gAyatrI mantra

[Ravi Mayavaram]

upanayana saMskAram is there for the first three varNas, which would
imply that, they all qualify for chanting the sacred gAyatrI mantra.

About the efficacy of the gAyatrI mantra when chanted outside India,
it really does not matter. We should not do the mantra japam expecting
the phalam. At the end of sandhya we surrender it to nArAyaNa. It
should be done with IshavarArpaNa bhAvam, as a sacred duty. I am just
paraphrasing what I learnt from Giri (personal correspondence).

The calmness of mind and sense of purification after the japam is
apparent and immediate, even outside India. But I agree that observing
one's dharma is countries like USA is very difficult.


Ravi