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Vratabandha of
Chi. Padmanabh Deepak Joshi
Chi. Abhishek Deepak Joshi
Publisher :
Ashok P Joshi
10, Govardhan Street, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014.
Tel : 044-2835 2674 / 2835 3989
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Gayatri Mantra and Sandhya
In ancient times seekers rose early, bathed, performed their
rituals, and silently recited mantras. In the evening the days
fatigue was washed away with another period of meditation.
This pattern of morning and evening practice persists even
now. In Sanskrit, the word sandhya indicates a juncture, and
for this reason the meditation process performed in the morning
and evening junctures of the day is called the sandhya
meditation. There are many ways to practice this, some dating
from the Vedic times, and portions of these practices continue
to be observed throughout modern India and other parts of the
world. In this way, elements of devotion and introspection are
woven into the daily lives of millions. And since morning and
evening practice is uplifting to the mind and heart, students of
yoga also find nourishment in it. Our tradition is to commence
the childs education with the Vratabandha or
Mounjibandhana ceremony when he is initiated into the
Gayatri Mantra and it is expected that he chants it as often as
possible in his daily sandhya throughout his life.
Gayatri Mantra
At the heart of sandhya rituals is the gayatri mantra. Like
the light of the early morning sun, which sweeps away the
darkness of the night as it illumines the landscape, the gayatri
mantra is purifying and enlightening. It is said that it embodies
the collective wisdom of the entire Vedic revelation. For this
reason it is described as Veda-Mata, The Mother of Vedas.
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and the power of intelligence. To give another example, the
word gau represents the cow as well as a ray of light, in
short that which nourishes. A mind, finely tuned with self-
discipline or tapas is capable of knowing this reality and is
able to see intuitively and go beyond the outward forms of
things and meanings of words.
But following the opening word tat the word order (as is
often the case in Sanskrit) requires some sorting out. The world
that follows tat is savitur (meaning of the sun or of the
solar being). This word is derived from su, another powerful
root that means to bring forth; to beget, as well as to set in
motion; to vivify. In other words, the energy of the sun is the
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source of life on earth. It has caused the creatures on earth to
come alive, and it sets them in motion as the day begins. The
sun is the vivifier. Here we are not speaking just about the
physical sun; more importantly, we are speaking about the
principle of life-giving energy that is symbolized by the radiant
solar orb.
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person. Thus you have a psychological reality as well as a
physical one.
Beyond name and form, you are a soul. You do not have a
soul; you are a soul. The life-force in you emerges out of its
pure nature to take a name and form. Yogis call the soul or
spirit of a person the atman. The bhargah is to the solar being
what the atman is to you. It is the self-effulgent, self-luminous,
and self-radiant consciousness of the sun. Thus, in English,
we might translate bhargah as Spirit. The first two lines of
the mantra now read: We recollect in ourselves and mediate
upon that wondrous Spirit of the divine Solar Being.
Om
In each of the three planes of existence, We recollect in
ourselves and meditate upon that wondrous Spirit of
the divine Solar Being; may He guide our inner vision.
Om ultimate reality.
bhur plane of the five elements; matter.
bhuvah plane of the life force or prana;
space
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svah plane of the mind; heaven
tat that.
savitur of the Solar Being, the solar orb, the
light and energy of the sun That
impels us to grow and know God.
varenyam splendid, beautiful, choice-worthy,
wondrous.
bhargo the Spirit dwelling within the sun; the
light of knowledge that dissolves fear
and ignorance.
devasya of the divine, brilliant, shining.
dhimahi we meditate upon, contemplate,
recollect, call to mind.
dhiyo thoughts (vritti), intellect (buddhi),
inner vision.
Yo Who
Nah Our
prachodayat may he guide, lead, direct.
Gayatri as Prayer
Gayatri is a prayer as well as a mantra. As a mantra, it is a
set of sounds used by practitioners to realize a higher state of
consciousness - a state symbolized by the sun. As a prayer, it
petitions God for guidance. Direct my mind, it asks.
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How to Practice
If you would like to practice the gayatri mantra as a prayer,
dedicate yourself to regular meditation sometime in the morning
and evening. Your meditation does not need to coincide
precisely with the actual rising or setting of the sun. A short
version of sandhya is given elsewhere in the booklet in
Marathi. Here is another brief practice:
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Chanting the mantra
The written text of the Rig Veda adds some markings to
the syllables that indicate a way of chanting the mantra. When
it is chanted systematically as a part of mantra-sadhana under
a competent guru, the seeker progresses very far spiritually.
Chanted as a prayer, it bestows supreme intelligence apart
from material and spiritual progress- for the word Gayatri itself
means She who protects the singer.
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