What does Gayatri mean?
It means "meter"! That's right. The word Gayatri means poetic meter. There is a Gayatri for pretty much each and every deity. When we talk about "the" Gayatri we are referring to the Savitri Gayatri which is to the power of the Sun. The goal of the Gayatri Mantra is Goddess Savitri who is the animating power or Shakti of Savitur the solar deity.
Goddess Gayatri is also called "Veda-Mata" or the Mother of the Vedas - Rig, Yajur, Saam and Atharva - because it is the very basis of the Vedas. It is the basis, the reality behind the experienced and the cognized universe. Much of the Rg Veda is written in the Gayatri meter.
A Mantra is one or more precise sounds which, when chanted attentively, create frequencies that convey certain directives into consciousness ... thus creating a paradigm for manifestion of the intended reality inherent within that Mantra.
.. and is the Mother of every other Gayatri Mantras - regardless of their meter - as it is the original Gayatri from which all others were born.
The 24-syllable Gayatri Mantra was first revealed in Rg Veda. The first line chanted now ("om bhur bhuvah svaha") was added later. Originally a preface for mantras chanted during rituals, the line is now always included in chanting Gayatri.Gayatri Mantra is both an honorific prayer - directed to "Spirit-Light" (associated with Sunlight) ... and is also a mantra of Purification and Spiritual Liberation ("enlightenment") ...
As one chants Gayatri with consistant regularity, the Mantra's metaphysical secrets are revealed layer-by-layer ... somewhat like the peeling of an onion.
The Gayatri is a poetic prayer.
We plan to use this winter not only to learn the beautiful mantras and the sacred gestures that go with them, but also to expose our own cold heartedness and judgmental attitudes to the luminous spiritual consciousness generated by the mantras. This brings about a transformation that is truly lasting
Each one of us must face our own darkness, and the way we do it is by bringing it into the light, a process that must be done daily, so that we develop the habit of making the right choices, choices that liberate us and help us manifest Spirit in the world. However, our past choices, cultivated in ignorance, repeatedly pull us back into the darkness.
so Surya the divine Knowledge lies concealed and unattainable in the night and darkness, is enveloped and contained in the ignorance and error of the ordinary human existence.
May Savitri guide our mind, our thoughts.
Therefore the rays of Surya, as they labour to form our mental existence, create three successive worlds of mentality one superimposed on the other,—the sensational, aesthetic and emotional mind, the pure intellect and the divine intelligence. The fullness and perfection of these triple worlds of mind exists only in the pure mental plane of being,3 where they shine above the three heavens, tisro divaḥ, as their three luminosities, trīṇi rocanāni. But their light descends upon the physical consciousness and effects the corresponding formations in its realms, the Vedic pārthivāni rajāṁsi, earthly realms of light. They also are triple, tisraḥ pṛthivīḥ, the three earths. And of all these worlds Surya Savitri is the creator.
We have in this figure of various psychological levels, each considered as a world in itself, a key to the conceptions of the Vedic Rishis. The human individual is an organised unit of existence which reflects the constitution of the universe. It repeats in itself the same arrangement of states and play of forces. Man, subjectively, contains in himself all the worlds in which, objectively, he is contained. Preferring ordinarily a concrete to an abstract language, the Rishis speak of the physical consciousness as the physical world, earth, Bhu, Prithivi. They describe the pure mental consciousness as heaven, Dyaus, of which Swar, the luminous mind, is the summit. To the intermediate dynamic, vital or nervous consciousness they give the name either of Antariksha, the intermediate vision, or of Bhuvar,—multiple dynamic worlds formative of the Earth.
“They yoke the mind, and they yoke their thoughts, the enlightened, of (i.e. to, or so that they may be part of or belong to) the Enlightened, the Large, the Clear-perceptioned.”
Surya is the seer, the revealer.
