Chodhayithri and Gayathri

[Guest guest]

Dear learned members,

 

I came across the use of the sanskrit verb:

prachodayaath. Obviously, it is in Gayathri mantra,

but a noun form of it is being used in the Rig vedic

Saraswathi suktam - Chodayithree sunruthanam

Chethanthi sumathinam; yagnam dhaDhe saraswathi.

 

Accordingly, prachodayath is translated as some one

stimulates, illuminating,enlightens, an action equaled

to increasing the luminosity of an oil lamp by

cleaning and stretching out the cotton wick.

Considering these two usages in Rig veda, are there

more deeper meanings envisaged by this? Is there

another place where this verb is used in a more

clarifying way? does this connect Gayathri, Savithri

and Saraswathi of Rig veda? If so, what do these Forms

represent?

 

Any explanations will be absorbed with respect.

 

Thanks,

 

-gopal

[Guest guest]

namaste,

 

For the gAyatri-mantrArthaH, you can consult the relevant section from

" mriti-mukta-phalam " , available from http://vaidyanatha.ambaa.org/ (The

files are large and in devanagari script only). In the aahnika-kanda pdf,

look at page 327 (page 125 of the pdf).

 

An old issue of tattwa-loka (published under Tapovana-swami, not by the

Sringeri Matha) also has a collection of articles on the mantrArthaH. It has

three commentaries, 2 attributed to Shankaracharya, and 1 attributed

to Gyaneshwara. It is pretty similar in content to the meanings collected in

the pdf above.

 

pracodayAt is explained as pracodayati / prerayati / pravartayati. i.e. to

cause to unfold, or to incite. However, the interesting question is, " who is

doing the inciting " , and " who is being incited " .

 

Regarding the connection of gayatri, savitri, saraswati etc, look at the

page 312 (page 110 of the pdf). Here, it says:

 

gAyatrI-nAma pUrvAhne, sAvitrI madhyame dine.

sarasvatI ca sAyAhne saivam sandhyA triShu smRitA..

 

Thus establishing a link between each sandhya and one of the devis. In some

of the prayoga manuals, the resepective devi is explicitly invoked as part

of the gayatri-dhyana, just before the japa begins.

 

Smriti-mukta-phala (Vaidyanatha Dikshitiyam) is probably the best resource

on sandhya-vidhi & gayatri-japa that I've seen. If anyone knows of other

resources, please share :-)

 

bhavadIyaH,

 

ajit

 

 

On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 12:03 PM, Gopal G <gopal_gopinath wrote:

 

> Dear learned members,

>

> I came across the use of the sanskrit verb:

> prachodayaath. Obviously, it is in Gayathri mantra,

> but a noun form of it is being used in the Rig vedic

> Saraswathi suktam - Chodayithree sunruthanam

> Chethanthi sumathinam; yagnam dhaDhe saraswathi.

>

> Accordingly, prachodayath is translated as some one

> stimulates, illuminating,enlightens, an action equaled

> to increasing the luminosity of an oil lamp by

> cleaning and stretching out the cotton wick.

> Considering these two usages in Rig veda, are there

> more deeper meanings envisaged by this? Is there

> another place where this verb is used in a more

> clarifying way? does this connect Gayathri, Savithri

> and Saraswathi of Rig veda? If so, what do these Forms

> represent?

>

> Any explanations will be absorbed with respect.

>

> Thanks,

>

> -gopal

>