Gayatri Mantra
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The Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra from the Vedas. Like all Vedic mantras, the Gayatri mantra is considered not to have an author, and like all other Vedic mantras, is believed to have been revealed to BrahmarshiVishvamitra. It is a verse from a sukta of the Rigveda (Mandala 3.62.10).Gāyatrī is the name of the Vedic meter in which the verse is composed.[1] As the verse can be interpreted to invoke Savitr, it is also called the Sāvitrī mantra.[2] Its recitation is traditionally preceded by oṃ and the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, known as the mahāvyāhṛti, or "great (mystical) utterance".
The Gayatri mantra is repeated and cited very widely in Vedic literature[2] and praised in several well-known classical Hindu texts such as the Manusmṛti("there is nothing greater than the Savitri (Gayatri) Mantra.", Manu II, 83),[3]the Harivamsa,[4] and the Bhagavad Gita.[5][6] The mantra is an important part of the upanayana ceremony for young males in Hinduism, and has long been recited by dvija men as part of their daily rituals. Modern Hindu reform movements spread the practice of the mantra to include women and all castes and its use is now very widespread.[7][8]
Contents
[hide]The Mantra[edit]
Text[edit]
The main mantra appears in the hymn RV 3.62.10. During its recitation, the hymn is preceded by oṃ (ॐ) and the formulabhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ (भूर् भुवः स्वः). This prefixing of the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that it should be chanted with the syllable oṃ, followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse.[9]
The Gayatri mantra is:[9]
In Devanagari[edit]
- ॐ भूर्भुवः॒ स्वः ।
- तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरेण्यं॒
- भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि ।
- धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ॥
In IAST[edit]
- om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
- tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ
- bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
- dhíyo yó naḥ prachodáyāt
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Whereas in principle the gāyatrī metre specifies three pādas of eight syllables each, the text of the verse as preserved in the Rigveda Samhita is one syllable short, the first pāda counting seven instead of eight. Metrical restoration would emend the attested tri-syllabic vareṇyaṃ with a tetra-syllabic vareṇiyaṃ.[10]
Meaning[edit]
A meaning of the Gayatri mantra, published in 1882 by Monier Monier-Williams, is as follows:
Let us meditate on that excellent glory of the divine vivifying Sun,
May he enlighten our understandings.
May he enlighten our understandings.
Paraphrases[edit]
The following is a list of English paraphrases or free translations.
| Author | Year | Translation |
| Sir William Jones | 1807 | "Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the god-head who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress toward his holy seat."[13] |
| William Quan Judge | 1893 | "Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat."[14] |
| Sivanath Sastri(Brahmo Samaj) | 1911 | "We meditate on the worshipable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens (i.e. the universe), and who directs our understanding."[15] |
| Swami Vivekananda | "We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds."[16] | |
| S. Radhakrishnan | 1947, 1953 |
Role in Vedic and Vedantic literature[edit]
The Gayatri mantra is cited widely in Vedic texts.
- The Rigvedic stanza 3.62.10 is found a number of times in the mantra listings of the Śrauta liturgy,[19] where it is used without any special distinction, typically as one among several stanzas dedicated to Savitar at appropriate points in the various rituals. Accordingly, the stanza is cited several times in the Brahmanas and the Srauta-sutras.[20]
- In this corpus, there is only one instance of the stanza being prefixed with the three mahavyahrtis.[21] This is in a late supplementary chapter of the Shukla Yajurveda samhita, listing the mantras used in the preliminaries to the pravargyaceremony. However, none of the parallel texts of the pravargya rite in other samhitas have the stanza at all. A form of the mantra with all seven vyahrtis prefixed is found in the last book of the Taittiriya Aranyaka, better known as theMahanarayana Upanishad.[22] It is as follows:
ओम् भूः ओम् भुवः ओम् सुवः ओम् महः ओम् जनः ओम् तपः ओम् स॒त्यम् ।
ओम् तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरे॑ण्य॒म् भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि ।
धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ।
ओमापो॒ ज्योती॒ रसो॒ऽमृतं॒ ब्रह्म॒ भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॒रोम् ।
धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ।
ओमापो॒ ज्योती॒ रसो॒ऽमृतं॒ ब्रह्म॒ भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॒रोम् ।
- The stanza is also cited in a number of grhyasutras, mostly in connection with the upanayana ceremony[23] in which it has a significant role.
- The stanza is the subject of esoteric treatment and explanation in some major Upanishads, including Mukhya Upanishads such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,[24] the Shvetashvatara Upanishad[25] and the Maitrayaniya Upanishad;[26] as well as other well-known works such as the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana.[27] The text also appears in minor Upanishads, such as the Surya Upanishad.
- The stanza is the apparent inspiration for derivative "gāyatrī" stanzas dedicated to other deities, patterned on the formula ... vidmahe... dhīmahi... pracodayāt",[28] instances of which have been interpolated[29] into some recensions of the Shatarudriya litany.[30] Gāyatrīs of this form are also found in the Mahanarayana Upanishad.[31]
Usage[edit]
Main usage[edit]
Imparting the Gayatri mantra to young Hindu men is an important part of the traditional upanayana ceremony, which marks the beginning of study of the Vedas. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan described this as the essence of the ceremony,[17] which is sometimes called "Gayatri diksha", i.e. initiation into the Gayatri mantra.[32] However, traditionally, the stanza RV.3.62.10 is imparted only to Brahmin boys. Other Gayatri verses are used in the upanayana ceremony for non-Brahmins: RV.1.35.2, in the tristubh meter, for a kshatriya and either RV.1.35.9 or RV.4.40.5 in the jagati meter for a Vaishya.[33]
Other usages[edit]
In addition to the Sandhyavandanam-use, Gayatri japa is used as a method of prāyaścitta, instrument of Tantric practice, etc.
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.[17]
Modern reception outside of the Brahmin caste[edit]
Brahmoism[edit]
In 1827 Ram Mohan Roy published a dissertation on the Gayatri mantra[34] that analysed it in the context of variousUpanishads. Roy prescribed a Brahmin to always pronounce om at the beginning and end of the Gayatri mantra.[35] From 1830, the Gayatri mantra was used for private devotion of Brahmos. In 1843, the First Covenant of Brahmo Samaj required Gayatri mantra for Divine Worship. From 1848-1850 with the rejection of Vedas, the Adi Dharm Brahmins use the Gayatri mantra in their private devotions.[36]
Hindu revivalism[edit]
In the later 19th century, Hindu reform movements extended the chanting of the Gayatri mantra beyond caste and gender limitations. In 1898, Swami Vivekananda began initiating non-Brahmins with upanayana and the Gayatri mantra. He based this on the interpretations of the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita that Brahmin status is earned and not hereditary.[37] The Arya Samaj notably spread the teaching that recitation of the mantra was not limited to males, but that women could rightfully be taught both the Vedas and the Gayatri mantra.[38][39] In his writings, S. Radhakrishnan encouraged the teaching of Gayatri mantra to men and women of all castes.[40] Various Gayatri yajñas organised by All World Gayatri Pariwar at small and large scales in late twentieth century also helped spread Gayatri mantra to the mass.[41]
Popular culture[edit]
A version of the Gayatri mantra is featured in the opening theme song of the TV series Battlestar Galactica (2004).[42] A variation on the William Quan Judge translation is also used as the introduction to Kate Bush's song "Lily" on her 1993 album, The Red Shoes.
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