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Articles: Philosophy | GAYATRI MANTRA - BENEFIT AND SIGNIFICANCE IN HINDUISM
- Amrapaali
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DEVASYA: The word Deva, from which this word is derived, has been translated by different people in many different ways. It is generally thought of as meaning simply 'God'. However, its meaning is more complex than that. Deva, which forms the root of the words 'Devata' and 'Devi', means 'quality' or 'attribute', and can be thought of as another word for 'Guna'. Thus it is that the various Forms of God are given this name, as each of those Forms is related to a specific quality and function (for example, Brahma has the quality of Creation, Kamadeva
has the quality of love, etc.). Also, Deva is thus used to describe anyone who is considered to possess a special quality.
Since Deva is symbolic of the individual qualities of God, the word demonstrates the inherent oneness of those different Forms, and thus the use of this word can be taken as describing the fundamental unity of God. Thus we see that here, we reaffirm that central belief in the Hindu Dharma that 'Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti' (Truth, or God, is one, but wise men call Him/It by diffeerent names).
Thus, Deva is indicative of the various multifaceted entity that is the absolute Personality of God. It describes in one word all the functions, roles and different attributes of God, and symbolises therefore his absolutely essential nature - without God, nothing can exist.
DHIMAHI: Meaning to meditate and focus the mind on God. Meditation on God implies that we remove all other thoughts from our mind, since thoughts of the world render our mind impure, and thus we are unable to conceptualise the absolute purity of God. We must be able to concentrate, and direct our mental energies towards the task in hand - ie communion with God. In this, we demonstrate that God is the most important thing to us, and that we value Him above all else.
Prayer is carried out for four main reasons:
� to praise and glorify God;
� to thank God;
� to ask forgiveness from God;
� or to make a request from God.
Having carried out the other three parts (praise of His greatness, thanks for His generosity in Creation and maintaining us through our lives, and forgiveness by demonstrating our awareness of our own impurity, which we have realised is present and must be cleansed through contact with God), this part is now our request from God.
Since our soul is the Light of Life within us, and that acts on our body via the medium of the brain, we ask God to make this contact pure and righteous. The soul is of course inherently pure, being itself Divine in nature. The body is under the complete control of the mind. The link is the mind, which is affected not only by the soul, but also the outside world. We ask in these four words that God help us to improve our intellect, and guide it towards what is right.
DHIYO: Sanskrit for 'intellect', this is the essence of this part of the Gayathri Mantra. Having firmly set God in our hearts, we now must try to emphasise His presence and influence on our mind and intellect. Material prosperity holds no true meaning for the person who is truly devoted to God. Pain and suffering are of no consequence to him as, touched by God, he is imbued with God's own Divine Bliss, and all worldly sorrows pale to nothingness in comparison. However, still the individual must live in the world. Thus, it is important that the person's intellect remains focused on serving God, and that it is able, through the medium of the body, to serve God to the best of its ability.
Physical objects can be obtained very easily, if one is intelligent enough to know how to go about it. Intellect however cannot be obtained, but must be there from the very first. It is by use of this intellect, in fact, that one is able to cultivate all other qualities (building of wealth, 'success' in life (in material terms), physical fitness, etc.) Thus, intellect is the key to all else in life, and as such, it is the most important possession. We ask God in the Gayathri Mantra to gift us with the highest intellect, and to help us by showing us the way to use that intellect.
YO: Meaning 'Who' or 'That', Yo signifies yet again that it is not to anyone else that we direct these prayers, but to God alone. Only God is worthy of the highest adoration, only God is perfect and free from all defects. It is That God to Whom we offer these prayers.
NAH: Nah means 'Ours', and signifies the selflessness of the request we make of God in this part of the Gayathri Mantra. We offer this prayer, and make the request of God, not simply for ourselves, but for the whole of humanity. We seek the uplift of the whole of society. Hindu philosophy has since the beginning recognised the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - 'The whole world is one big family'. Thus, we pray not only for ourselves, but for each and every member of that great family, that we may all benefit from the greatness and generosity of the All-loving God.
PRACHODAYAAT: PrachodayAat, the final word of the Gayathri Mantra, rounds off the whole mantra, and completes the request we make of God in this final part. This word is a request from God, in which we ask Him for Guidance, and Inspiration. We ask that, by showing us His Divine and Glorious Light (cf. BHARGO), He remove the darkness of Maya from our paths, that we are able to see the way, and in this manner, we ask Him to direct our energies in the right way, guiding us through the chaos of this world, to find sanctuary in the tranquility and peace of God Himself, the root of all Happiness, and the source of true
Bliss.
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