Gayatri Mantra
A Sanskrit syllable or a characteristic sound that is endowed with an ability to elevate the spiritual and psychological levels in human beings through meditation and chanting is known as “Mantra”.
The word ‘Mantra’ literarily means ‘tool of thought’. The mantra will calm the mind of the chanter and prepare it for meditation. There are about 70,000 mantras and each mantra has a characteristic sound and vibration. The chanter of mantra experiences the reverberation of this vibration in the body. These vibrations of mantras penetrate deep into the cells and cause healing effects.
Gayatri Matra is Maha Mantra
The Rigveda has a verse which is composed in ‘Gayatri Vedic meter’. This verse is called “Gayatri Mantra’. This mantra is dedicated to “Savitr”, the Sun deity. Sage Viswamitra created this mantra. Because of its reverence, prominence and maximum vibration energy, the Gayatri mantra is referred to as “Maha Mantra”.
The nobility of the Gayatri mantra is that it is a request to “Savitr”, the Sun deity to sumptuously enlighten and empower all of his creations. The Gayatri mantra is an ever-depleting sea of knowledge. Each word of Gayatri’s mantra is by itself is a mantra.
Gayatri Mantra – Word by Word meaning
Sanskrit word – English Meaning
- AUM – The Supreme Consciousness, Shabda – Brahman / Nada-Brahman.
- Bhur – Embodies & protects spiritual vital energies.
- Bhuvah – Eliminates suffering.
- Svah – Embodies happiness.
- Tat – That(Aum).
- Savitr – Bright, self-luminous, brilliant source like Sun.
- Varenyam – Most virtuous.
- Bhargo – Destroyer of all imperfections.
- Devasya – Having all divine virtues and strengths.
- Dheemahi – Imbibe, impregnate.
- Dhiyo – Intellect.
- Yo – Who supreme consciousness.
- Nah – Our – all-inclusive.
- Prachodayat – Propel our intellect on a righteous path.
Meaning of Gayatri Mantra
“Aum! The Brahma, the Universal Divine Energy, vital spiritual energy, the essence of our life existence, Positivity, destroyer of sufferings, the happiness, that is bright, luminous like the Sun, best destroyer of evil thoughts, the divinity who grants happiness may imbibe its Divinity and Brilliance within us which may purify us and guide our righteous wisdom on the right path”.
Benefits of Chanting Gayatri Mantra
The regular chanting of the Gayatri mantra provides the following health benefits to the chanter of the mantra both at physiological and psychological levels.
- It keeps the mind calm and cool.
- It strengthens the body’s immunity system.
- It controls the emotional levels.
- It increases concentration power and learning ability.
- It regulates the body’s blood pressure.
- It relieves a person from breathing problems.
- Makes the skin shiny and bright by activating skin cells.
- Relieves a person from stress, fear, and nervousness.
- Helps to mitigate heart problems.
Sri Gayatri Mantra – From The Perspective of Chemistry
Gayatri mantra comprises three ‘Paadaas’ (lines) with eight syllables each (a total of 24 syllables). The chanting of the Gayatri mantra generates vibrations that reverberate in the ‘atoms’ contained in the body of the chanter of the mantra.
Each Syllable of the Gayatri mantra is endowed with a specific Vibration and as a whole, the Gayatri mantra produces a Vibration in addition to the vibration corresponding to each Syllable. The Vibration of the Gayatri mantra produces Hues (colours) also for each Syllable.
Generally, human beings can utter a word from their mouth due to the involvement of various parts of the mouth such as the throat, palate, lips, teeth and tongue. Since the nerves that are located in these parts spread throughout the body, the vibration of the utterance of a word is felt over the glands/ducts located in various parts of the body. Each such gland is a storehouse of energy.
Our ancients have formulated a set of utterances in the form of a ‘Mantra’ to awaken these glands which in response secrete a specific Chemical (enzyme/hormone) thereby bestowing a beneficial physical attribute to the chanter of ‘Mantra’.
24 syllables of the Gayatri mantra
The Gayatri Maha Mantra is interwoven with 24 syllables. It is very unique that in the Gayatri mantra, each syllable itself is a ‘Mantra’.
On chanting these 24 syllables of the Gayatri mantra with a perfect nation and intensity, in the chanter’s body 24 glands get awakened, release energy and thus manifest 24 different positive attributes. Also, the style of rendering and intensity pattern of mantra chanting will have an impact on the magnitude of the outcome of the positive attributes experienced by the chanter of the mantra.
In the Gayatri mantra, there is the word “nah” which means ‘Our’. The word ‘Our’ in this context includes the entire universe with sun, planets, nature, five proto-type elements – Panchabhutas (earth, fire, water, air, space), fauna and flora, human beings and all other living and non-living entities.
click here for Panchabhoota Kshetras
The Sun with a companion-Star, Earth-Moon, Planets-Moonsring objects, and space are part of an Atom. And everything you can see or sense on the earth or in space is made of atoms—consisting of proton(s), electron(s) and neutrons.
The Atom in which we live must have a Neutron. The ancients knew the existence of the Neutroninour-universe or Atom, giving it the name god Indra—similarly, the Sun is referred to as the god Surya and the Earth, goddess Bhoomi.
Sri Gayatri Maha Mantra
In Gayatri MahaMantra it is this god ‘Surya’ (Sun) in the form of ‘Savitr’ that is invoked to bestow good health and prosperity to mankind.
The great ‘Maharshis’ of the Vedic age with much benevolence towards mankind have included Sri Gayatri Maha Mantra and other mantras as well in the daily ritual and made it mandatory for mankind to adopt it and get adapt to it for their physical as well as psychological health benefits.
In conclusion, we can say that–” Sri Gayatri Maha Mantra encompasses everything and everything is embedded in Sri Gayatri Maha Mantra”.
