Sunday, October 29, 2006

The Sceintific meaning of Gayatri Mantra

The proper site from where I got this is http://www.adwaitjoshi.com/gayatrimantra.php . However, I have added a bit more of explanation from my angle in the end.

A while back I got an article in mail which had the scientific meaning of Gayatri Mantra. Gayatri Mantra is supposed to provide immense energy. Women were not supposed to enchant this since they were already considered an epitome of energy. But in Kaliyug soul has no gender and hence women can enchant this mantra.

Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Veda-Mata, the mother of the Vedas. The literal meaning of the mantra is:

God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty.
You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss.
You are Destroyer of fear; You are Creator of this Universe,
You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon your light.
You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific import too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun.

Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic centre in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 miles per second. And now the alternative scientific meaning of the mantra step-by-step:

Om bhur bhuvah swah:
Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second.
This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it too their colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever-revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam Brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om, which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-Brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy= 1/2MV2 (Newton’s second law) and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or storehouse of energy (prana).

Tat savitur varenyam:
Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person. Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars).
A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under.

Bhargo devasya dheemahi:
Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The Rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do Japam of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra) . This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under.

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat:
Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path.

Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra:
The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om, (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing / respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our (nah) intellect (dhiyo).

So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:-

1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x velocity)

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM, the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., amen(in Christianity) and Ameen(in Islam).

3) The God could be realized through the saguna (gross), upasana (method), i.e.,
(a) by chanting the name of the supreme as OM and
(b) by meditating upon the light emitted by stars (suns).

My Further analysis:
As we all know, Sound is a longitudinal wave and thus cant be created in the absence of matter (i.e. air or water) or in just Vacuum. So, what exactly did sage VishwaMitra hear?
My answer goes like this: Each object having any mass has a particular and unique resonant frequency. It is at this frequency at which the object will vibrate when force is applied on it. When the resonant frequency of 2 bodies close to each other match then vibration in one will cause vibration in the other too. This will cause efficient transfer of energy from the vibrating body to the inert one. This applies to the earth, Sun and the Milky Way Galaxy and any other thing, which has mass. But still no sound unless there is matter.

Stephen Hawking wrote in his “Brief History of Time”; when the Big bang theory is analyzed taking into consideration Einstein’s theory of relativity and the diminishing Doppler shift observed by Edwin Hubble; it can be understood that 95% of the mass of the Universe is filled with what scientists call ‘Dark Matter’. It’s the remaining 5% mass that composes the all the stars and galaxies. This also explains the diminishing speed of expansion after the Big bang. This matter is called ‘Dark’ since its presence and effect on all other observable bodies such as stars and galaxies through gravity and the Strong Nuclear force (2 out of the 4 forces defined by Einstein) can be observed. Yet we haven’t been able to directly detect the presence of this matter.
My understanding is that when Vishwamitra’s mind reached the frequency of resonance of the Milky way, he was able to hear the vibrations made by it in the presence of the otherwise undetectable ‘Dark’ Matter. In this equilibrium he then acts as the receiver of energy from the Milky Way. He then declared that it was these vibrations that he felt physically (not through ears) and mentally as the sound of ‘OM’(that’s why it has only one syllable) . That is why he asks as to pray for the lights of the Stars (Suns or Savitur) and the Sound of OM(we have to try reaching that resonant frequency to receive the energy). No wonder Gayatri Mantra is declared as the giver of immense energy (Energy of 100,000 Suns-greater than any nuclear bomb).
Here, there is a beautiful demonstration of the unification of in depth physics, mathematics and spirituality into one form. The form of the formless God.

Gayatri (Sanskrit: gāyatrī) is the feminine form of gāyatra, a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. It can be:-
• The name of a Vedic poetic meter of 24 syllables (three lines of eight syllables each or 3 padas of 8 syllables ), see Vedic meter.
• Any hymn composed in this meter.
This is just the Tip of the IceBerg. Let there be light.

