Guest guest Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Dear Veenaji, Very informative message. So glad to hear that our prayers and mantras are recognised by the people in other parts of world, though it is sad to note that some of our own people have less regard to it. Please do post such informative messages. Its really great to know about our culture, tradition and all good in our religion. Unfortunately, our knowledge on all these, I feel is dwindling with generations. This is a good forum to share all the information. The elderly people in the group can really help in it. Jai Sree Krishna. Seema --- " Veena A. Nair " <veeus18 wrote: > 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: > -------------------------- > In 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 === message truncated === ______________________________\ ____ We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): TV's Guilty Pleasures list. http://tv./collections/265 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.