Gayatri Mantra and adhikara

[Vaidya N. Sundaram]

Namaste.

On Wed, 27 May 1998, Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian wrote:
> Sankaran Jayanarayanan wrote:
> > >No. It is said gAyantamtrAyateti gAyatrI.
> > What is the source of this statement?

 gAyantam - traya - (iti = ) gAyatri

 traya means that which protects. gAyathri primarily is seen as one
mantra that protects the one who meditates on it. even the word mantra is
manah + traya = mantra. meaning, that which staying in the mind, protects
...

 another meaning on gAyatri, which comes from the chandas gAyathri,
simply denotes the gramatical position of the sloka. It has three sets of
eight syllables each. So, any sloka conforming to this is called gAyatri.

 In case you are more interested in the evolution of THE gAyatri, the
gAyatri as discovered by Kausika/Vishwamitra, it does not have the 3
parts of eight syllables each. it is hence called nichr~th gAyatri. As to
why he left of one syllable is known probably only to mantra dhristas
(those who "see" the mantras) The efficacy of the gAyatri is supposedly
greater this way. It has gone thru the minds of several great Rishis and
different versions are today in vogue, and the gAyatri differs slighly
for the sAma veda from that for the yajur veda.

 Earlier, in the same thread, discussion came up if the gAyatri is still
potent outside the boundaries of India etc. It is ofcourse efficient!! In
case some of you did not know, Kausika found the mantra, and reportedly
mediated on it himself for a while, before letting the whole world know
about it. Once it became known openly, the whole world realised what a
great mantra it was and hence Kausika was celebrated as the friend of the
Universe (Vishwam + mitra) and came to be called Vishwamitra ... unless you
can come up with an argument that Vishwam means India only, it is pretty
obvious what of the reach of the gAyatri is !!!


> > >The gAyatrI mantra is to be chanted by dvijas only, which does not mean
> > >just brahmins. The Arya Samaj has no place in advaita.
> > >
> >
> > My question can still be paraphrased: Dvijas alone are eligible to chant
> > the Gayatri Mantra. Why?
>
> The seers who see the mantra-s also give the rules. That's it. It's
> analogous to a physical law. If you believe the seers' mantra, logically
> you'll have to believe the rules. If you want to go against it go ahead.
> But the same seers have also warned about using mantra without adhikAra.

 a simple crude example .... why is every body soooo very particular that
nuclear technology remain with the few ...? it basically underscores the
importance of the tech. and also emphasizes the resposibility that goes
with it. How many can be expected to show restraint with some thing as
powerful in the physical sense as the the Nuclear Bomb?

 So also, in the meta physical sense, the gAyatri is extremely powerfull.
Let me share a "secret" :-) with you. When the gAytri is chanted with
water in the hands, it (the water), transforms into the vajrAyutham (the
thunderbolt weapon of Indra) !!! When chanted infront of the fire, it
becomes something else, even more powerfull, and when chanted with a
samith (small stick of the pepal tree  etc ...) it becomes, even more
powerfull. When chanted with the vyahritis, it's power is turned benign,
and turns inward. When chanted with the breaks and with the vyAhritis
inserted, it becomes the power of Brahma and so on ....

 needless to say, it is not without reason that gAyatri is referred to as
"gAyatrIm chandasAm mAtAm" meaning, mother of the Vedas (chandas). When
you see clearly that such is the power of the mantra, you tell me now if
just about any body is eligible.

 why dvijas in particular, I dont know, but it is obvious that Vedas rate
one who recites the Vedas AND the gAyatri at the highest level in spritual
evolution ... perhaps it has to do with the law of karma.

Cheers,
Vaidya.


                      Vaidya N. Sundaram
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 Kandavar Vindilar      : Those who have seen (Brahman) have not spoken
  Vindavar Kandilar     :   those who speak (about It) have not seen (It)
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    satyakAma, satyasaMkalpa, Apatsakha, kAkutsa, shrIman nArAyaNa
        puruShottaMa, shrI ranganAtha, mama nAtha, namostute.
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