Gayatri Mantra – Rig Veda
This powerful mantra is extensively used throughout India and Indians abroad for invocation during special puja, birth rites, death rites, upanayana Sanskar etc. The mantra occurs in the Vishwamitra section (3rd Mandal) of Rig Veda. Accordingly, Vishwamitra is credited for gifting this mantra for the welfare of all.
In Sukta No. 62 this mantra appears serialized at tenth in the following form: –
“tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yonah prochodayat”
In this form, the mantra was not permitted to be chanted by everyone. Afterwards “Aum bhur bhuvah Swah” was added in the mantra to universalize it. Aum is a sound which reverberates throughout the Universe and stands for availability to all.
The original mantra in the old Vedic Sanskrit, not easily intelligible, appears below in Devanagari script followed by its re-writing in Roman script which conforms to the original sound of recitation.
Gayatri Mantra:
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात॥
Transliteration of the Gayatri Mantra:
Aum Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yoh Nah Prachodayat
Meaning of Gayatri Mantra:
Aum, the celestial sound that resounds in our bodies,
Over the earth and the cosmos up to the gates of heaven
The effulgence of the rising Sun that sets all living things
To their allotted tasks to strive to achieve their aims in life
May the dazzling light which is the gift of the gods
Illuminate our beings
Let us contemplate on it
So that our minds gain enlightenment.
This verse is dedicated to the morning Sun known as Savitra / Savitri in the Rig Vedic times. The morning Sun is the universe’s original power, which sets everything in order every day.
The verses of the Rig Veda have been divided into 10 Mandals of which mandals 02 to 07 are called family books because they belong to Rishis Gritsamad, Vishwamitra, Vamadeo Gautam, Atri, Bhardwaj and Vashistha.
I am a Vedic astrologer by profession. I have done Jyotish Acharya from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. I am devoted to my Sadguru Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi. I am also interested in spirituality. I love to guide people.
I am a Vedic astrologer by profession. I have done Jyotish Acharya from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. I am devoted to my Sadguru Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi. I am also interested in spirituality. I love to guide people.