SVVG members and devotees participates in Sivarathari Pooja Homam
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
God and Gods of Hinduism
God and Gods of Hinduism
Devotion to God and the Gods of Hinduism is known as Bhakti. It is an entire realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the childlike wonder of the unknown and the mysterious to the deep reverence which comes with understanding of esoteric interworkings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The First World is the physical universe; the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, angels and spirits live; and the Third World is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevas, "great shining beings," our Hindu Gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds.
The most prevalent expression of worship for the Hindu comes as devotion to God and the Gods. In the Hindu pantheon there are said to be three hundred and thirty-three million Gods. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being. The plurality of Gods are perceived as divine creations of that one Being. So, Hinduism has one supreme God, but it has an extensive hierarchy of Gods. Many people look at the Gods as mere symbols, representations of forces or mind strata, or as various Personifications generated as a projection o of man's mind onto an impersonal pure Beingness. Many Hindus have been told over and over that the Gods are not really beings, but merely symbols of spiritual matters, and unfortunately many have accepted this erroneous notion about the Gods. In reality, the Mahadevas are individual soul beings, and down through the ages ordinary men and women, great saints and sages, prophets and mystics in all cultures have inwardly seen, heard, and been profoundly influenced by these superconscious inner plane beings. Lord Ganesha is such a being. He can think just as we can think. He can see and understand and make decisions - so vast in their implications and complexity that we could never comprehend them with our human faculties and understanding.
"Great indeed are the Gods who have sprung out of Brahman." -Atharva Veda
A Hierarchy of Gods Guide Hinduism
A unique and all-encompassing characteristic of Hinduism is that one devotee may be worshipping Ganesha while a friend worships Siva or Vishnu or Kali, yet both honor the other's choice and feel no sense of conflict. The Hindu religion brings us the gift of tolerance that allows for different stages of worship, different and personal expressions of devotion and even different Gods to guide our life on this earth.
Hinduism is a family of four main denominations - Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, Smartism - under a divine hierarchy of Mahadevas. These intelligent beings have evolved through eons of time and are able to help mankind without themselves having to live in a physical body. These great Mahadevas, with their multitudes of angelic devas, live and work constantly and tirelessly for the people of our religion, protecting and guiding them, opening new doors and closing unused ones.
In the Vedas, God is called Brahman, the Supreme Being who simultaneously exists as the absolute transcendent Parabrahman, as omniscient consciousness or shakti power and as the personal prime Deity. The word Brahman comes from the Sanskrit root Brh which means to grow, manifest, expand, referring to the Brahman Mind of pure consciousness that underlies, emanates and resonates as all existence. Brahman is simultaneously Purusha, the Primal Soul. He is perfection of being, the original soul who creates/emanates innumerable individual souls - including the Gods. Some Gods, such as Lord Ganesha, did not undergo evolution as we know it, but were emanated as mature Mahadevas whose minds simultaneously govern and interpenetrate specific orders of space and time. They are so close to Brahman that they fulfill their cosmic functions in perfect accord with God's wisdom, intent and action.
"He who is beyond all exists as the relative universe. That part of Him appears as sentient and insentient beings. From a part of Him was born the body of the universe, and out of this body were born the Gods, the earth and men." - Rig Veda
As God and the Gods are individual soul beings, so too is humankind. The soul body is a body of light which evolves and matures into the likeness of Purusha Brahman just as the seed of a tree one day becomes a tree. Within this body of light and consciousness exist, without beginning or end, the two perfections of Parabrahman and Satchidananda. Satchidananda is the superconscious mind of the soul body - the mind of Brahman. Parabrahman is the inmost core of the soul. We are That. We do not become That.
"He who sparkles in your eyes, who lights the heavens and hides in the souls of all creatures is God, your Self." - Siva Yogaswami of the Natha Sampradaya
Our soul body is slowly evolving. Man has five bodies, each more subtle than the last. Visualize the soul of man as a lightbulb and his various bodies or sheaths as colored fabrics covering the pure white light. The physical body is the outermost body. Next comes the pranic body, then the physical body's subtle duplicate, the astral body. Then there is the mental or intellectual body in which one can travel instantaneously anywhere. Then comes the body of the soul. This is the body that evolves from birth to birth, that reincarnates into new outer sheaths and does not die when the physical body returns its elements to the earth. The soul body eventually evolves as the body of golden light, the golden body of the soul. This soul body in its final evolution is the most perfect form, the prototype of human form. Once physical births have ceased, this soul body still continues to evolve in subtle realms of existence. This effulgent body of the illumined soul, even after Nirvikalpa Samadhi, God-Realization, continues to evolve in the inner worlds until the final merger into Brahman.
"When beholding by this yoga, he beholds the Gold-colored maker, the Lord, the Purusha, Brahman, the cause." - Maitrayana Upanishad
Do God and the Gods have Gender?
Esoterically, it must be admitted that none of the Gods has a wife. Their consorts are not to be considered as separate from them, but as aspects of their being, as their shakti or power. The Mahadevas who live in the Third World cannot be likened to men and women who live on the earth. They exist in perfectly evolved soul bodies, bodies which are not properly differentiated by sex. They are pure beings made of pure consciousness and light; they are neither male nor female. To better understand these Divine Gods, we sometimes conceive them as being the man if they are strong in expression or the woman if they are gentle and compassionate. There are no husbands and wives in the vast, superconscious realms of the Third World. The husband/wife notion is a puranic myth. The term Goddess can refer to a female perception or depiction of a Third World being (Mahadeva) in its natural state, which is genderless, or to a Second World being residing in a female astral-mental body. For example, Lakshmi and Sarasvati are not wives of Vishnu and Brahma, but personified powers of a sexless Deity who extends abundance and learning through the motherly empathy of a female form. And many of the village deities who protect children and crops are actually souls living close to earth in the astral plane, still functioning through the astral female or male body that is a duplicate of their last physical body.
