Gyatri Mantra

Solar Energy within and without

Taoshobuddha

Gyatri Mantra- Sun of awareness within and without

Sun of awareness within and without

MEDITATION LEADS TO ULTIMATE FLOWERING

Gyatri Mantra – Sun of awareness within and without

© 2010 Taoshobuddha and Hemant Moghe

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Sun of awareness within and

© 2010 Taoshobuddha and Hemant Moghe

this publication retrieval system or

transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,

prior written permission of the original publisher TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS and

TAOSHOBUDDHA



TAOSHOBUDDHA

The word Taoshobuddha comes from three words, ‘tao,’ ‘sho,’ and ‘Buddha’. The word Tao was coined by the Chinese master, Lau Tzu. It means “that” which is and cannot be put into words. It is unknown and unknowable. It can only be experienced and not expressed in words. Its magnanimity cannot be condensed into finiteness. The word Sho implies, that which is vast like the sky and deep like an ocean and carries within its womb a treaalso means one on whom the existence showers its blessings. And lastly the word Buddha implies the Enlightened One; one who has arrived home.

Thus, Taoshobuddha implies one who is existential, on whom the existence showers its blessings and one whas arrived home. The Enlightened One!


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The word Taoshobuddha comes from three words, ‘tao,’ ‘sho,’ and ‘Buddha’. The word Tao was coined by the Chinese master, Lau Tzu. It means “that” which is and

words. It is unknown and unknowable. It can only be experienced and not expressed in words. Its magnanimity cannot be condensed into finiteness. The word Sho implies, that which is vast like the sky and deep like an ocean and carries within its womb a treasure. It also means one on whom the existence showers its blessings. And lastly the word Buddha implies the

Thus, Taoshobuddha implies one who is existential, on whom the existence showers its blessings and one who


Sun of awareness within and without Page 4

Solar Power and the Gyatri Mantra

(Solar Energy Within and Without)



Recitation of the Gayatri Mantra is preceded by om (ॐ) and

the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ (भूर ् भुवः वः), known as the mahāvyāhṛti (‘great utterance’). This prefixing of the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8),which states that scriptural recitation was always to begin with the chanting of the syllable oṃ, followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse.

Following the mahāvyāhṛti is then the mantra proper, the verse Rigveda 3.62.10:

tát savitúr váreṇyaṃbhárgo devásya dhīmahidhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

Whereas in principle the gāyatrī metre specifies three pādas of eight syllables each, the text of the verse as preserved in the Rigveda Samhita is one syllable short, the first pāda counting seven instead of eight. Metrical restoration would emend the attested vareṇyaṃ with a tetra-syllabic vareṇiyaṃ.



TranslationA literal translation of the Gyatri verse proper can be given as:

‘May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god:So may he stimulate our prayers.’

The Hymns of the Rigveda

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHIDHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

Summary of the Gyatri MantraGyatri Mantra (the mother of the Vedas), the foremost mantra in Hinduism and Hindu beliefs, inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that ‘May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path’.

The mantra is also a prayer to the ‘giver of light and life’ - the sun (savitur).

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow,The Bestower of happiness,Oh! Creator of the Universe,

May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.



Gyatri Mantra in Sanskrit

The Vedas worship the Sun, Surya, as the source of light for the entire world. But for the Vedic people, light is not a material force but a power of life, love and intelligence. Nor is the Sun a distant entity unrelated to us. It has a presence on Earth through the power of its rays, which not only pervade our environment but also touch our very hearts. By the Sun the Vedas do not simply refer to the outer luminary, the central star of our solar system. They mean the principle of light and consciousness on a universal level, of which the Sun is our local representative.

One of the main problems in the world today is the energy crisis, which is endangering the very roots of life on the planet. Where can we get the power to run all our new technology, industry, transportation and media? Our energy needs are increasing daily with the growth in population and the increasing affluence of the third world that is now demanding the same conveniences that the western world has enjoyed for decades. Where do we get this additional energy? And how can we create it without destroying the planet by pollution that is the byproduct of most of our energy sources?

Solar power is the ultimate answer for the energy crisis because it is a clean source of energy that is unlimited, though the technology for it may take a few decades more to develop fully. We must make solar power the priority in energy research. We must return to the Sun to save the Earth.



