Gayatri Mantra

In daily recitation the Gayatri is preceded by the sacred syllable Om and the three vyāhṛtis, 'bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ'. The Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11) describes this form, in which the verse is chanted after Om and the three utterances. The Rigvedic verse itself begins at 'tat savitur'. The text below follows the Sanskrit Wikisource edition of Rigveda 3.62, and the four lines are shown separately so the meaning of each can be followed.

In the Rigveda the mantra is the tenth verse of hymn 3.62, a hymn whose verses are addressed to several deities in turn: Indra and Varuna, Brihaspati, Pushan, Savitṛ, Soma and Mitra-Varuna. Verses 10 to 12 form the triplet to Savitṛ, and the Gayatri is the first of them. The Vedic index (anukramaṇī) quoted with the hymn names Vishvamitra as the seer of the hymn. The same verse recurs in the Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita 3.35, 22.9, 30.2 and 36.3, the last with the vyāhṛtis), the Samaveda and the Taittiriya Samhita.

Tat means 'that': the divine reality that is pointed to but never fully grasped. Savituḥ is 'of Savitṛ', from the root sū, to set in motion or bring forth. Savitṛ is the sun not merely as a ball of light but as the power that awakens creatures each morning and sets the world to work. Vareṇyam means 'to be chosen', most excellent and adorable. Bhargaḥ is the radiance that burns away; Sayana's commentary explains it as the self-luminous light that consumes ignorance (avidyā) and its effects. Devasya means 'of the god', and dhīmahi means 'may we meditate upon' or 'may we hold in mind'. In the last line, dhiyaḥ are our thoughts, insights and intelligence, yaḥ is 'who', naḥ 'our', and pracodayāt 'may he impel, inspire, set in motion'.

The prayer is notable for what it asks. It does not ask for wealth, victory or long life, but for an inner light: that the mind itself be awakened and guided. That is why many teachers call it the prayer for wisdom (buddhi), and why it has been treated as the essence of the Vedas.

Translators render it in many ways. Swami Vivekananda gave: 'We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds.' Ralph Griffith (1896) wrote: 'May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god: So may He stimulate our prayers.' Sayana offers more than one reading, taking Savitṛ either as the supreme Lord who is the inner controller of all, or as the visible sun whose orb of light destroys sin.

Scholars place the Rigveda's family books, including Mandala 3, among the oldest layers of the text, and Mandala 3 as a whole is associated with Vishvamitra and his line. The mantra is called 'Gayatri' after its metre: three lines (pādas) of eight syllables each, twenty-four in all. In the received text the first line, 'tat sa-vi-tur va-reṇ-yam', has only seven syllables. Reciters often lengthen the final 'm', and metrical scholars restore the older pronunciation 'vareṇiyam' to make eight. Because it is addressed to Savitṛ the verse is also called the Sāvitrī.

Over time the mantra came to be personified as the goddess Gayatri, often shown with five faces, seated on a lotus and called the mother of the Vedas (Veda-mātā). The formula 'vidmahe… dhīmahi… pracodayāt' was also adapted into 'Gayatris' for many deities, such as Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and Durga, which follow the same metre and pattern.

Traditionally the Gayatri is the centre of sandhyāvandana, the twilight worship performed at dawn, noon and dusk. In that rite it is recited after purification (ācamana), breath control (prāṇāyāma) and the offering of water to the sun (arghya), and is often counted on the fingers or on a mala. Family and sampradaya practice varies: many recite it 10, 28 or 108 times at each sandhya, and 108 on a tulsi or rudraksha mala is the most common count for personal japa. Longer vows (anuṣṭhāna) of 24,000 repetitions or more are undertaken by some practitioners under a teacher's guidance.

A simple way to begin:

1. Bathe or wash hands, feet and face, and sit facing east in the morning (or north or west in the evening) on a clean seat. 2. Sit upright, take a few slow breaths and bring to mind the rising sun or the light within the heart. 3. Recite 'Om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ' and the three lines slowly and clearly, aloud, softly (upāṁśu) or mentally (mānasika). Many teachers regard silent, mental japa as the most refined form. 4. Pause briefly between the lines so the meaning settles. Keep count with a mala, moving one bead per recitation and not crossing the head bead (sumeru). 5. Close with a moment of silence and a prayer of gratitude.

Tradition places great emphasis on correct pronunciation, so learning the mantra from a teacher or a reliable recording is recommended.

In classical practice the Gayatri is imparted to a boy at upanayana, the sacred-thread ceremony, when the teacher whispers it into his ear. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan called this the essence of the ceremony, sometimes named 'Gayatri diksha'. Older Grihya texts reserved the Savitri verse 3.62.10 for initiates and gave other Savitṛ verses to other groups.

From the nineteenth century onwards, reform movements widened its use. Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote a treatise on the mantra in 1827 and it became part of Brahmo worship; Swami Dayananda Saraswati and the Arya Samaj, and later Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya's Gayatri Pariwar, taught it to all, women and men alike. Today it is chanted in homes, schools and temples across India and the diaspora. Some traditional communities still prefer that it be received from a guru with initiation. Both views are held sincerely, and families follow the custom of their own lineage.

Hindu texts speak of the Gayatri in the highest terms. The Manusmriti praises japa of the Savitri as purifying, the Bhagavad Gita has Krishna say that among metres he is the Gāyatrī (10.35), and the Upanishads, including the Brihadaranyaka (5.14), give it an esoteric interpretation. Devotees believe that regular, attentive recitation:

- clears and steadies the mind and sharpens the intellect (buddhi), the very thing the mantra asks for; - purifies the reciter of past wrongdoing, which is why Gayatri japa is prescribed as an act of atonement (prāyaścitta); - brings the protection and grace of the Divine Mother as Gayatri; - forms the foundation of all other Vedic study and ritual.

These are statements of faith and tradition, not guaranteed results. Many people simply find that a few unhurried minutes with the Gayatri at sunrise bring calm and clarity to the day.