The Tantra of the Gayatri Mantra
“Of Vedic hymns Gayatri is the foremost.”
~ Buddha, Sela Sutta
The recognition of your inner light.
The story of the Buddha is one of humankind’s highest achievements. Around 2,500 years ago he forged a unique path to self-realisation that has led to thousands of humans all over the world attaining enlightenment.
Buddha was born a Hindu, as a prince into a family of Indian royals. But he was an unhappy Hindu royal, and wanted to find other ways to end suffering other than via the complex priestly rituals enforced by the privileged Vedic brahmins of that era. So he ultimately shunned the Vedic ways, and his royal lineage too.
However, there were a few Vedic rituals he held in the highest regard. One in particular being the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra.
The story of the Gāyatrī Mantra, also known as the Sāvitri Mantra, is another one of humankind’s highest achievements. Around 1,000 years before the Buddha was born, another Indian royal, King Vishwamitra renounced his regal status and chose the life of a Rishi (sage) and a humble householder. Rishi Vishwamitra is credited as the author of most of Mandala 3 (Book 3) of the Rigveda, including the revelation of the Gāyatrī Mantra.
Rishika Menaka trying to break the concentration of her husband Rishi Vishwamitra. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma.
However, being among the first literary documents in history, the Rigveda transcends far beyond its identity as mere scriptures. The 1,028 hymns that comprise the Rigveda reveal some of the most divine poetry of the world. And living within the hymns are mantras, like the Gāyatrī Mantra.
Gāyatrī is a metre, or syllable structure, used in the composition of Sanskrit poetry and mantras. The word Gāyatrī (गायत्री) refers to trī – “that which gives deliverance”, and gāya – “through singing”. Sāvitri is the name of the Goddess of the Sun or the aspect of illumination as referred to in the mantra. So, in essence this particular mantra by Rishi Vishwamitra should actually be called the Sāvitri Mantra in the metre of Gāyatrī. And in the Rigveda alone, 2,447 verses are composed in the Gāyatrī metre. But just for the purposes of not confusing anyone, I refer to the Sāvitri Mantra as the Gāyatrī Mantra.
Many monotheistic sects within Hinduism teach that the Gayatri Mantra is in praise of One Supreme Creator known by the name AUM (ओउ्म्), as mentioned in the Yajurveda.
Today, more than 3,500 years later, the Gayatri Mantra can still be heard recited in millions of homes, temples and places of worship every day in every corner of India and other places around the world, by Hindus and non-Hindus alike. My beloved mom lives in South Africa, and she, like myself, chants the Gayatri every day.
I briefly explain the significance of mantras in my post on the Beginners Guide to Tantra. And while there are thousands of mantras available to us, some that you may have heard before, some that you may have chanted in a kirtan session or a yoga studio, or some that may have been given to you personally by a Tantra master or Guru - if there was ever one mantra to define the culture of India and the majority of her Hindus, whether they be of Vedic, Tantric, or any other indigenous tradition, it would, IMHO, be the Gayatri Mantra.
Mantras, like Yantras, by their very existence are derived from Tantra. They have been used in Tantric rituals and practices since pre-Vedic and post-Vedic times. The Gayatri Mantra, while being recognised as one of the most important mantras from the Vedas, has universal appeal to both Vedic and Tantric practitioners alike.
After all, it even resonated with the Buddha - who really wasn’t a fan of the Vedas.
Traditional Tantra, or classical Tantra as some like to call it, refers to the texts and practices rooted in ancient Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism that teach us to meditate upon the sacredness in and of all things illuminated under our sun and beyond - including our minds. This is the heart of the Gayatri Mantra.
So let’s get into the mantra.
ॐ भुर् भुवः स्वः
तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यं,
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि,
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ।
Oṃ, bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ,
Tat Savitur vareṇyaṃ,
Bhargo devasya dhīmahi,
Dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt
Here’s a simple way to pronounce the mantra:
Ohm, bhoor bhoova suvah
Tat Sahvitoor vareniyam
Bhargo Devasya dhimahi
Dheo yonah prachodayat
Like with all Sanskrit verses, there are many ways to interpret this mantra. I like to define the Gayatri Mantra as such:
Om; may we meditate on the effulgent glory of that Being who is the universal consciousness; may She enlighten our minds.
