Vanakkam,Namaste,Namaskaram,Om Sai Shakti dear Shakti Bhakti family.Today we examine the Most Important Prayer in Hinduism,The Gayathri Mantra.We also gaze upon the Divine Form who is Mother Gayathri and tThe Gayatri mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful of Sanskrit mantras. It is believed that by chanting the Gayatri mantra and firmly establishing it in the mind, if you carry on your life and do the work that is ordained for you, your life will be full of happiness. The word Gayatri itself explains the reason for the existence of this mantra. It has its origin in the Sanskrit phrase Gayantam Triyate iti, and refers to that mantra which rescues the chanter from all adverse situations that may lead to mortality. Goddess Gayatri is also called Veda-Mata or the Mother of the Vedas - Rig, Yajur, Saam and Atharva - because it is the very basis of the Vedas. It is the basis, the reality behind the experienced and the cognized universe. The Gayatri mantra is composed of a metre consisting of 24 syllables - generally arranged in a triplet of eight syllables each. Therefore, this particular meter (tripadhi) is also known as the Gayatri Meter or Gayatri Chhanda. The Mantra Aum Bhuh Bhuvah Svah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat ~ The Rig Veda (10:16:3) Download Gayatri Mantra MP3 The Meaning O thou existence Absolute, Creator of the three dimensions, we contemplate upon thy divine light. May He stimulate our intellect and bestow upon us true knowledge. Or simply, O Divine mother, our hearts are filled with darkness. Please make this darkness distant from us and promote illumination within us. Let us take each word of the Gayatri Mantra and try to understand its inherent meaning. The First Word Om (Aum) It is also called Pranav because its sound emanates from the Prana (vital vibration), which feels the Universe. The scripture says Aum Iti Ek Akshara Brahman (Aum that one syllable is Brahman). When you pronounce AUM: A - emerges from the throat, originating in the region of the navel U - rolls over the tongue M - ends on the lips A - waking, U - dreaming, M - sleeping It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat. It is the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute. The Vyahrities: Bhuh, Bhuvah & Svah The above three words of the Gayatri, which literally means past, present, and future, are called Vyahrities. Vyahriti is that which gives knowledge of entire cosmos or ahriti. The scripture says: Visheshenh Aahritih sarva viraat, praahlaanam prakashokaranh vyahritih. Thus, by uttering these three words, the chanter contemplates the Glory of God that illumines the three worlds or the regions of experience. The Remaining Words Tat simply means that because it defies description through speech or language, the Ultimate Reality. Savitur means Divine Sun (the ultimate light of wisdom) not to be confused with the ordinary sun. Varenium means adore Bhargo means illumination Devasya means Divine Grace Dheemahi means we contemplate Dhi means intellect Yo means who Nah means ours Prachodayat means requesting / urging / praying The last five words constitute the prayer for final liberation through the awakening of our true intelligence. Finally, it needs to be mentioned that there are a number of meanings of the three main words of this mantra given in the scriptures: Various meanings of the words used in the Gayatri Mantra Bhuh Bhuvah Svah Earth Atmosphere Beyond Atmosphere Past Present Future Morning Noon Evening Tamas Rajas Sattwa Gross Subtle Causal GAYATRI MANTRA - ITS MEANING AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA, TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT. ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेन्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।। Summary of the Gayatri Mantra Gayatri Mantra (the mother of the vedas), the foremost mantra in hinduism and hindu beliefs, inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path. The mantra is also a prayer to the giver of light and life - the sun (savitur). Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction. Gayatri, the five-faced Goddess, is said to have domain over the five senses or pranas, and protects these five life-forces of those who chant the Gayatri Mantra. In her role as the protector, Gayatri is referred to as Savitri. Goddess Gayatri Origin of the Gayatri Mantra The Vedas are widely considered to be the source of all true knowledge, the word Veda itself meaning Knowledge. Gayatri Devi also gave to mankind the Gayatri Mantra, also known as the Guru Mantra or the Savitri Mantra. It is one of the oldest mantras, and generally thought of as being amongst the highest and most powerful mantras of all. This mantra is therefore often referred to as the Mother of the Vedas. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna had proclaimed to Arjuna - Among all the mantras, I am the Gayatri. Chanting of the Gayatri Mantra The ideal times for chanting the mantra are three times a day - at dawn, mid-day, and at dusk. These times are known as the three sandhyas - morning, mid-day and evening. The maximum benefit of chanting the mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may chant it for 3, 9, or 18 times when pressed for time. Rishis selected the words of the Gayatri Mantra and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. Chanting of Gayatri Mantra removes all obstacles in our path to increased wisdom and spiritual growth and development. The teachings and powers incorporated in the Gayatri Mantra fulfill this purpose. Righteous wisdom starts emerging soon after Jap(recitation) of the Gayatri Mantra is performed. The syllables of the mantra are said to positively affect all the chakras or energy centres in the human body - hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important. Sathya Sai Baba teaches that the Gayatri Mantra will protect you from harm wherever you are, make your intellect shine, improve your power of speech, and dispel the darkness of ignorance (Dhiyoyonah prachodayaath). Word for Word Meaning of the Gayatri Mantra The Gayatri Mantra is unique in that it embodies the three concepts of stotra (singing the praise and glory of God), dhyaana (meditation) and praarthana (prayer). Aum = Brahma ; bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ; bhuwah = destroyer of sufferings ; swaha = embodiment of happiness ; tat = that ; savitur = bright like sun ; varenyam = best choicest ; bhargo = destroyer of sins ; devasya = divine ; these first nine words (stotra describe the glory of God dheemahi = may imbibe ; pertains to meditation dhiyo = intellect ; yo = who ; naha = our ; prachodayat = may inspire! dhiyo yo na prachodayat is a prayer to God Significance of Gayatri Mantra as Prayer The Gayatri Mantra occupies a unique place in that it has both the power of mantra and of prarthana (prayer). A mantra may be articulate or inarticulate, or a combination of them, as with AUM. It has an inherent power, known as Mantra shakti, which has a positive influence not due to any philosophical meaning behind the mantra, but simply due to its utterance alone. The Gayatri mantra has both an intrinsic power (ie mantra shakti), through its mere utterance alone, and also an instrumental power (ie prarthana shakti), which is derived from the understanding of its meaning and philosophical significance. Hence, the repeated and correct chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, with proper understanding of its meaning, is believed to be of the greatest good to the individual. (Details of each syllable can be found in the Gayatri by Words article) The prayer form of the Gayatri takes various forms. The Gayatri Mantra is also known as the Savitri Mantra, in which form, it is invoked as a salutation to the Sun. The form that can be used to pray to Lord Shiva is called Rudra Gayatri. Similarly, one may sing Ganesha Gayatri for Lord Ganesha, Hanuman Gayatri for Lord Hanuman, and Saraswati Gayatri for Goddess Saraswati. May the blessings of Gayathri Amma and this Powerful mantra be with You and your dear ones. Yours in Amman Service Sersh
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:23:18 +0000
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