the essence of the Vedas – the Gayatri Mantra

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥá savitúr váreṇiyaṃ bhárgo devásya dhīmahi dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyath

the essence of the Vedas – the Gayatri

The Gayatri mantra is one of the most beautiful and powerful mantras. It seems magical and mysterious at the same time, as it was previously inaccessible to most Hindus. It was a well-kept secret of the Brahmins. It was also not sung loudly, the Gayatri was a prayer of light that was directed inwards. It was handed over from the master to the disciple in a solemn ceremony. How old will it be? The Gayatri mantra is said to have been recited for many centuries or even millennia before it was first mentioned in writing in the Rig Vedas about 3,000 years ago. In it lies the core message of all Vedas, if you have really understood the Gayatri, then you will also know what the Vedas mean. The Gayatri is the essence of all Vedas and isn't it nice that we are allowed to chant this mantra worldwide today and be part of a devotional vibration that has been spreading through the universe for thousands of years?

I am walking on the beach,

reciting the my beloved all-encompassing mantra,

little rippling waves are coming in,

little rippling waves are coming in

and yet they leave little mirrors in the sand.

A moment like a poetry.

Sinking deep in the sky-tree-reflected wetness in the sand.

Seagulls call through the sky.

The light of the sun disappears behind the dark silhouette of mountains,

in yellow, in orange, in red, in purple

in the sky,

in the water.

Reflection of my soul.

I meditate upon the effulgence, the divine light of the existence,

I meditate in the light of the setting sun, the goddess Savitur,

I meditate in the light of the mother of all Vedas, Gayatri,

this light, which illumines all realms, my physical, my mental and my spiritual.

I feel the colourful energy of Gayatri … deep inside me.

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥá savitúr váreṇiyaṃ bhárgo devásya dhīmahi dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyath

It's been 23 years since Deva Premal came into my life ... as a sound, the sound of cosmic light. I heard her voice, no, it was more the scent of her soul that came to me in a sound. It was love at first "note". I heard her sing the Gayatri and felt a deep connection. Connectedness with Deva Premal and of course Miten, especially because they chanted the mantras in a form that I could chant myself. Yes, suddenly I discovered in myself that there was a musical voice after all. Before, mantras were something very traditional for me, but with them came so much ease into this old tradition. And the Gayatri in particular meant so much to me because it embodies the living cosmos of my former (soul) hOMe Bali. Since then the Gayatri has been with me all day. I recite it traditionally, sing it, write it and feel it. I sing it in so different ways, alive like life. It lives in me, awakened by Deva Premal and Miten. And I am so grateful to them for that!

I recite it at sunrise, when the sun is at its highest point on the arc of the day and when the sun sets on the horizon. These are three magical moments during the day and through the Gayatri I become particularly aware of this divine energy. These three times are called Sandhya in Hinduism. Sandhya means something like transition moment. On the one hand there are dawn and dusk, i.e. the connection between day and night - the time when there are neither stars nor sun. On the other hand, it is the transition to the other half of the day at noon. The mantra is called Gayatri, but basically it is dedicated to Gayatri only in the morning. At noon, however, the Gayatri mantra is dedicated to the goddess Savitri and in the evening Saraswati. Gayatri appears to us as a white, Savitri as a red and Sarasvati as a dark blue light. Gayatri is the master of the senses. Savitri is the master of the life force-prana. Saraswati is the deity of speech. Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati – purity in thought, action and word.

These are three aspects, three colors, three feminine energies, but united in Gayatri himself, united in us. Gayatri is not just a light, a goddess, a feeling - Gayatri is not an external phenomenon, Gayatri lives deep within us!

in the morning light by GAYATRI

Dawn in the morning is something very special. I like to be aware of it. It is participating in a “little birth”, the “birth” of the day. So many birds are starting to sing and they don't sing because they see the sun, but it seems more like a calling! I also sing my song, inside. Inwardly, because I feel that in this way the light is awakening within myself.

