Gayatri Mantra
A Universal Prayer enshrined in the Vedas:
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ
Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi
Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
According to the Vedas:
Chanting the Gayatri Mantra purifies the chanter
Listening to the Gayatri Mantra purifies the listener
Meaning:
gaya: – vital energies
tri: – preserves, protects, gives deliverance, grants liberation
Word meaning:
| Om | The primeval sound; |
| Bhur | The physical body/physical realm; |
| Bhuvah | The life force/the mental realm |
| Suvah | The soul/spiritual realm; |
| Tat | That (God); |
| Savitur | The Sun, Creator (source of all life); |
| Vareñyam | Adore; |
| Bhargo | Effulgence (divine light); |
| Devasya | Supreme Lord; |
| Dhīmahi | Meditate; |
| Dhiyo:- | The intellect; |
| Yo | May this light; |
| Nah | Our; |
| Prachodayāt | Illumine/inspire. |
The mantra is a hymm to Savitur, the sun god.
One can seek wisdom and enlightenment by chanting the gayatri mantra.
Goddess Gayatri is also called “Veda-Mata” or the Mother of the Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Saam and Atharva.
We meditate on that most adorable, desirable and enchanting luster and brilliance of our Supreme Being, our Source Energy, our Collective Consciousness….who is our creator, inspirer and source of eternal Joy. May this warm and loving Light inspire and guide our mind and open our hearts.
Chanting
Ideal times to chant the mantra are 3 times a day – at dawn, mid-day and at dusk. The three sandhyas – morning, mid-day and evening.
Maximum benefit of chanting the mantras can be attained by 108 times. But it can also be chanted 3,9 or 18 times.
Time, has three qualities:
(4am – 8am/ 4pm 8pm) satva – qualities of purity or serenity
(8am – 4pm) rajas – passion
(8pm – 4am) tamas – inaction
Benefits
Gayatri Mantra removes all obstacles in our path to increased wisdom and spiritual growth and development.
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.