Savitri = impeller, rouser, vivifier
Bhooh, Bhuvah, Svah are mystically interpreted as the three degrees/levels of depths of meditation: Conscious, Semi-conscious and the Unconscious.
vivifying power of the Sun
He is, indeed, extolled as the setting sun in one hymn (2, 38); and there are indications that most of the hymns addressed to him are meant for either a morning or an evening sacrifice. He brings all two-footed and four-footed beings to rest and awakens them. He unyokes his steeds, brings the wanderer to rest; at his command night comes; the weaver rolls up her web and the skilful man lays down his unfinished work. Later the west was wont to be assigned to him as the east to Agni and the south to Soma.
http://savitri.in/blogs/light-of-supreme/34-gayatri-mantra-the-chosen-formula-of-the-ancient-vedic-religion
“Gayatri” is not only a mantra. It is also worshipped as a Goddess deity. The essence of this deity is the elevating principle of Gayatri as a Chanda: Chanda(Sanskrit), a Metre (English); a pattern on which poetry is constructed, a mold through which sounds and words become a rhythmic poetic expression.
The Gayatri metre is the one, through which maximum number of hyms of the Vedas came into being. Hence, Gayatri, through the passing of the ages, has been considered as being the mother of the Vedas, as the Vedic mantras, in large numbers, had been gathered from this metre of twenty-four syllables.
The root of the word Savitr is su, ‘to create’ or ‘to loose forth’. This mantra is known also as Savitri Mantra, for Savitri is the shakti of Savitr.
In the beginning, the meters consisted of four syllables only. The gods asked them to bring Soma from heavens. (Soma was a plant from which a ritual drink was pressed. A lot of the Vedic poetry is dedicated to the Soma).
The first to leap forth was Jagati. She flew-up, but she came back without getting the soma, leaving behind three syllables.
The Second to fly up was Tristup. She leapt forth, but she too came back without soma. She left behind one syllable
Then, The third ventured forth – Gayatri, in the form of a hawk, flew up for Soma…
When the Gayatri bird came, frightening its guardians, and carried off Soma, It was flying so speedily as though it was alone on the vast path. It went rapidly with the sweet soma plant and the hawks hence forth acquired celebrity status in the world.
The straight forward Gayatri hawk, conveying the soma plant from long distances, attended by the gods, brought the adorable exhilarating soma, having taken it from the lofty heavens.
Not only that Gayatri has returned with soma, she has also brought with her these four syllables, left behind by Jagati and Tristup. Therefore, from that celebrated day onwards, Gayatri consists of eight syllables in a pada (footstep in Sanskrit- a chapter) and it is only Gayatri, which does transform itself into other meters by adding four syllables, step by step.
It means "meter"! That's right. The word Gayatri means poetic meter. There is a Gayatri for pretty much each and every deity. When we talk about "the" Gayatri we are referring to the Savitri Gayatri which is to the power of the Sun. The goal of the Gayatri Mantra is Goddess Savitri who is the animating power or Shakti of Savitur the solar deity.
Goddess Gayatri is also called "Veda-Mata" or the Mother of the Vedas - Rig, Yajur, Saam and Atharva - because it is the very basis of the Vedas. It is the basis, the reality behind the experienced and the cognized universe. Much of the Rg Veda is written in the Gayatri meter.
A Mantra is one or more precise sounds which, when chanted attentively, create frequencies that convey certain directives into consciousness ... thus creating a paradigm for manifestion of the intended reality inherent within that Mantra.
.. and is the Mother of every other Gayatri Mantras - regardless of their meter - as it is the original Gayatri from which all others were born.
The 24-syllable Gayatri Mantra was first revealed in Rg Veda. The first line chanted now ("om bhur bhuvah svaha") was added later. Originally a preface for mantras chanted during rituals, the line is now always included in chanting Gayatri.Gayatri Mantra is both an honorific prayer - directed to "Spirit-Light" (associated with Sunlight) ... and is also a mantra of Purification and Spiritual Liberation ("enlightenment") ...
As one chants Gayatri with consistant regularity, the Mantra's metaphysical secrets are revealed layer-by-layer ... somewhat like the peeling of an onion.
The Gayatri is a poetic prayer.
We plan to use this winter not only to learn the beautiful mantras and the sacred gestures that go with them, but also to expose our own cold heartedness and judgmental attitudes to the luminous spiritual consciousness generated by the mantras. This brings about a transformation that is truly lasting
Each one of us must face our own darkness, and the way we do it is by bringing it into the light, a process that must be done daily, so that we develop the habit of making the right choices, choices that liberate us and help us manifest Spirit in the world. However, our past choices, cultivated in ignorance, repeatedly pull us back into the darkness.
so Surya the divine Knowledge lies concealed and unattainable in the night and darkness, is enveloped and contained in the ignorance and error of the ordinary human existence.
