What is Gayatri Mantra?

'Let my mind and the whole existence

be illumined and purified by your radiance'

Gayatri is the one who glides through the three states of consciousness joyfully, playfully, effortlessly and lightly, as though it were a song. When we 'sing through' something, it means it is not a burden for us. 'Gayanti traayate iti gayatri'. The Gayatri mantra affects all the three states of consciousness, jagrut (waking), sushupt (deep sleep), swapna (dream) and the three layers of existence adhyatmik, adidhaivik and adibhautik. Traya also refers to the taapatraya or the ailments (taapa) that adversely affect the body, mind and soul: the body by physical ailments, the mind by negativity and restlessness in the soul. The Gayatri Shakti (energy or field of vibration) enables one to transcend and be unaffected by the tapatraya's.

Letters in Gayatri Mantra

The Gayatri mantra has 24 letters corresponding to the 24 vertebrae of the spine. The backbone is what provides support and stability to our body. Similarly, the Gayatri mantra brings stability in our intellect.

What is Gayatri Shakti?

The Gayatri Shakti is the energy field which is a culmination of three energies: Tejas (radiance), Yashas (victory) and Varchas (brilliance). When you chant the Gayatri mantra, these energies manifest in you and you also gain the power to bless. These same energies are transmitted to the one receiving the blessings also.

Tejasvi Bhuyasau - May you be radiant 

Varchaswi Bhuyasau - May you be brilliant 

Yashasvi Bhuyasau - May you be victorious

All seeds have the potential to become a tree. Some are cognised and are available to us like the bija mantras. Some are fully expressed, where the fruit is also expressed, like the Gayatri mantra. A seed contains all the development of a sprawling tree. Similarly, these syllables of the Gayatri mantra contain within a nutshell all the possibilities of creation.

Before thought becomes a word, it is a subtle vibration, unexpressed, beyond the cognition of the mind. When the mind is unable to cognize, it dissolves and moves into the meditative space. This is how mantras enable one to transcend the mind and move into meditation. It is not necessary to understand the meaning of the mantras to experience its benefits. For e.g, even the sounds of laughter or crying can cause a shift in our consciousness. Similarly, the energy field created by the sound vibrations of the mantras elevate our consciousness and allow us to be established in that serene, pure, infinite state of our Being.