interesting info I found on Gayatri

[Guest guest]

Many of you may already be familiar with all this but I thought I

would post this anyway. I found it on the web.

 

Pranams,

 

Surya

 

 

Gayatri is a MantraIf by Gayatri you mean the Mantra "om tat

savitur...", then I can give somany reasons why it should be called a

Mantra.The word "Gayatri" is in fact a technical term that is used for

aparticular meter of Vedic poetry. This meter is only used in the Veda

andmost of the Vedic Mantras are in Gayatri Chanda, as is also the

famousGayatri Mantra. It is called "Gayatri Mantra" because it is

constructed inGayatri Chanda (having three paadas, not four paadas

like in an AnushtupChanda).This Gayatri Mantra is also called

"Saavitri", because the Devataa, whichhas been glorified in this

Mantra is Savitaa, by the word "savituh". So,since it is related to

"Savitaa", (Sun, literally -- The Creator) it isalso called

Saavitri.So, some proofs why Gayatri is a Mantra.1. There are two

meanings of the word "Mantra". mananaat traayate yasmaattasmaan

mantrah prakiirtitah, a verse that protects us if we contemplateon

its meaning (i.e. meaning of its words and also the objects which

hasbeen described, as "artha" in Sanskrit means both) is called a

Mantra. Ifone contemplates the meaning of the Gayatri Mantra and if

one meditatesupon the object which has been described in the Gayatri

Mantra, the DivineRadiance of the Sun, (radiance which destroys all

our impurities andmotivates our mind) he would be protected/saved

from this cycle of birthand death. Therefore Gayatri is a Mantra.2.

The root "matri" from which the word Mantra is derived, means

todescribe something hidden. All the Vedic Mantras, including

GayatriMantra, describe the hidden truths of Spirituality. They are

"niNyaavacaamsi", hidden voices, as described by the Rig-veda

itself.All the Devas live in the Mantras, as is clearly said in the

Rig-veda(1-40-5), "The protector (pati) of the Divine Voice

pronounces theMantras. Indeed, in these Mantras Indra, Varuna, Mitra,

Aryama and allother Devas have made their place to live". So all these

Divine Beingslive in these Mantras of the Rig-veda, including in the

Gayatri Mantra.Therefore, it is a Mantra.3. While writing his

Bhaashyam on the Gayatri Mantra, Bhagavan ShriShankaracarya calls

this Gayatri "MAHA MANTRA", i.e. the greatest Mantra.Therefore,

Gayatri is not only just a Mantra, it is Maha Mantra. TheGreatest

Mantra from the Veda.4. The verses from the Samhita portion, as

opposed to the Brahmana portionare called Mantras. Since this Gayatri

Mantra comes from the Rig-vedaSamhita and the seer of it is Bhagavan

Vishvamitra, may his blessings bealways with all of us, it is a

Mantra.Just for you kind information, this is one of those few

Mantras thatoccurs in more then three Vedas. It occurs in Rigveda,

Samaveda, ShuklaYajurveda and KrishnaYajurveda. In the last two, I

think it even occurstwice.Love and Respect,Siddhartha Krishna