GAYATRI MANTRA

S K RAMACHANDRA RAO

TRANSCRIBED BY

GARANI RADHAKRISHNAN

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

In the matter of mantras there are two major divisions. One is the Vedic and the other is the tantric. Whatever we read about mantras, repetition etc relates to the tantric aspect. But the Vedic mantra is merely hymns of the Rig-Veda. So, the mantra is more powerful than the hymns. The Vedic mantras are called apourusheya, not a product of the human mind. It is an intuitional perception of the reality of the divinity. The Vedas are called as trayee since only the three, Rig Yujus and Saama were recognised and the fourth one Atharwa was added later on. In fact in the vedic tradition all of them are based on the pranava Om.

.Among all mantras, the Gayatri is supposed to be the most powerful mantra. It is most efficient and most frequently resorted to. Om was the first sound in the creation which broke into three units A U and Ma. Each of these were further amplified by the vyaahrutis,. Akaara became the_ bhoohu_, ukaara became the_ bhuvaha_ and makaara because the suvaha or swaha. And each of these vyahrutis in due course became the parts of the Gayatri. Tat savitru varenyam corresponds with the Akaara and bhoohu. Bhargo devasya dhimahi corresponds to Ukaara and bhuvaha. Dhiyoyonaha prachodayaat with suvaha of the vyahruti and makaara corresponds to Om.

These paadaas of Gayatri in due course resulted in the three Vedas, Rig-Veda from the first paada, Yujur Veda from the second paada and Saama Veda from the third paada. All the shastraas emanated from the three Vedas. So the entire learning is ultimately traced to the Om, the pranava. But Om cannot be an independent mantra for many purposes. The independent mantra Om is only for the renunciates or sanyasis, those who want to annihilate all the five koshaas, anna,prana,manas, vijnaana and ananda and to go beyond that. Therefore only for them alone pranava is indicated. Praana is the presha for the mendicant. But for all others, where dharma artha kaama and moksha are required to be sacrificed, the vyahritis are important. But the vyahruti unless it is conjoined by a meaningful mantra would be ineffective since every individual is fed with words and meanings.

So, bhoorbhuvahswaha represent the three planes. Bhoohu is prithvi, bhuvaha is antariksha and suvaha is the upward region. So, these three vyahruti s represent the three realms corresponding to the three areas of the human body. From feet to kati (the lions)is bhoohu or prtitvi, from kati to kantha is the antariksha and from kantha to sahasraara and above is the suvaha. So the vyahrutis are not independent by themselves but have to go along with a mantra. Therefore, there is no recitation of Om bhuhu suvaha etc by themselves. So a mantra is naturally grrouped into these realms,thus three paadas of Gayatri are always associated with the vyahrutis and with the pranava, to indicate that the pranava is the bija and the three vyahrutis are the three shoots and the three paadas are the three ramifications thereof. Therefore the normal Gayatri would be - Om bnurbhubasuvaha tatasavturvarenyam bhargodevasya dhimahi dbiyoyonaha prachodayaat. Sometimes there is also a thing called the shiras- Om apo jyotiraso amrutam brahma bhurbhuvah suvarom. So this is the compactness of the mantra or samputikarana of the mantra starting from Om bhur bhuvas suvaha and ending with the same bhurbhuvassuvarom at the end. Om sandwiches the entire mantra.

Sn the Brahmagayatri, the vyahrutis and pranava are ommitted. Only the three paadas are used. So Gayatri is called the moola mantra or pradhaana mantra or Mahamantra. There are several viniyogaas for this Gayatri mantra.

One of the uses is the placement of the daitis on the several limbs of the body called anganyasa and karanyasa. Each of the letters of the mantra, the three paadas and the 24 letters (chaturvimshatyakaraha,tripada gayatri) are placed on the several limbs of the body for nyaasa.

The second purpose for which the mantra is used is the praanaayaama where the surya shodhana praanayaama is supposed to be of equal duration between the pooraka kumbhaka and recahaka, where one of the paada is recited during the three processes since each paada has eight letters. So, the normal balance between the three aspects of the pranayama is taken care of by this tripada gayatri. In other varieties of pranayama where the kumbhaka progressively becomes longer, the second paada is repeated twice and so on. While doing pranayama the omkara, vyahruti and gayatri shira are not included, only the three paadas are used.