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAHA …

“I have captured the light of the morning sun for you

with the Gayatri mantra,

when it rose on the horizon from the vast ocean of being

with one of my singing bowls.

I wanted you to be part of this divine awakening.

It shined through the threefold existence

of my body, my life energy and my mind.

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAHA TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT

my singing bowl began to vibrate, as my body already done.

the reception of the white, purifying, divine light

inspired me all day,

and I would like to share it with you and the world

by playing again the singing bowl and reciting the mantra….

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAHA TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT”

(my little morning-prayer for summer solstice 2021 in my beloved Gayatri OMline APPshram)

The word Sandhyā not only means transition, but also certain religious practices are connected with it. Of course, I am not a brahmin, nor a traditional sannyasin. I am a sannyasin with the freedom that my beloved Guruji Osho has given me to do what comes from my heart. And yet I still feel so inspired by the traditional sadhanas and rituals that I found my own way with them. It is such a gift for me, so I really want to share it with you.

Sandhyavandanam in the morning

I start the day with the Ganapati-Moola-Mantra (look on the Ganesha Mantra page). It gives me the strength to face all obstacles with courage and ideas. It clears my path, also in terms of mantra practice and all other sadhanas during the day.

Then the meditative cleansing begins. Not just the usual body wash. According to Ayurveda, I also clean the nose (neti) and the tongue. I always recite a mantra to honor the water, which is also part of the divine. I mostly recite the mantras internally. Reciting out loud costs me a lot of energy and often I can no longer speak afterwards. Interestingly, I have read that this corresponds exactly to my constitution from an Ayurvedic point of view. Full of love and humility, I also splash some water towards the sun. It all happens in a state of prayer.

After cleaning, I go to my sacred room. I greet my surroundings with devotion with the sound of the universe OM and a couple of singing bowls. On the yoga mat I start with the Shiva Namaskar, Surya Namaskar and a few other asanas. I do this just to be able to sit in meditation more easily afterwards. In principle, it's like our fur gurus - they also stretch before they start something!

After I sit in my meditation place. My sacred room is a temple with altars for the various aspects of the divine. But that's not that important. When I'm on vacation, I keep feeling that even a small "makeshift meditation space” is just as sacred. The only important thing is: The meditation place should face east towards the sun in the morning. Make a beautiful temple out of your meditation place, because you are inviting the divine! Light a candle and incense, add a living plant and a flower plucked full of prayer. And a book that is sacred to you, for me it is Osho's morning meditation book. Traditionally it is of course the Vedas or Bhagavad Gita. Put a prayer shawl over your left shoulder and bring it under your right arm. I also always have a couple of my singing bowls and cymbals around me.

Time for a moment of silence.

With the five-fold sound of a cymbal I honor the five elements of life: earth, water, air, fire and ether.

Then follows a short pranayama sadhana (Nadi Shodhana), this helps me to breathe in a better way.

Now the core of the morning ritual begins:

the Gayatri meditation

The Gayatri mantra consists of four parts.

1. OM /AUM

2. the higher worlds or planes of existence (Vyahritis)

3. the actual Gayatri mantra

4. the peace greeting

1.AUM is Brahman, the Absolute, the Divine. These are the three sounds which, together with the Anusvara become OM (Anusvara is the sound that makes everything vibrate, releasing the effect). AUM is the source of all mantras, the sound of the universe. AUM is a sound that resounds out of itself and permeates the whole. In deepest meditation you will hear it. But you have to be very quiet. No thought, nothing. Just emptiness.

AUM and the Anusvara symbolize:

A: Brahman, the Creator, the awake consciousness (That is, if you remain conscious while awake).

U: Vishnu, the sustainer, the dream consciousness, so even if you can be aware in your dreams, and I know: I'm not the dream.

