Gayatri Maa

Gayatri Jayanti is believed to be the day when Sage Vishwamitra first uttered Gayatri Mantra. Gayatri Jayanti 2010 date is June 22. It is observed on the 11 day of the Jyeshta month – the Jyeshta Shukla Paksha Ekadasi day. Some people also believed that Goddess Gayatri, who is worshipped as Veda Mata (The Mother of Vedas), appeared on the earth on the day.

(Gayatri Mantra is the Mother of all the 4 Vedas.)

Symbolically, the day celebrates Goddess Gayatri’s appearance in the form of knowledge to remove the ignorance. This knowledge was shared to the world by Sage Vishwamitra.

Goddess Gayatri worship is more of a community affair. Groups of people who are worshippers of Goddess Gayatri gather in a place and offer prayers and pujas under the leadership of a Guru or an elderly person. Chanting of Gayatri mantra is also held on the day.

The Gayatri Mantra is first recorded in the Rig Veda (iii, 62, 10) which was written in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago, and by some reports, the mantra may have been chanted for many generations before that. Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered mantra in Hinduism, second only to the mantra Om. Since all the other three Vedas contain much material rearranged from the Rig Veda, the Gayatri mantra is found in all the four Vedas. The deva invoked in this mantra is Savitr, and hence the mantra is also called Savitri.

Gayatri Mantra

"Aum Bhoor Bhuwah Swaha, Tat Savitur Varenyam,
Bhargo Devasaya Dheemahi, Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat"

ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

Word for Word Meaning of the Gayatri Mantra

Aum = Brahma ;
bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ;
bhuwah = destroyer of sufferings ;
swaha = embodiment of happiness ;
tat = that ;
savitur = bright like sun ;
varenyam = best choicest ;
bhargo = destroyer of sins ;
devasya = divine ;
these first nine words describe the glory of God
dheemahi = may imbibe ; pertains to meditation
dhiyo = intellect ;
yo = who ;
naha = our ;
prachodayat = may inspire!
"dhiyo yo na prachodayat" is a prayer to God

Hence the Gayatri is unique in that it embodies the three concepts of stotra (singing the praise and glory of God), dhyaana (meditation) and praarthana (prayer).

Gayatri Mantra