Gayatri Mantra – Meaning & Significance
The Gayatri Mantra is also known as Savitri Mantra is considered the most sacred and holiest verse of all Vedic Mantra in India, second only to OM. It is recited by millions of Hindus every day all over the world. The mantra became pivotal in daily worships and rituals among Brahmins & Prohits.
The Gayatri Mantra is addressed to Goddess Gayatri Devi, who is considered as the Goddess of all Vedas. She is the embodiment of all Goddesses. Our very breath is Gayatri, our faith in existence is Gayatri. Gayatri has five faces, they are the five life principles. She has nine descriptions. They are ‘Om, Bhur, Bhuvah, Swah, Tat, Savitur, Vareñyaṃ, Bhargo, Devasya’.
The Gayatri mantra is the essence of the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. In the Gita, God himself has said ‘Gayatri Chhandasamam‘ means Gayatri Mantra myself. Chanting Gayatri Mantra brings spiritual healing in those with negative energy distress and brings purity in the heart and thoughts become positive, that is the amazing power of the mantra.
Gayatri Mantra is one of Hinduism’s and Buddhism’s oldest and most revered meditations. This ancient Sanskrit hymn is one that the Buddha utilized to attain enlightenment. It is said that by repeating this chant soulfully 100,000 times one can attain any goal in life.
Found in the Rigveda, the Gayatri mantra is one of the most important and powerful Vedic mantras even today. Since ages, seers and householders have used their sublime energy to realize their material and spiritual dreams.
In Sanskrit
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
In English
Om Bhuur-Bhuvah Svah
Tat-Savitur-Varennyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhiimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Pracodayaat ||
Gayatri Mantra Meaning
The Gayatri Mantra may be considered as having three parts –
(i) Adoration
(ii) Meditation
(iii) Prayer.
First, the Divine is praised, then It is meditated upon in reverence and finally, an appeal is made to the Divine to awaken and strengthen the intellect, the discriminating faculty of man.
The Gayatri Mantra consists of twenty-four syllables, with three lines each with eight syllables. A simple meaning of the mantra is
We meditate on that most adored Supreme Lord, the creator, whose effulgence (divine light) illumines all realms (physical, mental and spiritual). May this divine light illumine our intellect.
Complete Translation of the Gayatri Mantra
Om – Signifies the Supreme power, it is the primordial sound from which all other sounds and creations emerge. It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from a human throat.
Bhur – the physical body/physical realm
Bhuvah – the life force/the mental realm
Svah – the soul/spiritual realm
Tat – That (God)
Savitur – the Sun, Creator (source of all life)
Varennyam – adore
Bhargo – effulgence (divine light)
Devasya – supreme Lord
Dhiimahi – meditate
Dhiyo – the intellect
Yo – May this light
Nah – ours
Pracodayaat – illumine/inspire
How to chant the Gayatri Mantra
Gayatri Mantra is the prayer which liberates the soul and awakens the inner you. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita Krishna says that “I am the Gayatri.” and chanting the mantra can help us come closer to the divinity. Perfect moments for reciting the mantra are three times a day sunrise, noon and at twilight to raise oneself from the human to the divine level. These are called the three sandhya morning, midday and evening. The utmost advantage of chanting the mantra can be attained by reciting it 108 times. Though you may chant the mantra 3,9 or 18 times as per your preference and time.
10 Benefits of chanting Gayatri mantra
Chanting the Gayatri Mantra composed of the four Vedas brings happiness in the life of a person. Chanting this mantra makes the body healthy and a person also gets fame, fame and wealth.
It has been proved by many researches that the chanting of Gayatri Mantra has many benefits such as:
- Calms The Mind (mental peace).
- Improves Immunity.
- Increases Concentration And Learning.
- Improves Your Breathing.
- Glow on the face.
- Attainment of happiness.
- Senses are better.
- Anger is reduced and intelligence increases.
- It is correlated with God.
- It improves our family life.
