The Gayatri mantra is a sacred hymn recited in reverence of the Supreme Soul, considered the primordial source of sound, light, and energy. It is the underlying source of all life and activity.
This mantra is part of the Sandhyavandanam ritual, which is performed to invoke the Sun God and goddesses like Gayatri, Saraswati, Savitri, and Sandhya Devi. It is a ritual through which we pay our respects, along with purified water, to Lord Narayan by uttering his 24 names and to other celestial beings, including our ancestors.
The mantra itself starts with the primordial sound of "aum".
While reciting the mantra, we focus our attention on the Supreme Being as a central point dwelling inside the visible glow of the Sun.
Now, let me first explain the mantra itself and the inherent meanings of each syllable/word.
Gayatri Mantra
Om bhoor bhuva svah |
tat savitur varENyam |
bhargO dEvasya dheemahi |
dhiyO yO nah prachOdayAt ||
Meanings:
- Om is the pranava naadam, the primordial sound that underlies the entire creation process. The three elements of creation, preservation, and dissolution are embodied within this "onkar" syllable.
- "bhoo" denotes the physical earth, the element of earth, and nature.
- "bhuva" is the place between the earth and the sky, referring to the element that connects the physical world with the celestial universe.
- "sva" represents heaven and celestial nature.
- "tat" means that or that form/element.
- "savitu" refers to the Sun or the light emanating from the Sun, and it also denotes the heavenly form of the Supreme Being.
- "varenyam" refers to that reverential being or the best quality of that being.
- "bhargo" refers to the holiness and celestial nature of knowledge.
- "devasya" means that celestial power is being revered by me.
- "dheemahi" means let us pray to that being.
- "dhiyo" signifies knowledge, particularly celestial knowledge.
- "yO + nah" becomes "yona," which means that such a revered Supreme Being will bestow upon us.
- "prachodayat" means may He bestow upon me or instill me.
So, the complete meaning of the above mantra can be understood as follows: I pay my obeisance to that primordial source or being who encompasses the earth, the heavens, and the space, and shines through the radiance of the Sun. This being is pure, adorable, and is the source and embodiment of knowledge. I seek his blessings for enlightenment and knowledge.
How to Do Gayatri Japam
As already mentioned, the GAyatri mantra is generally performed during the daily ritual of Sandhyavandanam.
Sandhyavandanam is the ritual of paying respects to the Almighty through the medium of the visible God of Power and Energy, the Sun. He is the "Savitr" referred to above. The Almighty is believed to be centered amid the Sun.
Besides the Almighty and the Sun, we bow our heads to the celestial mothers like Sandhya Devi (the wife of the Sun), Savitri Devi, GAyatri Devi, and Goddess Saraswati during this process. They are the presiding deities of the four directions (from East to North, respectively).
I am providing here a simplified version of Gayatri Japam. If you like to perform the entire Sandhyavandanam ritual, you can do it according to the steps provided in another post at this link.
- Get ready by wearing some pure clothes after taking your bath. A dhoti and kanduva (cotton or silk) are recommended.
- Keep clean and pure water in a small vessel and a small pot (copper or any metal), and sit facing the east. Keep a bowl or deep plate (by your side) for dropping the water.
- Now, you may like to purify your body once again by sprinkling drops of water on your head. For this purpose, place your right palm on the water-filled vessel and take the names of holy rivers (Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri are regarded as celestial by Hindu scriptures) and dip the tip of your right thumb into the water and sprinkle it over head for three times.
- Then, do the aachamanam (sipping the water 3 times, reciting the names - Om Achyutaaya namaha, Om Anataaya namaha, and Om Govindaaya namaha).
- Thereafter, chant the twelve names of Vishnu as follows: Om kEsavAya namaha, Om nArAyanAya namaha,
- Fold your hands and bow your head in reverence of Vishnu, the Sun God, Sandhya Devi in the east, Savitri in the south, Mother GAyatri in the west, and Saraswati in the north.
- Facing the east, take the water pot and offer water to the Sun, gently dropping the water into your bowl-shaped palm and releasing it into the deep plate or onto the ground, if no plate, three times.
- Now, recite the GAyatri mantra 11 times and offer the water again from the pot with both hands.
- Express your reverence and gratitude to Mother Gayatri.
This is the method of performing Gayatri.
