Efficacy of Gayatri Mantra

Like most other kids born in Hindu families, I don’t remember when I was first introduced to Gayatri Mantra. My grand-parents didn’t belong to the educated class. My parents, though both highly educated, were not much into religious practices. And yet somehow Gayatri Mantra crept into my early childhood memories. And to a large extent even today it is the only mantra or hymn which I remember completely. For all others, I may struggle a little bit, or sometimes quite a bit, to be able to recall the words.

Thus not surprisingly, when during my pregnancy, the doctor and various internet sites suggested listening to some devotional light music during the day, my only and obvious choice was Gayatri Mantra recitation. And that was the beginning of the second phase of my association with this magic wand. As I began to take notice of its benefits, I decided to delve deep into the meanings and interpretations of this. What I found was in the least very interesting information, and to a large extent an eye opener. I have tried to compile the information and keep it in one place for future reference. Sharing the same here, in case some of you might find it useful.

The Origin

·         Originally quoted in Rig Veda, it may have been written 2500-3500 years ago, or may be even earlier.

·         It is also called Savitri Mantra, as it worships the God Savitr

·         This is the only mantra which is both an object and also the medium of worship

The Meaning

·         Mantra has 3 parts – praise, meditation & prayer. The divine is praised, it is meditated upon with reverence and then invoked to guide our path

·         Om is considered as a fundamental sound, used to invoke the divine ultimate absolute

·         Bhur, Bhuvah, Swaha refer to the three states of existence. There are multiple interpretations of these states. Some of them are

o   Past, present & future

o   Terrestrial, Celestial & the world connecting the two

o   Consciousness, semi-consciousness & unconsciousness

o   Earth, Atmosphere and Universe

o   Morning, noon & evening

o   Tamas, Rajas & Satvik

o   Gross, Subtle & Causal

·         Tat – it literally means that, here refers to the ultimate truth

·         Savitur – refers to the lord Savitr – the life generating energy source. It is the source of energy (like sun) inside any living creature, which inspires the physical, intellectual and spiritual activities

·         Vareniyam – is to choose the best

·         Bhargo – the self-luminous one, like the sun, the one which radiates with internal energy and inspires or generates life

·         Devasya – the divine, luminous radiating

·         Dheemahi – it is derived from the verb dhi, which means to think. Hence dheemahi means to meditate upon

·         Dhiyah – intellect, it is the plural of dhi, and hence refers to the collection of thoughts, thought processes and intellect

·         Yo – it means which

·         Nah – it refers to our

·         Prachodyat – to inspire, or to intensely move in a desired direction, and here the direction of self-realization

The Power

·         Ideally one should complete at least one round of 108 chants or one mala in one sitting. Time permit, you can do it in multiples of 108

·         It can also be done in rounds of 3, 9 or 27 chants

·         Gayatri Mantra is believed to have both the Mantra Shakti (the energy generated through only chanting) and the Prarthna Shakti (the energy generated though the prayers and understanding its meaning)

·         The words of Gayatri Mantra are believed to be arranged in a manner, which stimulate the energy centres within our body by mere recitation of the mantra, hence generating positive spiritual vibrations

The Science

·         Dr.Howard Steingeril, an American scientist, collected Mantras, Hymns and invocations from all over the world and from all religions, tested their strength in his Physiology Laboratory. It generates 110,000 sound waves per second, highest among all hymns collected from world over

·         The pressure on tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the sound of words entering through ears, along with the connecting regions in the brain, create vibrations or energy waves in the subtle body / glands / chakras / extrasensory energy centers in our body

·         Thus the correct pronunciation, tone and tune of the words recited become important for them to have the correct impact on the chanter

·         Words of the mantra, when recited in continuum, create an energy flow, which impacts both the internal and external environment of the human body

·         Thus repeated and continuous recitation is important for the energy flow to generate and gain further energy

·         The meaning of these words, when understood and repeated multiple times in form of a prayer, has an impact on the individual’s psyche and thought process, inducing further changes in the individual

·         Just like when we tie a stone at the end of a thread, and move it in a circular fashion, it gathers energy through its momentum, which when directed can act as an arrow or a weapon. Similarly, the energy generated through continuous cyclical recitation of the words, when channelized can impact the internal and external environment of the chanter

 

A learned person very rightly explained to me: you need to have a clean heart for Gayatri or any other mantra to work on it. If you have a clean heart, the mantra will add a golden sheen to it, making it glow with its divine light. On an unclean heart, it helps in removing the layers of anger, envy and all other similar negative emotions. This itself is important to take the individual to a higher spiritual platform. However, for that to happen, one must ensure to move towards a cleaner and healthy lifestyle, and not indulge in any vices.