There is no prayer greater than Gayatri; not in the past, not in the future. Gayatri is a profound prayer. It is a prayer of enormous spiritual significance. It is said to be a prayer and a mantra combined. Gayatri is also known as the pathway to the highest meditation. The most sacred and the holiest of all the Vedic mantras, Gayatri has been the very font of inspiration and enlightenment in Hinduism. Since the Vedic times, that is, for about five thousand years now, every scripture and every text has hailed the greatness of this mahamantra, Supreme Prayer. Innumerable saints, seers, acharyas, sadhakas (practitioners), scholars and researchers, Indian and Western, have spoken and written about the unquestioned supremacy of this profound prayer.
All the Vedas refer to the significance of the Gayatri Mantra. The origin of Gayatri Mantra is attributed to Brahma, the creator of the universe. That is why no specific date is assigned to it. Like the creator Himself, it is timeless and ageless. Gayatri Mantra has remained sacred and holy since the ancient Vedic times to this day. Several centuries have passed during which time Hinduism has seen the emergence of different sects and sub-sects, religious philosophies and spiritual practices.
Quite often, the practices followed by some sects contradict those of others. Religious masters have set their own rituals, ceremonies, deities for worship and practices, which are followed by their respective followers. But, in all these years, if there is one thing that has been unanimously accepted as a common sacred prayer, by all scriptures, branches of learning, belief systems, and saints and ordinary people, it is the Gayatri Mantra. To this day, millions of households see the chanting of Gayatri Mantra by the menfolk in particular. It is a mantra to be chanted three times a day, by every boy who has undergone the Upanayana sacrament, and who wears the sacred thread.
Gayatri Mantra I s a prayer to Savita, the driving force behind Surya. By praying to Savita, we are connecting with that wondrous spirit of the Divine Creator. Sun God is described as Savitra Svarupi.
Gayatri is a prayer in honor of the Sun God who is visible, pratyaksha devata. Swami Vivekananda translates the Gayatri Mantra as follows: “We meditate on the glory of that Supreme Power who has produced this universe. May He enlighten our minds.”
A very significant component of the Gayatri Mantra is the Savitr. Gayatri is essentially a mantra which invokes the Savitr. The word is closely associated with Surya or Sun. Savitr, in turn, is linked with Savitri. As per the Vedas and the other ancient scriptures, Surya, Savitr and Savitri are the names used while addressing the Sun. The sacred Gayatri Mantra is an invocation addressed to the Sun. Gayatri is a mahamantra. As such, we need to be clear about the meaning and significance of the term mantra.
Mantra is an extremely potent word in Sanskrit. It means a Vedic hymn. Mantra, in effect, relates to the utterance of words so that it creates specific sound vibrations. For a spiritual traveler, a mantra is a sound vibration which prepares the mind for spiritual realization by freeing the mind from the pursuit of material benefits. Mantras are essentially a combination of sounds. Mantras are known to be composed according to the Mantra Yoga.Gayatri is thus a prayer for knowledge and wisdom. It is a prayer for mental power. It is a prayer for the enlightenment that leads one to the realization of the highest truth. It is a prayer for opening up our hearts to that divine power that is accessible to every man and woman.
Apart from being a prayer, Gayatri is known to be a pathway for the highest meditation. Gayatri has the power to delve deep into our minds and permits deeper contemplation and intense meditation. The radiance in the Sun has to be assimilated through concentration, contemplation and meditation.Gayatri is not just a prayer of the Hindus, and for the Hindus.
The significance of the mantra has been recognized in other countries too. It is broadcast regularly on the Radio channels in Surinam, South America and Amsterdam, Holland. It is taught regularly to the school children in Bali,Indonesia. It has been the subject of research by an American Scientist in the Hamburg University, Germany. The findings from this study are highly illustrative. Saints, scholars and researchers of world repute who are beyond the confines of religion and culture have commended the greatness of the Gayatri Mantra. The Madras High Court, giving its judgment on a writ petition, has categorically upheld the secular nature of the Gayatri Mantra.
Excerpts from the book Gayatri - The Profound Prayer by R K Madhukar