The Gayatri Mantra for Enlightenment

The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Rig Veda and is said to be the personification of Maa Gayatri Devi who is depicted as having 10 arms and having heads. She uses a swan as her mount. While some scriptures represent Gayatri as a form of Parvati, the consort of Shiva; some other texts describe Her as a form of Saraswati, the consort of Brahma.

Gayatri is portrayed as the mother of the Vedas. She represents the mother of the universe and the Upanishadic wisdom of enlightenment. The Gayatri mantra is also referred to as the Savitri mantra because the mantra is dedicated to Savitr, popularly known as Lord Surya. The Sun God epitomises the life-giving force, inspiration, source and of the universe. A Hindu legend claims that this mantra was first chanted by Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe and the renowned saint Sage Vishwamitra received this mantra from the god after several years of rigorous penance. 

How to Chant the Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri mantra is a composition of 70 million mantras dedicated to Lord Shiva, the unmanifest; Lord Surya, the giver of life; Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and grantor of wisdom and Lord Vishnu, the god of harmony and balance and more. 

It is best to chant the Gayatri Mantra during the Brahma Muhurta between 3:30AM and 4:30PM with a tranquil mind in a soft voice. If this is not possible, you can chant the mantra at sunrise, sunset or noon. However, if you are not able to dedicate any of these times, you can chant the mantra repeatedly anytime you want. In case, you can do the recitation on only one day of the week, you must consider doing so on Fridays.

The Gayatri mantra is best repeated at least three or eleven times in a day although it can be repeated any number of times as you wish. The mantra must not be chanted in a haste and you should pause at the end of each repetition as well as each line. It is said that doing a pranayama five times before commencing the chant yields really fruitful result. If possible, you must face the sun towards the east and the west in the morning and evening respectively when you do the pranayama and chant the mantra.

Benefits of Chanting the Gayatri Mantra

The importance of chanting the Gayatri Mantra cannot be undermined and its benefits are multifold. Some main advantages of reciting the mantra are given below.

1. Eliminates toxins from the human body

When the mantra is chanted, the vibrations produced activate specific points on your face. As you breathe, your blood vessels get supplied with more oxygen that move through the skin and dispel the toxins to give a glow to your skin.

2. Enhances learning and concentration

The vibrations from the mantra chants activate the crown chakra, the third eye chakra and the throat chakra. These chakras are concerned with getting rid of distractions and rendering focus to enhance concentration levels. 

3. Keeps heart healthy

The synchronised breathing pattern generated when you chant the mantra syncs with the blood pumping action to the heart. This helps to keep a check on the blood pressure and keep your heart healthy.

4. Improves breathing

The pranayama practice before the mantra chant opens up closed breathing airways. Your breathing will also improve because of the lungs expansion due to controlled deep breathing.

5. Enhances nervous system functioning

The repeated mantra chant delivers pressure on your lips, tongue, mouth and throat. This pressure triggers vibrations and results in neurotransmitters being released by the brain for better stimulus. As a result, your nerves will remain healthy and function better than before.

6. Eliminates negativity

Chanting the mantra continuously with a focused mind results in stimulation of the brain. This stimulation helps to develop concentration with a positive and calm mind free of tension. The repeated chants also result in the release of serotonin and many good hormones.

7. Minimises asthma symptoms

The pranayama aids in strengthening your lungs because of the short breath hold when you practise it. Hence, with regular chanting, you will get relief from asthma and other breathing problems related symptoms.

8. Alleviates anxiety and stress

The mantra has the power to keep a check on your anxiety in a natural way. Moreover, it will also help you seek relief from stress and depression in your life.

9. Increases overall immunity

Repeated chants of the mantra results in the hypothalamus getting activated. The hypothalamus plays a pivotal role in maintaining the immunity of the human body. As a result, your body remains free of diseases and illnesses and you feel more fit and healthy.

The Gayatri Mantra comprises 24 seed syllables that are linked to the 24 vertebrae in the backbone or spine. The backbone renders stability and support to the human body while the Gayatri Mantra stabilises the human intellect and improves the creativity, concentration, focus and self-control in an individual.

The Gayatri Shakti or the energy of vibration is an amalgamation of three energies comprising radiance (tejas), victory (yashas) and brilliance (varchas). When you recite the Gayatri Mantra, these energies get amalgamated and manifest inside you. The Gayatri Mantra has a profound impact on the three conscious states of a person comprising waking, deep sleep and dream. The mantra also affects the three layers of a person’s existence, namely, adhyatmik, adidhaivik and adibhautik.

The Gayatri Mantra has a Chatushpadi structure. The term Chatushpadi translates to four limbs with the four limbs symbolised as the four Vedas among the Hindu scriptures as well as the four pauses that you make when chanting the mantra. 

When the Gayatri Mantra is repeated with utmost faith and devotion, the chanter is bestowed with divine protection. Hindus believe that offering one’s obeisance to different forms of the mother goddess without worshipping Maa Gayatri is like ignoring one’s own mother and worshipping others’ mothers. Meditating with chants of the Gayatri Mantra helps to get rid of the impurities cluttered in an individual’s mind and be blessed with supreme consciousness.

Written by - Deepthi K