Greatness of Gayatri Mantra and its ritual.
Greatness of Gayatri Mantra and its ritual. Shri Narayan Muni said:- O Brahmin!, a Brahmin should perform Sandhya ritual three times a day regularly and should repeat the Gayatri Mantra along with the Pranav (AUM kar), devotedly. 1. The Gayatri is considered to be the origin, the seed of the Vedas and the Pranav, the syllable AUM is that of Gayatri. There is nothing greater than it. It is the Supreme Brahman Itself, in the form of a syllable. 2. It consists of three sounds namely, ‘A’ ‘U’ ‘M’. It pervades the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, which constitute the Prakriti- the Primeaval matter), the three worlds and the three times – past, present and future. It exists in the three sacred fires (Agni), the three Vedas and it is the supreme power that rules all these triads. 3. The three Vedas namely, Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda are derived from AUM (these are the expressions of the Pranav). They are subsumed in the word itself. All the (Vedic) literature is based on the Pranav. So every mantra should be uttered with AUM in the beginning. 4. The seers say the matter, the deity, its use or application and its reference in the Brahamana (book) are the five aspects related to the mantra. These are to be known in case of every Mantra from the scriptures. 5. Gayatri mantra is said to be the essence of all mantras. The three Vedas constitute three lines of Gayatri. It is the donor of all felicities. 6. Gayatri is the Prakriti-the primeval matter and Pranav is the Purush, the spirit; so it should always be uttered together. Then only the desired fruit will be obtained. (Repeating the Gayatri, without Pranav will never be fruitful). 7. A Brahmin having controlled his senses, should sit on a seat of Kusha grass, hold the Kush grass in hand and concentrate on Hari, situated in the solar orb (Surya mandal), repeat the mantra attentively. 8. He should first utter the Pranav-AUM and then Bhur, Bhuvaha, Svaha and then repeat the Mantra. At the end, again he should say AUM, as it is instructed in the scriptures. 9. There are the three modes of Gayatri (Savitri) chanting, i.e. Japa-verbal, Upanshu and meditative. Among these Japa-yajna, the succeeding ones, are superior to the preceding ones. 10. In the verbal repetition of the Gayatri, each word and each syllable should be uttered clearly in the correct accent. It should follow the Udatta, Anudatta and Svarita regulations-i.e. with high , low and mixed tones. It should be spoken aloud (that could be heard). This is called verbal: Vachika-japa. 11. When there is little movement of lips, the utterance is slow and in a low tone, that could be audible only to one self it is described as ‘Upanshu’. 12.
When the tongue and lips do not move and the teeth are not seen during the chanting of the Gayatri, it is termed as silent or ‘Manas japa’ by the sages and experts in Vedic knowledge. 13. One should concentrate on the mantra. At that time, he should not move his lips, his head and neck should be erect and unmoved; and teeth should be not visible. 14. Japa should be performed secretly, in a solitary place and not in the open; as there is fear that the Yakshas, Rakshasas, Siddhas and Vidhyadharas (moving in the atmosphere) likely take away (the desired result of) the mantra forcibly. 15. Japa should not be performed in haste, nor when the mind is engrossed in other things. He should have a controlled sleep, as it is the enemy obstructing the japa. The steady-minded observant should not look here and there (as it distracts the mind) and should perform the Japa with full alertness. 16. While doing Japa, one should not move here and there, talk with somebody, laugh or look behind. Japa should not be done wearing a turban or Pagadi. 17. Gayatri japa should not be done when mind is unsteady. While doing it, hand movements should be restricted and legs should not rest upon one another. Care should be taken so that, others do not hear the mantra. 18. In the morning, a Brahmin should stand facing east and repeat the Gayatri mantra until sunrise. In the evening, he should sit facing the west and repeat the mantra, till the stars are seen. At midday, he should either stand up or sit and perform the Japa. If he is standing, he should face the sun; if he is sitting he should face only east. In the morning - his (right) hand (holding the string of beads) should be touching his naval, at midday - it should be touching close to his heart and in the evening - close to the tip of nose and perform Japa. These are the three modes of doing Gayatri japa. 19 - 21. The Gayatri mantra, when recited a thousand times, is considered to be of the highest merit. One hundred in number is less in merit and ten in number is low in merit. The Gayatri mantra should not be recited less than ten times. Any of these three grades mentioned above, should be the number, to be recited regularly. It destroys great sins. 22. One round of performing ten Japas destroys the sins of the present life. One hundred Japas destroys the sins of the past birth and one thousand recitations, destroys the sins of three births prior to the present birth. 23. According to the scriptures, twenty four lakhs of Japa repetitions, is said to be the Gayatri Puruscharan. One who does accordingly, will have, all his wishes fulfilled. 24. O Brahmin! I have explained to you the importance of the Gayatri mantra, its practice and ritual. One should practice accordingly, after having the tenth Sanskara of the thread ceremony. Discarding indolence: the enemy of good deeds, one should promptly perform the Gayatri japa one thousand times, one hundred times or at least ten times according to his own capacity, every day, regularly. 25. Thus ends the fifth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of mode of muttering Gayatri chant,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 5