Gayatri Mantra
Goddess Gayatri is worshipped by Hindu's as the mother of all Gods and the culmination of the three lordesses Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati. Goddess Gayatri is typically portrayed as seated on a red lotus, signifying wealth. The Gayatri Mantra ( also refered to as Gayathri Mantra or Gaayathree Mantra) is one of the oldest and most powerful of Sanskrit Mantras. Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered Mantra in Hinduism, second only to the Mantra Om. It is believed that chanting this mantra can bring happiness in life and shields from difficulties or miseries in life. The sound of this Mantra can lift the believer towards the higher self.
The Mantra
"AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT."
Meaning of the Mantra
O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty.
You are all Light and all Knowledge and Bliss.
You are Destroyer of fear; you are Creator of this Universe.
You are the remover of pain and sorrow and the bestower of happiness.
You are the Greatest of all.
May we receive your supreme sin-destroying light,
May you guide our intellect in the right direction.
The Gayathri mantra is considered one of the most universal of all Hindu mantras, invoking the universal Brahman as the principle of knowledge and the illumination of the primordial Sun. Gayatri Mantra is also reffered to as 'Guru Mantra' as the syllables of the Mantra positively affect all the chakras or energy centers in the human body . The maximum benefit of chanting the Mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may also chant this mantra 3, 9, or 18 times.The speed for Gayatri mantra chanting is 4- 8 times per minute. Proper pronunciation is also very important to get benefited from this Mantra.