Why Gayatri Mantra is a Mahaa Mantra?
Gayatri Mantra is said to be the Mahaa Mantra. Has anybody thought about it that why is it so? Let us see -- At first sight it seems a prayer for knowledge, but let us analyze it -
It has five parts--
(1) Aum - It starts with Aum - the primordial sound of the Universe. There ls a declaration, that the Tri-Moorti (Brahmaa, Vishnu, and Mahesh) are in Gayatri, and Gayatri is within this primordial sound Aum. How? Its answer is in the Praanaayaam Mantra of Sandhyaa Vandan, which is called the "Extended Gayatri".
Aum Bhoor Aum Buvah Aum Swah Aum Mahah Aum Janah Aum Tapah Aum Satyam
Aum Tat Savitar Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat
Aum Aapo Jyoti Rasomritam Brahm Bhoor Bhuvas Swar Aum
Aum is the whole containing seven Vyaahriti
Aum is the essence of the Mantra "Tat Savitar Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat"
Aum is water, the Divine Ras, the nectar, the Brahm Himself
Aum is Bhoor Bhuvah Swah
In short Aum contains everything, Aum is the seed of Creation.
(2) Bhoor Bhvah Swah - These three words are also called Vyaahriti. Bhoor Lok is gross Earth; Swah Lok is the very Heaven; and Bhuvah Lok is the space between them, also called Antariksh. Our Upanishad say that these worlds are in fact the gross, subtle and causal worlds - or Sthool, Sookshm and Kaaran Sansaar. The Taitteerya Upanishad gives a very detailed explanation of the Vyaahriti. Another discovery is this that these represent the very gross, subtle and causal bodies that a person has.
(3) Tat Savitar Varenyam - The adorable Lord Sun, this is in the praise of the Sun God - praise is the essence of Rig Ved.
(4) Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi - We meditate on the Lord's effulgence - meditate is the essence of the Yajur Ved.
(5) Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat - Who enlightens our intellects - this is the prayer part and this part is the essence of Saam Ved.
That is why Gayatri Mantra is a Mahaa Mantra.
Gayatri Mantra-2
It is said that if Gayatri Mantra Jap (Chanting) is not performed properly for three generations, even the so-called priestly class will get downgraded. One leaves his home for work daily, but at least on Sundays and other holidays one should perform Gayatri Jap 1008 times. "Sahastra Paramaa Devee, Shata madhya, Dashaavara", says the Taitteerya Aaranyaka of Yajur Ved. It means that chanting Gayatri 1008 times gives the best result, chanting 108 times gives mediocre results while chanting ten times Gayatri the least.
It is said that best results of chanting Gayatri Mantra are obtained by chanting in early morning, noon and evening twilight. Chanting it during these three Sandhyaa times are stated to confer on us tranquility and peace. It is also said that whatever may be the emergency, at least 10 Gayatri should be chanted in these time periods. This should not be interpreted to mean that it is sufficient to chant only 10 times (10 times means 11 times, as Jap is done 1/10th times more than the prescribed), but it is minimum. At dawn it is called Gayatri, the youthful form of the Goddess, consort of Lord Brahmaa, the Creator. It is called Savitri, the mature form, at noon, the consort of Lord Shiv. It is called Saraswatee, the elderly form, at sunset, the consort of Lord Vishnu.
The Gayatri Mantra was first cognized by the Rishi Vishwaamitra. Rishi Vishwaamitra is the embodiment of Tapas or ascetic force and his Mantra carries that power of light, energy and transformation. Through it one can be born again (Dwij) or twice born in truth, in the heavenly stream of Divine wisdom. When a Braahman boy undergoes Upanayan (investiture of sacred thread) ie when he is supposed to born for the second time, his Aachaarya tells him to perform Sandhyaa Vandan and Gayatri Jaap 3 times a day - 108 times in the morning, 32 times at noon and 64 times in the evening.
In the Ved, Gayatri Mantra is referred to as "Gaayatreem Chhandasaam Maataa". Gayatri is said to contain the efficacy and energy of all the Ved Mantra. In fact, they say that Gayatri gives strength to all Ved Mantra. If Gayatri is not chanted, other Mantra lose their strength. Gayatri is an invaluable aid to liberation. Gayatri Mantra is uttered while offering "Arghya" (devotional offering of water) to Soorya Dev three times a day. In the morning Arghya is to be offered before sunrise, in mid-day when the Sun's position is exactly above one's head and in the evening before sunset.