M: Shiva, the destroyer, the Deep Sleep Awareness, so even if you stay conscious during sleep.

Anusvara: It is the state of consciousness of silence. You become pure consciousness. You dissolve yourself in the whole. With the "whole" I mean the divine, God, existence, ...

2. Traditionally only three "Vyahritis" are prefixed to Gayatri: Bhur, Bhuvah and Svaha. But there are seven higher worlds (Sapta Urdhvaloka)

Bhur - The Earth/ Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Bhuvah - The planets, stars and the space between the sun and earth/ Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)

Svaha - the plain between the sun and the pole star/ Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

Maha - This is the abode of the great sages and rishis/ Heart Chakra (Anahata)

Janaha - The abode of the sons of Brahma and the kingdom associated with inner truth and understanding/ Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Tapaha - This is the home of the four Kumar and the immortal ascetics/ Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

Satyam- This is the highest Vyahriti and the level of highest consciousness where freedom from the cycle of rebirth occurs/ Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

Do you remember? Exactly, this is the first part of the Seven Chakra Gayatri mantra. I love this version. Especially in the morning I think it's nice when I activate all chakras and also call on all worlds/ planes of existence. When chanting the Seven Chakra Mantra, the respective Vyahriti is preceded by an OM.

3. The Gayatri mantra has 24 syllables.

1.tat, 2.sa, 3.vi, 4.tur, 5.va, 6.re, 7.n(i), 8.yam, 9.bhar, 10.go, 11.de, 12.va, 13.sya, 14.dhi, 15.ma, 16.hi, 17.dhi, 18.yo, 19.yo, 20.nah, 21.pra, 22.co 23.da und 24.yat.

Every syllable has a meaning and a certain energy of God "dwells" in every syllable. There are very different versions that I will explain to you at another point. During the Gayatri mudras the syllables are slightly different:

1.bhur, 2. bhu, 3. va, 4. su, 5. va, 6. ha, 7. tatsa, 8. vi, 9. tur, 10. va, 11. ren, 12. yam, 13.bhargo, 14. dev, 15. sya, 16. dhi, 17. mahi, 18. diyo, 19. yo, 20. na, 21.pra, 22. cho, 23. daya, 24 ta

Sanskrit texts are difficult to translate literally. Sri Aurobindo once described meaning of the Gayatri as follows:

"We choose the Supreme Light of the divine Sun; we aspire that it may impel our minds."

"The Sun is the symbol of divine Light that is coming down

and Gayatri gives expression to the aspiration asking that divine Light

to come down and give impulsion to all the activities of the mind."

The Gayatri is full of poetry, history and meanings. I will tell you about it from time to time. It's a "growing" website!

4. “OM Shanti Shanti Shantihi”

It's an invocation of peace. In the Hindu tradition you chant “shanti” three times to represent peace in body, speech, and mind.

I don't start the Gayatri by reciting the mantra, but with a mahamudra cycle. It consists of 24 mudras that are used before the Gayatri. And 8 more after the Gayatri.

I describe the mudras on another page. Press the button and click on the photo.

Reciting the Gayatri with mudras is one possibility. I have another one for you: As already briefly mentioned, I also like to use the Seven Chakra Gayatri Mantra in the morning, i.e. the long version of the Gayatri and you can support it with Kriyas. Unlike the mudras, they are done only with the right hand and very easy to learn. I will explain it to you below with the meaning of the Seven Chakra Gayatri!

During the Gayatri-Japa I have my hands in a receiving position. I do it 27 times (1/4 mala), 54 times (1/2 mala), one cycle (108 times) or even more, it depends on the day.

I was once told that the Gayatri cannot work without the Mudras. But everyone has to find out for themselves whether this is true.

The conclusion is formed by the mantra, which is considered the fruit of Bhraman-Japa:

Om tat sat brahmārpaṇam astu

Then I play a singing bowl and go into meditation with the vibration. I end the silence with a cymbal and read a section in Osho's morning meditation book. This can of course also be any other holy book for you. I take his words with me into the day. The sound of a real Balinese priest bell (Ghanta) and the following mantra ends my seated Sandhyavandam.

