Gayatri Mantra
Monday, October 17th, 2005“Mananaat traayate iti mantrah”
(That which uplifts by constant repetition is a Mantra.)
Sound Is Power
It is said that the sound of Mantra can lift the believer towards the higher self. These sound elements of Sanskrit language are permanent entities and are of everlasting significance. In the recitation of Sanskrit Mantras the sound is very important, for it can bring transformation in you while leading you to power and strength.
Different sounds have different effects on human psyche. If a soft sound of wind rustling through leaves soothes our nerves, the musical note of running stream enchants our heart, thunders may cause awe and fear.
The sacred utterances or chanting of Sanskrit Mantras provide us with the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness. They give us the power to cure diseases; ward off evils; gain wealth; acquire supernatural powers; worship a deity for exalted communion and for attaining blissful state and attain liberation.
Origin of Mantras
Mantras are Vedic in origin. The teachings of the Vedas consist of various Mantric chants or hymns cognized by different seers or Rishis from the Cosmic Mind. Since the Vedas are impersonal and eternal, the exact historical date of the origin of Mantra chanting is hard to arrive at. For example, every Mantra in the Vedas, Upanishads and various religious traditions (sampradayas) within Hindu religion begin with Om or Aum - the primordial sound, the sound that is said to have its origins at the time of the creation of the cosmos - also referred to as the ‘Big Bang’.
Om: The Beginning & the End
The Bible (John 1:1) says: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Modern Vedic philosophers have interpreted this teaching of the Bible, and equated Om with God. Om is the most important of all mantras. All mantras generally begin and often also end with Om.
The Gayatri Mantra
Aum
Bhuh Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat
~ The Rig Veda (10:16:3)
The Gayatri mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful of Sanskrit mantras. Also known as the Mother of all Mantrs. 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 Meaning of Gayatri Mantra
“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.”
* from the articles of Gyan Rajhans
