Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvaha
Tat-savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat
Now some of you know I do love singing or as I like to say wailing, particularly in the car and kitchen, normally you'll find me wailing along to a singer that can belt some racket out, but then, you'll find me singing a mantra or two and this is one of the first mantras that I learnt, and is still one of my favourites. I am not a hardcore chanter, I find that I go through times when I listen to and sing them regularly and times when I am just not drawn to them, and Ill be back to wailing, it is interesting though as I do love singing them.
One of my favourites is the Gayatri Mantra, I find it calming, hopeful and uplifting, plus it is fun to sing.
It is one of the oldest Vedic Mantras
where we are offering our prayers to the Sun God Sativur, so obviously, being the sun baby I am, I'd be drawn to this prayer.
The translation is:
We meditate on the glory of the Creator;
Who has created the Universe;
Who is worthy of Worship;
Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light;
Who is the the remover of all Sin and Ignorance;
May He enlighten our Intellect.
As far as I can understand, there are... as all these things, a million interpretations but they all seem to say that 'A sincere chanting of the Gayatri Mantra can bring enlightenment, helping us with our self growth and self realisation'. As Gayatri shines eternally on our inner path, blessing the way.
A word-for-word translation is:
Om: The primeval sound
Bhur: The human body, earth, physical realm, existence
Bhuvah: The vital energies, heaven, consciousness
Suvah: The soul, inner space, spiritual realm, bliss
Tat: That
Savitur: The Sun, solar powers
Varenyam: To choose, the best, adore
Bhargo: Effulgence, self-luminous, divine light
Devasya: The divine, radiant
Dhimahi Dhiyo: the intellect
Yo: Which
Nah: Our, of us
Prachodayat: Illuminate, inspire
https://www.yogabasics.com/connect/gayatri-mantra/ Kathleen includes one of the stories of how this prayer/ mantra came to be, and like most, it was a bit of a heroes journey!
This is probably my favourite on YouTube and was the first version I learnt; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SarlTxrAbIY&t=177s
And Deva Premal sings a beautiful version;
hope you find a sense of love and joy through singing this wonderful, powerful & joyful mantra.
Much Love
Leigh
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