The Vedic scriptures have pronounced that
ANY PERSON WITHOUT SHUKRANU IS BARRED FROM RECITING THE GAYATRI MANTRA. What is Shukranu in a person ? Shukranu is the Karaka tatva of Shukra & Swatva in a Human being , whose grossest form in the Human Body is what Science terms as Sperms in a Male body AND Eggs in a Female body.
Any person devoid of these ( i.e EUNUCHS ) are barred from reciting this mantra.

Women and Gayatri mantra -- Always allowed.
Nice writeup on Scientific meaning of Gayatri mantra, except for the Women NOt allowed part. Read this.
Q. Are women entitled to take up Gayatri Sadhana?
Ans. For countering the oft-repeated arguments against women’s right to Gayatri worship, let us try to understand the basic principles of ancient Indian culture. It propounds a global religion, for the entire humanity. Nowhere does it support the illogical inequalities based on differentiation of caste, sex etc.
The code of conduct in Hindu religion assigns equality of status to all human beings in all respects with unity and compassion as its basic tenets. Thus, the abridgement of natural human civil and religious rights of women is, therefore, not in conformity with authentic Indian spiritual tradition. On the contrary, Hindu culture regards the female of human species as superior to its male counterpart. How could then the wise sages of India deprive the women of practice of Gayatri Sadhana? The spirit of Indian ethos is totally against any such discrimination. Gayatri is accessible to every individual of human species. Any thought or belief contrary to this concept is sheer nonsense and should not be given any importance.
Q. What are the basic reasons for the antiwomen stance of some sects in India?
Ans. During the medieval period there occurred overall degeneration and corruption in Indian society. Resources and power were usurped by a handful of corrupt rulers who ruthlessly exploited the poor and the downtrodden to fulfil their coffers and maintain a high style of living. It was the period of high tideof corrupt practices. Bonded labour, keeping concubines, abduction, feudal wars, mass-murders and so many other vices took deep roots in the society. The scholars dependent on the feudal lords were force, or to write and insert spurious verses in the ancient scriptures to please their masters .Women, too, could not escape this oppression.

"Hindu culture regards the female of human species as superior to its male counterpart." Very true indeed since are bestowed with the power and will not just to create but to nurture life after creation till it can stand byitself. Thus as I mentioned Women were not supposed to enchant the gayathri manthra since they were already considered an epitome of energy. But in Kaliyug, soul has no gender and hence women can enchant this mantra. We(men) are supposed to be at the receiving end of energy from them. Thats why "gāyatra", a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn is taken in its the feminine form Gayatri. Its obvious that the sages cant deprive women of this sadhana since in Hinduism Women themselves can be sages. Thats why the word "Rishi" the sanskrit word for sage, doent have any gender. It only means "wise being" or "the ultimate self". In the Rig Veda hymn 10.121,the source of "all powers and existences, divine as well as earthly,"is identified as a golden embryo (hiranyagarba),but it is water which "gave birth to worship".And in hymn 10.129,creation begins with emptiness taking the shape of an egg and then,"through heat and desire, the One evolves and somehow becomes a creative duality,male and female." These two hymns contain the concerns of Hindu philosophical fertility:heat and desire,duality,water and other facillitators of birth.Goddesses are not only strongly associated with but often personify and embody the forces of nature,or prakrti.In the Devi-mahatmya,Devi is called "the supreme,original,untransformed prakrti,"and Ganga Mata is both "Nature (prakrti) supreme" and the embodiment of sakti(energy),specifically "the creative energy that generates and continues to activate the universe."

Please dont confuse this topic with Women's rights among Hindus. That is a totally diffrent line and would be diverting the topic. We must 1st undersatnd what is said before countering it.


As you are into Gayatri Mantra, you should NOT miss the
Greatest Resource on Gayatri Mantra on Earth

www.awgp.org and www.akhandjyoti. org are great resources for books, articles, audio lectures and web based vidoes on Gayatri mantra.

The website is of All World Gayatri Parivar, whose Founder was Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, who has made Gayatri a Household name all over the world.

