Mantra

Mantra:

  The term ‘om’ occurs in Shukla Yajurveda when it is says: o3m krato smara | klibe smara | krtuvOm smara. ‘o3m’ is the highest reality. Here, the number intervening between o and m refers to 3 aspects of ‘om’ – (1) the sound originating in muladhara, (2) proceeding toward chest and (3) entering and spreading in the head; it spreads in three vyahruti- bhu, bhuvah, svah, and a represents Agni, u represents Vayu, and m represents Aditya.

    The mantra comes out of the pranava and becomes mortal. It returns to pranava and becomes immortal. This is the significance of apourusheyata of the Rk Veda Samhita (SKR p.25). Manu states that AUM are the three constituents derived from three Vedas. vedatrayAtsamudhrutya praNavam nirmame purA |(Gandharva Tantra). Again, it is Manu who said that Om should be added as a prefix and suffix to every mantra in order to make it titghtly secure and deliver the potent creative power. The essence of the mantra must be secure.

   Om is everything; it is the beginning, it is the middle and the end. Everything has its beginning and end in ‘om’.  

    ‘om’ is Atman and om is Brahman. Sarvam hyEtad brahma |

     ayamAtmA brahma | sO’yamAtmA catuShpAth |

    sashabdam cAkShare kShINE nihshabdam paramam padam |

    The primordial sound ‘om’ is self-existent, eternal and non-perishable. It is really apourusheya in all respects. “Om is the highest reality” (SY. 40.17).

    In its Yajnic context, the term om came to be a sign of approval. Om is the seal of approval. Om is sat and om is tat. It is om tat sat!

   The Mantra aspect of the Suktas starting with the sacred letter Om is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Rk Veda Samhita. The Veda emphatically asserts “The Word was the God”. “The Word was with the God,” and “The Word is the God”. The Word created the world. The Word is everything. The Word is Brahman, the Brahmanaspati, Brahmana, Mantra and the Veda. The word is the sound, vibration of Consciousness.

   The primordial sound emanates from the Lord. He breathes it! It is ‘sat’ and cit emanates from this ‘sat’. Thus, ‘om’ is ‘sat’ and ‘om’ is ‘cit’. Mantra in Rk Veda Samhita is the catalyst, the technology of transformation, Brahmana or Consciousnes. It is the Power of Creation. It is both ‘cit’ and ‘kriya- shakti’. It has the potential to create the phenomenal world. It is the Veda. It is no exaggeration to state that “the entire Vedic religion and Vedic civilization rests on Mantra.’ The Vedic religion is called Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Principle; it is the Foundation of the universe. Here, the term sanatana comes from ‘sanaat’, meaning ‘eternal. It denotes the inevitability of Ritam (order) and Satyam (Truth) for survival. However, when we say, “sanatana dharma is Hindu dharma”, it is the Vedic religion of satyam, ritam and dharma and not of Gods, temples and worship of idols. The term ‘Hindu’ and ‘Hinduism’ have come into vogue sometime later due to the phonetic aberration or pronouniciation of ‘Sindhu’ (Sindhavah) as ‘Hindu’ under external influences.     

   The potency of the Mantra depends on purity of the persons who chant it. Purity of the person in all different faculties- kaya, vacha, manasa, buddhih, svabhava, and atma, too, is required in order to make the mantra effective. Moreover, the mantra should be suitable for the person. Hence, what makes a mantra more powerful is discussed here thread-bare bringing out the origin of sound as also the waves and vibrations that originate in the ocean of Consciousness in the light of modern science.

   Unless the person knows what a mantra is and what its potentialities are, what can a mantra do? This is the question raised by Rk Veda- “ruicho akshare parame vyoman yasmin devaa adhi vishwe nishedhuh | yastanna veda kim ruche karishyati ya it tad vidus tai me samaasate | (Rk Veda I. 164. 39). Meaning, “He who is awake, the Richaa (expressions of the Veda) zoom forth in his awareness and uphold his thought, speech and action. He whose awaereness is not open to this field, what can the Mantra accomplish for him?” yO jAgAr tamam RuchaH kAmayante | (Rk Veda V. 44. 14).

   “The structuring dynamics of the Mantra is the basis of Vedic Technology, which uses the Mantra to create anything from Veda, or to create anything from consciousness. Veda is structured intelligence, and its structuring intelligence, having created its structure, continues to express itself in all the structures of creation” (Maharshi Mahesh Yogi).

   Mantra BrAhmanayOr- Veda nAmadhEyaM | (Apastamba Shrouta Sutram 24. 1. 31), meaning, Mantra and Brahmana together constitute the Veda. Knower of Rk is the knower of reality- Brahm; Atma eva Brahma | AtmaivEdgm sarvam | meaning, All this is Atman, the Self, only.

     The Vedic verses or the hymns (Suktas) have always been enigmatic to the beginners. Even scholars have got difference of opinion with regard to the meaning of the words. Since the Veda belongs to the Satya Yuga, almost 4.0 Million years old, and the language is used then was Devabhasha, meaning the language of the Rishis (tapo janah) and gods, of the Satya Yuga. Hence, we in Kali Yuga cannot easily understand it. Even our Samskruta and Pali do not come close to this; our languages are far removed by time and space and not the original. It is definitely not the language of the priestly class of the present Kali Yuga. Samskruta and Pali languages are corrupt forms since they have lost the original sattva (potency and thus, not very effective in conveying the truth; they have no creative force of the original Deva Bhasha. 

   Here, again, it should be noted that the Samskruta language has undergone change during late Treta Yuga and early Dwapara Yuga. The present language is thus incapable of the original sattva and our mantras are not effective when simply chanted without meaning and purport, faith and purity; our rituals too have lost much of the original significance and the chants, their vitality and strength to produce the real creative spirit (of sat and cit) that the original Devabhasha conveyed.

