• This forum contains old posts that have been closed. New threads and replies may not be made here. Please navigate to the relevant forum to create a new thread or post a reply.
  • Welcome to Tamil Brahmins forums.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our Free Brahmin Community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

Gayathiri mantram meaning

Status
Not open for further replies.
The gaayathree manthram is as given below:

ऊँ भूर्भुवस्सुवः तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

om̐ bhūrbhuvassuvaḥ tat saviturvareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt ||

ஓம் பூர்புவஸ்ஸுவஹ தத் ஸவிதுர் வரேண்யம்
பர்க்கோ தேவஸ்ய தீமஹி தியோ யோ நஃ ப்ரசோதயாத்

Regarding its meaning, another post will follow.
 
This ṛk or the manthram (without the prefixed "ūm̐ bhūrbhuvassuvaḥ") appears as the 10th. one in the sūktam (hymn = acollection of individual ṛks) 62, in the 3rd. maṇḍala or book of the ṛgveda. The individual ṛks in this particular hymn (62, that is) are in praise of different devas viz., indrāvaruṇa, bṛhaspati, pūṣan, savitā, soma & mitrāvaruṇa and so these devas become, also, the devatās for the individual ṛks.


Now, coming to our particular ṛk, viz., the gāyatrī, it gets its name from the chanda or the poetic metre with the same name gāyatrī (and not gayatri as the westernized version morphs it); however, curiously, it falls one syllable or mātrā short of the 24 required to make a proper gāyatrī metre or chandaḥ according to the prosody of vedic times. Hence, the ancient people named the metre of this particular ṛk or mantra as nicṛdgāyatrī or 'defective gāyatrī’ metre and even today we recite gāyatryā ṛṣirviśvāmitraḥ, nicṛdgāyatrī chandaḥ, savitā devatā before our gāyatrī japam.


The mantra has acquired millions of meanings and interpretations, given out by equal number of authorities, writers, Sastrigals, swamijis, Acharyas and so on, but in many of these things there will be slight warpings, modifications, etc., as required by the context and as suits the author's imagination of what the gāyatrī mantra stands for. I am giving below the meaning as given in sāyaṇācārya’s bhāṣya of ṛgveda.

attachment.php


The first line in the image above shows how the mantra is to be uttered, and the swaras are also given; the second line gives the word-wise split up and its swaras (this is to be used only when reciting the mantra in various complicated methods and is not for ordinary, daily users like us).

... to be continued.
 

Attachments

  • Gaayatree.jpg
    Gaayatree.jpg
    67.3 KB · Views: 959

yaH (the full form of yo in the second line) = that which, jo in Hindi, and here it refers to the deva savitā.
naḥ = asmākaṃ, of ours
dhiyaḥ = karmāṇi dharmādiviṣayā vā buddhīḥ (the intellect in relation to work or dharma)
pracodayāt = prerayat (may that impel, push on, drive onwards)
tat = tasya (of that) devasya (of that deva)
savituḥ = sarvāṃtaryāmitayā prerakasya jagatsraṣṭuḥ parameśvarasya (of that Supreme God or parameśvara, who is present in each and everything (sarvāntaryāmi) and in such capacity, is the impeller
vareṇyaṃ = sarvairupāsyatayā jñeyatayā ca saṃbhajanīyaṃ (specially adorable (saṃbhajanīya), worshippable (upāsya), being known by all(jñeya) )
bhargaḥ = avidyā tatkāryayoḥ bharjanāt bhargaḥ, svayaṃ jyotiḥ, parabrahmātmakaṃ tejaḥ (that which destroys by roasting, parching, frying, baking, etc. avidyā or ignorance and actions caused by it ; self luminance ; the tejas caused by the parabrahma’s presence)

dhīmahi = vayaṃ dhyāyāmaḥ ( we meditate upon)

To summarise it for simpler understanding, this mantra means, "we meditate upon that radiant power of the deva savitṛ, who pervades the universe, is worthy of adoration, and impels us from inside our intellect to reach higher and higher.

The praṇava or OM and the additions bhūrbhuvassuvaḥ make the whole mantra deviate grossly away from the gāyatrī metre, and various interpretations are given to these additions also. But those things do not take away the core meaning given above.