The third purpose for which gayatri is used is for japa. In Japa there are two aspects. Japa etymologically signifies an articulation.(japa vyaktaayam vaachi). It is all a mental contemplation (japa maanasecha). It serves both purposes. The mantra is repeated in a sequence with proper under standing of each of the word used in the mantra. Pada paatha will be tat savitruhu varenyam. Samhaita paatha would be tatsaviturvarenyam. In pada paatha each word is articulated separately, the mind contemplating on the significance of the word meaning.

So, in japagayatri recitation and meaning is very important. Unless the meaning is not deliberated upon the Japa does not become complete. Each devotee takes these differently and there are elaborate procedures for this depending on the predominance of one of the three gunas, satva rajas and tamas. The meaning of the mantra gets altered depending on the gunas of the individual. In a person where tamas is predominant, he should concentrate on the one paada of the mantra namely bhargo devasya dhimahi. If satva prevails in him, then it will be tatsaviturvarenyam depending on the utkarsha of one or the other guna. The purpose of japa is to get rid of either the tamas or rajas. Like this, the japa involves the alteration of the three lines of Gayatri with emphasis on the word. So, japa is more complicated than pranayama. Normally most people do not understand this and merely repeat the words without any benefit.

According to Gayattri tantra, when a line of the gayatri is meditated upon, one particular part of the body gets into prominence. The first line of repitition tat savtuhu varenyam, the naabhi(naval) gets prominence. The naabhi and all the parts surrounding the naabhi are profused with the sound pattern.

The second line represent the anaahata (heart centre) centre and the third line,the bruhmadhya(space between the eyebrows) region. So, the three paadas of gayatri have specific reference to Naabhi, hridi, and bruhmadhya or the ajna chakra. The mantra emphasis gets naturally gets altered depending on the facility with which one can concentrate on one or other centre. The individual who is using this mantra must be able to judge the properties and the profitability. A given mantra may not be effective if it is not understand in the right way. The why and how of the mantra is all that matters.

The gayatri that is communicated to ordinary lay people is only the three lines. But these three lines are a means to reach the fourth paada called chatushpaad gayatri. .Unlees one is in a position to hold his mind steady, the use of the fourth paada becomes ineffective. This fourth paada is called avyakta gayatri, un manifested un articulated part of the mantra. Paro rajase saavarom is the fourth paada. Paro rajase means beyond the three worlds. The three pandas of gayatri refer to bhoohu bhuvaha suvaha ( prithwi antariksha and mid region ). The fourth paada is the reference to the transcended world. Rajas is the world. This principle of gayatri is beyond the three worlds. Without contemplating on that, there lines of gayatrei have no meaning. The three paadas are niraalambaas since they have no dependency unless they are established. Even though it is not formally communicated, the gayatri mantra should involve the fourth paada. If we conceive the esoteric import of gayatri, the avyakta is Brahman and it is not communicated as it is a secret part (rahasya). There is a prohibition in its communication like the gayatri shiras- Om apo jyoti raso amrutam brahma bhuvassuvarom.

When you look at the meaning of gayatri shiras, Brahma is ayakta again. Apaha is the seed from which every thing in this world has been created or creation has formed. In the beginning of creation there was only water. Undistinguished watery traits were there in the beginning of creation. So, the gayatri takes us back to the beginning of creation. In that water trail was the mind. Manas came into being._ Manas_ is a form of_ kaama_(desire). and the kaama is represented by light. Light is the one which makes living work. So,Om Apaha jyoti and the entire life is the essence of the desire, vision (rasaha). This is the immortal Brahma— amrutam brahma. This amrutam brahma is paro rajase saavarom. Instead of the secret wording, a sort of paraphrase is given as apo jyoti raso amrutam brahma. Unless the brahma is contemplated upon, the gayatri mantra becomes useless. That is why TAT which is in the beginning of the mantra, represents Brahman. In the end of each chapter of Bhagavad-Gita we have OM TAT SAT ITI. (_ Om tat sat iti Brahmano nirdeshaha- trividham_). These are the three ways of indicating Brahman in the word Om.tat sat. So,TAT ITSLEF IS BRAHMAN and the chatushpaada of gayatri.