Books in English: http://www.awgp. org/gamma/ LiteratureEnglis h
- Gayatri Sadhana- why and how?
-Gayatri Sadhana- Truth and distortions
- Super Science of Gayatri
- Eternity of Sound and Science of Manta

Article: The Meaning of Gayatri Mantra Encompasses the Teachings of
All Religions
http://www.awgp. org/gamma/ GayatriAndYagnaG ayatriMantra

Vidoes:




Super Science of Gayatri In English (4 minutes 49 seconds)
http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=-279365096 3730274216

Gayatri MahaVidya Video Lecture in Hindi (58 minutes 10 seconds) (The Greatest Mantra of all ages and all times, Gayatri Mantra. The Super Science of Gayatri being explained by Adarniya Dr. Pranav Pandya.)

http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=1046779328 614882965

Gayatri Mantraki Vyakha ( Audio Lectures in Hindi by Pt. Shri Ram
Sharma Acharya)
http://www.awgp. org/gamma/ AudioGurudev


Books in Hindi: http://www.awgp. org/gamma/ LiteratureHindi
- Gayatri ka Vaigyanik Adhar
- Gayatri ka Shakti strot- Savita Devta

Books in Gujarati: http://www.awgp. org/gamma/ LiteratureGujara ti
-Gayatri Mahvigyan

24 comments:

Unknown said...

"I truly believe in Veda And Its relation with science but i get often confused by om's pronunciation...its "oooo..m" aur "aaaooom...?"
In few editions of vedas its pronunciation is aaaooom...
Pls guide...

Anonymous said...

hi,
m glad 2 hv come across a post n gayatri & dat too by a young person.personally , i don like viewing spirituality thru de lense of science , yet i shld say dis ws a good read.
came across ur blog while i ws searching 4 info on punchlines.thnkx . it is
surely f grt help as i m preparing 4 a biz quiz.
btwn , r u a sai devotee..?
& hey i thnk ' women enchanted ' is not right, iant it women chanting. enchanting hs gt a different meaning, is m nt wrong.

rd said...

HELLO.....i'm so interested in your blog
i bookmarked it
i'm searching for the article about gayatri mantram and i found it in this blog
so helpful
thank you so much

Nishant Kashyap said...

First of all thanks for such a detailed description of Gayatri Mantra.

I have only doubt,that we know that sound cannot travel in vacuum.
then how come the sound of OM got generated in universe.?

Hari said...

The exalted Gayatri mantra needs to be chanted in the spirit of a baby seeking her mother's milk. Just as the baby is wholly dependent to her mother, so are we all entirely dependent for our energy and sustenance and our life itself to the One Supreme power, which we call Gayatri. Through the mantra, we seek, in addition to energy for life, also divine wisdom to enable us make best use of our circumstances in life.

Sainath said...

@divyani: please check http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/om

@fathoming, blide: thanks for the compliments

@Nishant :a well asked Question, OM is a divine sound which knows no barriers (Either man made or natural) !

@Hari : thanks !

Venkatasubramanian said...

Namaste
I just went through this post. Good. I will need more time to go in depth. Just a correction. Viswamitra Rishi cognized the Gayatri alone. He did not cognize the 'Om' sound.

Rigveda starts with 'Om' and Viswamitra was a later Rishi- not one of the first.

Venkat

Unknown said...

Nice review. Gayatri mantra can truly work miracles

Sainath said...

@Venkatasubramanian: thanks for the correction
@Siddhartha: Thank you.

Live News said...

HELLO.....i'm so interested in your blog
i bookmarked it
i'm searching for the article about gayatri mantram and i found it in this blog
so helpful
thank you so much
i am from vijayawada AP i want to contact you over phone . My phone number 9160656666. gmvijayawada@gmail.com.

blabber said...