 
Dear Jayaraman,

The meaning in Tamil:

ய: தேவ: ஸவிதா = ஜ்யோதி மயமாக விளங்குகிற யாதொரு சூரியபகவான்

அஸ்மாகம் = நமது

திய: = புத்தியை

தர்மாதிகோசரே = தர்மம் முதலிய விஷயங்களில்

ப்ரேரயேத் = ஏவுகிறாரோ

தஸ்ய = அந்த சூர்யபகவானுடைய

வரேண்யம் யத் பர்க: தத் = போற்றத்தக்க தேஜஸ் யாதோ அதனை

உபாஸ்மஹே = நாம் உபாஸிக்கின்றோம், வழிபடுகின்றோம், தியானிக்கின்றோம், போற்றுகிறோம்.
 
Dear Jayaraman,
The meaning in Tamil:
ய: தேவ: ஸவிதா = ஜ்யோதி மயமாக விளங்குகிற யாதொரு சூரியபகவான்
அஸ்மாகம் = நமது
திய: = புத்தியை
தர்மாதிகோசரே = தர்மம் முதலிய விஷயங்களில்
ப்ரேரயேத் = ஏவுகிறாரோ
தஸ்ய = அந்த சூர்யபகவானுடைய
வரேண்யம் யத் பர்க: தத் = போற்றத்தக்க தேஜஸ் யாதோ அதனை
உபாஸ்மஹே = நாம் உபாஸிக்கின்றோம், வழிபடுகின்றோம், தியானிக்கின்றோம், போற்றுகிறோம்.
Lest non-TB members get confused, what you have posted represents the translated meaning for the dhyana sloka
for invoking Gayatri Devi before starting Gayatri mantra japam per se during Sandhya Vandanam.
 
muktha vidhruma......hasthaihi vahanthim baje...these lines describe image
"yo dheva savidhaasmaagam .......upaasmake"...... is the pledge upasaka is taking. It is always good to know what we are doing. Meaning of the pledge is this
"I am doing upasana of the dhevatha Who directs my budhi in dharmic directions(dhiyo dharmaadhi gochara)
 
everyone knows what is attached. but someone requests motivation, then..............Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day......
they probably want a punch dialogue pattern explanation!!
 

Attachments

  • Sandhyavandanam.pdf
    232 KB · Views: 324
Pl. tell the meaning of gayathiri mantram wordwise as that will motivate to repeat it frequently and without mistake.

Sri Ramesh Jayaraman

It seems you may have already gotten the answers you were looking for from Sri Sangom and others.

Let me share a few thoughts.

1. While gayatri mantram can be chanted as part of a meditation practice, it is even more useful for personal growth to do so as part of daily performance of Sandhyavandanam. If done this way it is important NOT to do this with an explicit intent of fulfilling a desire or due to fear. In fact the Sankalpa describes the intent of inner (mind) purification only. While at later part of the Sandhyavandanam ritual one may seek to fulfill other desires the intent to perform this Nithya karma is ONLY for inner purification .

2. To recite the gayatri mantra and all others in Sandhyavandanam correctly with right pronunciation and intonation you can visit this Youtube link for example. Your own practices may not conform to other variations based on your family traditions in which case you may want to learn those properly from a qualified Sastrigal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaLXr5nbBEo&list=PL588686F03D1525CE&index=1

3. Sandhyavandanam includes Pranayama (breathing exercise), and Mantra meditation all rolled into one. The benefits of meditation is established by many studies in Neuroscience experiments. Here is an article in Scientific American which is published only 12 times a year to cover all major science advancement of significant nature. This article made the cover page of October 2014 issue which speaks to the importance of this study to human development
Neuroscience Reveals the Secrets of Meditation?s Benefits - Scientific American

4. It is best to undertake either the meditation of Gayatri Mantra or the entire Nithya Karma of Sandhyavandanam with full understanding of the meaning of the Mantras. This is a huge topic by itself. Literal meaning has been provided very well by Sri Sangom. I just want to add that the commentary (Bhashya) of Sri Sanakara describes further the meaning to another level. The literal meaning itself starts out in a dualistic description - you the performer of the ritual and Iswara in the form of Sun (more as Sandhya devi in the Solar Orb as a female form) being different from one another. However a deeper inspection of the Gayatri Mantra and the entire context reveals the essential unity of Isvara and Jiva. The Mantra meditation eventually becomes an act of Nididhyasana as one discovers the truth of our existence.

All the best !
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest ads

Back
Top