Maha Mantra / Mother of All Mantras

Introduction

Many of us are aware of the Akshrarthas of the Gayatri Mantra. Many of us are enchanting the Mantra. However many of us may not have known the importance of this mantra. This elaboration on Gayatri Mantra would enable to understand the mantra in the deeper sense. Enchanting it afterwards would make you feel the real power of this mantra.

Gayatri contains 24 Bijakharas. It was seen by 24 Rishis and each of these Bija's have their own Devatha [God /Diety/Demi gods]. But primarily its importance was initially given to us by Yagnavalkya Maharishi [Sage / Muni] . He performs several years of Tapas and Brahma appears before him to fulfill his wishes. Lord asks him what boon he wants and Rishi requests Lord to show him the Dharshan of any one of his innumerable creations, other than the current one. He smiles and shows him one of the creation process he created with just his Anguli Madana [Chutki] Following is the creation process which was shown to him by the Lord.

Creation process – dharshan to Yagnya Valkiya

Anguli Madana (Chutki) --> from which Jalam is formed

--> Jalam (Water --> from which Penam is formed

--> Penam (Foam --> from which Bulbadam is formed

--> Bulbadam (Bubble --> from which Andam is formed

--> Andam (Egg / Seed (Bramhanandam)  --> from which Brahma is formed

--> Brahma (Lord) --> from which Vayu is formed

--> Vayu (Air) --> from which Agni  is formed

--> Agni (Fire) --> from which Pranavam is formed

--> Pranavam (om /aum karam)  --> from which Vyahrithi  is formed

--> Vyahrithi (aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah)  --> from which Gayatri  is formed

--> Gayatri (Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi.Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat)  --> from which Savitri is formed

--> Savitri (Godess) --> from which Saraswati  is formed

--> Saraswati (Godess)  --> from which all the Vedas are formed

--> Vedas (Wisdom of Life)  --> from which Lokas 14 are formed

--> Lokas 14 (7 up and 7 down)  --> from which Praanas are formed

--> Praana (Jeevas, Jeevangal, living beings)

Through this Dhashan we got the knowledge and the importance of Gayatri. However, through Yagnya Valkiya we only got the knowledge of creation process where how the world was created from Gayatri. Gayatri contains 24 Bijakharas, each of these Beejaksharas were seen by 24 individual Rishis. They are as follows:

1. Vashishta 2. Bharadwaaja 3. Garga 4. Upamanu 5. Bhargava 6. Shandilyan 7. Louhita 8. Vishnu

9. Shathathapa 10. Sanal Kumara 11. Veda Vyasa 12. Sukhan 13. Parashara 14. Poundraga 15. Krathu 16. Dhaksha

17. Kashyapa 18. Atri 19. Agastiya 20. Uddaalaka 21. Angiras 22. Nami Kethu 23. Mudhgalan 24. Vishwamithra

Gayatri Mantra - Elaboration

Gāyatrī :           Maha Mantra, Mother of Mantras [Potent, Caliber]

Gāyatrī :           Gāya + Trī [The word Gayatri has two Aksharartham "Gaya" & "tri"]

Gāyaha   : The person who enchants Gāyatrī with utmost devotion

                                 Gāya : song; Gāyak : singer; Gāyan : singing

                                 Gāya is derived from word Ga

trī            : Protects him  Divinely Protection [Providence]

                                  Trī : Female defender. Trā  : male defender

Gāyatrī              :          Enchanting that protects; Gāyatrī Devi is the protector.

Gāyatrī              :           A Vedic Meter, three padam (feet) and 24 syllables long; Gāyatrī Devi

Gayatri Mantra - Contemplation

Gayatri Mantra has to be contemplated with Pranavam, vyahrti and  Gayatri. Following procedure explains the same: 

It is preceded by Pranavam

Aum

and maha-vyahrtis (added by Yajur Veda)

bhūr, bhuvah swaha  [bhur bhuvar svar]

Gayatri

Combined it is [This is how we enchant]

Aum

bhūr, bhuvah swaha  [bhur bhuvar svar]

Tat Savitur Vareniyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi

Dhiyo yonah pracodayāt

Mantra Bhavam

There are 3 lines [Paadams] as you see above in the Gayatri Mantra. Each of them are enchanted with the Chandas / Measure which is mentioned in the right most column. These 3 Paadas are 3 Bhavams of Almighty himself. 

