Gayatri Mantra it’s meaning and significance
There are various mantras in our ancient scriptures. Some of them are
Om Namah Shivae ओम नम: शिवाए
Tat tvam Asi तत त्वम असि
Aham Brihasmi अहं ब्रह्ष्मि
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram hare hare हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna krishna hare hare हरे कृष्णा हरे कृष्णा कृष्णा कृष्णा हरे हरे
Om Vasudevae Namah ओम् वासुदेवाए नम:
But the most powerful is Gayatri Mantra. Here it is in Sanskrit, English ; it’s meaning and it’s significance
In Sanskrit:
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात॥
In English:
Aum Bhur Bhuvah Svah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat
Gayatri Mantra Meaning
The Gayatri Mantra first appeared in the Rig Veda (Mandala 3.62.10), an early Vedic text written between 1100 to 1700 BCE. It is stated in the Upanishads as a significant ritual and in the Bhagavad Gita as, the poem of the Divine. It is a belief that chanting Gayatri Mantra firmly establishes the mind and if people carry on his-her life and do the work that is destined, our life will be full of joy and happiness. In brief, the mantra means:
O thou existence Absolute, Creator of the three dimensions, we contemplate upon thy divine light. May He stimulate our intellect and bestow upon us true knowledge.
Meaning of Gayatri Mantra In simpler terms:
O Divine mother, our hearts are filled with darkness. Please make this darkness distant from us and promote illumination within us.
The First Word “OM” – ॐ
It is also called Pranav because the sound of ‘Om’ or ‘AUM’ comes from the Prana (Vital Vibration), which feels the Universe. The scripture says “Aum Iti Ek Akshara Brahman” (Aum that one syllable is Brahman). It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat. It is the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute.
The Vyahrities – Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah
The above three words of the Gayatri, which literally means “past,” “present,” and “future,” are called Vyahrities. Vyahriti is that which gives knowledge of the entire cosmos or “ahriti”. The scripture says: “Visheshenh Aahritih sarva viraat, praahlaanam prakashokaranh vyahritih”. Thus, by uttering these three words, the person who chants it contemplates the Glory of God that illumines the three worlds or the regions of experience.
The Remaining Words
Here is the individual meanings of the rest of the words from the mantra:
Tat – In simpler term, it means “that”, because it stated description through speech or language, the “Ultimate Reality.”
Savitur – “Divine Sun” (The ultimate light of wisdom)
Varenium – “Adore”
Bhargo – “Illumination”
Devasya – “Divine Grace”
Dheemahi – “We Contemplate”
Dhi – “Intellect”
Yo – “Who”
Nah – “Ours”
Prachodayat – “Requesting/Urging/Praying”
The last five words constitute the prayer for final liberation through the awakening of our true intelligence.
Gayatri Mantra Benefits
There are numerous benefits of chanting Gayatri mantra. Thus, here are some of the positive effects of chanting Gayatri Mantra.
It increases learning power.
It increases concentration.
It brings prosperity.
It gives people eternal power.
It is very useful for peace.
It is the first step to go to the way of the spiritual road.
It is correlated with God.
It strengthens the mind and improves the health condition.
It improves the rhythmic pattern of breathing.
It keeps our hearts healthy.
It protects the devotee from all the dangers and guides towards the Divine by intuition.
It improves our family life.
How to Chant Gayatri Mantra?
Chanting Gayatri Mantra has many benefits. However, there is a certain process of chanting them. Thus, it is highly advisable that people should follow certain rules while chanting the Gayatri Mantra. While chanting the Gayatri Mantra, you should always close the eyes and should try to concentrate on every word and understand their meaning. Each word or even the sound should be uttered correctly, as it should be. Although it can be chanted at any time of the day, it is suggested that it is better to chant the mantra, early in the morning as well as at the night before sleeping.
Eventually, the mantra is an expression of gratitude, to both the life-giving Sun and the Divine. It boosted devotee taking a heart-centered approach to the mantra. The sensibility it awakes is more significant than the literal meaning. It’s an offering, a way to open to grace, to inspire oneself.
some portion sourced from vedicfeed.com