   As far as the Rk Vedic mantras are concerned they still convey the original sattva to some extent since we, today, have only one original language based on the eternal types of sound, developed by certain laws of rhythmic variation, perfectly harmonious and symmetrical in its structure and evolution, the Devabhasha of the Satya Yuga. Those who know this and try to adhere to the rules may find it somewhat easy to interpret the meaning of the Rks, Mantras. Hence, it is reiterated here that, only if, the true meaning of the letters (root words) are taken care of the chants are meaningful. The root words of the Rks are discussed at length in the following along with a brief note on the origin of the Word.

   ‘Om’ is the first sacred one-and-a-half letter word that has emanated from parabrahman. It is neither a word nor a Logos! It is the manifest creative energy of the supreme Lord of the universe, the architect of the universe who lives outside the Brahmanda. The created power (srushti shakti) is hidden in the sound waves, the vibration, spanda of the sparsha (not just the word!) There are several stages in the development of this creative energy. It starts with the will and ends with the manifest names and forms. The universe is thus the manifest form of Brahman. It is also the sound into which the universe eventually merges (laya). It is the sacred letter that sustains and protects as the definition of mantra states here.

    Om, as ‘cit shakti’ is Pranava that helped the Suras (daivee shakti) conquer the Asuras (destructive power) in their battle for superiority; the power of ‘Om’ helped the gods- Agni, Indra, Rudra, Varuna, Maitra Varuna, the Ashvins, the Vishve Devas and others in their war with the demoniac forces- Vrutra, Vala, Titans, Takshaks. Panis, and the other demons pestering the Rishis and the satviks. In turn, the Lord, Pranava, assured that mantra will be powerful only with the prefix of the Mantra “Om” and concluded with “svAahA”. Thus Om and svAhA are always used in Agni Sukta to hail the god of fire.

    Aum’ as Jnyan-shakti is the three-letter word that is culled out of the three Vedas- the Rugveda, Samaveda and the Yajurveda.  The three letters- ‘a’, ‘u’ and ‘m’ have their source in the breath of Lord Brahma at the navel, Lord Vishnu at the heart and the Lord Maheshvara at the throat level. It is advised that the sacred letter should not be spelt out, instead sent to the ‘sahsrar’ (above Brahmarandhra at the top of the head) with Pranayama in order to get enlightenment. Thus, the mantra is very useful in meditation for enlightenment.

     ‘Om’ as ‘kriyaa-shakti’ is the most potent of all the mantra. It induces creative power and generates energy. It is the activating force when used with Gayatri Mantra. The real power of liberation lies in the savitri-Gayatri Mantra-

 tatsaviturvruNImahE

 vayam dEvasya bhOjanam |

shreshtg sarvam  dhAtamam 

turam bhagasya dhImahi ||

 Om, ityEkAkksharam brahma

 agnirdEvatA brahma ityAsham |

 gAyatram chchandam paramAtmam sarUpam

 sAyujyam viniyOgam ||

 Om, ghrunisUryaadityO naprabhAvAtyakSharam

 MadhukkSharanti tadrasam |

 satyam vai tadrsamApO jyOtI rasOr

 amRutam brahma BhurbhuvassuvarOm ||

                                 [Mahanarayana Upansihad].

     Although not explicitly or significantly mentioned anywhere, there is a reference to the Word Om in the Rk Veda. Three mantras have the derivative words ‘omaanam’ and ‘omasah’ (Rk Veda I. 34. 6; VI. 50. 7 and I. 3. 7). According to Yaska (12. 40), omaasah avitarah | means omaasah are the protectors; give protection, rakshane. Vamadeva’s hymn (Rk Veda IV. 58) refers to the transcendental Om also called Para Pranava, as the ocean (prajnya sagara, i.e, the Ocean of Consciousness), anant (limitless), devoid of form, and widely pervasive. Here, it is interesting to note that there are almost a dozen grammatical nuisances of the term wherein all the meanings coalesce in Om.

   To mention one or two: avati, pravishati, meaning to enter –satva vyaapkatbena, sarve ca asmin pravishanti iti | it enters into all, and everything enters into it. It is comprehensive and exhaustive in its scope. Otattvaachi jhyemkaarah | Also, it is symbolic; it means the all-pervasive eternal sound of Consciousness in akasha (antariksha). The mantra has Ashvins as the devata and Madhuchchandas Viashvaamitra as the sage-seer.

    OmAsahscharshanidhruto vishvEdevAsa A gata |

The gods are not only the protectors (avitaarah) of all creatures, but are borne by all human beings (carshanii-dhruta, manushya-dhruta). Om has three aspects- a (existence), u (expression) and m (mind). It also refers to the sound originating in the navel (nabhi) and entering the heart (hr.daya, anahata) and the head (ajnya) and in turn representing agni- a, vayu- u and akasha- m (antariksha).Where Om is the principal felicity, delight (ananda) protectin (rakshane) and light (jnyan) omaanam is begged to be bestowed (vahatam) for obtaining happiness (sham yoh) in tridhaatu- body, speech and mind. In Shukla Yajurveda, the sacred word Om occurs more explicitly and more specifically.

 Om krato smara | klibe smara | krutam smara | Meaning, “Be mindful of Om” (Rk Veda, VII. 6. 7, VIII. 102. 4; X. 5. 1, X. 45.3, and Kanva samhita 40.15.17). It is said that the essence of the mantra will not leak away when Om is used before it and the body of the mantra will not wear away when used after it. (Manusmruti).