Trigunas / Three Bhavams / Trimurthy

Brahma / Vishnu / Maheshwara

Each having Microsopic Manifestation of God himself

Before enchanting Gayatri you need to do a Japa Pooja on Gayatri. In your daily pooja routine (saadana) you should start with enchanting Poorva Kalpam and Uthara Kalpan of Gayatri Mantra. Explaining for the same is given below:

Gayatri a Japa

Vyahruthy

We come to know from creation process explained above that from Pranavam (omkar), Vyahruthy emerges and from Vyahruthy, Gayatri emerges. This also shows that Vyahruthy pocessess both Pranavam and Gayatri bhavams.

Vyahruthi is an intermediate form Having both the features of Pranavam and Gayatri. It has some features of both. When concentrate on its features of Gayatri, we called it Poorva Kalpam. When we concentrate on its features of Pranavam we call it as Uthara Kalpam.

Upama :

• Virus is both living and non living. Depending on the situation it changes its form. When it is in the non living form, it has crystalline shape and are Virus stones. Under some conditions they get life and they start damaging the living beings their system etc. 

Vyahrti.  Utterance, speech, declaration, statement. The mystical utterance of the names of the seven worlds (viz. Bhūr, bhuvar [or bhuvah], svar, mahar, janar, tapar, satya , the first three of which, called ‘the great Vyāhrtis,’ are pronounced after Om by every Brahmana in commencing his daily prayers and are personified as the daughters of Savitri and Prisni).

Vyahruthywhich has the Gayatri Bhavam of it is Poorva Kalpam

Vyahruthy which has Omkara bhavam is called Uthara Kalpam

Each akshara of the Vyahruthy actually group of beejaksharas manifest as beejaksharam.

Poorva Kalpam

Vyarithi which has the Gayatri Bhavam 

Utthara Kalpam

Vyarithi which has the Pranava Bhavam

Gayatri Japa Pooja Vidhi

Yagnya (Yaj~na) Vidhis

Nyasa Samitha Japa to be performed in this order.

• Poorva Kalpa Vidhi

• Uthara Kalpa Vidhi

VedhI is Yaj~na Kuntam

Vedhi or Vidhi are same

Poorva Kalpa Vidhi

Vyarithi which has the Gayatri Bhavam 

Utthara Kalpam Vidhi (Non Syllabic Form)

Vyarithi which has the Pranava Bhavam

When we have provided a small information on Gayatri, we also would like to share with you the information on lokas mentioned in the creation process.

7 lokas and 7 thalams

7 upper lokas  (Loka Dominion,plane,people,states of consciousness).

Bhu,Bhuvar,Svaha,Mahar,Jana,Thapo,Sathya.  – Spiritual Exhalation

1. Bhur logam, the physical plane;
2. Bhuvah logam, the atmosphere, sky or astral plane;
3. Svah [svar] logam, heaven, the mental or astral plane;
4. Mahar logam, the world of Saints
5. Jana logam, birth-world, a world of Siddhas and Kumaras beyond the Solar system and the world of birth of animals destroyed in cosmic fire;
6. Tapo logam of seven sages (Saptarishis); Satya of Infinite Truth.
7. Sathya logam – Absolute World – Aham Brahmasmi  

7 lower lokas  (Talas Lower Lokas or states of consciousness )

They are Athalam, Vithalam, Suthalam, Thalaathalam, Rasathalam, Mahaathalam, Paathalam. –Spiritual degradation

1. athalam
2. vithalam
3. suthalam
4. thalAthalam  
5. rasAthalam
6. mahAthalam
7. pAthAlam.

Gayatri in different stages of the day

Kali Yuga and Gayatri Mantra

Gayatri Mantra is the essence of three Vedas and Vishnu Sahasranamam. Daily recitation of Gayati Mantra brings inordinate benefits to the practitioner, when performance of Homam with recitation of Vedas in Kali Yuga is not possible. In the morning, Gayatri Devi appears in red dress reciting Rg Veda, as Savitri with white dress at noon reciting Yajur Veda, and as Sarasvati with black dress in the evening reciting Sama Veda. There is a subtle Dharma expressed in Gayatri's recitation of all Vedas in one day. Recitation of Gayatri Mantra is recitation of the three Vedas. Gayatri Devi made it easy for us by letting us recite Gayatri Mantra (the essence of the three Vedas) instead of the three Vedas; her compassion is inimitable.

Power of Gayatri

• Gayatri Mantra removes all fears.
• Gayatri Mantra is the best cure for all ills.
• Gayatri Mantra destroys karma and blesses us with liberation.

• Gayatri Dyana is meditation on Gayatri Mantra. It purifies, offers health and protection to the body, destroys all karmas, and opens the third eye of wisdom, discrimination and transcendence.

• "This entire universe has emerged by the power of the Gayatri Mantra. Indeed all this, is nothing but the manifestation of the power of God".

