
Gayatri Mantra is a Vedic Hymn which promotes righteous wisdom. It means; may the Almighty illuminate the soul of beings and lead them to righteous path. It is the most important teaching, and all the problems one faces, can be solved if he possesses the righteous wisdom. Having the far sighted wisdom, a man is neither tangled in calamity nor does he adopt a wrong path. Righteous wisdom starts to issue as soon as Gayatri Mantra is recited. Gayatri is a Sanskrit word in which `Ga` means to sing and `Yatri` means protection. The first record of Gayatri Mantra is in Rig Veda, written in Sanskrit about two thousand five hundred to three thousand five hundred years ago and the mantra has been chanted for various generations till now. This is the most august mantras in Hinduism and bears its reference in all the four Vedas. In the Athava Veda it is little different from the actual Gayatri Mantra.
This Mantra is the most-honoured mantra in
Hinduism, based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse of the
Rig Veda. It is attributed to the Vishwamitra. This mantra is famous for its Vedic Gayatri meter. As the verses of this mantra invoke the Deva Savitr, it is also called the Savitri. The chanting of the Gayatri Mantra is conventionally preceded by Oum and the formula Bhur bhuvah svah, known as the Mahavyahrti or the great utterance. The Goddess Gayatri is not new or an independent goddess. She is regarded as the Shakti or supreme power of
Lord Brahma,
Lord Vishnu,
Lord Rama,
Lord Shiva and
Lord Krishna. Gayatri means; those worshipping her are protected. The Gayatri Mantra is also considered to be a verse in
Sanskrit Language which is scientifically prepared, consisting of two lines with special information for invoking divine powers.
This Mantra is mentioned and repeated widely in
Vedic literature, and it is praised in various well-known classical texts of Hinduism like the
Bhagavad Gita, the Manusmruti and the Harivamsa. The Gayatri Mantra is also a prominent part of the
Upanayana ceremony in Hinduism for young males, and it has been narrated by male
Brahmins for long as daily rituals. The modern Hindu reform movements spread the practice of this Mantra by including both men and women belonging to all castes.
The Gayatri Mantra is having twenty-four syllables with three lines of eight syllables each. "Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah" is the first line which is an invocation, and it does not technically form a part of the Gayatri Mantra as it is in the
Upanishad. Gayatri Mantra is also called a Vedic poetic meter of twenty four syllables or any hymn wrote in this meter. Hence, there is a complete family of Gayatri Mantras, which assist in the meditative aids to pray for the blessings of a particular personal God.
Four Divisions of Gayatri Mantra
This Mantra is written in Sanskrit as follows; "Aum bhoor bhuwah swaha, Tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasaya dheemahi Dhiyo yo naha prachodayat" The four divisions of Gayatri Mantra addresses the Almighty who is regarded as the protector and is the basis of every living creature in the universe. The supreme god is known to be self-existent, free from any pain and whose contact makes one`s soul free from all troubles. He is also known to spread through the Universe and sustains all. He is the energizer and creator of the Universe, the supplier of happiness, worthy of acceptance, most excellent, pure and also cleans everyone from their sins. This Mantra addresses all to embrace that very God, so that he may guide everyone`s mental faculties in the right path.
There are a number of versions of the Gayatri Mantra in which various other deities are invoked apart from Savitr. A number of other Gayatri Mantras are there like a Vishnu Gayatri, a Shiva Gayatri, a Durga Gayatri, an Agni Gayatri, and so on. However, the mantras of the different Gayatri Mantras are similar, and likely derived from the form of the main Gayatri Mantra of the Rig Veda.
(Last Updated on : 2/04/2010)