THE GĀYATRĪ-MANTRA
The Gāyatrī is the most sacred of all Vaidik mantras. In it the Veda lies embodied as in its seed. It runs: ̣ ̣ Om bhūr-bhuvah-svah: tat savitur vareṇ yām bhargo ̣ devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayāt. O m. “Let us contemplate the wondrous spirit of the Divine Creator (Savitṛ ) of the earthly, atmospheric, and celestial spheres. May He direct our minds, that is ‘towards’ the ̣ attainment of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣ a, Om.” The Gāyatrī-Vyākaraṇ a of Yogi Yajnavālkya thus explains the following words: Tat, that.3 The word yat Śṛṇudevī pravakṣ yāmi bījānām deva-rūpatām. ̣ Mantroccāra ṇ amātreṇ a, deva-rūpam prajayate. —(Bṛ had-gandharva-Tantra, chap. v.) ̣ ̣ ̣ 2 Yam Ya m prāthayate kāma m ̣ Tam tamāpnoti niścitam.
(Whatever the sādhaka desires that he surely obtains) —Prāṇ a-toṣ inī, 619. 3 Tat is apparently here treated as in the objective case agreeing, with ̣varenyam, etc., but others holding that the vyāhṛ ti (Bhūr-bhuvah-svah) form part of and should be linked with, the rest of the Gāyatrī treat tat as part of a (which) is understood.1 Savituh is the possessive case of Savitṛ derived from the root sū, “to bring forth.” Savitṛ is, therefore, the Bringer-forth of all that exists. The Sun (Sūrya) is the cause of all that exists, and of the state in which they exist. Bringing forth and creating all things, it is called Savitṛ . The Bhaviṣ ya-Purāṇ a says Sūrya is the visible Devatā. He is the Eye of the world and the Maker of the day. There is no other Devatā eternal like unto Him. This universe has emanated from and will be again absorbed into, Him. Time is of and in Him. The planets, the Vasus, Rudras, Vāyu, Agni, and the
rest are but parts of Him. By Bhargah is meant the Āditya-devatā, dwelling in the region of the Sun (sūryamaṇ ḍ ala) in all His might and glory. He is to the Sun what our spirit (ātmā) is to our body. Though He is in the region of the sun in the outer or material sphere He also dwells in our inner selves. He is the light of the light in the solar circle, and is the light of the lives of all beings. As He is in the outer ether, so also is He in the ethereal region of the heart. In the outer ether He is Sūrya, and in the inner ether He is the wonderful Light which is the Smokeless Fire. In short, that Being whom the sādhaka realizes in the region of his heart is the Āditya in the heavenly firmament. The two are one. The word is derived in two ways: (1) from the root bhrij, “ripen, mature, destroy, reveal, shine.” In this derivation Sūrya is He who matures and transforms all things. He Himself shines and reveals all things by His light. And it is He who at the final Dissolution (pralaya) will in His image of destructive Fire (kālāgni), destroy
genitive compound connected with the previous vyahṛ ti, in which case it is teṣ ām. 1 It may, however, be said that yat is there in Yo nah. all things. (2) From bha = dividing all things into different classes; ro = colour; for He produces the colour of all created objects; ga, constantly going and returning. The sun divides all things, produces the different colours of all things, and is constantly going and returning. As the Brāhmaṇ a-sarvasva says: “The Bhargah is the Ātmā of all that exists, whether moving or motionless, in three lokas (Bhūr-bhuvah-svah). There is nothing which exists apart from it.” Devasya is the genitive of Deva, agreeing with Savituh. Deva is the radiant and playful (lilāmaya) one. Sūrya, is in constant play with creation (sṛ ṣ ṭ i), existence (sthiti), and destruction (pralaya), and by His radiance pleases all. (Lilā, as applied to the Brahman, is the ̣ equivalent of māyā.) Vareṇ yam = varaṇ iya, or adorable. He should be meditated upon and adored that we may be relieved of the misery of birth and death. Those who fear rebirth, who desire freedom from death and liberation and who strive to escape the three kinds of pain (tāpa-traya), which are ādhyātmika, ādhidaivika, and ādhibhautika, meditate upon and adore the Bharga, who dwelling in the region of the Sun, is Himself the three regions called Bhūr-loka, Bhuvar-loka, and Svarloka. Dhimahi = dhyāyema, from the root dhyai. We meditate upon, or let us meditate upon. Pracodayat = may He direct. The Gāyatrī does not so expressly state, but it is understood that such direction is along the catur-varga, or four-fold path, which is dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣ a (piety, wealth, desire and its fulfilment, and liberation, vide post). The Bhargah is ever directing our inner faculties (buddhi-vṛ tti) along these paths.
The above is the Vaidik Gāyatrī, which, according to the Vaidik system, none but the twice-born may utter. To the Śūdra, whether man or woman, and to women of all other castes it is forbidden. The Tantra which has a Gayatri-Mantra of its own, shows no such exclusiveness; Mahāṇ irvāna-Tantra, Chapter III, verses 109-111, gives the Brahma-gāyatrī for worshippers of the Brahman: “Parameśvarāya vidmahe; para-tattvaya dhimahi; tan no Brahma pracodayāt” (May we know the supreme Lord, Let us contemplate the Supreme essence. And may that Brahman direct us).