• "There is no Japa higher than the Gayatri Japa."
• "There is no greater wealth than the Gayatri Mantra."
• "Whoever meditates on the Gayatri Mantra every morning and evening will certainly be blessed with long life, good health and peace. His word becomes a blessing. He will attain enlightenment and will become a great blessing to the society and the entire world.
• Even though the holy Gayatri Mantra is chanted for the highest Light of God, still anything a man wishes in the name of Mother Gayatri is instantaneously fulfilled".
• "Gayatri brings healing to any sickness, be they physical, mental, emotional or spiritual."
• "The Gayatri Mantra is the Body of the Deity."
• "Therefore by constant repetition of this holy Mantra, one will have the darshan or perception of that Deity. Vedas constantly emphasise the performance of Gayatri Yajna for peace - individual, national and international."
• N.B. It should be noted that the benefits detailed in this chapter are not complete in all respects. The benefits are in fact too many to find proper expression. The aspirant will definitely experience something more during the process of his continuous Sadhana.
•  
• The Gayatri is a Mantra well-known to people. Gayantam try iti gayatri: One who protects that devotee who by singing, chanting or reciting resorts to this Mantra is Gayatri. This is a Mantra with twenty-four letters, three feet and three quarters. The fourth quarter is a mystical one about which the Upanishad will be mentioning something very special towards the end. Now, how do we contemplate the feet of Gayatri? It is a Mantra; you must remember this. It is a chant of the Veda which has twenty-four letters. Particular methods of meditation on the correspondence between the letters of the different feet of Gayatri with certain other visible phenomena in life are prescribed here. Here again we are in the realm of poor language. Bhumir antariksam dyauh: Bhumi is earth; Antariksa is atmosphere; Dyau is heaven. Dyau is supposed to be a two-lettered word. It is a compound and not a single word. Bhumi, Antariksa, Dyau - earth, atmosphere and heaven - are designated by three words, three appellations, epithets or names, and these names are constituted of eight letters. Similar is the case with the first foot of the Gayatri Mantra which is of eight letters. So a correspondence is established in meditation between the eight letters of the first foot of Gayatri and the earth, atmosphere and heaven, so that the first foot of Gayatri is made equivalent to the entire visible world. These three worlds - the physical, the atmospheric and the celestial - are supposed to be designated again by what is called the Vyahrtis. Vyahrti is what precedes the chant of Gayatri. Bhur, Bhuva, Svah - these are the three words which are called Vyahrtis. They correspond to the three worlds, the physical, the atmospheric and the celestial. So is the first foot of Gayatri which is formed of eight letters. So, here a symbolic meditation is prescribed. What is the meditation? Contemplation on the first foot of Gayatri Mantra as all the three worlds themselves. 'One who meditates on the first foot of Gayatri, in this manner, by identifying its letters with the three worlds, attains to the three worlds. He attains to the Supernal status of Mastery over the earth, atmosphere and celestial realms'. Sa yavad esu trisu lokesu, tavaddha jayati: Whatever is there in these three worlds, that this person will get. Who will get? One who meditates in this manner on the first foot of Gayatri by conscious identification of this foot of Gayatri with the three worlds. How is this correspondence established? 'By the thought that the eight letters of the first foot of the Gayatri are the same as the eight letters of the three words, Bhumi, Antariksa and Dyau, meaning, earth, atmosphere and the heaven'.

• “Face the east and repeat the Gayathri with Om and the three Vyahritis at least 108 times and destroy all sins,” proclaims the Smriti.

• Pranawa (OM), Vyahrti (BHUR BHUVAH SVAH), dan Tripada (TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM, BHARGO DEVASYA DIMAHI, DHYO YONAH PRACODAYAT).

Aum

bhūr, bhuvah swaha  [bhur bhuvar svar]

Tat Savitur Vareniyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi

Dhiyo yonah pracodayāt

About Yagnavalkya Maharishi

http://www.yagnavalkakkd.com/

Yagnavalkya is the incornation of Lord Suryanarayana Murthy and who tooks vedas from Suryanarayana Murthy and Distibuted to the World we got self Realision Dharmas and Upanishatas through him both Maharashies and Devarashes like Gowtham and Bharadwaja Etc. Took Yagnavalkya as the base if we go through atleast 10 pages of any Devotional Books. We can see him importance not only that, he is our guru by giving the four vedas as per Aditya Sampradavem. It is very Difficult to say Regarding him you can see waht is self Realision By Studying Brohadarayaka upanishad in Sukla Yajarvedam

I found the Gayatri information in the following links by:   Harsha Ramamurthy also interesting.

http://www.sulekha.com/blogs/blogdisplay.aspx?cid=2764

 

http://www.sulekha.com/printer.asp?ctid=1000&cid=306560

also read

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/brihad_max3.htm