Just as medicine is necessary for curing fever, Gayatri is essential medicine for curing the disease, as it were, of bondage for the Aatmaa. Gayatri should not be abandoned under any circumstance. This is more important than medicine. The best thing about it that this 24-syllable Mantra has no religious accreditation and can be sung by all races, genders and castes. It is a homage to and celebration of Soorya Dev, Gayatri Devi....
Gayatri Upaasanaa (worship) has to be done in the form of mother. Mother is the most loving entity for all of us. We know that God can come to us in any form. If God comes in the form of mother that will be more beneficial to us. The Ved proclaim that Gayatri is such a mother. They also say that Gayatri is Vishnu: "Gaayatriye Vishnu". The believers say that the daily reciter of Gayatri Mantra has Brahm Varchaa in Bhroomadhya, meaning Brahm's brilliance or power between the eyebrows. Here Brahm is Vishnu, and the face is the reflector of one's Tej. Ved eulogize Gayatri as Oj-swatee Gayatri, Bal-swatee Gayatri.
This great Mantra consists of three parts. The first is the chants to the seven worlds. The second is the Mantra proper of twenty-four syllables. The third is a summary of the Mantra's energies. The following is a brief explanation of the Mantra as presented in the Mahaa Naaraayan Upanishad.
The Head of the Gayatri
Om Satyam - the realm of absolute truth
The Body of the Mantra
Prachodayaat - May direct
"We meditate upon the supreme effulgence of the Divine Solar Creator that he may direct our minds."
The Tail of the Gayatri Om - the four higher realms
"Om, the waters, the light, the immortal essence, Brahman, earth, atmosphere, heaven, Om."
The Supreme Self, Paramaatmaa, or Savitur, is the conscious being within the cosmic sun or Light of lights. The Mantra is his creative force, the Divine Word. Savitur is the master of all transformations and the director of all higher evolution. He is the Self of Brahm, the pure being of the Absolute.
Gayatri Mantra is said to be the Mahaa Mantra. Has anybody thought about it that why is it so? Let us see -- At first sight it seems a prayer for knowledge, but let us analyze it -
It has five parts--
(1) Aum - It starts with Aum - the primordial sound of the Universe. There ls a declaration, that the Tri-Moorti (Brahmaa, Vishnu, and Mahesh) are in Gayatri, and Gayatri is within this primordial sound Aum. How? Its answer is in the Praanaayaam Mantra of Sandhyaa Vandan, which is called the "Extended Gayatri".
Aum Bhoor Aum Buvah Aum Swah Aum Mahah Aum Janah Aum Tapah Aum Satyam
Aum Tat Savitar Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat
Aum Aapo Jyoti Rasomritam Brahm Bhoor Bhuvas Swar Aum
Aum is the whole containing seven Vyaahriti
Aum is the essence of the Mantra "Tat Savitar Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat"
Aum is water, the Divine Ras, the nectar, the Brahm Himself
Aum is Bhoor Bhuvah Swah
In short Aum contains everything, Aum is the seed of Creation.
(2) Bhoor Bhvah Swah - These three words are also called Vyaahriti. Bhoor Lok is gross Earth; Swah Lok is the very Heaven; and Bhuvah Lok is the space between them, also called Antariksh. Our Upanishad say that these worlds are in fact the gross, subtle and causal worlds - or Sthool, Sookshm and Kaaran Sansaar. The Taitteerya Upanishad gives a very detailed explanation of the Vyaahriti. Another discovery is this that these represent the very gross, subtle and causal bodies that a person has.
(3) Tat Savitar Varenyam - The adorable Lord Sun, this is in the praise of the Sun God - praise is the essence of Rig Ved.
(4) Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi - We meditate on the Lord's effulgence - meditate is the essence of the Yajur Ved.
(5) Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat - Who enlightens our intellects - this is the prayer part and this part is the essence of Saam Ved.
That is why Gayatri Mantra is a Mahaa Mantra.
