Gayatri Mantra and its significance

Om Bhur Buvaha Svaha
Tat Savithur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayath

You must have heard it everywhere, pujas, school prayers, temples etc. It is a part of life for a Hinduism follower and has an important part to play in Hinduism. It is advised to chant Gayatri Mantra at least three times a day- at dawn, mid-day and after sunset. It is said that it brings positivity and prosperity to one's life.

We know that Gayatri mantra provides happiness and positivity, what we don't know is the imortance of some words that were taught by our elders. It is said that the Rishis were responsible for framing the Manntra in such a way that not only it conveyed a meaning to the masses but also, it created specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. Chanting of Gayatri Mantra removes all obstacles in our path to wisdom, spiritual growth and development.

It is said that the way the syllables of the mantra are arranged there is a positive affect on all the chakras or energy centres in the human body - hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important. Sathya Sai Baba believes that the Gayatri Mantra "will protect you from harm wherever you are, make your intellect shine, improve your power of speech, and dispel the darkness of ignorance (Dhiyoyonah prachodayaath)".

The Gayatri Mantra has a unique place in Hinduism as it has the power of a mantra and prayer in one. A mantra has an inherent power, known as "Mantra shakti", which affects the person uttering it, not just because the message or prayer it depicts but also the way it is said and the certain formations of some sounds together. Gayatri mantra has both an intrinsic power (ie "mantra shakti"), through its mere utterance alone, and also an instrumental power (ie "prarthana shakti"), which is derived from the understanding of its meaning and philosophical significance. Therefore, the repeated and correct chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, with an understanding of its meaning, is believed to be of the greatest good to the individual.

Gayatri Matra as a prayer takes various forms and is also known as the Savitri Mantra, in which form, it is invoked as a salutation to the Sun. Gayatri mantra in form of Rudra Gayatri is the form used to worship Lord Shiva. Similarly, To worship Lord Ganesha the Ganesha Gayatri is used, Hanuman Gayatri for Lord Hanuman and Saraswati Gayatri for Goddess Saraswati.

We can say that Gayatri matnra is a one strong way to pray to God and at the same time bringing peace serenity in one's life by just the utterance of the magical text.