The Vedas are said to reside in the rays of the Sun, which hold the Vedic mantras. The Vedas are the manifestation of solar intelligence, or the light of consciousness on Earth. The sacred syllable OM itself is the sound of the Sun and the essence of the Vedas. The Vedic mantras carry light and power both for the body and the mind. India, therefore, should be at the forefront of solar research in order to keep up with its ancient Vedic heritage.

Our society is also complaining about low energy on a personal level. Particularly, in the developed world low energy diseases like chronic fatigue, depression and weak immune conditions are almost epidemic. Many people find that they lack the vitality to do what they want to do. Even if we try to meditate in order to contact a higher power, we often end up falling to sleep in the process and nowhere owe to a lack of mental energy.

According to the Vedas, the inner Sun is Prana or vital energy or orgone, which manifests through the breath. To increase our personal energy, both for physical health and for mental acuity, the best practice is Pranayama or breath control. Breath carries the subtle essence of speech, which is mantra. The incoming breath carries the sound ‘so’and the outgoing breath carries the sound ‘ha’. The natural mantra “So’ham” in Sanskrit means, “He am I,” referring to the Purusha or consciousness in the Sun, as the Isha Upanishad so eloquently proclaims. Our very breath is based upon unity with the solar creator and source of life and can be used to connect with its power.



We all want to increase our intelligence, concentration, memory and capacity for information. This is the key to strength and success in the information age. The best way to do this is to harness the power of the inner Sun, which is to connect with cosmic intelligence through mantra and meditation. Each one of us possesses a portion of the light of consciousness, a ray of the solar creator that endows us with understanding. This faculty is called ‘dhi’ in Vedic thought refers to the meditative aspect of the mind (dhyana manas) and ‘buddhi’ in later Indian thought, referring to awakened intelligence.

The best mantra for awakening the higher mind is the Gayatri mantra, which is a mantra to the solar light of consciousness to awaken our meditative mind (dhi). It brings us the Divine solar power of consciousness, love and prana—the supreme light of truth.

Vishvamitra and the Gyatri

The Gyatri mantra was the gift to the world of the great Rishi Vishvamitra, seer of the third book of the Rigveda.Vishvamitra was one of the greatest yet mosy controversial Vedic Rishis. He began as a great king and warrior who wanted to add spiritual power to his worldly conquests. This brought him in contact and in conflict with Vashishta, the greatest and purest of the Rishis.

Vishvamitra persisted through all difficulties, including those created by his own ambition, until after a long period of struggle through his will power and tapas he ultimately



achieved Self-realization. Vishvamitra’s path, therefore, was more of human effort than Divine grace. His was the path of the warrior, of discipline and struggle, defeat and victory. He shows the development of an indomitable will that can overcome all obstacles and even challenge the Gods.

Vishvamitra by his tapas eventually created such an internal fire that it began to threaten the Gods in heaven by its heat. For this the Gods sent the celestial nymph (apsara) Menakato seduce him and take him off his path. The strategy succeeded, but not for long, and to fulfill another purpose that perhaps the Gods had not planned. From his union with Menaka, Vishvamitra begat a daughter, Shakuntala, who eventually became the wife of King Dushyanta. From the union of Dushyanta and Shakuntala was born King Bharata, from whom the name of India as Bharat arose. The whole country of India, through its determinative dynasty carries the blood and spirit of Vishvamitra, which is closely,connected to that of the warrior Goddess Durga.

Vishvamitra’s Gyatri mantra is the most important mantra of the Hindus, probably still recited by more than half of the people in India today. It is the most sacred Vedic mantra,reciting at sunrise, noon and sunset. We can literally translate it as:

We meditate upon the supreme effulgence of the Divine Solar Creator that he may inspire our intelligence!

The Gyatri mantra encourages creative thinking, not as mere human invention but as our portion of cosmic intelligence. It exhorts us to attune ourselves to the cosmic



mind and its laws of dharma. This chant is as valuable and appropriate in the modern world as it was in ancient times. We can use it whenever we wish to gain new insight and inspiration or to increase memory and concentration, even for mundane tasks.

Vishvamitra in the Rigveda states that his prayer or Brahma protects the people:

(visvamitrasya raksati brahmedam bharatam janam, Rig Veda III.53.12).