Hari Om Tat Sat Tat Tvam Asi

Hari Om Tat Sat is used to awaken practitioners to the true or higher self, beyond the physical body.

Tat Tvam Asi means You Are That, You Are Brahman, the highest Self.

May our hearts be interconnected and aware that we are part of a cosmic whole.

May we contribute something together to the Cosmic Whole!

I bow in all four directions with the Namaskar mudra and start the day with joy.

I have a very beautiful, very large singing bowl with the five Dhyan Buddhas, with their Buddhist paradises that point in all directions. I always use this at the end. The deep sound vibrates throughout the room!

Wow, that wasn't that easy to write down. For me it's a natural morning ritual and it's not difficult at all. But it is very difficult to put into words!

the Seven Chakra Gayatri Mantra meditation with kriyas

I love the longer version of the Gayatri mantra, also called the Seven Chakra Gayatri mantra. It's so beautiful to sing. There is something very sacred about it, especially as it is sung by Deva Premal. Just wonderful.

The longer Gayatri also plays a role in the Sandhyavandanam ceremony. With the Gayatri Mantra Kriyas you can activate the chakras and the Lokas (planes of being or existence) in your consciousness. In this case, "Kriyas" are hand movements that purify and set your spiritual energy centers in motion. They are performed with the right hand. The left hand rests on your left knee while you sit in the meditation position. Both hands are open upwards, i.e. receiving. The Gayatri-Mantra-Kriyas connect you with your soul (atman).

I always start a mantra with a Namaste (Anjali mudra). I greet the divine in everything that is, in me and of course in the Gayatri mantra. And how much divinity there is in these heavenly words. Imagine any deity, imagine any mantra - it lives in Gayatri!

Recite the long Gayatri mantra at least three times with the kriyas, then recite the long or short Gayatri mantra at least ten times without the kriyas. Finally, recite it again with the kriyas and stay in the third eye.

But you can also combine it with the Gayatri Mudras. Start by reciting the long Gayatri with the kriyas, then celebrate the syllables of the Gayatri with the mudras. This is followed by the Gayatri cycle (1/4, ½ or the whole with 108) and the conclusion is then again the long Gayatri with the Kriyas. So and here I explain the kriyas to you. They are really easy to learn ... click on the button or photo!

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥá savitúr váreṇiyaṃ bhárgo devásya dhīmahi dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyath

sunrise on Bali Island

Awakening after the dark of the night.

Dawn- Sandhya, this auspicious time between darkness and light.

The scent of the incense sticks is in the air.

A priest's bell in the distance.

Small offering bowls with flowers,

in temples, on crossings, paths, house altars, on the beach.

The atmosphere is permeated with divine prayer.

In prayer, facing east to greet the day.

With an open mind to everything that comes.

I am open to the divine that manifests itself in everything worldly.

With all of my senses.

I see the rising sun on the horizon,

The eye of the day, “Matahari”, with the eternal hymn.

My spiritual heart receives the Gayatri mantra,

which winds infinitely through the entire universe,

bringing light, peace and divine wisdom,

for all that is alive the nature, the plants, the animals, the people.

It permeates all elements of being

the earth, the water, the air, the fire, the ether.

OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAHA TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHIMAHI DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT

I meditate upon the effulgence, the divine light of the existence,

I meditate in the light of the rising sun,

I meditate in the light of the master of the senses,

I meditate in the light of the mother of all Vedas,

GAYATRI

this light, which illumines all realms, my physical, my mental and my spiritual.

I feel the energy, the fire of Gayatri … deep inside me.

I will tell you a lot more about the Gayatri mantra in the near future. The story of how it came into our world. The different meanings. Rituals at noon and in the evening. And much more!