No alteration to this can be attempted since it would disturb the spiritual significance of the mantra itself! Some of them can be found in Atharva veda. Gayatri Mantra or Gayathri Mantra. While Veda samhita has mantras and suktas in praise of devatas, the practice of these is to be found in Brahmana and Aranyaka. !---- Sudharshan, swamiye sharanam ayyappathank u 4 such an imp & rare information. Bagalmukhi Mantra The meaning of Gayatri is explained in the sloka: “Yo deva savita asmakam dhiyo dharmadi gocaraah May Gayatri, the Mother of Vedas, bestow on us right understanding, pure intellect, right conduct and right thinking ! Lord Hanuman Temples I am keen that you dwelve on more such explanations to enlighten ignorant like us. My Account This can be overcome by focusing the energy in eliminating these inefficiencies. The “Gayatri” chandas itself got its form from the Gayatri mantra. The ability to appreciate the peacefulness of the immediate surroundings and the world. All the religions in Sanatana Dharma acknowledge the Devatas of swarga and the transcendental Trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Siva along with their Saktis. There are many reasons why mantra and mantra vidya are said to be private and secret, a few to mention: Mantra is the sound-form of the Devata one worships. Worship of a God is the gradual process of elevating the level of consciousness of the worshipper into that of the God, realizing the God and His nature. This is symbolically represented by touching the head while chanting the Rishi's Name (placing his feet on our head), touching the nose when we recite the chandas (no life without breath - similarly there is no life to the mantra without Chandas); then touching the heart for Devata's name(meditate the deity in our heart), The most famous Gayatri mantram as "discovered" or meditated upon my Sage Vishvamitra. Gayatri Devi is the incarnation of shakti who embodies virtue, peace, purity and wisdom. TemplePurohit.com is a one-stop destination for all your spiritual needs - Get in-depth information on Spiritual topics, temples across India, have in-depth discussion on topics such as Astrology, Spiritual developments & meditation. Hindu Gods Hence Agni vidya and Isvara (lordship of the main deity) concept are found intertwined in all the vidyas. Krishna Mantra, In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript, Shakti Peetha – The Holy Abodes of Shakti, Hindu Names – 108 Names of Gods and Godesses, Collection of Aartis – Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Lord Vishnu Mantras & Slokas – In Sanskrit, English with Meaning, Benefits, Sree Krishna Janmashtami – The Story of Lord Krishna’s Birth, 20 Most Important Quotes from Bhagavad Gita, Panchanana Aspects and Forms of Lord Shiva, Ahimsa Paramodharah – Concept and Practice of Ahimsa vide Mahabharata Parvas, Bhagavat Gita and Select Smritis, Lord Hanuman – Life Lessons from Lord Hanuman for Success in Life. Panchmukhi Hanuman Mantra However, not all mantras need such upadesa – it depends on the nature of mantra and the nature of sadhana. Astrology and Divination Sanskrit Texts ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः Mantra vidya is experiential and not discussion oriented. It loses its potency if chanted loud or sung with any raga....  Only time Gayatri is chanted loud is during the Ahuti in the yagna, And it is a sin to 'sing' Gayatri using any ragas! But the present Gayatri Mantra is not Anuhstup Chandas. Om Dhamodharaya Vidhmahe. Meaning: Om, Let us meditate on the God whose belly was tied by a rope, Oh, the divine consort of Rukhmani, give me higher intellect, And let God Krishna illuminate my mind. Just as nuclear fission is for the scientist, and not for a common man to fiddle with, mantra sastra is for a sastravetta – e.g. Durga Mantra Mantra vidya is like any science in that it has its methods and laws. Saktas call That as Sakti, Vaishnavas as Maha Vishnu and Saivas as Sadasiva. The devata of this vidya is Savita. Shiva Mantra No alteration to this can be attempted since it would disturb the spiritual significance of the mantra itself! Ganesh Mantra When that is so, then the worship of Gayatri by the firm and pure minded persons will surely lead them to self knowledge and self-realization.”. Prabhu,A wonderful and understandable explanation of Gayatri. Lakshmi Mantra Any mantra set in the CHANDAS of Gayatri is called Gayatri mantra and chandas is a measure, and the one that is popularly known today As Gayatri mantra, is actually Savitri Mantra set in Gayatri chandas. 