Gayatri Mantra chanting is considered very effective. One can get relief from all the issues by chanting it. In the Vedas, the Gayatri Mantra is mentioned in detail. There is so much energy in this mantra that all harmful powers are defeated by chanting this Mahamantra three times on a daily basis.
In the Rig Veda, which was written in Sanskrit around 2500 to 3500 years ago, the Gayatri Mantra was chronicled and the mantra may have been chanted for several centuries before that.
The ancient Hindu scriptures explain how the Supreme Being gave the sage Vishwamitra the Gayatri mantra as a reward for his many years of deep penance and meditation. This was meant to be a present to all mankind.
The tale begins with a king, Vishwamitra, who, with his entourage, went into the forest and came across the hermitage of the mighty sage, Vasistha.Vasistha welcomed them upon seeing Vishwamitra and his entourage and offered food to eat and a place to rest. The king, however, was hesitant because he felt that there were too many people to feed the sage in his entourage. Vasistha remained unfazed. In the yard, he turned to a cow and whispered a few words into cows "Kamadhenu" ear . suddenly, the king and his entourage had a lot of food to eat.
Vishwamitra was amazed and wanted the cow for himself, with the intention of bringing the cow to his kingdom.The sage declined when he asked Vasistha for the cow. A violent argument followed between Vishwamitra and Vasistha. Vishwamitra admitted defeat in the end and returned to his kingdom.
Vishwamitra has in his mind an ongoing thought that Vasistha has some immense power. Vishwamitra wanted to sever all the bonds with the material world and began to meditate in the jungle.Vishwamitra spent several years meditating and was met with many obstacles.
With time, Vishwamitra overcame all his desires and Lord Brahma gave him the title of 'Maha-Rishi.' But Lord Brahma added, when he takes blessings from Vasistha, Vishwamita will be given the role of Maha-Rishi.
Vishwamitra was always jealous of Maharshi Vasishtha, however, as directed by Lord Brahma, chose to meet him. He heard the conversation taking place between him and his wife, Arundhati, as it was about entering the hermitage of Maharshi Vashista. He heard him say that Vishwamitra was a great man and that he was close to achieving Brahmarshi 's status. But only if he comes to see him and gets his blessings can this happen. His wife told him that he would bless him if Vishwamitra came to meet him. On this, "Of course I will," answered Maharshi Vashista. Vishwamitra felt ashamed of himself when he heard this and hurried inside to meet Maharshi Vasishtha.
You've been a Brahmarshi now. One by one, you've overcome rage, desire, greed, attachment and arrogance. You crossed the last barrier jealously. Maharshi Vasishtha told Vishwamitra, "You have also shown that the human spirit is invincible and accepts no defeat."
Vasishtha put his hand in the centre of the eyebrows of Vishwamitra, opening the third eye of Vishwamitra. In front of him, Vishwamitra saw a divine light. He saw seven rhythms that formed the world on the basis of them. At that moment, Gayatri Mantra came into light.
Om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt
ॐ -OM - Supreme power.
भूर् - Bhur - The existence of infinite God
भुवः -Bhuva – The force that governs the universe and everything beyond
स्वः - Svaha – The force that is omnipresent
तत् -Tat – The selfless giver
सवितुर - Savitur – the grace of the divine responsible for creation of the universe
वरेण्यं - Varenyam – Acceptance of the almighty as the supreme power that is responsible for creation of this infinite universe
भर्गो -Bhargo – the bright light that illuminates to destroy darkness represented by ignorance.
देवस्य - Devasya –refers to the various attributes of God that none can replicate. In short – God-like or divine-like
धीमहि - Dhimahi – to focus on truth (God) alone to banish all impurities in the mind that invites grief.
धियो यो - Dhiyo – The greatest possession (intellect). With the presence of God in the mind, one can achieve wisdom and the intellect to rise about materialistic desires.
नः - Nah – selflessness. The prayers to the God are not for the self but the entire mankind.
प्रचोदयात् - Prachodayat – seeking his blessings to guide us to the path of truth by giving us a clear conscience.
Translation of Mantra
OM. Here’s meditating upon the one who governs the universe, to illuminate our minds by eliminating ignorance. We meditate upon the Ishwar, the one who sustains life. Enlighten us.
Benefits of Tuning the Gayatri Mantra
- It protects us from all danger
- Provides mental satisfaction
- Free from the wheel of birth and death
- Cleans the mind
- Removes all fear
- Avoid all the miseries
- Chanting of the Mantra regulates the vital organs and helps in their better functioning. Nonetheless, faith and perseverance matter a lot. Therefore, by chanting the Mantra with utmost devotion, one can reap benefits.