The Consonants and Vowels (Svara and Vyanjana)

      Ever since man started talking, there has been a rapid change in his vocabulary influenced by the environment-geographical and social and other conditions. The usage of letters and words undergo change over the decades and centuries and there is a change in the slang every thirty miles. It is more so   especially in regions separated by geographical barriers like mountains, rivers, forests and political borders. Hence it is very difficult to know the meaning of words used in the Suktas. Each word has a dozen meaning, at least six of which one is a dummy or meaningless and one a secret code! Ordinary dictionary meanings, except the nirukta, will not be of any use here.

    However there are a number of sources from which the Vedic mantra- its letters and words could be more or less satisfactorily decoded.  Matrika and Malini Sutras in Shivasutras reveal the secrets of the origin and development of the mantras. Mantropanishads explain the mantras and their efficacy further.

Origin of the sacred word  

    The navel or the nabhi cakra (plexus of Consciousness) is the source of all creation and the first sacred letter ‘a’ has its source here. It is the Brahm. It is the source of Om - ityekakashara brahma. All the alphabets of the spoken and written words have their origin first in the Prana, the live-breath and the most important ones associated with our breath are the sa ha m leading to the concept of So’ham, and ultimately, shivo’ham. ‘Vam’, ‘ram’ and ‘lam’ are the other forces of sustaining and dissolution.

    Besides a number of important works on the subject, the work of Sir John woodruff on the mantras-“Garland of Letters’ and “The Serpent Power” (Kundalini) are very impressive. The origin of the sacred word is much better described in the Shiva Sutras of the Kashmir Shaivagama Shastra. Sri Aurobindo gives a number of examples of the root words that make the mantras and gives us an insight into the “decoding’ of the Rks. This is elaborated here. 

   The Shaivagama Shastra has more details about the power of the syllables of the Varnamala, the garland of letters. The letter ‘a’ for instance the sat; ‘A’ (‘aa’) is Bliss (Ananda). The letters ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘u’, and ‘U’ (‘OO’), O, ru, RU, ‘ou’ (‘au’) ‘am’ and ‘ah’ are the most powerful syllables containg the jnyan (knowledge) shakti, kriya (action) shakti, power of transformation (parivartana shakti), power of dissolution (laya shakti), etc.; the two dots put after the letter (:) ‘ah’ as in Sanskrit a: is indicative of all the powers of creation, sustaining and dissolution in one letter; it is Parameshvara, Shiva and Shakti symbolically represented by the letters and symbol. Similarly, one dot after the letter (.) am is Parameshvara and Shiva. [see Jaidev Singh: Shiva Sutras p. 117

   All the letters of consonants are the letters representing creation of living beings or objects. The word pada creates its own image and meaning (artha) and ultimately produces the padartha, (the object). There is thus no wonder that the letters of the alphabets that go to make the word are the seed letters that sprout the tree of living and non-living beings on this planet. Those who do not know the meaning of the letter, the word cannot gain the power of the word. This is the meaning of the Biblical saying, “The word was the God”. It is also said that “God sent the word and these people held on to the word and forgot theGod.”

     It is not clear when exactly manav (the human being) started talking; at least Darwin should have got some clue about this. But he also is silent on this. It is easy to understand that the monkeys chatter and make signs of body language that is very easy for us to understand; but it is difficult to know the meaning conveyed by this chattering man! He is so unconscious that he goes on talking without any sense, at times. We do not know whether the ideas and images are formed first in the monkeys’ brain or not before they chatter. However, man gets an image, an idea,a thought from his past experience, memory, or a link to previous impression before uttering his word. But how is the word formed?

  We have a very important source of the secret of the ‘word’ in the ancient Shaivagama Shastra of Kashmir Shaivism of which very little s widely known. Although it is easy to dismiss the whole idea with the sacred words- “The word was with the God” it is important to know what word was with the God. Is it the ‘OM’, the Logos ?

  The word was in Akasha, the ether according to the principles of Srushti as enunciated in the Veda. The Lord created the word or the word manifested in the Lord. “the language of man is not framed on earth, but in heaven, as indeed are all things that the earth-soul uses in its mortal journey.”

   Everything in this world is created by the three-fold energy of eternal Truth (satyam), manifesting force (cit or jnyanam), and sustaining delight (anandam); everything is created as a type (form) in the world of ideas; it is called the ‘mahat’. It is created in the principle of self-manifest and perfectly arranged knowledge”; it is further developed in diverse ways by the more discursive but less definite foot-hold of the agency of the intellectual Mind.

  Normally our mind is a fertile ground for imagination. Imagination hunts for new varieties, new variations, memories and association that are corrupt forms; it looks for analogies that are pervert and dwells on enjoyment of sensation, emotion, pleasure; it seizes violent and partial satisfaction. This is the cause of our mortal life- of change, degeneration and decay, death and of curse, rebirth (to satisfy unfulfilled desires that are intact in memory). All these take place in our descent to this earthly existence and a life of mind (and perverted intelligence?). Thus, we live here a life of a fickle mind that is of matter and not true spirit (pure Consciousness).

   Today, we have some languages that are nearest to the original and the oldest secret language. These languages were used by the Aryans. In this group are included the Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, German, Celtic, Tamil, Persian, Arabic but definitely not closely related to the Devabhasha in any way. This line of thinking, however, needs a careful study of the phonetics. We do have some sources of origin of the Language, but the urge to get into it, however strong, is desisted here in view of sticking to the Vedic hymns only.

  The principle on which the root word of Devabhasha is formed is the sound of the word, shabda (vak). All Sounds (shabda) manifest out of akasha (ether / space) by the force of Vayu, matarishvam.  This is a great creative force that is full dynamic energy. This is put in the flux of created matter apas and carries with it the artha or definite significance. The artha depends on the sparsha, the vibration passing through the medium, mtre; sound (shabda) appears in the sky passing with the wind (air). It creates tejas or force and a form. These decide the bhava normal sensation, and artha, the precise meaning, according to form that it has created.       

