i.e.
Aum = Brahma ;
bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ;
bhuwah = destroyer of sufferings ;
swaha = embodiment of happiness ;
tat = that ;
savitur = bright like sun ;
varenyam = best choicest ;
bhargo = destroyer of sins ;
devasya = divine ;
dheemahi = may imbibe ;
dhiyo = intellect ;
yo = who ;
naha = our ;
prachodayat = may inspire!
Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". Thus mantra is a prayer to the "giver of light and life" - the sun (savitur) who is one of 2 Divine eyes of God only ( verse 13 , chapter 40 of Xth scanto of Srimad Bhagwatam ) . Significance of Gayatri Mantra is illustrated in verse 41 of Srimad Bhagwtam also (10th scanto ..Srimad Bhagwtam : more pearls please or Lord Krishna is an ideal household too !!! Thus no wonder that in chapter 10 of Gitaji , when Lord Krishna is describing His Glories to Arjuna , He certifies in verse 35 that ---
" among the Vedic hymns , I am Gayatri Chhanda " ....Chapter X of GITAJI has 45 verses
And as we chant Gayatri Mantra with OM , just 10 verses earlier in same Chapter , Lord informs Arjuna ---
"among words ,I am the sacred syllable OM ........................" (verse 25 )
PS ; The devotees of Ganesha also do Japa of the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra. This is as follows ;--
Tat purushaaya vidmahe
Vakratundaaya dheemahi
Tanno dhanti prachodayaat.
This is most important because amongst Hindu Gods , Lord Ganesha enjoys a very very peculiar & unique position . He is to be worshipped and revered first . If that is not done , other rituals / worships will not be fruitful . This is the boon given to Lord Ganesha by Supreme Lord so let us rever at His holy feet for success , wealth & wisdom. That way also , His blessings are unique as money without discretion leads to disaster but Lord Ganesha makes the wealth enjoyable.Without the Grace of Sri Ganesha and His help nothing whatsoever can be achieved. No action can be undertaken without His support, Grace or blessing.27th August is Sri Ganesh Chaturthi
In fact , Rishis selected the words of the Gayatri Mantra and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. The ideal times for chanting the mantra are three times a day - at dawn, mid-day, and at dusk. These times are known as the three sandhyas - morning, mid-day and evening. The maximum benefit of chanting the mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may chant it for 3, 9, or 18 times when pressed for time. The syllables of the mantra are said to positively affect all the chakras or energy centres in the human body - hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important.
Therefore , though millions of kids in schools , adults chant Gayatri Mantra all over world , it's fact that in Kaliyuga , only a few people can chant it correctly e.g. Kripaaluji Maharaj of Vrindavan or another revelation on 14th Jan , 2007 fame does recite it with full Vedic rhythm & accuracy .
And according to Vedic injunction, "sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah" i.e. unless one is initiated in the mantra by a bona fide spiritual master, coming in disciplic succession, the mantra will not be effective or will not give the desired result.
The Gayatri mantra, in particular, is meant for spiritually trained persons who are perfectly situated in the mode of goodness. Unlike the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, there are certain rules and standards to be upheld in chanting the Gayatri mantra, such as specific times when it should be chanted, certain circumstances in which it should not be uttered and so on. When chanted by a duly qualified and properly trained brahmana, with proper purity and without offenses, then one can attain success in chanting Gayatri mantra which has the potency to immediately bring one to the transcendental realm. When the spiritual master sees that the disciple has reached the necessary standard and spiritual advancement for chanting the Gayatri mantra, he then awards brahminical initiation to the disciple.
In contrast, there are no such rules and regulations in the chanting of Hare Krishna maha-mantra. It is the yuga-dharma for the age, and by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya of humble bowing to God , His vibhutis alone can longer our healthy life , wisdom & intellect fame , it can be chanted by anyone, at any time and under any circumstances without consideration of qualifications. This, indeed, is our principal sadhana, and simply by perfectly chanting the maha-mantra one can attain full spiritual perfection. Chanting the Gayatri mantra and other such pancaratriki system of activities (such as worshiping the Deities etc), however, offer further purification and impetus for the devotee to quickly come to the stage of perfection in chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra :---
Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare ;
Hare Krishan Hare Krishan, Krishan Krishan Hare Hare
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