His prayer of course is the Gyatri mantra. As long as that mantra is recited, ancient spiritual heritage will be preserved. Man should not forget the Gyatri mantra,Vishvamitra or its connection to the Sun. That is the key to its destiny as a nation. Humanity also must remember the Divine Self in the Sun, the Prana that is the universal energy, and our role in the cosmos to bring the Divine light of knowledge into the darkness of physical matter. This is not an issue of mere science and technology. It requires an inner science of Yoga and the enlightenment of the mind.

The Syllables

Gyatri is the meter to compose mantra. The Gyatri Mantraconsists of twenty-four syllables - three lines of eight syllables each.

The first line (Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah) is considered an invocation, and is not technically a part of the original Gyatri



Mantra as it appears in the Upanishads. Gyatri is also referred to as a Vedic poetic meter of 24 syllables or any hymn composed in this meter. Hence, there exists a whole family of Gyatri Mantras, which serve as meditative aids to pray for the blessings of a particular personal God.

Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur VarenyamBhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat

A basic translation can be given as...

Oh God, the Protector, the basis of all life, Who is self-existent, Who is free from all pains and Whose contact frees the soul from all troubles, Who pervades the Universe and sustains all, the Creator and Energizer of the whole Universe, the Giver of happiness, Who is worthy of acceptance, the most excellent, Who is Pure and the Purifier of all, let us embrace that very God, so that He may direct our mental faculties in the right direction.

The Four Parts of the Gayatri MantraAum Bhur Bhuvah Swah

1. AUM (ॐ), the Supreme name of God. BHUR BHUVAH SWAH. These three words collectively are known as the ‘Mahavyahriti’. These syllables express the nature and the inherent qualities of the God.



2. BHUR

The word Bhur implies existence. God is self-existent and independent of all. He is the cause of his own existence. He is ‘syambhu’ – the causeless born out of his own maya and free will. He is eternal and unchanging. Without beginning and without end! God exists as a continuous, permanent, constant entity.

Secondly, the word Bhur can also mean the Earth, on which we are born and sustained. God is the provider of all, and it is through His divine will that we our blessed with all that we require to maintain us through our lives.

Finally, Bhur signifies Prana, or life force (literally, breath). God is That which gives life to all. He is independent of all.However all are dependent on Him. It is God who has given us life, God who maintains us throughout our lives, and God alone who has the ability to take away our life, when He so chooses. The only permanent entity, all others are subject to His will.

3. BHUVAH

Bhuvah describes the absolute Consciousness of God. God is self-Conscious or awareness as well as being Conscious or aware of all else, and thus is able to control and govern the Universe. Also, the word Bhuvah relates to God’s relationship with the celestial world. It denotes God’s magnanimity -greater than the sky and space.



He is boundless and unlimited. Finally, Bhuvah is also indicative of God’s role as the remover of all pain and sufferings (Apaana).

We see pain and sorrow all around us. However, through supplication to God, we can be freed from that pain and hardship. God Himself is devoid of any pain. Though He is Conscious of all, and is thus aware of pain, it does not affect Him.

It is our own ignorance that makes us susceptible to the effects of Maya, or illusion, which causes us to feel pain. Through true devotion to God, we can be freed from the clutches of Maya, and thus be rid of pain and sorrow.

4. SWAH

Swah indicates the all-pervading nature of God. He is omnipresent and pervades the entire multi-formed Universe. Without Form Himself, He is able to manifest Himself through the medium of the physical world, and is thus present in each and every physical entity. It is God that blossoms as flower. It is God that becomes the smile of a child. In this way, God is able to interact with the Universe created by Him, and thus sustain and control it, ensuring its smooth and proper running and function.

Not only that, Swah also symbolizes God’s bliss. All but God experience pain, suffering and sorrow. Devoid of all such things, God alone is able to experience supreme bliss. Happiness as experienced by humans is temporary; a transient state of mental satisfaction, which soon dissolves



back into the mire of worldly troubles. Perfect, and without any form of deficiency, God alone experiences true bliss, permanent and unaffected by worldly pains and woes. One who realizes God is able to join in this bliss, and thus God is able to impart true happiness to those who establish oneness with that Supreme Divinity.

Thus Mahavyahriti can be summed up by comparison to the word AUM itself. It is through this comparison to the tripartite structure, it can be compared to the essential nature of God, which differentiates Him from the other two entities recognized in that structure (namely, matter and soul), in the same way as the comparison between the three parts of the word Satchidananda, another name also used to describe God...