"They meditate on Her to become immortal. The Lord of immortals blesses you. He who wears the Ganga and contains Her - strive to reach Him." - St. Tirumular of the Natha Sampradaya
Communicating with God and the Gods
It is in the Hindu temple that the three worlds meet and devotees invoke the Gods of our religion. The temple is built as a palace in which the Gods live. It is the home of the Gods, a sacred place unlike every other place on the earth. The Hindu must associate himself with these Gods in a very sensitive way when he approaches the temple. Though the devotee rarely has the psychic vision of the Deity, he is aware of the God's divine presence. As he approaches the sanctum sanctorum, the Hindu is fully aware that an intelligent being, greater and more evolved than himself, is there. This God is intently aware of him, safeguarding him, fully knowing his inmost thought, fully capable of coping with any situation the devotee may mentally lay at his Holy Feet. It is important that we approach the Deity in this way - conscious and confident that our needs are known in the inner spiritual worlds.
The physical representation of the God, be it a stone or metal image, a yantra or other sacred form, simply marks the place that the God will manifest in or hover over in his etheric body. It can be conceived as an antenna to receive the divine rays of the God or as the material body in or through which the God manifests in this First World. When we perform puja, a religious ritual, we are attracting the attention of the devas and Mahadevas in the inner worlds. That is the purpose of a puja; it is a form of communication. To enhance this communication we establish an altar in the temple or in the home. This becomes charged or magnetized through our devotional thoughts and feelings which radiate out and affect the surrounding environment. You can feel the presence of these divine beings, and this radiation from them is known as Shakti.
Shakti is a vibration. It is first experienced in the simple physical glimpse of the form of the Deity in the sanctum. Later that physical sight gives way to a clairvoyant vision or to a refined cognition received through the sensitive ganglia within your nerve system: the chakras. Through these receptors a subtle message is received, often not consciously. Perhaps not immediately, but the message that the shakti carries from the Mahadeva manifests in your life. This is the way the Gods converse. It is a communication more real than the communication of language that you experience each day.
How God and the Gods Help Us
Visiting a Hindu temple, receiving the shakti from the majestic Gods of our religion, can altogether change the life of an individual. It alters the flow of the pranas or life currents within his body. It draws his awareness into the deeper chakras. But the change is slow. He lives with the experience for months and months after his visit to the temple. The devotee comes to know and love the Deity. The Deity extends sublime psychic assistance, but never tests or punishes a devotee. Shakti coming from the great temples of our Gods can change the patterns of karma dating back many past lives, clearing and clarifying conditions that were created hundreds of years ago and are but seeds now, waiting to manifest in the future. Through the grace of the Gods those seeds can be removed, if the manifestation in the future would not enhance the evolution of the soul.
"As the worshipper sees the image of his Deity in stone, clay, wood, or painting, then the God grants light from the Self completely of His own accord. Thus as fire from wood, the moon casts its reflection in the water pot spontaneously." - Karana Agama
If a temple or shrine is not available for worship, then it is possible to establish a communication with the Deity through visualization. Take for example, Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed governor of nature, dharma, science and knowledge. Worship of Lord Ganesha is immediate; to think of His form is to contact Him. Close your eyes for a second, visualize His murthi or form and a direct communication has begun. This is like punching in a code on a computer terminal which gives immediate access to a central supercomputer. All information and answers to every question are now available. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can use the computer terminal of our brain and code in the divine image of Lord Ganesha. We have complete access to His grand computer mind which has been programmed over eons of time and naturally encompasses the intricacies of the universe in all its ramifications and simplicities.
Toward Ultimate Communion: Yoga
Hindus look to God and the Gods for very practical assistance - from affairs of employment, family, heart to knowledge both secular and superconscious. A Hindu devoutly believes that the Gods from their dwelling in the Third World are capable of consciously working with the forces of evolution in the universe and they could then certainly manage a few simpler problems. He devoutly believes that the Gods are given to care for man on the planet and see him through his tenure on earth and that their decisions are vast in their implications. Their overview spans time itself, and yet their detailed focus upon the complicated fabric of human affairs is just as awesome.
It is through the sanction of the Gods that the Hindu undertakes the practice of yoga - that orthodox and strictly Hindu science of meditation that leads to union of the many with the One. Yoga is the culmination of years of religious and devotional service and can only be successful with the support of the Gods who are the sentries guarding the gates of the various strata of consciousness. This sanction, once obtained, can and does allow the kundalini force within the core of the spine to safely rise and merge with the Supreme that all Hindus know is the Absolute - timeless, causeless, and spaceless. But first much work has to be done, much work and worship.
Finally, it must be clearly understood that God and the Gods are not a psychological product of the Hindu religious mind. They are far older than the universe and are the fountainheads of its galactic energies, shining stars and sunlit planets. They are loving overseers and custodians of the cosmos, earth and mankind. The Hindu cosmological terrain envelopes all of humanity. It is not exclusive. Hinduism has historically accepted converts from other religions and adoptives (those with no previous faith) into its knowledge and practices. The Vedic rishis spoke of guiding strangers into the full embrace of the Sanatana Dharma, "the Eternal Path" and into the universal sanctuary of the Hindu pantheon. A vedic rite called vratyastoma purified those returning to Hinduism and Swami Vivekananda declared, "Why, born aliens have been converted in the past by crowds, and the process is still going on." Each citizen of earth so interested has the option of entering the Hindu religion.
God and the Gods of Hinduism was created and published by Himalayan Academy.
Devotion to God and the Gods of Hinduism is known as Bhakti. It is an entire realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the childlike wonder of the unknown and the mysterious to the deep reverence which comes with understanding of esoteric interworkings of the three worlds. Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. The First World is the physical universe; the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, angels and spirits live; and the Third World is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevas, "great shining beings," our Hindu Gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds.
The most prevalent expression of worship for the Hindu comes as devotion to God and the Gods. In the Hindu pantheon there are said to be three hundred and thirty-three million Gods. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being. The plurality of Gods are perceived as divine creations of that one Being. So, Hinduism has one supreme God, but it has an extensive hierarchy of Gods. Many people look at the Gods as mere symbols, representations of forces or mind strata, or as various Personifications generated as a projection o of man's mind onto an impersonal pure Beingness. Many Hindus have been told over and over that the Gods are not really beings, but merely symbols of spiritual matters, and unfortunately many have accepted this erroneous notion about the Gods. In reality, the Mahadevas are individual soul beings, and down through the ages ordinary men and women, great saints and sages, prophets and mystics in all cultures have inwardly seen, heard, and been profoundly influenced by these superconscious inner plane beings. Lord Ganesha is such a being. He can think just as we can think. He can see and understand and make decisions - so vast in their implications and complexity that we could never comprehend them with our human faculties and understanding.
"Great indeed are the Gods who have sprung out of Brahman." -Atharva Veda
A Hierarchy of Gods Guide Hinduism
A unique and all-encompassing characteristic of Hinduism is that one devotee may be worshipping Ganesha while a friend worships Siva or Vishnu or Kali, yet both honor the other's choice and feel no sense of conflict. The Hindu religion brings us the gift of tolerance that allows for different stages of worship, different and personal expressions of devotion and even different Gods to guide our life on this earth.
Hinduism is a family of four main denominations - Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, Smartism - under a divine hierarchy of Mahadevas. These intelligent beings have evolved through eons of time and are able to help mankind without themselves having to live in a physical body. These great Mahadevas, with their multitudes of angelic devas, live and work constantly and tirelessly for the people of our religion, protecting and guiding them, opening new doors and closing unused ones.
In the Vedas, God is called Brahman, the Supreme Being who simultaneously exists as the absolute transcendent Parabrahman, as omniscient consciousness or shakti power and as the personal prime Deity. The word Brahman comes from the Sanskrit root Brh which means to grow, manifest, expand, referring to the Brahman Mind of pure consciousness that underlies, emanates and resonates as all existence. Brahman is simultaneously Purusha, the Primal Soul. He is perfection of being, the original soul who creates/emanates innumerable individual souls - including the Gods. Some Gods, such as Lord Ganesha, did not undergo evolution as we know it, but were emanated as mature Mahadevas whose minds simultaneously govern and interpenetrate specific orders of space and time. They are so close to Brahman that they fulfill their cosmic functions in perfect accord with God's wisdom, intent and action.
"He who is beyond all exists as the relative universe. That part of Him appears as sentient and insentient beings. From a part of Him was born the body of the universe, and out of this body were born the Gods, the earth and men." - Rig Veda
As God and the Gods are individual soul beings, so too is humankind. The soul body is a body of light which evolves and matures into the likeness of Purusha Brahman just as the seed of a tree one day becomes a tree. Within this body of light and consciousness exist, without beginning or end, the two perfections of Parabrahman and Satchidananda. Satchidananda is the superconscious mind of the soul body - the mind of Brahman. Parabrahman is the inmost core of the soul. We are That. We do not become That.
"He who sparkles in your eyes, who lights the heavens and hides in the souls of all creatures is God, your Self." - Siva Yogaswami of the Natha Sampradaya
Our soul body is slowly evolving. Man has five bodies, each more subtle than the last. Visualize the soul of man as a lightbulb and his various bodies or sheaths as colored fabrics covering the pure white light. The physical body is the outermost body. Next comes the pranic body, then the physical body's subtle duplicate, the astral body. Then there is the mental or intellectual body in which one can travel instantaneously anywhere. Then comes the body of the soul. This is the body that evolves from birth to birth, that reincarnates into new outer sheaths and does not die when the physical body returns its elements to the earth. The soul body eventually evolves as the body of golden light, the golden body of the soul. This soul body in its final evolution is the most perfect form, the prototype of human form. Once physical births have ceased, this soul body still continues to evolve in subtle realms of existence. This effulgent body of the illumined soul, even after Nirvikalpa Samadhi, God-Realization, continues to evolve in the inner worlds until the final merger into Brahman.
"When beholding by this yoga, he beholds the Gold-colored maker, the Lord, the Purusha, Brahman, the cause." - Maitrayana Upanishad
Do God and the Gods have Gender?
Esoterically, it must be admitted that none of the Gods has a wife. Their consorts are not to be considered as separate from them, but as aspects of their being, as their shakti or power. The Mahadevas who live in the Third World cannot be likened to men and women who live on the earth. They exist in perfectly evolved soul bodies, bodies which are not properly differentiated by sex. They are pure beings made of pure consciousness and light; they are neither male nor female. To better understand these Divine Gods, we sometimes conceive them as being the man if they are strong in expression or the woman if they are gentle and compassionate. There are no husbands and wives in the vast, superconscious realms of the Third World. The husband/wife notion is a puranic myth. The term Goddess can refer to a female perception or depiction of a Third World being (Mahadeva) in its natural state, which is genderless, or to a Second World being residing in a female astral-mental body. For example, Lakshmi and Sarasvati are not wives of Vishnu and Brahma, but personified powers of a sexless Deity who extends abundance and learning through the motherly empathy of a female form. And many of the village deities who protect children and crops are actually souls living close to earth in the astral plane, still functioning through the astral female or male body that is a duplicate of their last physical body.
"They meditate on Her to become immortal. The Lord of immortals blesses you. He who wears the Ganga and contains Her - strive to reach Him." - St. Tirumular of the Natha Sampradaya
Communicating with God and the Gods
It is in the Hindu temple that the three worlds meet and devotees invoke the Gods of our religion. The temple is built as a palace in which the Gods live. It is the home of the Gods, a sacred place unlike every other place on the earth. The Hindu must associate himself with these Gods in a very sensitive way when he approaches the temple. Though the devotee rarely has the psychic vision of the Deity, he is aware of the God's divine presence. As he approaches the sanctum sanctorum, the Hindu is fully aware that an intelligent being, greater and more evolved than himself, is there. This God is intently aware of him, safeguarding him, fully knowing his inmost thought, fully capable of coping with any situation the devotee may mentally lay at his Holy Feet. It is important that we approach the Deity in this way - conscious and confident that our needs are known in the inner spiritual worlds.
The physical representation of the God, be it a stone or metal image, a yantra or other sacred form, simply marks the place that the God will manifest in or hover over in his etheric body. It can be conceived as an antenna to receive the divine rays of the God or as the material body in or through which the God manifests in this First World. When we perform puja, a religious ritual, we are attracting the attention of the devas and Mahadevas in the inner worlds. That is the purpose of a puja; it is a form of communication. To enhance this communication we establish an altar in the temple or in the home. This becomes charged or magnetized through our devotional thoughts and feelings which radiate out and affect the surrounding environment. You can feel the presence of these divine beings, and this radiation from them is known as Shakti.
