Origin of Gayathri Mantra

Vedas proclaim that at the instance Sree Mahavishnu, the Lord Supreme, decided to create the universe, Gayatri Mantra, interalia, came out from His Divine Face.

Gayatri Mantra appears in Rig Veda, as the tenth mantra in the sixtieth sutra of the third Mandala. As Vedas are eternal, Gayatri Mantra also is eternal having no birth and death.

Meaning of the Gayathri Mantra

Om
Bhur Bhuva Svaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo yonah Prachodayat

A word-by-word description of the Gayathri mantra is ...

Om : Para Brahman

Bhur : Bhu Loka (Physical Plane). It also refers to the body made up of the five Panch Bhoothas. These five elements constitute Prakriti (Nature).

Bhuva : Bhuva Loka - the middle world. Bhuva is also Prana Sakthi. However it is the Presence of PRAGNANA that enables the Prana Sakthi to animate the body. It is on this account that the Vedas have declared "Prajnanam Brahma" (constant Integrated Awareness is Brahman).

Svaha : Swarga Loka(Heaven, the land of Gods).

Tat : Paramatma, God or Brahman.

Savitur : That from which all this is born.

Varenyam : Fit to be worshiped.

Bhargo : The Radiance, the spiritual Effulgence, the Light that bestows wisdom.

Devasya : Divine Reality

Dheemahi : We meditate

Dhiyo : Buddhi, Intellect

Yo : Which

Nah : Our

Prachodayat : Enlighten

The Gayatri Mantra may be translated in many ways. One such translation is as follows:

(Om) Om (Dheemahi) We meditate (Bhargo) upon the spiritual Effulgence (Varenyam Devasya) of THAT Adorable supreme Divine Reality (Savitur) the Source (Bhur, Bhuva, Svaha) of the physical, the Astral and the Heavenly Spheres of Existence. (Tat) may THAT Supreme Divine Being (Prachodayat) enlighten (Yo) which (Nah) our (Dhiyo) Intellect (so that we may realise the Supreme Truth).