BHUR- Prana, Earth, Sat, Existence

BHUVAH – Apana, Sky, Chit, Consciousness

SWAH – Vyana, Heaven, Ananda, Bliss

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

5. TAT

Literally, this word means ‘that’, being used in Sanskrit to denote the third person. It is also mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna Himself, where He implies the selfless nature of the word.

Being used in the third person, the word has implicit in it an idea of selflessness. Sri Krishna uses it to imply the selfless nature of charity (charity, or a gift, being used as an analogy



for worship, in the form of action, implying that action should be performed without regard to its fruits, instead simply out of devotion and sense of duty, or Dharma).

Tat then is used here in the Gyatri Mantra to indicate that the worshipper is referring to [that] God, and that the praise being offered to God in the prayer is purely directed towards Him, without thought of gaining any personal benefit from that praise.

6. SA-VI-TUR

The word Savitur is derived, from the Sanskrit word Savita.It is another name of God. This is the reason that the GyatriMantra is often known as the Savitri Mantra.

The word Savita explains the status of God’s as the fountain, the source of all things. It is through His Divine Grace that the Universe exists, and so this word sums up the Mahavyahriti,by describing God’s ability to create the Universe and sustain it, as well as, at the right time, bring about its dissolution.

Savita is also indicative of God’s gift to mankind. Humans also have, in limited amount, the power, or shakti, of Savita. This shakti acts as an impetus in humans, to do something. They cannot sit idle, and are constantly searching for something to do. This is what is commonly known as the ‘creative urge’. It is through this shakti that mankind has created art, and it is through this shakti also that scientific advances are made. The gift of Savita also gives creatures the ability of procreation. Hence, Savita can be thought of as meaning Father (or Mother) also.



Finally, it is the power of Savita that enables mankind to distinguish right from wrong, and vice from virtue. Through this ability, we are able to in some part direct our own selves, and thus, Savita imparts to us a certain self-guiding ability. Thus, by using this word in the mantra, we demonstrate that we are making efforts ourselves also, since God will not help us unless we are willing to help ourselves.

7. VA-RE-NY-AM

Varenyam signifies our acceptance of God, and can be translated as meaning ‘Who is worthy’. Ever ready to obtain all the material riches of the world, more often than not, they are a disappointment once they have been achieved. God however is the one who, once realized and achieved, has the ability to truly satisfy. We therefore accept Him as the Highest reality, and it is to Him that we dedicate our efforts.

Varenyam can also be interpreted as signifying one who is eligible. We have chosen Him to be our Leader and our Guide. We place our all into His hands, and accept Him regardless of anything else. We place no conditions on this acceptance, as it is all out of sheer devotion.

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI This triplet is a further description of the attributes and qualities of God - His functional and instrumental qualities, rather than intrinsic qualities - and through those qualities, His relationship to us.

8. BHAR-GO

Bhargo is taken to signify the Glorious Light that represents God’s love and power. It indicates His complete purity - being



absolutely pure Himself, God also has the ability to purify those that come into contact with Him. Thus, Bhargo is indicative of God’s power to purify, and to destroy all sins and afflictions. In the same way as a metal ore placed into a fire will yield the pure metal, by merging with God, by realizing His Divine Form and establishing unity and oneness with Him, we can cleanse ourselves and be made pure by His Grace.

Though the soul, being itself Divine in nature, possesses that Light, it lacks luster, having been made impure by the sins and vices, which are a result of the darkness of Maya. By removing the veil of Maya, and cleansing our soul, God can enable the soul to realize its true, Divine self, and thus purify it.

9. DE-VAS-YA

The word Devasya is derived from the root Deva. Howeverthis word has been translated by different people in many different ways. It is generally thought of as meaning simply ‘God’. However, its meaning is more complex than that.

Deva, which forms the root of the words ‘Devata’ and ‘Devi’, means ‘quality’ or ‘attribute’, and can be thought of as another word for ‘Guna’. Thus, the various forms of God are given this name, as each of those forms is related to a specific quality and function (for example, Brahma has the quality of Creation; Kamadeva has the quality of love, etc.). Also, Devais thus used to describe anyone who is considered to possess a special quality.



Since Deva is symbolic of the individual qualities of God, the word demonstrates the inherent oneness of those different Forms, and thus the use of this word can be taken as describing the fundamental unity of God. Thus we see that here, we reaffirm that central belief in the Hindu Dharmathat ‘Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti’ (Truth, or God, is one, but wise men call Him/It by different names).