Shakti is a vibration. It is first experienced in the simple physical glimpse of the form of the Deity in the sanctum. Later that physical sight gives way to a clairvoyant vision or to a refined cognition received through the sensitive ganglia within your nerve system: the chakras. Through these receptors a subtle message is received, often not consciously. Perhaps not immediately, but the message that the shakti carries from the Mahadeva manifests in your life. This is the way the Gods converse. It is a communication more real than the communication of language that you experience each day.
How God and the Gods Help Us
Visiting a Hindu temple, receiving the shakti from the majestic Gods of our religion, can altogether change the life of an individual. It alters the flow of the pranas or life currents within his body. It draws his awareness into the deeper chakras. But the change is slow. He lives with the experience for months and months after his visit to the temple. The devotee comes to know and love the Deity. The Deity extends sublime psychic assistance, but never tests or punishes a devotee. Shakti coming from the great temples of our Gods can change the patterns of karma dating back many past lives, clearing and clarifying conditions that were created hundreds of years ago and are but seeds now, waiting to manifest in the future. Through the grace of the Gods those seeds can be removed, if the manifestation in the future would not enhance the evolution of the soul.
"As the worshipper sees the image of his Deity in stone, clay, wood, or painting, then the God grants light from the Self completely of His own accord. Thus as fire from wood, the moon casts its reflection in the water pot spontaneously." - Karana Agama
If a temple or shrine is not available for worship, then it is possible to establish a communication with the Deity through visualization. Take for example, Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed governor of nature, dharma, science and knowledge. Worship of Lord Ganesha is immediate; to think of His form is to contact Him. Close your eyes for a second, visualize His murthi or form and a direct communication has begun. This is like punching in a code on a computer terminal which gives immediate access to a central supercomputer. All information and answers to every question are now available. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can use the computer terminal of our brain and code in the divine image of Lord Ganesha. We have complete access to His grand computer mind which has been programmed over eons of time and naturally encompasses the intricacies of the universe in all its ramifications and simplicities.
Toward Ultimate Communion: Yoga
Hindus look to God and the Gods for very practical assistance - from affairs of employment, family, heart to knowledge both secular and superconscious. A Hindu devoutly believes that the Gods from their dwelling in the Third World are capable of consciously working with the forces of evolution in the universe and they could then certainly manage a few simpler problems. He devoutly believes that the Gods are given to care for man on the planet and see him through his tenure on earth and that their decisions are vast in their implications. Their overview spans time itself, and yet their detailed focus upon the complicated fabric of human affairs is just as awesome.
It is through the sanction of the Gods that the Hindu undertakes the practice of yoga - that orthodox and strictly Hindu science of meditation that leads to union of the many with the One. Yoga is the culmination of years of religious and devotional service and can only be successful with the support of the Gods who are the sentries guarding the gates of the various strata of consciousness. This sanction, once obtained, can and does allow the kundalini force within the core of the spine to safely rise and merge with the Supreme that all Hindus know is the Absolute - timeless, causeless, and spaceless. But first much work has to be done, much work and worship.
Finally, it must be clearly understood that God and the Gods are not a psychological product of the Hindu religious mind. They are far older than the universe and are the fountainheads of its galactic energies, shining stars and sunlit planets. They are loving overseers and custodians of the cosmos, earth and mankind. The Hindu cosmological terrain envelopes all of humanity. It is not exclusive. Hinduism has historically accepted converts from other religions and adoptives (those with no previous faith) into its knowledge and practices. The Vedic rishis spoke of guiding strangers into the full embrace of the Sanatana Dharma, "the Eternal Path" and into the universal sanctuary of the Hindu pantheon. A vedic rite called vratyastoma purified those returning to Hinduism and Swami Vivekananda declared, "Why, born aliens have been converted in the past by crowds, and the process is still going on." Each citizen of earth so interested has the option of entering the Hindu religion.
God and the Gods of Hinduism was created and published by Himalayan Academy.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Gayathri Mantra and Meanings
Om Bhur Bhuvah Suvaha
Tat Savitur Varenya
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
We meditate upon the glorious splendor of the Vivifier Divine.
May He Himself illumine our minds!
The ancient mansion of Hindu tradition and custom is built on the four
walls of Karma, Janma, Dharma and Brahma.Regardless of its size, a house needs four supporting walls. It follows therefore that in the hugemansion
of ancient Hindu thought, customs and traditions should have a point of meeting together somewhere. It is not possible for anyone to escape from
the consequences of what one does knowingly or otherwise. You have toface
up to the consequences of all your actions, whether good or bad.
Clearly, therefore, the doctrine of Karma stands as a cardinal principle that
governs a person's life. One has to live and die with this principle. It
is this Karma which determines one's joys and sorrows. And it is through Karma that you are endowed with this life itself What is the secret of
this Janma? This body has been given to you so that you could undertake
your Karma and therein lies the point- that through the body you have touphold Dharma. When you conduct yourself in keeping with Dharma, you qualify to attain Brahma. The Gita proclaims that when Dharma declinesGod incarnates as an Avatar. Truly, what you see in the form of a body is nothing but a manifestation of God himself. God takes the form of a human being to restore Dharma. What you call 'creation' is a manifestation of
the Cosmic Principle. We also refer to it as nature. Whoever is born in
this nature will certainly have the same atribute of this nature. Man who
has the same qualities of this Cosmic Principle, this creation, this
nature, is offering all that is embedded in this creation to someone for
some purpose. To whom is he offering it? Is it for the sake of one's own
selfish ends? Or is it for the benefit of the fellow beings around him?It
is not right to act that way. Whatever you do and whatever you may
perform, if you were to be inspired by the feeling that it is for the
Ananda of God, then it is bound to reach him. Therefore, the abiding
feeling in you should be that whatever you do, you are doing it asworship
of the Lord. This principle contains the very essence of Karma.
CHANTING OF GAYATRI
When an individual is first born from the mother's womb, this is the
natural type of birth. This is the natural state. This is the first birth
as such. After you have been given the Gayatri Manthra, the dawn of a
second birth emerges in your life. What is this Gayatri Mantra? It is the
very quintessence of the Vedas. Verily it is the mother of the Vedas. The meaning of the syllable "Ga" is Jiva. Gayatri is that which protects and
fosters all life forms. You must realise therefore that on being given
this Gayatri Manthra, you have been given a second birth. When you start>chanting this Manthra in conformity with certain rules and code of
conduct, you will certainly be able to reach a state in fulfillment of
this Manthra. You arrive at a new stage, the third stage, which is called
the Vipra. At this stage you begin to chant the Vedas. Even as you tryand understand and chant the Manthras in the Vedas, you must realise their significance end start practicing the underlying principle and thus live
the Vedas every second of your life. In this way you will certainly
succeed in attaining Brahma. It is only when you understand this Brahma Thathwa and perform your actions in accordance with this understandingcan one be called a Brahmana. It is not by birth alone that one becomes a Brahmana. It is necessary that one's actions should correspond to this understanding. We really deserve to be called a Brahmana only when we
understand the Brahma Thathwa.
