Gayatri Mantra

For the Hindu diety Gayatri and connected aspects, see [[:Gayatri]].

This is an article dedicated to 'Gayatri Mantra or sacred religious chant common to Hinduism and Brahmoism.

The Gayatri, considered to be the holiest verse of the Vedas, has been thus paraphrased by Sir William Jones:

"Let us adore the supremacy of that Divine Sun, the Godhead, who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understanding aright in our progress towards his holy seat."

The word savitri in the original Sanskrit may be interpreted in two ways, first as the sun, secondly as the "originator or creator."

Raja Ram Mohun Roy and Maharshi Devendra Nath used that word in the second sense. Interpreted in their way the whole formula may be thus rendered : "We meditate on the worshippable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens (i.e. the universe), and who directs our understanding."

The original Sanskrit is in the shape of a Vedic mantra and forms a formula for daily devotion of all Brahmins in the land.

Text

See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation.

• In Devanagari:

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।

तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।

भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।

धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

• In IAST

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

(a) tat savitur vareṇyaṃ

(b) bhargo devasya dhīmahi

(c) dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

• In IAST Long Form

oṃ bhūr oṃ bhuvaḥ oṃ svaḥ oṃ maḥ oṃ janaḥ oṃ tapaḥ oṃ sat yaṃ

(a) oṃ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ

(b) bhargo devasya dhīmahi

(c) dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt