Gāyaŧrī Manŧra - गायत्री मंत्र

Gāyaŧrī Manŧra is the most important and popular Sanskṛiŧ shlok/a (verse) of the Ved/as. Hinđū/s love to chant this sacred religious shlok as manŧra. It is sometimes called 'Mahā Manŧra'. Mahā means 'great'.

In ĐevaNāgarī script :

ॐ भूर्भुवः॒ स्वः॒
तत्स॑वितुर्वरे॑ण्यम्
भ॒र्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि।
धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त्॥

Without Stress Marks & Halant:

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात॥

Transliteration of Gāyaŧrī Manŧra

Transliteration of the manŧra using our Saras-Nāgarī x-literation scheme :

Om bhūr-bhuvaḥ svaḥ,
ŧaŧ-saviŧur-vareṇ'yam,
bhargo đevasya đhīmahi,
đhiyo yo naḥ pracho-đayāŧ.

ॐ (ओ३म्) = Om or AUm
भूर्भुवः (भूर्-भुवः) = bhūr-bhuvaḥ
स्वः = svaḥ

तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम्
(तत्-सवितुर्-वरेण्यम्) = ŧaŧ-saviŧur-vareṇ'yam

भर्गो (भर्-गो) = bhargo
देवस्य = đevasya
धीमहि = dhīmahi

धियो = đhiyo
यो = yo
नः = naḥ
प्रचोदयात (प्‌रचोदयात) = pracho-đayāŧ

Interpretations of Gāyaŧrī Manŧra

There are variations/differences in the interpretations of the Gāyaŧrī Manŧra by various scholars. But every one agrees that it is a great prayer.

By Max Muller :
Let us obtain (meditate on) the adorable splendour of Saviŧrī (Sun? God), may He arouse our minds.

By Đayānanđ Sarasvaŧī :
'O God, You are the giver of life, the remover of pain & sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Your supreme sin-destroying light; may You guide our intellect in the right direction.'

[pic of gayatri mantra in devanagari]

Meaning of Words in The Manŧra

Om = praṇav manŧra = a word related to the God

bhū(r) = bhūḥ = the earth
bhuvaḥ = bhuvar-lok, the air (vāyu-mandal)
svaḥ = svarg, heaven

ŧaŧ = that
saviŧ(ur) = saviŧaḥ = Sun, God
vareṇya(m) = adopt(able), follow

bhargo = energy (sin destroying power)
đevasya = of the deity
đhīmahi = meditate or imbibe

đhiyo = plural of đhiyaḥ = mind/s, the intellect/s
yo = Who (God)
naḥ = our
prachođayāŧ = inspire, awaken

Excuse me for writing the (following) translations of the mahā manŧra...

भू:, भुव: और स्व: के उस वरण करने योग्य (सूर्य) देवता,,, की (बुराईयों का नाश करने वाली) शक्तियों (तेज) का ध्यान करें (करते हैं),,, वह (जो) हमारी बुद्धि को प्रेरित/जाग्रत करे (करेगा/करता है)।

Simply :

तीनों लोकों के उस वरण करने योग्य (सूर्य) देवता के तेज (व शक्तियों) का ध्यान करते हैं, वह हमारी बुद्धि को प्रेरित करे।

The God (Sun) of the Earth, Atmosphere and Heaven, that who is to be followed, we think-of (meditate-on) His energy (power), may He inspire (guide) our intellect/minds (consciousness).

The main difference in the various interpretations seems to be in the first stanza!
According to Đayānanđ Sarasvaŧī (saraswatee) -
bhūḥ (bhūr) = praṇāđhār (basis of life)
bhuvaḥ = remover of sorrow
svaḥ = giver of happiness

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