TIME FOR CHANTING
It has been laid down that this Gayatri Mantra has to be chanted three
times every day: during the sandhyas of early morning, afternoon and
evening. Sandhya means the conjunction of two stages of time.
Pratah Sandhya is the time when transition from the night to the day takesplace. Likewise evening sandhya is the time when the day slides into the night. Madhyanna Sandhya is the time when the morning and afternoon are connected. Man is the embodiment of three Gunas. These three attributes
are not confined to man as such; even time has these attributes. Timealso
has Sathwa, Raja and Thamo Gunas. What do we mean by time having Sathwa guna? All these three attributes have 24 hours to go by in a day. Each of these three Gunas takes up 8 hours by itself i.e, Sathwa has 8 hours,
Rajasik has 8 hours and Thamasik has 8 hours. What are these 8 hours of Sathwik time? When you designate the period from 4 a m to 8 a m the intervening 4 hours are Sathwik. In like manner, the time between 4 p.m.
and 8 p.m. is also Sathwik. These two stretches of 4 hours apiece are
Sathwik hours. The time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.is Rajasik. It is duringthis
time that all lifeforms keep doing whatever has to be done by them.Not
only men, but also animals and the like do what is expected of themduring these 8 hours. The factory worker, the farmer, the agriculturist and
anybody that on can think of has to work during these 8 hours of Rajasik
time. So we find that every individual has an experience of this Rajasik
time Then we have the time from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the night. Thisis
the Thamasik time. That it is indeed Thamasik we know from ourexperience. The chief quality that is associated with this time is sleep. Sleep is
being equated to Thamasik in this analysis. It is during the Sathwik time
viz., from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that we should undertake our sacred and noble duties. This will sanctify our life. Weshould understand and appreciate how time has been divided for variousactivities and only then can we realise the true nature of our existence.
This Gayatri Manthra has to be taken up for chanting at any time during
the period of from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., and then at any time between 4 p.m.
and 8 p.m. lt is absolutely necessary that you chant this Gayatri Manthra
either in the early hours of the morning or in the evening hours. During
the mid-day also it can be taken up for chanting, but for certain
purposes. When you look upon it as a Sadhana, it is the morning and
evening hours which are sacred for chanting. You should chant thisManthra
at least three times in the morning hours and three times in the evening
time. When you do this, you can certainly free yourselves from the fruits
of your Karma. It is said that a day's chanting takes care of all the ill
effects of the day's Karma. To illustrate this point, let me cite an
example. When you go and buy a certain thing on loan, not only does the
loan amount increase, but also the interest on it goes up. On the other
hand, if you were to barter something for the item at the shop, there is
no loan to be cleared, nor is there any interest to be paid. When youhave borrowed something on loan, then you find that whatever you have earned
has to be given for repayment of the loan, and the interest thereof. So,
when you try and clear your debts as and when you buy a certain thing,
then there is no loan nor is there any interest to be paid back. In the
same manner, chanting Gayatri three times in the morning and three times
in the evening hours before you go to bed would take care of all your
errors in the form of loan and interest to be cleared off. By chanting
this Manthra with this feeling you can certainly transcend Your Karma,
you can even reach the state of Nishkama Karma. You can sanctify your life in
this manner. Therefore, in order that you may understand the significance
and reap the benefits of chanting Gayatri, you should know the significance of the morning and evening hours chant Gayatri. You do have the time indeed! Where there is a will, there is a way, it is said. We do fritter away a lot of our time. A fraction of your time that you waste, if directed to chanting Gayatri, can purify your life. You do have a bath every day. So, even as you bathe, if you chant this Manthra, you are not only chanting this Manthra and deriving the benefits thereof, but it becomes a form of worship. So also, in the
afternoon, if you were to chant this Manthra as you eat your food, the
meal becomes sanctified- the food becomes a Naivedya. You may or you may not chant any other Manthra, but do remember that chanting the Gayatri is beneficial and you can experience this yourself.
EXPLANATION OF THE MANTHRA
Gayatri is the embodiment of all forms of Godhead- "Sarva Devatha Swaroopam."
Gayatri does not belong to any caste, to any sect or to any religion as such.
It is universal in its scope.
Gayatri has nine important attributes.
These are:
1. Aum Sound as the basis of Creation,Brahman.
2. Bhuh The Earth, the gross.
3. Bhuvah The Atmosphere, the Ether, the Subtle.
4. Suvah Heaven, the region beyond Bhuvah the Causal.
5. Tat Stands for That. The Ultimate Reality issimply
referred to as That because it defies description through speech or
language.
6. Savitur Stands for Divine Savitri, equated with the
vivifying power contained within the Sun.
7. Varenyum Adore.
8. Bhargo Radiance, Lustre, Illumination.
9. Devasya Divine Radiance or Grace.
"Dheemahi" signifies worship of or meditation on the Lord. "Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat" as the last syllable, is a prayer. Therefore, in theGayatri,
there is Varnam, Dhyanam and Prathana (description, meditation and a prayer) these aspects converge in the Manthra.
GAYATRI AND ADVAITHA
What goes on within you, depending upon the circumstances, are classified
as follows - we talk of Sankalpa and for this we use the "manas" or the
mind. When we talk of the aspect of "wavering" we have the "Chithha."When you think of discrimination, "Vicharana," we use the tern "Buddhi", the intellect. When you have the motive of selfishness, you talk of
"Ahamkara" or ego. What you have to understand is that basically one entity is described as mind, chithha, intellect and ego. We will do well to
understand the basic difference between the mind on the one hand and the intelligence on the other. Mind is something that has got in its nature a divisive tendency. The intellect is beyond such divisions. Therefore this intellect is associated with the principle of "Adwaitha". When there is a division taking place in understanding the phenomena, we are assailed by
the "Dwaitha" bhava. When you have this divisiveness in you, when youtend
to see more than one thing, it is the mind that perceives this duality.