   The first thing that comes to mind (citta) is the thought (thought waves) that originate as a particle of great strength and potential to create. This potent thoughtron materializes as a sankalpa provided there is dhruti in the seeker. Moreover, there is something like chance, luck, destiny, purvapunya, grace of Lord or the divine plan that makes the plan successful. “man plans and God laughs’ is the proverbial saying. It is the resolve (sankalpa) that gestated over a period of time with a strong will, steadfastness (dhruti) that takes shape into images and forms of dreams and, ultimately become action-oriented with grace of God. This is divine will, daivecche.                     

The Power of the Mantra

    The power of the mantra, the sacred letter and the sacred word, comes from the single source from which all other things manifested such as air, fire, water and the earth, ie, the Space/ether/Akash. Akash is the home of all beings. Akash is the Mind of the supreme Lord. The Lord dwells ten inches beyond the universe as the architect (Rugveda). He manifests in himself space, time and objects. He is the efficient cause as well as the material cause of creation. He is one and there is no other (“Ekam advitiyam”).

  Thus, from the Mind and Will (‘Citta’) of the supreme Lord, Parabrahman, manifested space (akasha) comes the air (vayu) and fire (agni) and along with them comes the vibration and its sound as the power of creation. The fire is citi that comes as vibration, citta, as well as, chetasa and chaiitanya (the Energy aspect). The Lord’s will is theso called shree Hari citta, meaning, ‘the eternal flow of Consciousness- the most important source of all Knowledge, Information, Technology, and Knowledge of Ability to Transform (KITKAT) objects’.

   Thus, this is the source of all material objects of the world starting from the lightest Hydrogen and Helium to the heaviest Iron (Fe) and Nickel (Ni) that constitute the elemental structure and composition of the Earth.

  Thus it is discernible how the elements  are the manifest objects of the same Parabrahman who collapsed (kshara) from his Purnaprajnya (eternal Conscious) state of sat, immortality Light to a state of asat, darkness, Ignorance (Avidya) and the mortal creatures of the earth. “The Lord created creation and entered into it” (tad srushtva tadevanupravishat) is the formula.

   Everything is Consciousness (‘cit’) in Rk Veda; it is represented by Agni, Indra (indha) the god of fire and the god of the luminous Mind, respectively. Hence, anything done consciously aware with the help of the Prayer mantra is capable of manifesting the object already manifest in it. It is like the banyan seed holding the blue print of the entire huge tree within it in seed form or like the oil in sesame and pure ghee in milk. The ancient Rishis used to pray Lord Indra, Rudra, Varuna, Marut and others to gain material wealth and prosperity; however, this is not the whole purpose. The real purpose is to adore them and gain entry into the heaven of sat, cit, anand and eternal bliss and immortality. The following glossary of terms and the root words explain the rest of the scret of the Ruks (Richa or Mantra).

    Bijakshara of the mantra is the heart and soul of the mantra. MAtrikA is the presiding power of the various deities (shaktir adhishTAtri). A few of them presiding over the various classes of letters (varnas) are:

Mahalakshmi (YogIshvari) - A-varga Class of vowels (a to am, ah)

BrAhmi – Ka-varga (ka, kha, ga, gha, nga)

MahEshvari – Ca-varga (ca, Cha, Ja, jha, nya) ;

KaUMaRI – Ta-varga (ta,tha da,dDha,Na);

VaishNavi – Pa-varga (pa Pha, ba, Ba, ma);

IndrANi – Ya-varga (ya, ra, la, va);

CamuNDa – Sa-varga (sha, Sha, sa, ha, La, ksha)

   These bijaksharas are the soul of the mantra and the mantras are the soul of the gods and deities. With the help of the mantra, the concerned gods can be propitiated and their blessings, grace obtained. It is this grace of the Lord that is important in all our thoughts and actions in order to be successful and happy.

   Incidentally, the Gaytree mantra “tatsavitruvarenyam bhargodevasya” holds Twenty-four bijaksharas that are powerful enough to create, sustain, and redeem us. These are the soul of the concerned gods and deities who have occupied strategic positions in our body in order to serve the supreme Lord who has entered the hri-daya, the cavity of the heart. The following diagram brings out the details.

What is Gayatree Mantra?

    Before we try to understand the Gayatree Mantra, we shall try to understand what is a mantra .Mantra is a group of words so arranged that it is a set of vibrations which move from the chanter and affects the target. Here the target is the chanter of the mantra himself. The rebounding object is the deity on which the mantra is chanted. The vibrations that emanate from the chanter touches the deity to which the mantra is addressed and rebounds back to the chatter of the mantra, thus affecting the chanter himself . This is the paradox of the mantra that the mantra chanted by the chanter comes to lodge itself  in the chanter thus purifying the chanter .

     Everything in this universe is vibrations consisting of different wave lengths and different frequencies. These vibrations affect the body cells and organisms for better or worse. Micro waves are vibrations of heat waves, X-rays are vibrations of light waves, ultra-sonic sounds are waves of sound of different wavelengths and frequencies. They all affect our body, mind and surrounding objects.

     Vedic mantras are vibrations which emanate from the chanter and the affect the environment as it travels in the atmosphere. Veda means knowledge. It comes from the word vith that means to know. Everything in this universe is Veda, the set of vibrations of the Rks of the Veda. The credit of analyzing and understanding the Vedas from the perspective of structural evolution goes to Maharshi Mahesh Yogi. His enlightened followers and scholars have come out with astounding revelations about the Vedas.