This was a good read...may god bless you always and the transcendental frequencies of Vedas mantra's glory may rise again leading the mankind to the age of superior technologies, calming everyone down with spiritual sense. I strongly believe that we already were at that peak but some how lost it in the cycle of time and karma. May we can feel those glory and superiority of our very past again and soon enough in our life time... :)

PLEASE GOD LISTEN TO US AND SHOW US THE PATH TO ENRICH OUR LIFE AGAIN, SAVE US FROM BEING MATERIALISTIC BY SHOWING YOUR MERCY THAT TECHNOLOGY IS NOT A PATH TOWARD MATERIALISM, ITS THE BY-PRODUCT OF SPIRITUALITY AND THAT CAN REALLY GIVE US A SUPER SENSE OF THE UNIVERSE AND OUR BELONGING IN IT.

Sainath said...

@Liveenews: please drop me a mail at blog@bajarangs.com
@Blabber: Thank you, i do agree with your views.

puvanesvaran ganesan said...

I gained a lot by going through your indepth writting. There could be some shortcomings here and there but no worries.....that's the beauty of Sanadana Dharma. "The More You Know, The More May You Know That There Is More To Know ". I LOVE MY RELIGION.

puvanesvaran ganesan said...

I certainly did gain a lot of knowledge by going through your indepth explanation on this subject matter. There may be shortcomings here and there, to me it's fine. Thats The Sublime Beauty of SANADANA DHARMA..." The More You Know The More May You Know That That There Is More To Know ". Keep up your noble and divine effort to enrich the Hindus all over the world seeking spiritual knowledge. To me personally people like you are the RISHI's of today. I love my religion and i salute you.

puvanesvaran ganesan said...

I certainly did gain a lot of knowledge by going through your indepth explanation on this subject matter. There may be shortcomings here and there, to me it's fine. Thats The Sublime Beauty of SANADANA DHARMA..." The More You Know The More May You Know That That There Is More To Know ". Keep up your noble and divine effort to enrich the Hindus all over the world seeking spiritual knowledge. To me personally people like you are the RISHI's of today. I love my religion and i salute you.

Uv said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Uv said...

Thanks. Was insightful.

Ramachandra Acharya said...

GAYATRI MANTRA IS A MUKTHA MANTRA - I.E. UNRESTRICTED - & CAN B CHANTED BY ANYBODY , EVEN WITHOUT INITIATION. THE ONLY IMPORTANT PREREQUISITE IS ACCURACY IN PRONOUNCIATION.

REASON : REGULAR CHANTING WILL EVOKE ENERGY OF "OM" INTO PHYSICAL ORGANS OF THE BODY - IMPROPER CHANTING/PRONOUNCIATION CAUSES THIS ENERGY TO BE DIRECTED/DISTRIBUTED IN BODY ORGANS IN AN UNHEALTHY MANNER. THE INVOCATION OF THIS ENERGY HAS TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE MAJOR FOCI OF ENERGY (CHAKRAS IN THANTRA VIDYA) AND WITH THE VATHA-PITHA - KAPHA BALANCE OF THE BODY (AYURVEDA). ELSE UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS ARE BOUND TO ARISE.

THE PRACTICE OF ARGHYA PRADANA - OFFERRING OF WATER BY WAY OF OBLATION TO THE SUN GOD- WHILE CHANTING GAYATRI MANTRA- CAN B TRIED VISUALIZING ONESELF INSIDE THE RISING SUN - THIS LEADS TO A HARMONIOUS ENERGISATION OF THE BODY- THE ENTIRE BODY WILL EXPERIENCE A NOURSIHING IMMERSION IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE AT CELLULAR LEVEL OF THE BODY - A HEALING INFLOW OF SUN'S "BHARGA".

THE MANTHRA IS ALSO MUKTHA OR FREE IN THE MEANING THE SAME MANTHRA CAN B MODIFIED TO INVOKE THE "BHARGA" OF ANY OTHER DEITY - OR STAR (27 STARS ACCORDING TO INDIAN ASTROLOGICAL PRACTICES) - ONE'S FAMILY DEITY OR ONE'S ISHTA DEVATHA.

EG : OM BHUH BHUVAHA SWAHA
EG : TAT "DURGAYAHA" VARENYAM BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI DHIYAH YAHA NAHA PRACHODAYAT.

