Gayatri Mantra and its interpretation

The Mantra:

The mantra was perceived by Vishwamitra and is from Rigveda(3.62.10)

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि I धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्   llRV 3,62.10II

In ITRANS tatsaviturvareNyaM bhargo devasya dhImahi . dhiyo yo naH prachodayAt (Rigveda 3.62.10)

Aranyakas and Upnishadas instruct to use OM and mhavyahatris before the mantra for recitation and it becomes

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वःl तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि I धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ll

in ITRANS

OM bhUrbhuvaH svaH . tatsaviturvareNyaM bhargo devasya dhImahi . dhiyo yo naH prachodayAt .

Words and their meaning in the mantra:

Sanskrit has a tendency of a word flowing over into the next as per set rules of grammar.  Once you know how to break them up into the individual words, they become simpler to understand.

On splitting, the individual words are

ॐ (OM) : Om is an abstract symbol. Although it is a sound, it represents formless, soundless, eternal, supreme, absolute Brahm. Vedanta proclaimed Om as the first representation of the Absolute Brahm. Om as the sound symbol of the Absolute is called anahata, meaning a sound produced without any impact. Nonetheless, all sounds are produced on account of the impact and resulting vibrations. However, the sound Om being the symbol of unborn, eternal, supreme is assumed to be of origin without impact. Had the Impact been its origin, then the time of impact would have been its time of origin.

As the supreme eternal formless God is difficult to comprehend, imagination in the form of sound is a step towards understanding him in entirety. Knowing well, even in that form, the sound of Om is imaginary as it is anahat naad (A sound without impact). It symbolises eternal, formless God who is omnipresent, and the source of all creation. The eternal formless God, represented symbolically as Om, is the consciousness, and the universal intelligence.

भू: (bhUH) : The root bhUH represents “that exists” , ”to appear” ,  or “become”.  There are many words formed using this root (dhatu) like bhoot (that existed in past), bhavishya (that will exist in past) , bhoo ( the earth , which is actually the base of existence for us humans)

भुवः (bhuvaH): bhuvaH means atmosphere, the air, the space in which the things exist.

स्वः (svaH): One self, it represents one’s true self that is the subject of all the actions and experiences, consciousness

तत् (tat):  Tat is as pronoun meaning that. The pronoun here indicate towards the supreme, the brahm or the God.

सवितुः (savituH) The cause of generation, the glorious one, fire , of Sun

वरेण्यम् (vareNyam): Most excellent, Desirable, Supreme bliss, the one to be chosen for prayer.

भर्गः (bhargaH): brightness, brilliance, radiance, splendor , glory, luster

देवस्य (devasya): of the shining one. The word dev is from Sanskrit root div meaning shining, bright, celestial. Dev also represents the benevolent powers of nature such as the Sun, the air, the earth etc. devasya is singular in shashti vibhakti representing relationship and therefore meaning of the shining one.

धीः (dhIH ): the intellect

महि (mahi) : great

धीः( dhIH ): intellect

यः (yaH) : that

नः (naH): our, my

प्रचोदयात् (prachodayAt): propel ahead, set in motion, driving onward.

The meaning of the mantra:

Let us first understand the meaning of the mantra without mahavyahatris (ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः) as it appears in the Rigveda 3.62.10

Here the poet rishi when observes the pre-dawn sky with the red fire like brilliance, he exclaims with ecstasy and sees the divine presence of the Absolute Supreme everywhere. The poet says:

“That supreme lord is right in front of me who is the cause of generation of everything in the universe, we choose to pray that  the Absolute one, who has appeared in front of me in the form of the infinite glory of the rising sun. That absolute one is the luster of the shining appearing in front of me and is the great intelligence of the universe, let that Absolute propel my intellect ahead.”

Mahavyahatris (ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः) act like a bridge to understand a mantra better. They are pronounced before the mantra to make it more effective by making its meaning clearer. Let us try to understand the mantra when preceded with  “OM bhUrbhuvaH svaH”

The formless eternal conscious and blissful supreme Lord represented symbolically by OM , which is manifested as the things which exist (bhooH)and can be seen or observed, the empty space (bhuvaH) in which the things exist and also as the eternal consciousness (svaH) which is the real subject of all observations in all beings (means which sees when you see, which hears when you hear etc.) that (tat) cause of existence of all universe,  the glorious one (savitr) has manifested in the form of brightness in the pre-dawn sky (savitra), we pray to that most excellent, glorious, supreme bliss ( vareNyam). That is the real brightness of the shining ones (bhrgodevasya), that is  the real light through which we see the bright ness of the rising sun, and the supreme intellect (dhimahi). That (yaH) guide our (naH) intellect (dhiyaH) and propel it forward (prachodayAt).

The mantra finds significant importance in Vedic and Vedanta literature as well as in Buddhism.  The prayer is secular in nature and as can be understood from the meaning explained can be recited by a person following any religious belief.