     According to the Maharshi, the structure of the Veda is the same as the structure of the human physiology. Also the structure of the Universe is the same as the structure of the Vedas. In other words, the structure of the universe and the structure of the human physiology- both are one and the same. In fact, the same is reflected in every Cell of our body. Every movement anywhere is reflected every where else. The sounds of the Rks, Veda are also same as the structure of the Veda and Vedangas. This is declared in our Vedic declaration; Yathaa brahmaande thathaa pinde. The Brahmanda is reflected in the Pinda and anda Pindanda. For instance, we find how the mood of one person in the family, or group of friends, affect all others!

   The Vedic structure is the perfect structure of existence and that is the blue print of the universe as well as the human physiology. The Vedas declare the perfect way of life and any deviation from the vedic structure and way of life distorts the perfect life of human beings. While building a house, first we conceive of the structure in our mind. Then we prepare a blue print and according to that blue print we start building the structure. Any deviation or anomaly in construction is corrected referring to the blue print. Similarly, the Vedas are divine conceived and represent the blue print of the structure of the universe and the human physiology. The Vedas are the blue prints in the sound form just as the blue print of the building we propose to build is in the sketch form.

    Our human form is the physical manifestation of the Vedic vibrations in sound form. Any defect in the body structure is corrected by the vibrations of the Vedic Mantra since they can correct any deviation of the human cell or body organism .The Rks or the mantras in the Veda represent the total human physiology and the structure of the universe, i.e., pindanda and Brahmanda, respectively.

    As already stated the Veda first imparted by Brahma to his first Brain-child (Manasa putra) Atharvan. It is estimated that this contained more than 200 000 Mantras. It was so bulky and difficult to carry and perform the rituals; hence it was later divided into four functional parts viz, Rk Veda, YajurVeda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda by none other than the Lord Shree Krishna Dvaipayana (Ekam eva adviteeyam) who later came to be known as Vedavyasa, also known as Badarayana, the Ageless One and of unknown origin. Almost all the ancient scripturese credited to Him.

      The Rk Veda has 10 mandalas, suktas, and 10,552 Mmantras. The first Mandala of the Rig Veda represents the earth, the second represents the water, the third represents the Fire, the fourth represents the Air and the fifth represents the space (akaasha). Just as the cloth is made of the thread and possesses the quality of the thread, our body is made of the Five great elements- the pancha maha bhootas:  Air , water , fire , earth and space. As we all know, each of these five great elements has their own constituents and undergoes changes under different temperatures, different pressures, under different chemical combinations and compositions. The structure of the elements and compounds made of these five great elements are infinite in form and structure and each possessing different quality according to its compositions and structures and variations. This is verily manifested in human forms and their qualities and behaviors .To this body made of five great elements comes and join the three great factors, which are again the components of Nature, Prakrithi ;Ego (ahankara) , Intellect (buddhi) and Mind (manas) . Thus, the human being is made of these eight great components as declared in the Bhagavad-Gita. Presiding over the body made of these eight great elements is the all powerful, all pervading, immortal and all pervading Atma, the Self.  That is the supreme Truth. That is the supreme Brahman; that is the vital force, and that is the soul or the self. This is declared in all our scriptures.

  “OM tat sat, Om Tat Brahma, Om tad vayuh, Om tat Atma, Om tat sarvam ….|

     It has no name and hence it is called “tat”. All names, forms and powers belong to ‘tat’. All else other than ‘tat’ is dead and perishable. Only that is Amritatvam. All else is dirt and disposable. Nature of Atma is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, Sacchidaananda. That is the Knower and all Knowledge. The Vedas are the swarupa, or the nature of Atma. Vedas are total knowledge. Vedas are the expressions of the Atma, the power of total existence. .. the ‘tat sat’, supreme Parabrahman .

   If we have to know the power of the Gayatree Mantra, it is essential to know at least this background, since all power flows from the Atma, into the vibrations of sound, heat, light and materials consisting of solids, liquids and gasses. First of all, we have to face the possibility that there is no such thing. For many hold that the word is an unreal generalization invented to cover a class of material phenomena having their origin in Matter and material in their nature and essence, an operation of Matter on Matter and in Matter. Thoughts are only vibrations of the grey matter of the brain; they are not ... capable of existing beyond the material plane; they cannot exist independently of the brain; brain is not their instrument of expression or manifestation; they are [its] instrument made of its substance, dependent on [its] substance, inexistent without it. Mind is an action of Matter, not a separate power or force; there is nothing in it superior to the physicality of the body; it exists by the body and as a part of its activity, lasts along with it, dies with it. Mind is a product of gases, some operation of nature's chemistry, glandular influences, nervous stimulus; it is matter and records the operations of Matter. [See Notes for more details on this aaspect]

    The Gayatree Mantra is the Universal Prayer enshrined in the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of man. Universal Prayer means Prayer that can be recited with devotion for one's spiritual or material benefit in all ages by all men, women and children in any part of the world. The Gayatree mantra protects us because Gayatree is Annapurna Devi, The Mother; it is the Force that animates all life. We do not therefore have to wail for food, or for shelter when we are under the protection of Devi Annapurna, the Divine Mother.

   Gayatree is the expansion of Pranava while all the 330 Million Devatas are expansions of the Trinity. It is said that all these Devatas are residing in different places in the body of Gayatree. When one prays for some boon, the appropriate Devata is activated and pleased to grant the particular boon to the worshipper. It is of interest to note that at Dawn, Gayatree appears as Child (Baala), at noon as a Youthful (Youvanam), and at dusk, she appears as an old Lady (Vruddhe).

