What is the meaning of Gayatri Mantra ?

Q: What is the meaning of Gayatri Mantra?

A: We shall try to understand Gayatri Mantra as in Yajurveda 36.3:

 

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि । धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

tát savitúr váreṇyaṃ bhárgo devásya dhīmahi dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

You can find the detailed meaning from Chapter 3 of Satyarth Prakash or Light of Truth. We provide the essence here:

Literal Meaning of Gayatri Mantra

O One and Only One Ultimate Omnipotent Omniscient Ishwar!

You are Bhoo – the foundation of life in entire universe and unborn! You are dearer than life because life is sustained by you!

You are Buvah – completely devoid of sorrow. When we achieve you, all our sorrows vanish away.

You are Swah – the sustainer and maintainer of entire world and provider of all the bliss.

You are Savituh – the creator of entire world and provide us all the prosperities

You are Devah – who only gives and gives and never takes anything. Who is desired by all. Who is Brilliant, Who is enlightening!

Varenyam – You alone are worth being accepted. There is nothing except you that is worthwhile. When you are achieved, everything is achieved. And when you are not achieved, nothing is achieved. Because you are the source of everything.

Bhargah – You are pure and without any imperfections. You are the ultimate cleanser. Nothing unclean remains when one achieves you. You represent the most perfect state of purity!

Tat – Such are your characteristics that nothing else apart from you is worthwhile.

Dheemahi – We only accept you through our intellect. We utilize our power of thinking to think of you alone.

Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat – Because it is you who has and who will enlighten our intellect. It is only you who will lead us from wrong towards right, from miseries towards bliss, from impurity towards purity, from Adharma towards Dharma, from hatred towards love, from evil deeds towards noble efforts.

Overall Meaning of Gayatri Mantra

O dearest Ishwar, you are the most capable, you alone are full of bliss, you are perfect in all manner, you are unchangeable, you are unborn, you are undying, you love us so much, you give us birth, you care for us 24*7*365 from eternity to eternity, you alone are worth being loved.

You alone are worth being admired. You alone are worth being aspired. You only give and give and there is nothing that we can give you. Even this intellect through which we admire you and through which we enjoy all the blessings you have showered upon us in form of prosperity and bliss has been gifted by you.

O dearest Ishwar, there is no way we can repay you for all your kindness and love and care.

So we humbly promise only one thing – that this intellect which you have gifted us, we shall direct this intellect towards you.

We shall contemplate upon you alone because it is you who gave us this power to contemplate. You have enlightened us and we shall seek only you through this enlightenment.

We shall establish a direct connection with you and have no agents in between. We will use all the resources you have bestowed upon us through this magnificent creation to only seek you.

We shall not be affected by what happens in our surroundings, we shall not be affected by temporary instincts of pleasure and happiness, we shall not be affected by temporary loss, profit, happiness, sorrow, praises and insults and remain defiant in seeking you and you alone through our minds, our intellect and all the action we perform through this intellect.

The Universal Law of Gayatri and how to apply it in life!

Gayatri teaches us a fundamental universal law. If we direct the output of a system back to the source, the outputs are further magnified. This law is applicable everywhere – machines, economics, mathematics, society, inter-personal relations.

“Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo Na Prachodayaat” says that if the system is such that there is

Bhargo — the system is without any inefficiency or disorder, the way Ishwar is

Devasya – the source does not keep share for itself and only gives out back whatever is inputted into it.

Dhiyo and Dheemahi come from same root word. Thus if we direct our output (intellect) 100% back to source of intellect, we make it a perfect system causing us to achieve ultimate bliss.

Those who have studied thermodynamics would have read about perpetual machines. The only reason they do not work is because there are inefficiencies in process of energy conversion. Lesser the inefficiency, more the time that the machine works. This analogy also explains our position in this creation. More we direct our intellect towards Ishwar, more we receive His bliss.And when that crosses a threshold we achieve salvation. Similarly, more we direct our attention to study of source of our knowledge – the Vedas – more the bliss we shall obtain for humanity.

The recipe to get rid of all worries, all miseries, all doubts and all negative thoughts and challenges in life is thus very simply summarized in Gayatri Mantra. Simply think of the Ultimate, simply dedicate all thoughts, words and actions to Him alone. Put your best efforts and leave the rest to Him and He shall manage the rest in best possible manner as He is doing even right now!