When one contemplates on this, there is a thought that the mental reflection of Brahman is needed while understanding the mantra and there is to and fro process to be maintained. But the gayatri is fulfilled only when all the thought processes are subsiding. Therefore the turiya paada of gayatri- turiya is beyond the fourth is called apadaa gayatri. Apada means without a thought, pada is thought. This thoughtlessness or the incomprehensibility of the ultimate truth of Gayatri should end there. The mantra of gayarti should end with apadasi- Apad asi ( you are the thoughtless). Pad also means all words with gati artha (going,movement). Apad has also a jnaana artha(Knowledge). Apad is now what you cannot know and trace. Apad represents-_gayatri padati(y_ou are devoid). When one recognises this, .gayatri mantra stops there.

That is how the mantra operates. gaayantam traayata iti gayatri. that which protects the person who recites. Chandogya Upanishad mantra states thus gayaan traayataha iti gayatri gayaaha means praana since gayatri protects all pranaas. It protects the life force itself. This is how gayatri, after it is initiated(followed by an explanation of the meaning) should be practiced, not until the meaning becomes clear.

We will now see what is ajapa japa gayatri. Ajapa gayatri is not actually gayatri but the number 24 is Important. Nyasa of this type of gayatri is as. Follows–Soham ajapa mantrasya, ajapa gayatri, chandaha, Atmaa rishihi, paramatma devata, saha shaktihihi, ham keelakam, mokshaarthe viniyogaha. That is the formula given. It is called ajapa japa for the reason that the instrument for the japa is the shwaasa and uchwaasa. which goes on from the moment of birth till the moment of death. Breathing in and breathing out goes on continuously. It is shwaasa uchwaasa gamana aagamanam. This is taken as a routine of japa which is not articulated. Therefore it is ajapa.

The idealogy behind is thus. There is breathing in shwaasa, breathing out nishwaaasa from the two poles of existence. One is the moolaadhaara and the other is sahasraara. Moolaadhaara is known as adhahkundalini and shasraara is called urdhwa kundalini. It is also called urdhwa mooladhara. So, in-between these two the air moves to and fro. This is shwaasa. When it goes out, the outgoing breath is signified as Ham. Hakaara with a cresent and a dot. _Ardha Chandra bindu yukta hakaara. _It is ham. The in breathing is called Sa. Hakarena bahiryaati sakaarena veshet punaha.sa visarga sakaara saha. So, the ham and Sa represent the movement from one pole to the other and the return of the same breath to the previous mode. This is aroha and avaroha-ascent and descent. One ascent and a decent constitutes a shwaasa. Sixty such swashaas constitute a Paraná The shwasa begins at the moolaadhaara but settles down at the heart centre as praana. Praana is thus called anaahata (settling at the anahata chakra). Six of these pranaas constitutes one naadi. Sixty such naadis becomes one ahoratra or 24 hours and the aggregate would be 21600 shwaasa, which goes on. This 21600 shwaasas in aroha and avaroha constitutes one japa. .This one japa is further divided into 24 divisions. This 24 is the number for gayatri((chaturvimshat akshara gayatri).

So, this japa which goes on continuously is called ajapa japa gayatri. Rest of the gayatri is not included here. Only the chandas which is the 24 akshara represent the 24 hours or ghatika. So 21600 shwaashas are equated to the jiva or praana. The jiva is supposed to be joined with the japa without a break day and night as long as the individual is alive. This is the signiface of Ajapa. This ajapa in its ascent and descent is dwaiakshara ajapa. The two letters are ham and sa. When it goes up it is ham sa and when it comes down (in the avaroha) it is sa. The statement-_deho devaalayah proktaa jivo dehah sanaatanaha, tyajet ajnaana nirmaalyam _means that the body is mentioned as a temple and the soul is the owner of it. Thus the body has to be used to remove the ignorance. This Soham is not saha aham. It is saha ham. It is hamsasoham. This is the Japa that goes on continuously in the ascent and descent and the individual should concentrate on what is happening in the respiratory system within him so that he identifies the jiva and that is why the _aatma ashtaakshra _mantra is prescribed. It is.,Om hrim shrim so ham swaaha and there is a gayatri for this.

Soham hamsaaya vidmahe Poorna hamsasya dhimahi Tanno hamsa prachodayaat. May we realise hamsa(that is our self) as swan. Let us meditate on the praanahamsa ,the supreme self. May hamsa illuminate us.

Om shantihi shantihi shantih