     The Gayatri Mantra (Rk Veda III, 62, 10 an ancient Hindu sacred book said to be more than 10000 years old). does not belong to any particular sect of worship, or it is not restricted to any certain community. It is universal, for the whole world. It contains in it the culture not of any particular society, but the culture of humanity. The Gayatri Mantra is a treasure and heritage that belongs to the whole of humanity without exclusion.

      Oh, Creator of the Universe! (Om, Bhargo Devasya )

      Revered by the Divine forces (savitru varenyam)

      We meditate upon thy supreme splendor in all 3 worlds.

      (Bhurbhuvasva)

      May thy radiant power illuminate our intellect,

      (Dhee yo yo naH prachodayat); and,

       Destroy our sins, and guide us in the right direction!

       (Dhee mahi)

      Rishis seem to have selected the words of various Mantras and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power through their utterance. Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". All the problems of a person are solved if he/she is endowed with the gift of righteous wisdom. Once endowed with far-sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in calamity nor does he tread the wrong path. A wise man finds solution to all outstanding problems. Only those persons who do not think correctly find difficulty and take wrong steps due to foolishness. Chanting of Gayatri Mantra removes this deficiency. The teachings and powers incorporated in the Gayatri Mantra fulfill this purpose. Righteous wisdom starts emerging soon after Jap (recitation) of this Mantra is performed.

       Gayatri mantra is meant for realization of god and is regarded as representing the Supreme Lord. It is meant for spiritually advanced people. Success in chanting it enables one to enter the transcendental position of the Lord. But, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra, it is necessary for one to first acquire the qualities of the perfectly balanced person in terms of the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature. The Gayatri mantra is considered to be the sonic incarnation of Brahman and is regarded as very important in Vedic civilization. In Bhagavad-Gita (Ch. 10. 35), Lord Krishna states:

      Brihat sama latha samnAm | Gayatrichandasaamaham ||

       Among the hymns, I am the Brihat saama sung to Lord Indra. Of the poetry, I am the Gayatri verse sung daily by the initiated. Gayatri is depicted seated on a lotus. She is depicted with five faces representing the pancha pranas /pancha vayus (five lives/winds): prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana, of the five principles/ elements (pancha tatwas) earth, water, air, fire, sky (prithvi, jala, vayu, teja, aakasha). She has 10 hands carrying the five ayudhas: shankha; chakra, kamala, varada, abhaya, kasha, ankusha, ujjwala utensil, rudrakshi mala. The Shiva-Vishnu Temple performs Gayatri havan (homam) periodically to propitiate the Lord. Numerous devotees participate in the function performed outdoors in the Temple precincts depending on the weather conditions. Ghee (rectified butter) is applied during the homa by all the participants seated around the homa-kunda.

      The divine and great Gayatri mantra inspires righteous intellect and elevates prudence and devotion. It is a universal prayer and the supreme mantra of all ages. Chhandogya Upanishad describes the existence, expansion and activities of the world as a reflection of the eternal vibrations of this mantra. Sri Adi Shankaracharya says, "Gäyatrï represents the limitless Brahm --- eternal, omnipresent, absolute existence of Thee….".  As per the Bruhadaranyaka Upanishad --- "One, who realizes and attains the essence of the knowledge of Gäyatrï in life, becomes Omniscient and Omnipotent". The Sädhanä of (spiritual endeavors of realization of) Gäyatrï bestows immense boons on a true devotee and arouses the divine element existing in his individual self.

    The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam also. Great sins are said to be expiated by a pious recitation of this Gayatri verse. The origin of the divine culture and philosophy of ancient times has been attributed to the Gäyatrï Mantra. The Indian rishis of yore --- who are honored as perfect beings, had devoted their lives to the Sädhanä of Gäyatrï Mantra for the ultimate realization and spiritual refinement of the inner self and attainment of divine potentials. Gäyatrï Sädhanä has been an integral part of the lives of the spiritual saints and sages of the later ages too.

    That Gäyatrï Sädhanä indeed bestows miraculous blessings and boons. Although, the positive effects and astonishing attainments by Gäyatrï Sädhanä occur through the subtle scientific process at deeper domains of consciousness, the devotional sentiments of gratitude towards the power are advisable in order to maintain humility and dedicated sincerity of mind --- which are necessary for the consistent advancement of the Sädhanä".

    Incidents of miraculous transmutation of the personalities of Gautam, Dhruva, Mahatma Anand Swami, Kathiyawadi Baba, Siddha Booti Baba, Madhavacharya, etc., by Gäyatrï Sädhanä and the experiences and views of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Vivekanand, Ravindra Nath Tagore, Lokamanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, William Magnere, Arthur Koestler, etc, are worth mentioning in this context.

     Immediate effects of Gäyatrï Upäsana include- cultivation of self-confidence and fearlessness in the Sädhaka (devotee) and gradual illumination of his intellect, power of decision-making and sense of responsibility and purification of the inner cores of mind. As a result, the devotee’s worldly life too begins to progress well at personal, professional and social levels. Further advancement of the Sädhanä with increasing devotion awakens the hidden talents and divine sentiments and opens the doors for materialistic as well as spiritual development. This implies the eternal validity of the following Vedic hymn -

   "Om, stutä mayä varadä, vEdamätä Prachodayantäm
pävmäni dwijänäm, Äyuh, pränam, prajäm, pashum,
kïrtim, dravinam, Brahmvarchasam mahyam dattwä brajata
Brahmlokam ||

     Gayatrï bestows good health, vitality, longevity, wealth with grace, glorious success, co-operation, love, intellectual elevation and divine culmination of the self" --- can be verified by everybody by sincerely practicing Gäyatree Sadhana in day-to-day life with intrinsic faith……Nothing could be more authentic then self-experience….. The highest level spiritual endowments described as ashta siddhi and nava nidhï are natural consequences of progress in Gäyatrï Sädhanä.