5. During the 'arghyapradaanam' one should say varENiyaM. It destroys sins. Usually every vidya worships a main deity, along with associate deities. The Gayatri mantra was present in the rig Veda which originated in the Vedic age almost 3000 years ago. Hanuman Mantra It is said that Gayatri is the essence of the three Vedas Rig, Yajus and Sama. This mantra should not be chanted with loud voice. So, Gayatri ought to be chanted as 'varENyaM' only during the japa since the chandas explicitly stated during the invocation is 'nic^Rit. Many of our friends with upanayanam may give wonderful statements like - “ We are into meditation you see.... and when we get instant result in that, then what is the use of Sandhyavandanam and sprinkling some water? Another interesting fact about the Vedas is that they are not prayers for personal wellbeing but for the well being of the society. There are three major schools of Agamas, Vaishnava, Saiva and Sakta. This is considered to be false by many Hindus as the Gayatri mantra has nothing to do with a singular goddess or god. People of three dispositions ,Brahmana, Kshatriya and Vaisya are enjoined to Chant it as a part of Sandhya Vandhana , thrice a day. In the context of spiritual practices, a vidya can be defined as the worship of a God/Goddess. Agni is the central deity while Indra the head-deity. Gayatri is the crown of all vidyas. Devata is the most private associate of a worshiper, and thus mantra, which is a form of the devata, is most private and hence secret too. The primary vidya of the Veda is Agni Vidya, and all vidyas are derived from Vedic devatas. gAyatrI'. Increased creative capacity. By removing the first two lines the Gayatri Mantra adheres to Anushtup Chandas. In this form she receives the blessing of Lord Brahma and she is believed to have given the four Vedas to mankind. While practices vary from tradition to tradition, following the guru’s instruction is said to guarantee results. This has three lines, each of 8 syllables. Gayatri is described as the Mother of all Metres, ‘Gayatrim Chandasam Matha Itham Brahma Jushasvana” Gayatri Mantra is set to Anushtup Chandas. Lord Vishnu Temples While there are mantra vidyas for many devatas, there are three major schools of Mantra Vidyas – Siva, Vishnu and Sakta Vidyas. Mantra vidya occupies a central place in spiritual practice systems. Gayatri is more of a Metre than mere mantra text. Mantra vidyas are not the same as mantra sastra, though they overlap. Shiva Sthalams Saraswati Mantra Upadesa and Alternative It is speculated that the Gayatri mantra could have been existent several centuries ahead of that time. There are many versions of Gayatri, for different devatas. Thanno Krishna Prachodayath . Often in search of religious and spiritual meaning we tend to ignore the scientific basis for it; the gayatri mantra has a perfect scientific explanation too. It is the measurement. Hindu Gods Vedic Practices Hence it is for the practitioner and not for the debater or curious reader. The initiation into this is given only for a sanyasi. Any mantra set in the CHANDAS of Gayatri is called Gayatri mantra and chandas is a measure, and the one that is popularly known today As Gayatri mantra, is actually Savitri Mantra set in Gayatri chandas. In other word Gayatri should be contemplated silently thinking inwards. There are prayogas in Gayatri vidya. Lord Murugan Temples, --------------- Then nama can be chanted without specific initiation, though it is also done with due initiation. The detail given is to give a survey of the vidyas and not really to explain those. There are ten primary vidyas in Sakta called Dasa Maha Vidyas. Vedic Philosophy Hindu Mantras However the prototype of mantra vidya is to be found in Maha Narayana Upanishad, which has Gayatri Prakarana. There are 24 syllables in Gayatri chandas, arranged in three padas or feet. Initiation into Gayatri vidya is a prerequisite for Vedic learning. The more we direct our attention to the study of source of our knowledge – the Vedas – more the bliss we shall obtain for humanity. धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥. The description and the verse for meditation throw sufficient light on the nature of the vidya. It is a prayer to the formless, omnipresent ishwara (the supreme power).The Gayatri mantra present in the rig Veda was not written very lightly. This is also one of the most powerful and significant mantra in Hinduism. What is taught is usually very subjective and depends on the audience. In Vedas there are many other mantras which are in the Gayatri chandas (Vedic meter). The other one with " VarENyam " becomes 23 in count and is permitted as Gaayathri Japam. Navdurga Mantra The mantra description mentions “Gayatri chandas (Gayatri is the metre), Viswamitra rishi (seer of the mantra), Savita Devata (deity), Sankhyayana sa gotra (actually the lineage of the rishi, but also indicative of the school), Caturvimsati akshara (24 syllables in the metre), tri pada (3 feet), panca seersha (having 5 heads)”. भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि The Gāyatrī Mantra is an ultimate and highly revered mantra of Hindus which is derived from Rigveda (3.63.10), attibuted to Maharishi Viśvāmitra. Chandas helps us to ensure the form of the Mantra (by meter count). Mahabharata It should be understood that the forms and practices of Mantra Vidyas are highly symbolic and are hence usually kept within guru-sishya paramparas. This includes astra and other prayogas. The vidya acknowledges Sankhya, one of the oldest schools. It is said that Aditya Hridaya is equally effective as Gayatri. Puja Vidhi I wish to circulate about this to a few known friends for their information/benefit.With profound regards to a Guru R Venkateswaran, No one till now has explained this in detail, and no one else can do this, expect guruji!!!