Gayatri Mantra: The Glorious Mother Of All Mantras
Highlights of this blog:
- Origin Of The Gayatri Mantra
- Essence Of The Gayatri Mantra
- The Savitur Gayatri Mantra
- Importance Of The Savitur Gayatri Mantra
From chanting at dawn for positivity to whispering its sacred sounds in a newborn’s ear, the Gayatri Mantra is one of the oldest and most powerful prayers. Heard in homes, ashrams, temples, and schools alike, this timeless Vedic mantra guides the intellect, purifies the body and builds a deep connection with the soul.
Let’s trace the origin of the Gayatri mantra and its vast importance in our daily lives.
Origin Of The Gayatri Mantra
‘With his inner eye, he (Vishwamitra) had seen the one mantra, the essence of the Vedas, the cause of creation, the one mantra that had the power to pull anyone out of any adversity, that congregation of divine sounds which could help one realise one’s wildest dreams. The only mantra he ever invoked ever since he left Vasishtha’s ashram - the Gayatri mantra.’
- Om Swami (Jaico Impression 2023, pg 9) The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra
To understand how the Gayatri Mantra came into being, we must go back to early Vedic times. King Kaushik of Kanyakubja was once returning with his troops. Having fought a long battle, his men were tired and hungry. While they were passing through the woods, Kaushik’s minister suggested camping at sage Vashishth’s hermitage.
On arriving at the ashram, King Kaushik paid his respects to sage Vashishth, who had a radiant glow on his face and snow-white matted locks. Mahrishi Vashishth offered them a place to rest while he arranged their meal.
Surprised, Kaushik told Sage Vashishth that he couldn't feed his entire army. Rishi Vashishth smiled. He asked the king not to underestimate the power of a sage’s penance, and meanwhile, go for a dip in the river. Upon their return, King Kaushik was surprised at Maharishi Vashishth’s ability to feed the large army. He later found out that Rishi Vashishth could do so with the help of Nandini (the calf of Kamadhenu, a wish-fulfilling divine cow given by Indra dev).
Maddened by his desire to get the divine cow, Kaushik tried to take the cow forcibly with the help of his army. Sage Vashishth whispered a mantra and used a kriya (Stambhan) that froze the king’s army to the spot. After much pleading, the sage let go of Kaushik and his troops.
With revenge in his heart, Kaushik performed intense tapas for 1000 years. With Mahadev’s blessings, he received many weapons. However, Kaushik was shattered when he failed to get Nandini; his penance failed against Maharishi Vashishth. He prayed again for 1000 years to Lord Brahma this time. Lord Brahma granted his Brahmastra to Kaushik. Raging with anger, King Kaushik confronted sage Vashishth, only to be disappointed again.
Finally, sage Vashishth said,
“You have been doing all this penance to attain something, but you have forgotten your own attainment: you have not invoked the divinity in you,” he (sage Vashishth) continued. “You are simply carrying some siddhis, supernatural powers, to further your cause. You are not tapping into your real source of power, so you can have all the weapons in the world, but still won't match me, because for me, my strength is not in this staff,” he said, throwing it away. “It's in but who I am.”
- Om Swami (Jaico Impression 2023, pg 8). The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra
The king understood the futile nature of weapons and outward strength and sat in severe penance to attain the same level of consciousness as sage Vashishth. Wishing welfare for all beings, from a king eager to conquer lands, he internally journeyed towards becoming a sage who ruled hearts.
In his awakened self, Kaushik saw the most mystical of all mantras. He realised that despite not being a Brahmin, he was able to purify himself to the extent that he rose to the status of a Brahmarishi – the highest honour a sage could have. He was given the title Vishwamitra (a friend of the whole world) and bestowed the powerful Gayatri mantra to benefit humanity.
Essence Of The Gayatri Mantra
(All-round impact of the Gayatri Mantra on our mind and body)
Regarded as one of the four pillars of the Sanatan Dharm, the Gayatri Mantra is the most revered chant. It is said,
gaṅgā gītā ca gāyatrī govindeti hṛdi sthite
caturgakārasaṃyukte punarjanma na vidyate
- Bhishm Parv: Mahabharat
(One who places in his heart the four words beginning with the syllable Ga (ग), namely the sacred Ganga river, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Gayatri mantra, and Govinda gets liberated from the cycle of birth and death.)
Ma Gayatri is called Vedmata, the mother of all Vedas. Her mantra is the seed of all mantras. On the path of mantra yoga no mantra can be invoked until a Sadhak performs the invocation of Vedmata Gayatri. She is also known as Devmata (one who helps in manifesting divine qualities) and Vishvamata (mother of universal consciousness).
