Gayatri Mantra
The Gâyatrî Mantra is first recorded in the Rig Veda (iii, 62, 10).
Invocation:
The Sanskrit character that is transliterated as bh is a very earthy sound that virtually explodes from the diaphragm.
Om - Om (Brahman, the One, the Godhead, Supreme Deity)
bhûhû - earth, the physical world
bhuvaha - astral/desire/breath, the world of becoming
suvaha - mental, the world of thinking
Long Invocation:
As with the shorter version, this invocation is a recognition that there are many worlds, all empowered by the nameless, formless, birthless, deathless which is symbolized by om.... om is everything.
These seven lines of the long invocation are the seven lokas, or planes, of existence, and are used not only to recognize and honor the planes of existence, but also to call the presiding deities of those planes to aid in our transformation and realization:
om bhûhû
om bhuvaha
om suvaha
om mahaha
om janaha
om tapaha
om satyaM
mahaha - causal, silent mind, the world of emotion
janaha - world of creative generation
tapaha - world of intuition
satyaM - world of Absolute Truth
This recital of the lokas begins with the gross, physical world filled with separation and differences and then each, in sequence, becomes more refined, more transcendent, more unified, more all-encompassing.
The recitation of the lokas, done with intent and clarity, prepares one for the chanting of the Gâyatrî Mantra by harmonizing and attuning one with all the worlds.
Body of the Gâyatrî Mantra:
The body of the Gâyatrî Mantra is written as:
tat - that (referring to Savitri, Paramatma, God)
savitur - Savitri, the Spiritual Sun (that from which all is born), the One Light, the all-pervading Consciousness
vareNyaM - most excellent, adorable, fit to be worshipped, venerable, worthy of being sought
bhargo - radiance, effulgence, splendor (the light that bestows understanding)
devasya - divine, of the deity
dhîmahi - we meditate upon... or may we meditate upon, reflect upon, be devoted to
dhiyo - prayer, noble thoughts, intuition, understanding of Reality (buddhis)
yo - he who, the one who
nah - our, of us
prachodayât - may he energize, direct, inspire, guide, unfold... or he who energizes, directs, inspires, guides, unfolds
Short Closing:
bhûr bhuvas suvar om
This simple closing phrase is magnificent, and is a powerful meditation all by itself, a joyous and humbling panoramic sweep from the initial earthy, lower chakra "bh" sound gradually becoming ever finer, transcending all the worlds, and culminating in the nameless, formless essence.
Create your own unique rendering:
Armed with the definitions of the Sanskrit words and your own unique insight into what the mantra means for you (which may change over time), it may be very useful to write your own personal rendering of the meaning of the mantra.
