The Gayatri Mantra — Words and History
- AtharavRaj
- Apr 12, 2021
- 2 min read
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम्
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्।
Om Bhurbhuvah Swah Tatsrviturvrenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo-Yo-Nah Prachodayat
Gayatri Mantra is one of most traditional texts in the Indo European literature, Rig Veda, which originated around mid-1700 BCE & 1100 BCE. It’s extremely honored mantra connected with rituals of passage for Hindus. In 21st century, yogis who were taking yoga to west started to train Gayatri mantra extensively.
Gayatri is Vedic meter in which verse is constituted.
First line of Gayatri mantra is, Om bhur bhuvah swaha, isn’t in Rig Veda but later added.
Rig Veda is actually a compilation of chants to Vedic gods and goddess of Gayatri is Savitr. The Savitr is seldom viewed as Surya (Sun) & as separate, but bestows many properties: brilliance, invigorating, beneficence and security.
As Gayatri grew popular in recent times, we discover some comprehensive translation. So let’s look at it.
First, all words collectively and then word-by-word interpretation.
Om Bhur Bhuvah Swaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo-yonah Prachodayat
Om or Aum, regarded as primal sound of cosmos and aims to Oneness of all.
Bhur — the embodiment of energetic spiritual strength, earth
Bhuvah — destroyer of pain
Swaha — expression of joy
Tat — in this step
Savitur — Savitr, holy sun, a light, all-pervading mindfulness
Varenyam — deserving of reverence, venerable, delightful, deserving of being solicited
Bhargo — light. Radiance, brightness, light which gives knowledge, killer of unrighteousness
Devasya — Divine, of God
Dhimahi — meditate upon, flash on, be attached to; or, may assimilate
Dhiyo — benediction, intelligence, generous thoughts, foreknowledge, perception of Reality
Yo — who; he who; the one who
Nah — our; of us
Prachodayaatt — may he strengthen, direct, invigorate, guide, release; or, he who strengthens, directs, inspires, leads unfolds
Placing all this collectively, there’re many versions and explanations.
What it sounds like?
There’s appropriate way of intoning vedas known as vedic intoning and in that, there’s detailed procedure to chant mantra. You can learnmore on vedic intoning in the Wikipedia here.
Although since few mantra “got-out-of-box” so to converse there’ve been several variants of it, some major mythical, some melodious.
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