May Savitri guide our mind, our thoughts.
Therefore the rays of Surya, as they labour to form our mental existence, create three successive worlds of mentality one superimposed on the other,—the sensational, aesthetic and emotional mind, the pure intellect and the divine intelligence. The fullness and perfection of these triple worlds of mind exists only in the pure mental plane of being,3 where they shine above the three heavens, tisro divaḥ, as their three luminosities, trīṇi rocanāni. But their light descends upon the physical consciousness and effects the corresponding formations in its realms, the Vedic pārthivāni rajāṁsi, earthly realms of light. They also are triple, tisraḥ pṛthivīḥ, the three earths. And of all these worlds Surya Savitri is the creator.
We have in this figure of various psychological levels, each considered as a world in itself, a key to the conceptions of the Vedic Rishis. The human individual is an organised unit of existence which reflects the constitution of the universe. It repeats in itself the same arrangement of states and play of forces. Man, subjectively, contains in himself all the worlds in which, objectively, he is contained. Preferring ordinarily a concrete to an abstract language, the Rishis speak of the physical consciousness as the physical world, earth, Bhu, Prithivi. They describe the pure mental consciousness as heaven, Dyaus, of which Swar, the luminous mind, is the summit. To the intermediate dynamic, vital or nervous consciousness they give the name either of Antariksha, the intermediate vision, or of Bhuvar,—multiple dynamic worlds formative of the Earth.
“They yoke the mind, and they yoke their thoughts, the enlightened, of (i.e. to, or so that they may be part of or belong to) the Enlightened, the Large, the Clear-perceptioned.”
Surya is the seer, the revealer.
Savitri = impeller, rouser, vivifier
Bhooh, Bhuvah, Svah are mystically interpreted as the three degrees/levels of depths of meditation: Conscious, Semi-conscious and the Unconscious.
vivifying power of the Sun
He is, indeed, extolled as the setting sun in one hymn (2, 38); and there are indications that most of the hymns addressed to him are meant for either a morning or an evening sacrifice. He brings all two-footed and four-footed beings to rest and awakens them. He unyokes his steeds, brings the wanderer to rest; at his command night comes; the weaver rolls up her web and the skilful man lays down his unfinished work. Later the west was wont to be assigned to him as the east to Agni and the south to Soma.
http://savitri.in/blogs/light-of-supreme/34-gayatri-mantra-the-chosen-formula-of-the-ancient-vedic-religion
“Gayatri” is not only a mantra. It is also worshipped as a Goddess deity. The essence of this deity is the elevating principle of Gayatri as a Chanda: Chanda(Sanskrit), a Metre (English); a pattern on which poetry is constructed, a mold through which sounds and words become a rhythmic poetic expression.
The Gayatri metre is the one, through which maximum number of hyms of the Vedas came into being. Hence, Gayatri, through the passing of the ages, has been considered as being the mother of the Vedas, as the Vedic mantras, in large numbers, had been gathered from this metre of twenty-four syllables.
The root of the word Savitr is su, ‘to create’ or ‘to loose forth’. This mantra is known also as Savitri Mantra, for Savitri is the shakti of Savitr.
In the beginning, the meters consisted of four syllables only. The gods asked them to bring Soma from heavens. (Soma was a plant from which a ritual drink was pressed. A lot of the Vedic poetry is dedicated to the Soma).
The first to leap forth was Jagati. She flew-up, but she came back without getting the soma, leaving behind three syllables.
The Second to fly up was Tristup. She leapt forth, but she too came back without soma. She left behind one syllable
Then, The third ventured forth – Gayatri, in the form of a hawk, flew up for Soma…
When the Gayatri bird came, frightening its guardians, and carried off Soma, It was flying so speedily as though it was alone on the vast path. It went rapidly with the sweet soma plant and the hawks hence forth acquired celebrity status in the world.
The straight forward Gayatri hawk, conveying the soma plant from long distances, attended by the gods, brought the adorable exhilarating soma, having taken it from the lofty heavens.
Not only that Gayatri has returned with soma, she has also brought with her these four syllables, left behind by Jagati and Tristup. Therefore, from that celebrated day onwards, Gayatri consists of eight syllables in a pada (footstep in Sanskrit- a chapter) and it is only Gayatri, which does transform itself into other meters by adding four syllables, step by step.