Gayatri Mantra-2
It is said that if Gayatri Mantra Jap (Chanting) is not performed properly for three generations, even the so-called priestly class will get downgraded. One leaves his home for work daily, but at least on Sundays and other holidays one should perform Gayatri Jap 1008 times. "Sahastra Paramaa Devee, Shata madhya, Dashaavara", says the Taitteerya Aaranyaka of Yajur Ved. It means that chanting Gayatri 1008 times gives the best result, chanting 108 times gives mediocre results while chanting ten times Gayatri the least.
It is said that best results of chanting Gayatri Mantra are obtained by chanting in early morning, noon and evening twilight. Chanting it during these three Sandhyaa times are stated to confer on us tranquility and peace. It is also said that whatever may be the emergency, at least 10 Gayatri should be chanted in these time periods. This should not be interpreted to mean that it is sufficient to chant only 10 times (10 times means 11 times, as Jap is done 1/10th times more than the prescribed), but it is minimum. At dawn it is called Gayatri, the youthful form of the Goddess, consort of Lord Brahmaa, the Creator. It is called Savitri, the mature form, at noon, the consort of Lord Shiv. It is called Saraswatee, the elderly form, at sunset, the consort of Lord Vishnu.
The Gayatri Mantra was first cognized by the Rishi Vishwaamitra. Rishi Vishwaamitra is the embodiment of Tapas or ascetic force and his Mantra carries that power of light, energy and transformation. Through it one can be born again (Dwij) or twice born in truth, in the heavenly stream of Divine wisdom. When a Braahman boy undergoes Upanayan (investiture of sacred thread) ie when he is supposed to born for the second time, his Aachaarya tells him to perform Sandhyaa Vandan and Gayatri Jaap 3 times a day - 108 times in the morning, 32 times at noon and 64 times in the evening.
In the Ved, Gayatri Mantra is referred to as "Gaayatreem Chhandasaam Maataa". Gayatri is said to contain the efficacy and energy of all the Ved Mantra. In fact, they say that Gayatri gives strength to all Ved Mantra. If Gayatri is not chanted, other Mantra lose their strength. Gayatri is an invaluable aid to liberation. Gayatri Mantra is uttered while offering "Arghya" (devotional offering of water) to Soorya Dev three times a day. In the morning Arghya is to be offered before sunrise, in mid-day when the Sun's position is exactly above one's head and in the evening before sunset.
Just as medicine is necessary for curing fever, Gayatri is essential medicine for curing the disease, as it were, of bondage for the Aatmaa. Gayatri should not be abandoned under any circumstance. This is more important than medicine. The best thing about it that this 24-syllable Mantra has no religious accreditation and can be sung by all races, genders and castes. It is a homage to and celebration of Soorya Dev, Gayatri Devi....
Gayatri Upaasanaa (worship) has to be done in the form of mother. Mother is the most loving entity for all of us. We know that God can come to us in any form. If God comes in the form of mother that will be more beneficial to us. The Ved proclaim that Gayatri is such a mother. They also say that Gayatri is Vishnu: "Gaayatriye Vishnu". The believers say that the daily reciter of Gayatri Mantra has Brahm Varchaa in Bhroomadhya, meaning Brahm's brilliance or power between the eyebrows. Here Brahm is Vishnu, and the face is the reflector of one's Tej. Ved eulogize Gayatri as Oj-swatee Gayatri, Bal-swatee Gayatri.
This great Mantra consists of three parts. The first is the chants to the seven worlds. The second is the Mantra proper of twenty-four syllables. The third is a summary of the Mantra's energies. The following is a brief explanation of the Mantra as presented in the Mahaa Naaraayan Upanishad.
The Head of the Gayatri
Om Satyam - the realm of absolute truth
The Body of the Mantra
Prachodayaat - May direct
"We meditate upon the supreme effulgence of the Divine Solar Creator that he may direct our minds."
The Tail of the Gayatri Om - the four higher realms
"Om, the waters, the light, the immortal essence, Brahman, earth, atmosphere, heaven, Om."
The Supreme Self, Paramaatmaa, or Savitur, is the conscious being within the cosmic sun or Light of lights. The Mantra is his creative force, the Divine Word. Savitur is the master of all transformations and the director of all higher evolution. He is the Self of Brahm, the pure being of the Absolute.
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