     In the initial stage, the righteous progress of this Sädhanä is reflected in the serene charm, impressive voice, brilliance of eyes, glow of the aura around the face and the body. Clarity of thoughts, trenchancy of wisdom, intellectual talents, creativity and prudence arouse automatically in the Sädhaka as he (or she) matures in the Sädhanä. Most importantly, the Sädhaka (devotee) begins to feel the presence of divine power in the inner self which educes immense strength and peace in his mind to face all adversities and ups and downs of life with stable faith and patience. His inner voice forcibly cautions him against every immoral activity and thought and guides ideal path in the moment of difficulty and dilemma.

     The japa (rhythmic enunciation with deep meditation) of Gäyatrï Mantra is an integral part of Gäyatrï Sädhanä. This helps refine the Sädhaka’s voice and leads to its subtle transmutation into the extrasensory divine voice. Boons or curses expressed in this sublime voice indeed come true. Further awakening of the inner potentials gradually bestows the supernormal powers of premonition, afflatus, telepathy, clairvoyance and prophecy. Activation and sublime transformation of unconscious and super conscious minds of such a Sädhaka links his conscious mind with divine impulses….

     In the above state, the Sädhaka- whether awaken, asleep or in trance, can receive cosmic signals and divine messages. Transmission of his vital energy or mental vibrations into other beings becomes as easy for him as if one is handing over some physical items to the other. The atmosphere surrounding these spiritually empowered personalities also becomes serene and remains charged with some kind of divine influence.

     Sincere and determined efforts in the appropriate direction take one closer to the goal. Spiritual endeavors are no exceptions. This seems to be more true and certain in case of Gäyatrï Sädhanä. The nectar of the eternal divine power of Gäyatrï is for every body. Each one of us can be blessed by enormous attainments in materialist, mental, intellectual and spiritual domains of life with the help of devoted Gäyatrï Sädhanä. By this one will all positive energies.

     Here the fundamental principle is that we human beings are divine and possess divine qualities. Being ignorant of our true nature we behave unlike the humans and our animal propensities push us to extreme inhuman behavior, at times. We do not know that every part of the body is protected by a certain Deity close to the Sun and his benefactor. The Sun is virtually the God who gives us life, light, knowledge, happiness and bliss. Our forefathers worshiped Sun as the God and India is the land of Sun, BHARAT where “BHA” stands for Bhaskara, the Sun.

     We pray the Sun God to enliven us with higher knowledge and pure Consciousness with the help of this mantra. ‘Dhee’ is the key word here. Dhee stands for Consciousness. We pray the supreme Lord to bestow on us the pure intelligence, pure Consciousness and promote our inherent divine qualities. By saying, “dhee mahee, dhee yo yo nah pracodayaat”, we are asking for His grace to recharge our brain’s solar battery and increase the intellectual power and thereby enable us to get the necessary energy, strength, creative and motive power so that we become sat, cit, anand and promote our self to the status of God from our normal mundane human existence, This is the prayer for upliftment in the scale of progressive evolution.

   The full Mantra is:

    “Om,

     Bhur Bhuvah Svah;

     Tat Savitruh Devataa Varenyam Bhargo Devasya

     Dheemahi Dhi yo Yo nah Prachodayaat”.

    “O Vedamaata, Gayatree. We meditate upon that adorable effulgence of the resplendent Savitur, the life giver. May he stimulate our Intellect” (Rk Veda II. 62.10).

Meaning: We meditate on that most adorable, most desirable and most enchanting luster (effulgence) of our supreme Lord, who is our creator, inspirer and source of eternal Joy. May this light inspire and illumine our intellect (and dispel the darkness).

Meaning: “Om” (Aum): The primeval sound (from which all sounds emerge); Dheemahi: We meditate upon; Varenyam: the most adorable, most desirable or most enchanting; Bhargo: luster or effulgence; tat: of that; Devasya: supreme (Lord); Savitruh: from whom all creations emerge (also means the Sun God who is our life source); Bhur: who is our inspirer; Bhuvah: who is our creator; Suvaha: who is the abode of supreme joy; [Bhur, Bhuvah and Suvaha are also considered to mean three vyaahrutis (lokas) Prachodayaat: inspire / illumine; Nah: our; Dhi yo: intellect (activities of the intellect)]  or worlds namely, Heaven, Earth and the Lower Vyaahrutis]. Yo: May this light (enlighten us).

   It is said in Shiva Purana that as told by Lord Parameshvara to His consort Parameshvari that Shree Vishnu chants this sacred Gayatree to propitiate the Veda Mata who provides the necessary power and strength to protect this world and thereby gets the necessary strength and support.

     The Gaayatree Mantra is found first as ‘apourusheya’ in the Rk Veda (II- iii, 62, 10) which was later on transcribed in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago (?); according to some reports, the mantra may have been chanted for many generations before that.

      The word Gaayatree is a combination of Sanskrit words, although there is some disagreement in various texts about the exact derivation- derived from the two words:  - gaâyanath (what is sung), giving of praise; trâyate (root ‘trai’) meaning, preserves, protects, gives deliverance, grants liberation.

Another viewpoint is that the roots are:   - gaya, meaning, vital energies;    - trâyate, that   preserves, protects, and gives deliverance, grant emancipation, mukti, Moksha or Liberation. The word Mantra means an instrument of thought, sacred text, or a prayer of praise. So, the two words "Gaayatree Mantra" might be translated as: a prayer of praise to the Lord Narayana who shines through the Sun that awakens the vital energies n us and gives fulfillment or Liberation. And indeed, this is such a prayer.

