GAYATRI MANTRA IN SANSKRIT AND ITS MEANING

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

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).

The Mantra Text Recitation of the Gayatri Mantra is preceded by OM(ॐ) and the formula bhūr bhuvah svah (भूर् भुवः स्वः), known as the mahāvyāhrti (“great utterance”). This prefixing of the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that scriptural recitation was always to begin with the chanting of the syllable OM, followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse.[10]

Following the mahāvyāhrti is then the mantra proper, the verse RV 3.62.10:

In Devanagari:
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

tát savitúr várenyam (there is a below ‘n’ and ‘m’ which is missing here)
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó nah pracodáyāt (there is a dot below ‘h’ which is missing here)

Word explanation :

◦om The mystical Om syllable
◦bhū “earth”prithvi
◦bhuvas “atmosphere”antariksha
◦svar “light, heaven”beyond antariksha
◦tat “that”
◦savitur devasya “of Savitr, the god” (genitives of savitr-, ‘stimulator, rouser; name of a sun-deity’ and deva- ‘god’ or ‘demi-god’)
◦varenyam accusative of varenya- “desirable, excellent, fit to be adopted”
◦bhargo “radiance, lustre, splendour, glory”
◦devasya “divine”
◦dhīmahi “may we attain” (1st person plural middle optative of dhā- ‘set, bring, fix’ etc.)
◦dhiyah nah “our prayers” (accusative plural of dhi- ‘thought, meditation, devotion, prayer’ and nah enclitic personal pronoun)
◦yah pracodayāt “who may stimulate” (nominative singular of relative pronoun yad-; causative 3rd person of pra-cud- ‘set in motion, drive on, urge, impel’)

(some dots below h are missing here in the above text)

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.

ORIGIN, BENEFITS AND CHANTING 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”.

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. 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. 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.

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 Japa (recitation) of the Gayatri Mantra is performed

BRAHMANICAL USAGE

In traditional Brahmin practice the Gayatri Mantra is addressed to God as the divine life-giver, symbolized by Savitr (the sun), and is most often recited at sunrise and sunset. It is believed by practitioners that reciting the mantra bestows wisdom and enlightenment, through the vehicle of the Sun (Savitr), who represents the source and inspiration of the universe. Recitation at sunrise every morning is part of the daily ritual. While often associated with outward ritual offerings, it can be recited more inwardly and without rites, a practice generally known as japa.

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