Dharma Vahini 55

Chapter VII
Gayatri: Mother of Mantras

A
ll that is visible shines as Gayatri, for speech
(vaak) is Gayatri and all objects are speech,
are indicated by speech, and are subsumed in
speech. It is speech that describes them, declares them, and
denotes them. All objects are also of the world. Nothing can
go beyond it. This world is the body of mankind; one can’t
leap out of the body. The breath (prana) that sustains a person
is inside the heart (hridaya), and it cannot move outside and
beyond the heart.

The Gayatri has four feet and six categories. The

categories are speech, objects, world, body, breath, and heart
(vaak, butha, prithvi, sarira, prana, and hridaya). The
Supreme Being that is extolled by this Gayatri is indeed
exalted, sacred, glorious. As has been said, all this objective
multiplicity is but a fraction of His body. The number and
nature, the measure and meaning of the objects are beyond
56 Chapter VII : Gayatri: Mother of Mantras Dharma Vahini 57

understanding; yet all this is but a quarter of His magnificence. dharma for people? Not even the most diligent search will
The other three quarters are His effulgent immortal form. now reveal a fraction of it! As the ancient sage (rishi) said,

It is impossible to grasp the mystery of that The twice-born who gives up the morning-evening
splendourfilled form. This Supreme Being indicated by the (sandhya) worship falls into perdition. Those who
Gayatri is indeed referred to as Brahman. neglect the morning-evening worship have no right
for any other type of ritual.
He is the sky (akasa), beyond the comprehension of a
person; He is spoken of as “outside the personality of people Samdhyaa heeno suchirnithyam, anarhah
(bahirardhaa purushaakaashah)” —this is the mark of the sarva karmasu
waking stage. The Supreme Being is the sky, inside the Yadh anyath kuruthe karmano thasya phala
personality (anthah purushaakaashah) —this is the mark bhaagbhaveth.
of the “dream stage”. He is the sky inside the heart of a
person; He fills and fulfils it —this is the “deep-sleep stage”. So say all the authoritative traditions (Smrithis) and
Whoever knows this truth attains fullness and Brahman. That Vedas. It is because the sages of ancient times performed
is, the one who knows the three states of wakefulness, dream, the morning-evening worship for many years that they
and deep sleep (jaagrath, swapna, and sushupti) is himself acquired long life, fame, glory, wisdom, and the splendour
Brahman. of divinity; this is mentioned by Manu also. Therefore, from
whatever point of view we consider, the brahmin who does
How ridiculous it is that a person, known as a divine not meditate on the Gayatri does not deserve that status.
being and bearing the name of this embodiment of the Atma,
should become the repository of egotism and consequent Of course what is meant by brahmin in this context is
impurity, busy in the unholy pursuit of injustice! How the one who has realized the Brahman principle
calamitous! At least for being known even today as a “divine (Brahmathathwa) and who has purified himself by the
being”, one should try to practise the path that will endow practice of the ceaseless contemplation of Brahman. This
one with an atom of that glory. has nothing to do with caste or even religion. Nevertheless,
those who have inherited the name brahmin have a special
Then what should we say of dharma for people? How responsibility to adhere to the morning-evening worship and
can people who have not cared to earn even the infinitesimal the Gayatri.
glory of the Primal Supreme Being be expected to practise
58 Chapter VII : Gayatri: Mother of Mantras Dharma Vahini 59

The four duties of people the field of daily work and toil. Before one takes the midday
food, one is directed to meditate on the Lord again and to
What exactly is sandhya? San means well and dhya is
dedicate the work, as well as the fruit derived through it, to
derived from dhyana, so sandhya refers to proper or intense
the Lord Himself. One can start eating only after this act of
meditation (dhyana) on the Lord. It means concentration
devotion and grateful remembrance. This is the meaning of
on the Godhead. To fix the mind on God, the activities have
the noontime (maadhyamika) worship. By observing this
to be controlled. For success in that process of control,
ritual, passion is kept in check and is overpowered by the
one should overcome the handicaps of the qualities (gunas),
pure (sathwa) nature. This is the third duty of all people.
the pure, passionate, and dull (sathwa, rajas, and thamas).
When these forces of natural impulse predominate and try Then, people are possessed by a third nature, the dull
to direct along their channels, one must pray to God to (thamas). When evening descends, one hurries home, eats
negate their pull. That is the first duty of the one who strives one’s fill, and is overpowered by sleep. But a duty still
towards God. remains. To eat and sleep is the fate of idlers and drones.
The rule of nature is that the morning is the period of When the worst of the qualities (gunas), the dull (thamas),
pure (sathwic) quality, the noon of passionate (rajasic) threatens to rule, one must make a special effort to escape
quality, and the evening hour of dusk of dull (thamasic) its coils by resorting to prayer in the company of those who
quality. At dawn, the mind is awakened from the comfort of extol the Lord, reading about the glory of God, the cultivation
sleep liberated from agitations and depressions, so the mind of good virtues, and the purposeful nursing of good rules
is calm and clear. At that time, in that mental condition, of conduct. This is the prescribed evening worship
meditation of the Lord is very fruitful, as everyone knows. (sandhyavandana).
This is why dawn worship (praathah-sandhya) is Therefore, the mind that emerges from the vacancy of
prescribed. But, ignorant of the significance, people continue sleep has to be properly trained and counselled; it must be
doing the ritual in a blind mechanical way, simply because made to feel that the bliss of meditation and the joy of being
the ancients laid down the rule. The second duty is to perform unaware of the outer world are much grander and more lasting
the dawn worship, after realizing the inner and the deeper than the comfort one gets by means of the daily dose of
meaning of the same. physical sleep. This bliss, this joy, can be felt and realized
As day progresses, one is infused with the passionate by all; discrimination will bring this home to you. This is the
quality (rajoguna), the active effortful nature, and one enters fourth duty of people.
60 Chapter VII : Gayatri: Mother of Mantras Dharma Vahini 61