THE WORD "DEVASYA" IN THE GAYATRI MANTHRA REFERS TO THE DIVINE WITHIN THE PERSON CHANTING, - WHO IS REFERRED ALSO AS ANTARYAMI PARAMATHMA / CONSCIENCE/BRAHMA. THRU THE MANTHRA WE INVOKE THE ENERGY / LIGHT OF SAVITHR OR ANY OTHER DEITY TO WHOM THE MANTHRA IS CHANTED - PRAYING THAT SUCH DEITY'S BHARGA MAY INSPIRE/NOURISH THE DIVINE WITHIN US - WHICH IN TURN MAY INSPIRE/NOURISH OUR INTELLECT OR DHEEH.

THIS ALSO MEANS WE SHOULD NOT BE GUIDED BY THE MIND - BUT ONLY BY THE INTELLECT, WHICH IN TURN SHOULD BE ALWAYS NOURISHED AND STRENGTHENED BY THE DIVINE CONSCIENCE WITHIN US - BY CHANTING THE GAYATHRI MANTHRA FOR INVOKING THE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS + COSMIC ENERGY PERCEPTIBLE IN THE FORM / SOUND OF "OM".

THE FULL FORM OF A GAYATHRI MANTHRA WOULD B--
"OM BHUH BHUVAH SWAHA"
"TAT SAVITHUH VARENYAM BHARGAH"
"DEVASYA (i.e.one's deity's) DHEEM AHI PRACHODAYAT";
"YAHA(i.e.which deity) NAHA DHIYA PRACHODYAT".

"AHI" MEANS DURING DAYTIME OR IN AWAKENEED STATE - I.E. WHEN A PERSON IS IN A STATE OF ACTION.
IN SHORT THE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS & COSMIC ENERGY ARE INVOKED TO INSPIRE /NOURISH THE DEITY A PERSON BELEIVES IN , SO THAT SUCH DEITY IN TURN GUIDES OUR INTELLECT, SIDE -STEPPING THE MIND, TO ACT IN HARMONY WITH THE COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS/COSMIC ENERGY , AT ALL TIMES.

WHAT IF A PERSON DOES NOT BELEIVE IN ANY DEITY/GOD ? EVEN OUR UPANISHADS PROVIDE SCOPE FOR AN ATHEIST.

ONE WHO DOES NOT BELEIVE IN ANY DEITY, CAN GET THE SAME RESULTS, BY CHANTING A MODIFIED MANTHRA SUITED TO HIS CONSCIENCE, AS BELOW :
"OM BHUH BHUVAH SWAHA"
"TAT SAVITHUH VARENYAM BHARGO "
"MAMA ( i.e. my) DHEEM AHI PRACHODAYAT".

An athiest & also one who is clearly conscious that he is part of the divine, can invoke the consmic energy / cosmic consciousness to nourish his intellect by chanting GAYATHRI MANTHRA modified as above.

- acharya.s.k.r@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Many youngsters fall in love and they lost their love for many reasons and disturb from our life many are trying attempt to suicide but not used a solution We can take help of astrologer to solve our problems they used many techniques
vashikaran mantra in hindi for women

Sri Ramadutha Swamy said...

excellent post, great work.
please read gayatri mantra telugu with meaning link below.
GayatriMantrainTelugu

Unknown said...

thanks for beginning of my life from know, my life becomes purified and I glows in my life.

very very happy in finding this information

Inder Jit Gupta said...

Gayatri Mantra is the most important in the Hindu Scriptures. It was revealed to Rishi Vishwamitra (friend of the world). Mantra embraces the significance of the Universe and human conscience. Everybody has the right to recite this mantra. May everyone flourish and prosper is the essence of this mantra. We bow to brahamrishi Vishwamitra for this unique gift to mankind.

Rishi Aacharya said...

There is also a beautiful site on this subject www.gayatrimantrascience.in/ Please check the same too

Unknown said...

gayathri mantra is very powerful mantra.. every morning it will rejuvenate our strength and mind
to download this mantra in handy app use Mangaldeep ..
goo.gl/OaGR9Y