Do you know which of the Vedas mentions the Gayatri Mantra? The Gayatri mantra is first mentioned in the Rigved (canto 3, chapter 62, verse 10). It is composed of 24 syllables arranged in three sections of eight syllables each. For ease of chanting, memorisation, and precise oral transmission of sounds and intonation, the verses of the Vedas were organised into meters called Chandas.
About Gayatri mantra it is said,
‘Gāyantaṃ trāyate iti Gayatri’
In other words, Ma Gayatri protects the one who chants her mantra.
Gayatri is also the name of a Chandas. Many mantras have been composed in this meter including the Gayatri mantra itself.
The Savitur Gayatri Mantra
(Ma Gayatri seated on a swan, her divine vehicle)
The original Gayatri mantra from the Rigved is as follows:
Tat-savitur-varenyam
Bhargo-devasya-dhimahi
Dhiyo-yo-nah-prachodayat
After deep contemplation through meditation, the sages later added the mahavyarthi or the great utterance— Om bhur-bhuva-svaha, at the beginning of the mantra.
This form of Gayatri mantra, also known as the Savitur Gayatri Mantra, is Chatushpadi (chatush meaning four and padi meaning limbs) relating to the four Vedas and four pauses in the mantra. Savitur Gayatri Mantra is an invocation of the Sun God, Savitur, whose energy is Ma Gayatri. She is also known as Savita.
Let us look at the meaning of the Gayatri mantra closely.
Om: Rising from our prana, the Pranav sound Om builds our connection to the universal energy field.
Bhur-bhuva-svaha: Earth-Space-Heaven. It also refers to the three planes of existence, three types of consciousness and three modes of material nature (sattva, rajas and tamas meaning goodness, passion and ignorance).
Tat: That (The Supreme Being)
Savitur: Sun God, who is the source of all life.
Varenyam: Something that is of the colour saffron or something fit to be worshipped.
Bhargo: Radiant
Devasya: Divine
Dhimahi: To meditate upon
Dhiyo: Intellect
Yo: Which (that is the divine light)
Na: Our
Prachodayat: To guide or to put in motion
We have understood the detailed explanation of the Gayatri Mantra. In brief, the meaning of this mantra means that we meditate upon the one who alone is fit to be meditated upon. May that divine radiance, that divine energy which is full of light, guide our intellects. May it put our intellects in motion, so we have a certain wealth of wisdom to put to use.
(Meaning source: The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra by Om Swami)
The Gayatri mantra chanting therefore is a powerful way of invoking the light within, the inner wisdom.
Different Types Of Gayatri Mantras
The Gayatri Mantra is known as the Mahamantra. There are many forms of the Gayatri Mantra, such as the Vishnu Gayatri Mantra, Surya Gayatri Mantra, and Krishna Gayatri Mantra. Each Gayatri Mantra associated with a particular deity helps awaken the knowledge or quality that the deity represents. For example, the Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra is chanted to awaken the wisdom through which we can experience her prosperity in our lives. Through this mantra, we pray to the Divine Mother to bless us with her grace, guide us steadily on the path of righteousness (dharm), and illuminate our intellect.
Benefits Of The Gayatri Mantra
The most popular form of the Gayatri Mantra is the Savitur Gayatri.Generally, the Vedic Gayatri mantras help in invoking the qualities specific to that deity, while the Gayatri mantras in the tantric tradition are done with the aim of fulfilling a certain desire.
The Gayatri mantra is chanted during the Sandhyavandam, a daily ritual performed at dawn, afternoon and dusk. This helps in connecting with the energy of the mantra at different times of the day.
The powerful Savitur Gayatri mantra carries the essence of all Vedas, to increase one’s spiritual wealth and remove one’s problems. It has numerous benefits, such as purifying our thoughts and improving our health. Traditionally, it was the first mantra taught to students as part of their Upanayan ceremony, which marks the beginning of studies in Vedic literature. At first, only a select section of men were allowed to chant it. Later, the Hindu reform movements helped to make the Gayatri mantra universal. It’s now widely used by women and people from all walks of life.
There are many advantages of Gayatri mantra, such as promoting good health, strengthening the nervous system, and improving immunity. Many practitioners chant one mala (108 Gayatri mantra repetitions) daily, and have noticed its immense positive effects in their lives. Undoubtedly, this is a powerful mantra that transcends all limitations and benefits every