People who, as long as they have life in them, observe Gayatri and adhere to it till the very end. The authoritative
the thrice-a-day worship are indeed of the highest type; they tradition (smrithi) also says that there is no treasure richer
are ever glorious and attain all that is desired. Above all, than the Gayatri.
they are liberated, even while alive (jivan-muktha).
Soul-force can accomplish all the tasks of the world;
Cultivate the soul-force and, since the Gayatri confers inner strength, to foster that
force the Gayatri has to be cultivated with care at the right
Care must be taken to see that the morning-evening
moment, without neglect. For the growth and development
prayers are not taken as a routine ritual, one among many
of the body, pure (sathwic) food is necessary, isn’t it? So
laid down for observance. This is to be carried out while
too, the effulgence of the Sun has to be drawn, to reinforce
one is aware of the significance and dwelling on the inner
the inner effulgence in the form of creative thought
meaning. One should clearly grasp the sense of the Gayatri
(bhaavana).
Mantra. It is necessary to feel the identity between the
effulgent Being (Atma-swarupa) mentioned therein and When soul-force waxes, the senses are activated and
oneself. Only those who are ignorant of its meaning will directed along fruitful lines. When it wanes, the senses fail
neglect the Gayatri. and fail you. So, if the solar energy is drawn at that very
juncture, it will be as seeds planted in season, and the harvest
Manu lays special stress on just this; he has declared
is assured. Can darkness hide and confuse when the sun
the Gayatri to be the very life-breath of the brahmin. It is
has risen and bathed the earth in splendour? Can sorrow
not only his declaration: it is the truth. What is more efficient
prevail when one has infused oneself with that effulgence?
for spiritual uplift than meditation on the effulgence that
How can one be devoid of strength, the strength derived
illumines and feeds the intellect? What is more vitally fruitful
from the very fountainhead of Brahman? The technique of
than the prayer that pleads for saving the mind from sinward
this process has been laid down by the ancients, for the
tendencies?
benefit of all aspirants. Learn and practise it, and, by your
For a person, there is no better armour than the own experience, you will be able to witness the truth of their
cultivation of virtues. Manu states that brahmins won’t lose path.
status as long as they hold on to the Gayatri and are inspired
Of what purpose is the sacred thread (upanayana)
by its meaning; Manu says that if they are too weak to pursue
sacrament? Which mantra are you initiated into that day?
the study of the Vedas, then they must at least recite the
62 Chapter VII : Gayatri: Mother of Mantras Dharma Vahini 63

Why was that mantra alone taught then? Why are other mystic Goddess is described in glorious terms in the Brahmanas
formulae not given equal prominence? Reflect on these and in the texts on dharma (dharma-sutras); if you
matters, and you will find that the Gayatri is the mother of understand these clearly, you can realize it, unaided.
mantras. You will also find the rituals shining with a new
meaning, the rules and restrictions will be full of purpose; Dharma, imbued with such deep mysteries, is today
the deeds and activities of the ancients will seem worthwhile. rationalized and interpreted wilfully in various paltry senses.
If you do not try to know their significance, you will interpret That is why the decline of dharma has come about. So, it is
them as your fancy leads and land yourselves in tricks and imperative to revive the eternal religion (sanathana dharma)
stratagems to escape the obligations of life. You will be and the principles of interpretation natural to the Atmic truth,
caught in injustice and negation (anyaya and a-dharma). which is the basis of dharma. Otherwise, the meaning will
be changed out of all recognition, and the whims of individuals
The real meaning of Gayatri will prevail. Every act will be stamped as dharma, whatever
its nature!
Well, what is the real meaning of the word Gayatri?
Does anyone try to know it today? The word is taken to
mean either a Goddess or a formula. Gayatri is that which
protects (thra) the life breaths (gayas or pranas) or the
senses (indriyas), beginning with speech. Besides, it is said,

That which saves those who sing it, revere it,

repeat it, or meditate on it is called Gayatri.

Gaayantham thraayathe yasmaath Gayatri,

thena kathyathe.

That is to say, it is this sacred mantra that transformed

a royal sage (rajarshi) like Viswamitra into a brahmanical
sage (brahmarshi). The mother that is the Veda (Vedamatha)
will confer all boons on all those who worship Her. That