GAYATRI MANTRA
Khushwant Singh
In another
column I write every week I raised the question why is the Gayatri Mantra
regarded as the Mantra of all mantras, to be repeated 108 times
(why 108, I have not been able to find out) every day and what exactly does it
mean. I received a flood of mail, books
and cassettes on the subject. I asked
every Hindu I met to explain it to me word by word. The closest I came to understand it was from Dr. Kanan Jhinghan,
retired professor of Hindi of Daulat Ram College. We had two long sessions during which she gave me Hindi
equivalents of the Sanskrit words and her translation in Hindi. I have tried to put the same in English and
present it to the readers:
Aum Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yoh Nah Prachodayat
Aum, the celestial sound that resounds in our bodies
Over the earth and the cosmos up to the gates of heaven
The effulgence of the rising sun that
sets all living things to their allotted tasks to strive to achieve their aims
in life.
May the dazzling light which is the gift of the gods
illuminate our beings
Let us contemplate on it
So that our minds gain enlightenment.
(Courtesy: With Malice Towards One & All.)