Gayathri Mantra !!!

[Anand Hudli]

     VP Nandakumar <nandav01 at M0E3S33.NMB.NORWEST.COM> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
>         Can somebody enlighten me on the meaning and significance of the
> Gayathri Mantra? I've also heard that there is not much use chanting it if
> you're not in India!
>

    You have asked a  difficult question. There have been books
    written as answer to your question. But I will try to give a simple
    answer, fully aware that I am not doing justice to the mantra
    by doing so.

    The Gayatri mantra roughly means: "We meditate on the adorable
    glory of the Progenitor of the Universe (the Sun which is the
    source of all life just as Brahman is the source of all that
    exists). May He inspire  our intellect."

    I am not aware of the rule that there is not much use chanting
    it outside India. But I have heard of a general rule which says
    that one's Brahmin-hood is lost if he crosses the sea/ocean.
    According to this rule then, chanting the Gayatri will not be of
    much use. But there are religious leaders who say there is no
    such danger. The presence of many orthodox priests in foreign
    temples, and their performance of Homa's, Yajna's etc., supports
    this view. So the Gayatri must be chanted at least two times a
    day (at sunrise and sunset) as part of the SandhyaavandanaM.

    Even if one is not able to do it at sunrise or sunset, for some
    reason, it should still be done. Better late than never seems
    to be the policy here! This is the view of HH Abhinava Vidyatirtha,
    the former Swami of Sringeri.


> Rgds,
> Nanda
>
>

  Anand