The intellect tries to see the one among the many. What you should tryand
do is see the underlying unity in the diversity and not the other way
around. This Gayatri is a sacred Manthra which tells you about this
underlying unity in the diversity of things. It is through this vision on
unity that we can perceive divinity and sanctify our lives. In this world
we have mud or clay in one form or another. This clay can be one but the forms that it can take are multifarious. Likewise, gold is one, but the ornaments could be many. Milk is one, but the cows can be many in description.
So also the Atma is one, but the forms that it indwells are
many. In the world around you, beyond the names and forms, there is no
third entity. This world is nothing but the convergence of name andforms.
One form, one name. Between these two viz., the name and form- is theform that changes continually, something which withers away and fades away and finally disappears. Though the form disappears, though the form undergoes change, the name as such remains the same at all times (Nithya Sathya);
it remains changeless. For example, you have given the name cow to ananimal. Tho cow, the animal, will disappear with the passage of time. But thename
will remain. Forms will disappear but the name will last forever.
The sanctity of the name needs to be understood properly. It will be
difficult for you to try and identify a person in a crowd by means of his form.
However even in a huge congregation of people, if you were to call
out the name of an individual, he would respond to your call.
Throughthis name, therefore you can recognise the individual.
In the same way if you
take up the Lord's name as the basis, you can understand that forms in
various hues and sizes have taken that name. If you know the name of the station, you can ask for a ticket for that station and undertake your journey. When you are not aware of the name of the station, how can you possibly proceed on the journey? Therefore it is the name that is
important, and not the form as such. When you understand the fullefficacy and the significance of this Gayatri, you will be in a position to
understand the true nature, the underlying unity, the Atmic principle
dwelling in all different forms.
ITS GREAT BENEFICIAL EFFECTS
Who is this Gayatri? She is the personified unity of the triumvirate
divinity - Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswathi. Gayatri is also known as the
five-faced divinity. The first face signifies Om. The second is Bhur
Bhuvah Svah. Thath Savithur Varenyam is the third face. Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi is the fourth face. Dheeyo Yo Nah Prachodayath is the fifthface.
This is the Pancha Mukhi Swaroopam, the five-faced divinity.
From these five faces emanate the five life forces, Pancha Pranas. These five life forces are fostered and protected by Gayatri and therefore She is called
the benefactor and the protector. During the time She is protecting thus,
She is called "Savitri." You may have read about the story in the epics
that Savitri protected Satyavan. Who is this Savitri? She is the Pancha
Prana Swaroopini. This truly means that Savitri protects and guides those
who lead a life of truthfulness. When She tries to improve yourqualities,
She is called Gayatri; when She protects and fosters your word, She is
called Saraswati. Therefore, this Goddess protects the intellect, thelife
force and the word, and thus in every way She protects the individual at
all times. Today you have been given this Gayatri Manthra. It is verily a
day when you are having your second birth. Purify and sanctify yoursecond
life and then you become eligible for the third stage of Viprathwa. From
there you will proceed to the stage of attaining Brahma. "Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavathi" - how do you attain this state? You can attain inonly when you have understood your own nature. When you ask the question,`when do we become deserving to attain the state of Brahma?' then can you understand this. Before being married, a girl would be an ordinaryperson.
After the marriage, she has the privilege of claiming half of whateverher husband has, as a matter or right. What is it that marks out from the
earlier stage of being an alien and the latter stage of married life when
she can claim something by right? That right is conferred on her by a
sacred thread tied to her neck, the Mangal Sutra. In the same manner, so
long as you have not reached the state of surrender, you are an alien to
the Lord. Once you have put the thread of surrender around your neck, you
become One with Him, and you have earned the right to, and can demandfrom God, half of whatever He has. Therefore, through your own efforts you should try and reach the state of surrender to GOD. How is it possible, you might ask, by chanting this Gayatri continuously, to reach the state of fulfillment and sense of feeling that you have received something? There is an inner meaning in giving this Gayatri Mantra to young people.
We have in this Mantra the concluding words, Dheeyo yo nah Prachodayat. The meaning is this: Before you were given this Mantra, you may have been backward intellectually, or were a bit lazy. But now that you have been
given this Mantra, you become sharper in intellect, become more zealous, more enthusiastic, and certainly become more qualified for scalinggreater heights in acquiring knowledge.
CONCLUSION Before the sun rises, everything is enveloped in darkness. Even as the rays of the Sun dispel this darkness, so also the chanting of thisGayatri dispels all darkness and ignorance. The rays of this Sun dispels the area
of darkness. Darkness has no place where the rays of the sun reach out.So
also once your intellect blossoms forth by virtue of your having been
given this Manthra, your intellectual rays will dispel the ignorancewhich
has been persisting in you, will drive away all darkness and endow you
with intelligence.
Tat Savitur Varenya
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
We meditate upon the glorious splendor of the Vivifier Divine.
May He Himself illumine our minds!
The ancient mansion of Hindu tradition and custom is built on the four
walls of Karma, Janma, Dharma and Brahma.Regardless of its size, a house needs four supporting walls. It follows therefore that in the hugemansion
of ancient Hindu thought, customs and traditions should have a point of meeting together somewhere. It is not possible for anyone to escape from
the consequences of what one does knowingly or otherwise. You have toface
up to the consequences of all your actions, whether good or bad.
Clearly, therefore, the doctrine of Karma stands as a cardinal principle that
governs a person's life. One has to live and die with this principle. It
is this Karma which determines one's joys and sorrows. And it is through Karma that you are endowed with this life itself What is the secret of
this Janma? This body has been given to you so that you could undertake
your Karma and therein lies the point- that through the body you have touphold Dharma. When you conduct yourself in keeping with Dharma, you qualify to attain Brahma. The Gita proclaims that when Dharma declinesGod incarnates as an Avatar. Truly, what you see in the form of a body is nothing but a manifestation of God himself. God takes the form of a human being to restore Dharma. What you call 'creation' is a manifestation of
the Cosmic Principle. We also refer to it as nature. Whoever is born in
this nature will certainly have the same atribute of this nature. Man who
has the same qualities of this Cosmic Principle, this creation, this
nature, is offering all that is embedded in this creation to someone for
some purpose. To whom is he offering it? Is it for the sake of one's own
selfish ends? Or is it for the benefit of the fellow beings around him?It
is not right to act that way. Whatever you do and whatever you may
perform, if you were to be inspired by the feeling that it is for the
Ananda of God, then it is bound to reach him. Therefore, the abiding
feeling in you should be that whatever you do, you are doing it asworship
of the Lord. This principle contains the very essence of Karma.
