Gayatri Mantra is a Vedic Mantra revealed to Brahmarshi Vishvamitra. It is a verse from a sukta of the Rigveda (Mandala 3.62.10). Vishvamitra became friend of the Universe by dedicating this mantra to the welfare of the humanity. This was to be a gift for all humanity. This mantra is widely used in Vedic Rituals and also in Meditations, to improve the capacity of one’s intellect to understand the subtle spiritual truths. Read Further below to understand the Science of Gayatri Mantra, Word to Word Meanting and Gayatri Mantra Benefits.
Gayatri Mantra – The Science
Savitru is the name of the deity(devata) of the Gayatri Mantra, It is the presiding deity of the Gayatri Mantra and one of the twelve names of the Sun in the Vedas. The Sun before sunrise is called Savitr, and after sunrise until sunset it is called Sūrya. It is the Sun’s energy that nourishes all living beings. Heat and Light given by the Sun are essential for life on earth. It is the spirit behind the Sun that is invoked by Gayatri Mantra.
Our life starts with the Sunrise and rests with the Sunset. The Sun supports the life system. The Sun is the Soul of all that is movable and immovable. He is the Source of all energy and is the cause of all growth. He is the only source of light and heat which produce directly and indirectly all other forms of energy. It’s natural that the creator of the universe is invoked in the Sun and praised for his glory. Buddhi(intellect) is the main factor behind all decision making. And if this Buddhi is not properly trained and nurtured, life would be miserable. Gayatri Mantra Benefits in nurturing this intellect.
Mantras are not mere words. They are the means of invoking deities and are extremely powerful. Every mantra is a prayer addressed to a particular deity. The devotee (or sadhak) repeats the mantra with a sincere longing for achieving a certain goal. The inherent power of the mantra belonging to the deity invoked unfolds and confers the desired object on the devotee. Gaytri is a prayer for the highest knowledge that is the Knowledge of the Self. The basic ritual of ‘Sandhya Vandana’ is based on Meditation using Gayatri Mantra. Gayatri is a Mahamantra. Gayatri Mantra benefits human beings in both spiritual growth and health aspects and it is said that there is no higher Mantra than Gayatri.
Gayatri Mantra Meaning
“OM BUHR, BHUVA, SWAHA
OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT”
“We meditate on the glory of the Creator; Who has created the Universe; Who is worthy of Worship; Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light; Who is the remover of Sin and Ignorance; May He open our hearts and enlighten our Intellect”.
The Gayatri Mantra instigates wisdom in us. It basically says “May the divine light of the Supreme Being illuminate our intellect, to lead us along a path of righteousness”. This is so beautiful, isn’t it?
Every word of the Gayatri mantra are arranged in a precise manner to create a powerful force and impact on body, mind and soul. The power and Gayatri mantra benefits can be felt by only the individual who enchants it.
| Lyrics – Summary | Word to Word Meaning |
| OM BUHR, BHUVA, SWAHA
[Almighty God, who pervades in all the three Lokas. He is Omnipresent. The cosmos is physical manifestation of God who pervades its each and every particle] |
OM: The sacred word, word of creation, first word, word of god; Calling or prayer to the Supreme Being. |
| BUHR: The physical plane of existence | |
| BHUVA: The astral plane of existence | |
| SWAHA: The causal plane or celestial plane | |
| OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
[That God who is responsible for creation is extremely bright and most exalted to be worshiped] |
TAT: That, God |
| SAVITUR: One who is responsible for the Creation, one who illuminates the whole universe, one who inspires and stimulates consciousness | |
| VARENYAM: Adored and worshipped, who is worthy and fit to be worshiped.
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| BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI
[He is devoid of sin and divine. I visualise this Divinity within me, in my soul and meditate upon you and become illumined] |
BHARGO: Effulgence of the Supreme Spirit which destroy ignorance; hidden splendour in the Sun. |
| DEVASYA: Godly, divine reality, of divinity, Virtuous and joyous, Living in deva loka. | |
| DHEEMAHI: We meditate or contemplate on you; Dhee=intellect; Thus Dhimahi means we focus our intellect on you | |
| DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT
[That God may inspire our intellect, wisdom and lead us on righteous path] |
DHIYO: Intellect, intelligence, reasoning and discriminating faculty which is a tool for attaining higher wisdom. (dhee shakti). |
| YONAHA: You, One is who being prayed. | |
| NAH: Our (intellect), to us | |
| PRACHODAYAT: Inspire or Stimulate, Propel towards the higher reality |
Gayatri Mantra Benefits
There are many miraculous Benefits of Reciting Gayatri Mantra as explained below.
Gayatri Mantra benefits – Spiritual Growth
- Gayatri mantra bestows Spiritual or Divine knowledge because Gayatri is the Mother of all the Knowledge.
- Makes devotee (meditator) an intuitive Spiritual Being by bestowing Divine Grace.
- Purifies the Senses, Mind and Intellect by destroying all bad and evil habits (acts).
- Helps to attain Supreme State of being by destroying all the Sins(papa karmas).
- Protects the devotee from all the dangers and guides towards the Divine by intuition.
Gayatri Mantra Benefits – Health Aspects
- Calms your unstable mind -Makes you feel peaceful thus increasing awareness power.
- Improves concentration and learning power – The vibrations of chanting this mantra excite the glands improving concentration, learning power and focus.
- Keeps your heart healthy – Unusually relaxes a person’s breathing pattern that helps in synchronizing and regularizing heart beats.
- Enhances nerves functioning – Chanting the mantra exerts pressure on your lips, tongue, palate and vocal cord connecting regions in and around your brain which creates a resonance effect or a vibration helping to boost and stimulate nerve functioning.
- Reduces stress and stress related damage – Gayatri mantra also helps to beat stress and oxidative damage caused by stress.
- Reduces depression – Stimulates and boosts the functioning of your brain keeping you calm and more relaxed.
- Gives your skin a glow – The vibrations and resonance of this mantra activates vital points on your face increasing blood circulation and helps to get rid of toxins from your skin.
- Makes you strong – Gayatri Mantra brings strength and energy inside an individual, because goddess Gayatri is a 3-in-1 model of three goddesses Durga, Saraswati and Mahalakshmi. Hence, reciting this mantra brings strength in three forms.
- Attracts positive energy – Chanting the powerful Gayatri Mantra with perfect accent and pronunciation brightens the surrounding atmosphere and creates positive vibrations attracting positive energy comforting your mind and body.
It is highly recommended that while reciting Gayatri Mantra you should always close your eyes trying to concentrate the meaning on every single word that are recited or pronounced. You can recite Gayatri Mantra in any part of the day. But you can reap the benefits if you start your day by chanting the powerful Gayatri Mantra. Reciting the mantra at night will relax your body and soul to give you an undisturbed sleep rejuvenating your body and mind.
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