गायत्री मन्त्र
The Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri is one of the oldest prayers in the world. It does not ask for money or success. It asks for one thing: that our minds be filled with light. Many families say it at sunrise, or before studying.
Listen and chant along
Close your eyes and let the sound carry you.
Recording by Rameshvar, CC0 (public domain) (source). The tanpura is played live, tuned to the chanter's voice.
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यंtat savitur vareṇyaṁ
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।bhargo devasya dhīmahi
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
Word by word
- bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
- earth, sky and heaven: all the worlds
- tat
- that
- savituḥ
- of Savitr, the divine Sun, who gives life to everything
- vareṇyam
- most worthy of love
- bhargaḥ
- shining light
- devasya
- of God, the divine one
- dhīmahi
- we meditate on
- dhiyaḥ
- our minds, our understanding
- yaḥ
- who
- naḥ
- our
- pracodayāt
- may awaken and guide
What it means
We meditate on the glorious light of God, the divine Sun who gives life to all the worlds. May that light wake up our minds and guide them.
From The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas. “Om bhur bhuvah svah” is added at the start when it is chanted..
How to say it
Face the morning sun if you can, or simply sit quietly. Say each line slowly, or think it. While you say it, picture a warm, golden light filling your mind and making your thoughts clear.
Traditions differ on who should chant the Gayatri aloud. Many families today chant it together, and anyone can think about what it means.
Count as you go
Say the Gayatri Mantra once, then tap. A mala has 108 beads.