 The Use of Mantra:

Sri Aurobindo, in Hymns to the Mystic Fire, wrote:

      "We have to invoke the gods by the inner sacrifice, and by the word call them unto us - that is the specific power of the Mantra, - to offer to them the gifts of the sacrifice and by that giving secure their gifts, so that by this process we may build the way of our ascent to the goal... We give what we are and what we have in order that the riches of the Divine Truth and Light may descend into our life."

In his book Sadhana, Sri Swami Shivananda wrote:

    "Of all the mantras, the supreme and the most potent power of powers is the great, glorious Gaayatree Mantra.”

   It is the support of every seeker after Truth who believes in its efficacy, power and glory, be he of any caste, creed, clime or sect. It is only one's faith and purity of heart that really count. Indeed, “the Gaayatree is an impregnable spiritual strength (an armor), a veritable fortress, that guard and protects its votary, that transforms him into the divine, and blesses him with the brilliant light of the highest spiritual illumination.

... It is universally applicable, for it is nothing but an earnest prayer for Light, addressed to the Supreme Almighty Spirit.

... This single mantra repeated sincerely and with clear conscience, brings the supreme good."

      "The seven lokas, may be briefly described as: bhuh - earth, the physical world bhuvah - astral/desire/breath, the world of becoming Suvaha - mental, the world of thinking mahahah - causal, silent mind, the world of emotion janaha - world of creative generation tapaha - world of intuition satyam - world of Absolute Truth

    Thus, we have three important mantras that help us to raise our level of Consciousness and attain to divinity in this very world of death Mrutyu Lok. One, who knows the secret of the Veda, knows the potency and efficacy of the Mantra need not bother about death. Whoever surrenders to the Lord and trusts him absolutely will be protected from all adversities. This assurance has come from none else than the Lord as said in Bhagavad-Gita.

      The beauty of this Deva Bhasha (God’s inaudible sounds that finally emerged as audible sounds to man) in Devanagari or the Sanskrit language is such that, every letter of the alphabet is the outcome of the evolution of the vibration (spanda), sound (svara), pada (word) and artha (meaning) that ultimately produced the padartha (the objective world) here on this earth. The very first letter ‘A’ has evolved as the universe and out of it the subtler aspects that emerged as the sub-atomic articles ‘k’. From this A and k came the Fire, the Sun and its Planets- the Solar System. Who can understand this entire evolutionary history depicted in the Veda?

   Similarly, our human evolution is mystical / secret, hidden in the Veda. Each and every letter of the Gayatree represents a part of our physiology (rather, the sound emanates from the part of the body) and it has an ‘abhimani’ Devata. Through the awakening, conscious awareness of the power of this seed letter (beejaakashara) one can activate the power of the deity and get connected to the supreme Brahman. This will energize every cell of our body, and the more the stress on a particular letter, more will be the effect on that part of the body; it get cleansed of all impurities and any ailment associated with it gets cured. This is the efficacy of the Gayatree. But much depends on the ‘Faith’ of the devotee. No faith no effect is the rule. Faith is trust with conviction; it is the creative power of Vayu, and called 'Vayu Jeevottama' who sustains our life.

     The different parts of the body represented by the seed letter (beejakshara) and their associated Devata are given below. By giving a stress on this letter while chanting the mantra, that respective part of the body can be energized. Here, ‘Faith’ is absolutely necessary in order to get the full benefit of the Mantra. The mantra remains mere alphabets and words without any effect of their sound on us when the sadhaka has no faith in the efficacy of the mantra.

 Organ      -      Deity      -      Seed Word /Letter 

1. Toes-Fire God- Agni - ‘tat’; 2.  Throat – Tvashtru – ‘sya’;

3. Calf zone- Sun  - ‘vi’ & ‘tuh’ ; 4. Face- Prajapati Jupiter- ‘nah’;

5. Stomach - Gandharva- ‘rgo’; 6. Feet - Vaayu/Air -‘sa’;

7. Jaw – Marut –  ‘nah’; 8. Ankle and above - bhuvah/ space

9. Nose -Soma - ‘hi’; 10. Heart –Yama and Mitra - ‘va’;

11. Chest (Breast – Poushna-  ‘de’; 12. Genitals – Varuna  - ‘re’;

13. Eye-brow centre- Vishve Devah - ’yo’; 14. Eyes-Angiras-‘dhi’;

 15. Overhead- Ashvin- ‘yaat’; 16. Testicles/Vrushana-‘nyam’;

17-18. Head Western side- Rudra- Waist–Parjanya-‘ma’  and -‘cho’; 19. Head (North) Brahma - ‘da’; 20. Behind the Face- Sarva Devas – ‘pra’; 21.Navel -Indra- ‘bha’; 22. Over the Head- Vishnu-‘yaat’.   [Ref. Padma Purana] Note: ‘Yo’ comes twice.

     The Stapathya Veda deals with the construction of the universe at the cosmic level, as also, the Earth’s living entities, on the same plan. The architect is Vishvakarma. The Mantropanishads provide the clue to the secrets.                                                        

     This is how the universal consciousness has descended down to the microscopic entity on this earth. This can be visualized in a state of transcendental Meditation when the creation and the creator are contemplated upon. The Lord presents Himself in a nirvikalpa samadhi state during the Gayatree Dhyan, japa and Tapas.

    The efficacy of the Mantra cannot be explained in words. Sometimes, the effect is clearly visible. There accrues tejas in the person who merges in the mantra Gayatri in transcendental state of consciousness. All wealth accrues to him by Divine Grace and he needs nothing to bother either in this world or the nether. The joy or Bliss the Mantra bestows can be known only by the true Sadhaka, devotee who experiences it. Only the knower knows and it is inexplicable.