The venerable Sri M has a lovely talk on the pronunciation and meaning of the Gayatri Mantra here.
More than just a mantra.
The Gayatri Mantra is more than just a mantra, it’s an invocation for enlightenment that is as relevant today as it was millennia ago. The understanding that the divine light of consciousness permeates everything in the universe and beyond. Even the darkest of darknesses, even our every thought and action.
Just as the sun illuminates the land, the Gayatri Mantra is said to fill the faithful chanter with all the potential energy in the cosmos.
Think of it like this: our glorious sun has been shining it’s rays on Mother Earth since the dawn of time. The same rays that shine on you, shine on me. The same rays shine on a billionaire, and they shine on a pauper. The same rays shine on a saint, and they shine on a mass-murderer. he same rays shine on a flower, and they shine on an unseen virus that kills millions of people. It’s pure love, no matter what we think, say or do. It’s this light of unconditional love that we invite to be revealed from within us when we chant the Gayatri Mantra.
Actually, the 14th century Sufi mystic, Hafiz probably echoes this unconditional sentiment best with this beautiful poem:
And still, after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."
Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.
Traditionally observed during Sandhya — the junctures right before sunrise and sunset — the mantra was given as a gift to the world to help humanity attain enlightenment. Although you can chant the Gayatri Mantra at any time to gain its benefits, the hours before sunrise and noon are recommended to be the ideal times to practice.
Over the ages various other renditions of the mantra were added to the Gayatri corpus. Some Gayatris were even written with various Hindu Gods and Goddesses in mind.
There are many Gayatri Mantras that have been composed since the original found in the Rigveda. The three Gayatri Mantras that have a specific Tantric significance are:
1 - Vedic Gayatri Mantra (Sāvitri Mantra 2,500 - 1,500 BCE).
ॐ भुर् भुवः स्वः तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यं, भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ।
Oṃ, bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ,
Tat Savitur vareṇyaṃ,
Bhargo devasya dhīmahi,
Dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt
The Tantric Gāyatrī Yantra inscribed with the Gāyatrī Mantra
2 - Pashupata Gayatri Mantra (around 300 CE).
ॐ तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे, महादेवाय धीमहे, तन्नो रुद्रः प्रचोदयात् ।
Om, Tatpuruṣāya vidmah,
Mahādevāya dhīmahe,
tanno Rudraḥ pracodayāt
Meaning:
Om. Let us meditate on the great Shiva with five faces. May that fierce Shiva inspire and illuminate our mind and understanding towards the destruction of our egos.
In Hindu theology the birth of Tantra is described as such: In the beginning of Satyuga (the age of truth or sincerity), Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Panchanana-Shiva with 5 heads and 18 arms. By the Anugraha (grace) of Lord Shiva Himself as manifested in His 5 acts, and through His 5 energies, the 5 heads emanated from his 5 mouths the Tantras to illuminate the universe.
The Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, is home to one of the 5-faced Shivas.
Panchanana statue (Pancha-mukhalinga) at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
3 - Tantric Gayatri Mantra from the Linga Purana.
Buried in time, this Gayatri was chanted daily at the three Sandhyas (dawn, noon, dusk) before the practice of Yoga Asana Vinyasa. It was first introduced to daily Tantric Yoga Sadhana (practice) around the 9th century CE.
ॐ तन्महेशाय विद्महे, वाग्विशुद्धाय धीमहे,तन्नो शिव प्रचोदयात् ।
Om; Tanmaheśāya vidmahe,
Vāgviśuddhāya dhīmahe,
tanno Śiva pracodayāt.
Meaning:
Om. May we surrender our egos to Shiva, who is the Lord of Tantra. May Shiva expand and illuminate our meditative mind and bestow us with the supreme understanding.
An ice-formed lingam inside the holy cave at Amarnath in Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Gayatri Mantra, recited 108 times.
The video above is a beautiful rendition of the Gayatri Mantra, recited 108 times. Try chanting along - it’s a great way to learn the mantra, or simply close your eyes and listen to it from beginning to end. If, at the end you feel lighter, more aware, and perhaps even happier, then mother Gayatri has worked her divinity into you.
With love, Rohan
ॐ
May our bodies and minds be healthy.
May our thoughts be filled with love.
May our practice be free of obstacles.
May we carry its benefits into the world.
ॐ