CHANTING OF GAYATRI
When an individual is first born from the mother's womb, this is the
natural type of birth. This is the natural state. This is the first birth
as such. After you have been given the Gayatri Manthra, the dawn of a
second birth emerges in your life. What is this Gayatri Mantra? It is the
very quintessence of the Vedas. Verily it is the mother of the Vedas. The meaning of the syllable "Ga" is Jiva. Gayatri is that which protects and
fosters all life forms. You must realise therefore that on being given
this Gayatri Manthra, you have been given a second birth. When you start>chanting this Manthra in conformity with certain rules and code of
conduct, you will certainly be able to reach a state in fulfillment of
this Manthra. You arrive at a new stage, the third stage, which is called
the Vipra. At this stage you begin to chant the Vedas. Even as you tryand understand and chant the Manthras in the Vedas, you must realise their significance end start practicing the underlying principle and thus live
the Vedas every second of your life. In this way you will certainly
succeed in attaining Brahma. It is only when you understand this Brahma Thathwa and perform your actions in accordance with this understandingcan one be called a Brahmana. It is not by birth alone that one becomes a Brahmana. It is necessary that one's actions should correspond to this understanding. We really deserve to be called a Brahmana only when we
understand the Brahma Thathwa.
TIME FOR CHANTING
It has been laid down that this Gayatri Mantra has to be chanted three
times every day: during the sandhyas of early morning, afternoon and
evening. Sandhya means the conjunction of two stages of time.
Pratah Sandhya is the time when transition from the night to the day takesplace. Likewise evening sandhya is the time when the day slides into the night. Madhyanna Sandhya is the time when the morning and afternoon are connected. Man is the embodiment of three Gunas. These three attributes
are not confined to man as such; even time has these attributes. Timealso
has Sathwa, Raja and Thamo Gunas. What do we mean by time having Sathwa guna? All these three attributes have 24 hours to go by in a day. Each of these three Gunas takes up 8 hours by itself i.e, Sathwa has 8 hours,
Rajasik has 8 hours and Thamasik has 8 hours. What are these 8 hours of Sathwik time? When you designate the period from 4 a m to 8 a m the intervening 4 hours are Sathwik. In like manner, the time between 4 p.m.
and 8 p.m. is also Sathwik. These two stretches of 4 hours apiece are
Sathwik hours. The time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.is Rajasik. It is duringthis
time that all lifeforms keep doing whatever has to be done by them.Not
only men, but also animals and the like do what is expected of themduring these 8 hours. The factory worker, the farmer, the agriculturist and
anybody that on can think of has to work during these 8 hours of Rajasik
time. So we find that every individual has an experience of this Rajasik
time Then we have the time from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the night. Thisis
the Thamasik time. That it is indeed Thamasik we know from ourexperience. The chief quality that is associated with this time is sleep. Sleep is
being equated to Thamasik in this analysis. It is during the Sathwik time
viz., from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that we should undertake our sacred and noble duties. This will sanctify our life. Weshould understand and appreciate how time has been divided for variousactivities and only then can we realise the true nature of our existence.
This Gayatri Manthra has to be taken up for chanting at any time during
the period of from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m., and then at any time between 4 p.m.
and 8 p.m. lt is absolutely necessary that you chant this Gayatri Manthra
either in the early hours of the morning or in the evening hours. During
the mid-day also it can be taken up for chanting, but for certain
purposes. When you look upon it as a Sadhana, it is the morning and
evening hours which are sacred for chanting. You should chant thisManthra
at least three times in the morning hours and three times in the evening
time. When you do this, you can certainly free yourselves from the fruits
of your Karma. It is said that a day's chanting takes care of all the ill
effects of the day's Karma. To illustrate this point, let me cite an
example. When you go and buy a certain thing on loan, not only does the
loan amount increase, but also the interest on it goes up. On the other
hand, if you were to barter something for the item at the shop, there is
no loan to be cleared, nor is there any interest to be paid. When youhave borrowed something on loan, then you find that whatever you have earned
has to be given for repayment of the loan, and the interest thereof. So,
when you try and clear your debts as and when you buy a certain thing,
then there is no loan nor is there any interest to be paid back. In the
same manner, chanting Gayatri three times in the morning and three times
in the evening hours before you go to bed would take care of all your
errors in the form of loan and interest to be cleared off. By chanting
this Manthra with this feeling you can certainly transcend Your Karma,
you can even reach the state of Nishkama Karma. You can sanctify your life in
this manner. Therefore, in order that you may understand the significance
and reap the benefits of chanting Gayatri, you should know the significance of the morning and evening hours chant Gayatri. You do have the time indeed! Where there is a will, there is a way, it is said. We do fritter away a lot of our time. A fraction of your time that you waste, if directed to chanting Gayatri, can purify your life. You do have a bath every day. So, even as you bathe, if you chant this Manthra, you are not only chanting this Manthra and deriving the benefits thereof, but it becomes a form of worship. So also, in the
afternoon, if you were to chant this Manthra as you eat your food, the
meal becomes sanctified- the food becomes a Naivedya. You may or you may not chant any other Manthra, but do remember that chanting the Gayatri is beneficial and you can experience this yourself.
EXPLANATION OF THE MANTHRA
Gayatri is the embodiment of all forms of Godhead- "Sarva Devatha Swaroopam."
Gayatri does not belong to any caste, to any sect or to any religion as such.
It is universal in its scope.
Gayatri has nine important attributes.
These are:
1. Aum Sound as the basis of Creation,Brahman.
2. Bhuh The Earth, the gross.
3. Bhuvah The Atmosphere, the Ether, the Subtle.
4. Suvah Heaven, the region beyond Bhuvah the Causal.
5. Tat Stands for That. The Ultimate Reality issimply
referred to as That because it defies description through speech or
language.
