Gayatri Mantra

[Somik Raha]

> Ok. Check your facts first. You quoted Swami Vivekananda as having
> consulted Sri Ramakrishna before he set out for America whether he could
> eat beef (1893). But Sri Ramakrishna had died 7 years ago (1886). I had
> asked you to give a reference and you haven't even responded to that.

The reason was that I was cross-checking. I owe two unqualified apologies.
This story is entirely incorrect. I had confused another story - which you
can verify ( I am told it can be found in Sailendranath Dhar's Biography of
Swami Vivekananda - and I couldnt find an online resource, but I consulted
some experts on Swami Vivekananda).

The story was that Swami Vivekananda ate beef one day and went to Paramhamsa
Dev and told him (to tease him) that he had eaten a forbidden item. To which
the latter replied, that it would be rendered holy in his stomach because of
his pure spirit. After that day Swamiji never took beef again.

Regarding my other reference on Ramakrishna Mission - I've learnt that Swami
Vivekananda ate meat (chicken, fish), had a liking for fish. Bcos he took
meat, he did not forbid the other monks from eating the same. He did not
correlate meat-eating with spirituality.

These are just the views I have learnt of from Swami Vivekananda - I dont
debate whether its right or wrong (I dont think I am qualified to stand in
judgement of either veg or nonvegetarians). And I owe an unqualified apology
for posting an incorrect story.

> The Gayatri mantra does not talk of universal brotherhood and harmony. The
> Gayatri Mantra was not written by a woman, not by a man, not even
Bhagawan.
> It is eternal, like the rest of the Veda Mantras, and like them, has a
> specific power and Devata associated with it. It should be taken from a
> Guru, usually at the time of Upanayan (janeu), and should be recited daily
> by a Dvija male for the rest of his karmic life. The mantra beseeches the
> Lord of the Universe, as manifested in the Sun, to make our intellects
> shine (for the purpose of knowing Him). Mantra has a power and it should
> not be randomly recited. You would not randomly eat fruits from a tree you
> know nothing about, would you.

This is where I owe my second apology. Good God, what was I thinking... I
admit my knowledge (or lack of it) leaves much to be desired on the Gayatri
Mantra. I did some reading up on this - and I understand now what you meant
about  "loss of motherhood".

>From a post I recieved on this,
"what happens is that gayatri mantra and any other mantras as a matter of
fact have a lot of rhytmic variation of OmKar and other sanskirt syllables
which need to be pronounced
properly. Actually Om nees to come with your tongue twisted and the voice
has to come from your navel.
this will exert pressure on the navel and the spine. As if you do the
pranayama/Yoga/Chant mantras you can
feel the sudden rush of adrenaline in your blood and all your nerves get
stimulated. That is the power of
the Om Kar. Thats why women are not supposed to chant it as it renders
excessive pressure on their
navel/umblical card which might hamper pregnancy and such sudden pump of
hormones is not good for them."

I guess this is what you were talking about. But I also got the other
opinion that the above belief is a myth. I wont quote that here, because I
dont know the source well enough. :)

There are two view points, and since you talk about personal experience, I
cannot comment, because I dont chant the Gayatri Mantra, but can probably
take your and other's words for it.

Once more, I apologize for the two incorrect statements that I made, and for
my lack of understanding of the Gayatri Mantra.

Regards,
Somik