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MantraGayatri

Gayatri Mantra

Composed by: The seer Vishvamitra (Rigveda 3.62)

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  1. Mantra

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

    Om bhoorbhuvah svah | Tatsaviturvarenyam bhargo devasya dheemahi | Dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat ||

    Word by word: Om, the sacred syllable (pranava); bhuh, bhuvah, svah, earth, the space between and heaven (these three words are called the vyahritis); tat, that; savituh, of Savitr; varenyam, worthy to be chosen, excellent; bhargah, radiance; devasya, of the god; dhimahi, we meditate on; dhiyah, thoughts, understanding; yah, who; nah, our; prachodayat, may he inspire. Meaning: We meditate on that excellent radiance of the god Savitr; may Savitr inspire our understanding.

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Meaning, sources and more prayers: sanatanbodh.in/en/prayers/gayatri-mantra/

In short

The Gayatri Mantra is a verse of the third book of the Rigveda (3.62.10). Its seer is Vishvamitra and its deity is Savitr, the Sun. It is named after its metre, the Gayatri. It meditates on the radiance of Savitr and asks him to inspire our understanding. By tradition it is chanted at the morning, noon and evening sandhya, and it is given at the upanayana (sacred thread) ceremony.

On the text: in the Rigveda (3.62.10) the mantra begins “tat savitur varenyam”; ‘Om’ and ‘bhur bhuvah svah’ are not part of it. The Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda (36.3) gives the same verse with ‘bhur bhuvah svah’, and the opening ‘Om’ is added by tradition. The verse also appears in the Vajasaneyi Samhita at 3.35. By metre the first quarter counts only seven syllables instead of eight; many scholars read ‘varenyam’ as ‘vareniyam’ to make up the eight. The accent marks of Vedic recitation are left out here for ease of reading.

Frequently asked questions

Which Veda is the Gayatri Mantra from?

It is the tenth verse of hymn 62 in the third book of the Rigveda (3.62.10). Its seer is Vishvamitra and its deity is Savitr. It also appears in the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Shukla Yajurveda (3.35 and 36.3).

Is ‘Om bhur bhuvah svah’ part of the Rigveda verse?

No. In the Rigveda the verse begins “tat savitur varenyam”. The form with ‘bhur bhuvah svah’ is found in the Vajasaneyi Samhita (36.3), and the opening ‘Om’ is added by tradition. In japa this full form is what is usually recited.

When is the Gayatri Mantra chanted?

By tradition at the morning, noon and evening sandhya, and at the upanayana ceremony, where this mantra is given. Many people chant it 108 times on a mala; the number is a custom and is not mentioned in the mantra.

Why is it called Gayatri?

Because it is in the Gayatri metre, counted as three quarters of eight syllables each. In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35) Krishna says that among metres he is the Gayatri. Later the mantra itself came to be worshipped as a goddess, Gayatri Mata or Vedamata.

Sources

  1. Rigveda 3.62.10 (Shakala Samhita): Sanskrit Wikisource and the Government of India’s Vedic Heritage Portal
  2. Shukla Yajurveda, Vajasaneyi Madhyandina Samhita 3.35 and 36.3 (Sanskrit Wikisource)
  3. Bhagavad Gita 10.35

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Text checked against: sa.wikisource.org, vedicheritage.gov.in, sa.wikisource.org