#5 "What is important is not the literal meaning of Gayatri mantra but its spirit and significance. When Krishna said that He was a Gayatri mantra, he emphasised, to use Bergson’s expression, the necessity of using vital-free or soul force for the enhancement and rejuvenation of the quality of human life. And it is by means of prayers that this rare gift is to be sought. As Tennyson wrote that more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. The celebrated verse of Gayatri

mantra is derived from the Rig Veda, a hymn of the rishi Vishwamitra, and was a part of the devotion of the Brahmans. For the first time it was made known to English readers by Sir William Jones. The Gayatri mantra, the chosen formula of the ancient Vedic search is addressed to Surya, the Sun. In his autobiography, Maharishi Davendranath Tagore (1817-1905), leader of the Brahmo Samaj, wrote about the decisive impact the recitation of Gayatri mantra had produced in his life by opening to him the significance and mode of spiritual life. He wrote, “The deep significance of the Gayatri became clear to me. Gradually the spirit of Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat filled my heart. I established a certain connection with Him. Formerly I had deemed it a privilege to salute Him from a distance. Now I realised that He is not far from me. He opened my inner eye, the eye of wisdom... what profits beyond all expectations had I not gained by adopting the Gayatri mantra. I had seen

Him face to face. He taught me wisdom like a Guru and prompted me to do good... In punishment and reward I discerned Him alone”. By relating it to the cosmological order of the universe, rather than to any caste, creed and race, Davendranath’s more famous son Rabindernath Tagore emphasised the universal message of the Gayatri mantra for humankind. By highlighting the indissoluble subsisting bond between God and human beings, Tagore showed that the beauty of the Gayatri mantra lay not in asking for material favours, but for stimulating our mental faculties and directing us to do notable deeds. In other words, by reciting the mantra we are addressing the Director of our intellect to bring us close to the universe and God. There is nothing narrow and sectarian in the mantra. That is why he called Gayatri the lyrical epic of the soul, and an aspiring song of humanity to which a devout follower of Aurobindo Ghosh,

A.P. Kapur has drawn attention." ----------------------------- Some other websites that give lot of details on the Gayatri: http://www.celextel.org/articles/gayatrimantras.html http://www.shantimayi.com/gayatri_sm.html http://www.tamilnation.org/saty/000820aum.htm http://mypurohith.com/Rituals/Gayatrimantram.asp ---------------------- Veena -- As far as I have understood it, the Gayatri is the most powerful mantra that our scriptures talk about. Ramakrishna Paramhamsa said that Hindus have 3 valuable legacies: the Geeta, the Ganga, and the Gayatri. It is said that he would just go into a trance even talking about these three, the Geeta, the Ganga, and the Gayatri (from Great Swan- Meetings with Ramakrishna -by Lex Hixon). I have read, and members can also find

number of websites on the Gayatri; the above four/five sites, I think, give very detailed explanations. In the olden days, the Gayatri would be chanted only by Brahmins, also only by men. But Swami Vivekananda, and closer to our lifetimes, Swami Dayanand Saraswati suggested that the Gayatri can be chanted by anyone, although with special care for one's and one's surroundings' cleanliness and purity. ---------------------------- Here is an excerpt from a Vaishnava news website on the Gayatri: Question: In some Vaisnava lineages, when receiving gayatri mantra, women are advised not to chant the Brahma gayatri, as this is said to be only for men. However, in Iskcon women do chant the Brahma gayatri as part of their gayatri

meditation. Could you explain why the difference and why female devotees in some lines do not chant Brahma gayatri? Answer: Brahma gayatri is more general in its petition than the core mantras of our sampradaya, the Gopala mantra and Kama gayatri. Although one can draw the highest spiritual ideal from Brahma gayatri, this ideal is more directly represented in Kama gayatri, which is the gayatri that is to be chanted in conjunction with the eighteen syllable Krsna mantra (Gopala mantra). Thus while many Gaudiya Vaisnavas do not regularly chant the Brahma gayatri, all Gaudiya Vaisnavas chant either the ten or eighteen syllable Gopala mantra and Kama gayatri. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura widely introduced the chanting of Brahma gayatri for initiated Gaudiya Vaisnavas, which previous to his innovative policy was not customary. Although there was no prohibition, it was not the custom. Indeed, those from brahmana families who later received Vaisnava diksa would customarily stop chanting the Brahma gayatri and remove their sacred thread upon gaining Vaisnava diksa. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta introduced his policy of giving the Brahma gayatri to his male disciples in light of his efforts to establish what Bhaktivinoda Thakura envisioned as "daiva varnasrama." Thus even in his mission it represented more the circumference than it did the center of the sampradaya's ideal. The fact that he gave it only to men is further evidence of this, for the purely spiritual, the heart of bhakti, is open to all. Traditionally in the varnasrama socio-religious system women who were born in brahmana families did not chant the Brahma gayatri. Thus in establishing daiva varnasrama, Bhaktisiddhanta followed this same principle and only gave the Brahma gayatri to his male disciples. However, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura's policy with regard to giving this mantra at all had much to do with

encouraging his disciples who were coming to him from an atmosphere in which smarta brahmanism was considered by the masses to be more representative of true religion than Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Thus by giving this mantra and the corresponding sacred thread to his male disciples he made a socio-religious and spiritual statement to the society that Vaisnava diksa is more significant than brahmana diksa. The latter is included in the former. In this way, he sought to encourage his disciples as to the significance of their status as initiated Vaisnavas, as well as to make a statement to the general religious public. He also reasoned that seeing his disciples wearing the thread, etc. others would not criticize them for worshipping the Deity and thus commit Vaisnava aparadha. At that time in Hindu society it was largely thought that only brahmanas were allowed to worship the Deity, and the general conception as to the significance of Deity worship was less

than fully transcendental, people being unfamiliar with the Vaisnava conception of arcana. In consideration of the above, it is no surprise that in coming to the West Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura's dearmost disciple, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave the Brahma gayatri to both his male and female disciples. Although it was not customary for Gaudiya Vaisnavas to chant Brahma gayatri, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, in consideration of time and circumstances, instituted this policy. While some Gaudiya sects objected to his policy, it did much to spread Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and thus sometimes we have to defer to the time and place insights and subsequent policies of empowered preachers. Similarly, while it was not customary for initiated Gaudiya Vaisnava women in Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura's line to chant Brahma gayatri, my own Guru Maharaja's innovation in this regard represents once again the insight of an empowered devotee.

However, given the relativity of this kind of policy, don't be left behind or caught offending if an empowered preacher comes along and changes it back". For the website visit: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0206/ET18-7391.html -------------- I would really appreciate senior members' comments on this piece. Furthermore, any details on the Gayatri based on our scriptures will be really appreciated. PraNams. Om Namo Narayanaya. Veena.

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