6. Savitur Stands for Divine Savitri, equated with the
vivifying power contained within the Sun.
7. Varenyum Adore.
8. Bhargo Radiance, Lustre, Illumination.
9. Devasya Divine Radiance or Grace.
"Dheemahi" signifies worship of or meditation on the Lord. "Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat" as the last syllable, is a prayer. Therefore, in theGayatri,
there is Varnam, Dhyanam and Prathana (description, meditation and a prayer) these aspects converge in the Manthra.
GAYATRI AND ADVAITHA
What goes on within you, depending upon the circumstances, are classified
as follows - we talk of Sankalpa and for this we use the "manas" or the
mind. When we talk of the aspect of "wavering" we have the "Chithha."When you think of discrimination, "Vicharana," we use the tern "Buddhi", the intellect. When you have the motive of selfishness, you talk of
"Ahamkara" or ego. What you have to understand is that basically one entity is described as mind, chithha, intellect and ego. We will do well to
understand the basic difference between the mind on the one hand and the intelligence on the other. Mind is something that has got in its nature a divisive tendency. The intellect is beyond such divisions. Therefore this intellect is associated with the principle of "Adwaitha". When there is a division taking place in understanding the phenomena, we are assailed by
the "Dwaitha" bhava. When you have this divisiveness in you, when youtend
to see more than one thing, it is the mind that perceives this duality.
The intellect tries to see the one among the many. What you should tryand
do is see the underlying unity in the diversity and not the other way
around. This Gayatri is a sacred Manthra which tells you about this
underlying unity in the diversity of things. It is through this vision on
unity that we can perceive divinity and sanctify our lives. In this world
we have mud or clay in one form or another. This clay can be one but the forms that it can take are multifarious. Likewise, gold is one, but the ornaments could be many. Milk is one, but the cows can be many in description.
So also the Atma is one, but the forms that it indwells are
many. In the world around you, beyond the names and forms, there is no
third entity. This world is nothing but the convergence of name andforms.
One form, one name. Between these two viz., the name and form- is theform that changes continually, something which withers away and fades away and finally disappears. Though the form disappears, though the form undergoes change, the name as such remains the same at all times (Nithya Sathya);
it remains changeless. For example, you have given the name cow to ananimal. Tho cow, the animal, will disappear with the passage of time. But thename
will remain. Forms will disappear but the name will last forever.
The sanctity of the name needs to be understood properly. It will be
difficult for you to try and identify a person in a crowd by means of his form.
However even in a huge congregation of people, if you were to call
out the name of an individual, he would respond to your call.
Throughthis name, therefore you can recognise the individual.
In the same way if you
take up the Lord's name as the basis, you can understand that forms in
various hues and sizes have taken that name. If you know the name of the station, you can ask for a ticket for that station and undertake your journey. When you are not aware of the name of the station, how can you possibly proceed on the journey? Therefore it is the name that is
important, and not the form as such. When you understand the fullefficacy and the significance of this Gayatri, you will be in a position to
understand the true nature, the underlying unity, the Atmic principle
dwelling in all different forms.
ITS GREAT BENEFICIAL EFFECTS
Who is this Gayatri? She is the personified unity of the triumvirate
divinity - Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswathi. Gayatri is also known as the
five-faced divinity. The first face signifies Om. The second is Bhur
Bhuvah Svah. Thath Savithur Varenyam is the third face. Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi is the fourth face. Dheeyo Yo Nah Prachodayath is the fifthface.
This is the Pancha Mukhi Swaroopam, the five-faced divinity.
From these five faces emanate the five life forces, Pancha Pranas. These five life forces are fostered and protected by Gayatri and therefore She is called
the benefactor and the protector. During the time She is protecting thus,
She is called "Savitri." You may have read about the story in the epics
that Savitri protected Satyavan. Who is this Savitri? She is the Pancha
Prana Swaroopini. This truly means that Savitri protects and guides those
who lead a life of truthfulness. When She tries to improve yourqualities,
She is called Gayatri; when She protects and fosters your word, She is
called Saraswati. Therefore, this Goddess protects the intellect, thelife
force and the word, and thus in every way She protects the individual at
all times. Today you have been given this Gayatri Manthra. It is verily a
day when you are having your second birth. Purify and sanctify yoursecond
life and then you become eligible for the third stage of Viprathwa. From
there you will proceed to the stage of attaining Brahma. "Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavathi" - how do you attain this state? You can attain inonly when you have understood your own nature. When you ask the question,`when do we become deserving to attain the state of Brahma?' then can you understand this. Before being married, a girl would be an ordinaryperson.
After the marriage, she has the privilege of claiming half of whateverher husband has, as a matter or right. What is it that marks out from the
earlier stage of being an alien and the latter stage of married life when
she can claim something by right? That right is conferred on her by a
sacred thread tied to her neck, the Mangal Sutra. In the same manner, so
long as you have not reached the state of surrender, you are an alien to
the Lord. Once you have put the thread of surrender around your neck, you
become One with Him, and you have earned the right to, and can demandfrom God, half of whatever He has. Therefore, through your own efforts you should try and reach the state of surrender to GOD. How is it possible, you might ask, by chanting this Gayatri continuously, to reach the state of fulfillment and sense of feeling that you have received something? There is an inner meaning in giving this Gayatri Mantra to young people.
We have in this Mantra the concluding words, Dheeyo yo nah Prachodayat. The meaning is this: Before you were given this Mantra, you may have been backward intellectually, or were a bit lazy. But now that you have been
given this Mantra, you become sharper in intellect, become more zealous, more enthusiastic, and certainly become more qualified for scalinggreater heights in acquiring knowledge.
CONCLUSION Before the sun rises, everything is enveloped in darkness. Even as the rays of the Sun dispel this darkness, so also the chanting of thisGayatri dispels all darkness and ignorance. The rays of this Sun dispels the area
of darkness. Darkness has no place where the rays of the sun reach out.So
also once your intellect blossoms forth by virtue of your having been
given this Manthra, your intellectual rays will dispel the ignorancewhich
has been persisting in you, will drive away all darkness and endow you
with intelligence.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
SVVG members visited giant lantern expo in Tambun,Ipoh
SVVG members visited giant lantern expo at Kwan Yin Temple Tambun , Ipoh on 26th Jan 09 .
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