Thus, Deva is indicative of the various multifaceted entitiesthat is the absolute Personality of God. It describes in one word all the functions, roles and different attributes of God, and symbolizes therefore his absolutely essential nature -without God, nothing can exist.

10. DHI-MA-HI

Meaning to meditate and focus our mind on God. Meditation on God implies that we remove all other thoughts from our mind, since thoughts of the world render our mind impure, and thus we are unable to conceptualize the absolute purity of God. We must be able to concentrate, and direct our mental energies towards the task in hand - which is communion with God.

DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT Prayer is carried out for four main reasons:

i. to praise and glorify God;ii. to thank God;

iii. to ask forgiveness from God;iv. or to make a request from God.



Having carried out the other three parts (praise of His greatness, thanks for His generosity in Creation and maintaining us through our lives, and forgiveness by demonstrating our awareness of our own impurity, which we have realized is present and must be cleansed through contact with God), this part is now our request from God.

Since our soul is the Light of Life within us, and that acts on our body via the medium of the brain, we ask God to make this contact pure and righteous. The soul is of course inherently pure, being itself Divine in nature. The body is under the complete control of the mind. The link is the mind, which is affected not only by the soul, but also the outside world. We ask in these four words that God help us to improve our intellect, and guide it towards what is right.

11. DHI-YO

Dhiyo in Sanskrit refers to ‘intellect’. And this is the essence of this part of the Gyatri Mantra. Having firmly set God in our hearts, we now must try to emphasize His presence and influence on our mind and intellect.

Material prosperity holds no true meaning for the person who is truly devoted to God. Pain and suffering are of no consequence to him as, touched by God, he is imbued with God's own Divine Bliss, and all worldly sorrows pale to nothingness in comparison. However, still the individual must live in the world. Thus, it is important that the person’s intellect remains focused on serving God, and that it is able, through the medium of the body, to serve God to the best of its ability.



Physical objects can be obtained very easily, if one is intelligent enough to know how to go about it. Intellect however cannot be obtained, but must be there from the very first. It is by use of this intellect, in fact, that one is able to cultivate all other qualities (building of wealth, "success" in life (in material terms), physical fitness, etc.) Thus, intellect is the key to all else in life, and as such, it is the most important possession. We ask God in the Gyatri Mantra to gift us with the highest intellect, and to help us by showing us the way to use that intellect.

12. YO

The word Yo means ‘Who’ or ‘That’. Yo signifies yet again that it is not to anyone else that we direct these prayers, but to God alone. Only God is worthy of the highest adoration, only God is perfect and free from all defects. It is That God to whom we offer these prayers.

13. NAH

Nah means ‘Ours’, and signifies the selflessness of the request we make of God in this part of the Gyatri Mantra. We offer this prayer, and make the request of God, not simply for ourselves, but for the whole of humanity. We seek to uplift the entire society. Hindu philosophy from the beginning recognized the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘The whole world is one big family’. Thus, we pray not only for ourselves, but for each and every member of that great family, that we may all benefit from the greatness and generosity of the All-loving God.



14. PRA-CHO-DA-YAT

Prachodayat, the final word of the Gyatri Mantra, that rounds off the whole mantra, and completes the request we make of God in this final part.

This word indicates a request from God, in which we ask Him for Guidance, and Inspiration. We ask that, by showing us His Divine and Glorious Light (BHARGO), He remove the darkness of Maya from our paths, that we are able to see the way, and in this manner, we ask Him to direct our energies in the right way, guiding us through the chaos of this world, to find sanctuary in the tranquility and peace of God Himself, the root of all Happiness, and the source of true Bliss.

The Gyatri Mantra is revered by both Buddhists and Hindusworldwide. It is considered to be a supreme vehicle for gaining spiritual enlightenment. The longer form of the mantra activates all seven major Chakras and connects them to the seven great spiritual realms of existence. The GyatriMantra has been revered for thousands of years by both Hindus and Buddhists alike.

It is considered a supreme vehicle for enlightenment. It is called ‘The Mantra of Spiritual Light’ because it infuses the Spiritual Light of Creation into all the seven Chakras. It heals the body, feeds the Spirit and illumines the Intellect.



OM BHUR, OM BHUVAHA, OM SWAHA, OM MAHAHA, OM JANAHA, OM TAPAHA, OM SATYAM, OM TAT SAVITUR

VARENYAM BHARGHO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT

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Gyatri Mantra