Adi Shankaracharya Explains Gayatri Mantra

Some time back there was a  question about the number of Letters in the Gayatri.

 

I had explained  the answer with Adi Sankaracharya’s Explanation.

 

 

Now I am quoting Jagad Guru Shankaracharya’s commentary on the Gayatri Mantra.

 

OM :- Pranava – The word that is God the Almighty
BHUH :- God who is eternal, Embodiment of vital or spiritual energy 
BHUVAHA :- God who is the creator, Destroyer of suffering
SVAHA :- God who is Independent, Embodiment of happiness
OM TAT :- That eternal God
SAVITHUR :- That creative principle of light manifested through Sun
VARENYAM :- That Supreme God propitiated by the highest Gods
BHARGO :- That light that bestows wisdom, bliss and everlasting life
DHEVASYA :- The light of that effulgent God
DHEEMAHI :- we mediate
DHIYO :- May our intellect
YO NAHA :- Be directed by that lord
PRACHODAYAT :- Towards Illumination

 

Nah – asmakam Dheeyah – Buddhi Prachodayat- prerayet
Sarvabudhi samgnanthah karana prkashakah sarva sakshi prethyagathma iti uccyathe
Thusya prachodayatu sabdanistasya atmanah
Swarupabhutam param brahma tat savitur ityati padayh nirdisyateh
Atra tat subdena prthyagbhutam swatah siddham param bramhma uccayathe
“Savituriti” srustistitilayam lakshnasya sarvaprpanjasya dwaitabhavasya adistanam lakshyate
“varenyamiti” sarvaraneyam niradhshayaandarupam
“bharga iti” aviyatidosabharjanatmakam gyanaikavishayathwatu
“devasya iti” sarvathyadhothanathmakaakandachitekarasam
savitudevasya ityatra sastayarchi rahoha shirovatu oupacarikaha
bhdhyati sarva dhrisyasya sakshilakshanan
yanme swarupam thath sarvadhristanarupam paramanandam
nirastasamasthanardharupam swaprkashachitatmakam brahma ityevam
dhimahe – dhiyayeth
evam sathi praytyagatmanaha brahmana saha thatahtmarupamekatvam bhavathi
thayaa sarvathmakabrahmabhodakosyam gayatrimantraha sampatyate
atah saptavyahritinam ayamarthah

 

I pray,my Buddhi ( beyond Intellect shines forth),

(Nah – asmakam Dheeyah – Buddhi Prachodayat- prerayet)

 

By praying, chanting the Gayatri, all the inner organs,Gnanedriyas, Mans, Buddhi, Chitta and the Para Brahman in the Form of Witness reveal themselves,the first four being cleaned by the Gayathri.

 

( Sarvabudhi samgnanthah karana prkashakah sarva sakshi prethyagathma iti uccyathe)

 

by chanting , praying the Savitri.

 

The Sound of Savitri ,-all the gross elements get submerged in the Brahman, which is the embodiment of Sabda, the primordial Sound.

 

(Thusya prachodayatu sabdanistasya atmanah
Swarupabhutam param brahma tat savitur ityati padayh nirdisyateh
Atra tat subdena prthyagbhutam swatah siddham param bramhma uccayathe)

 

Savitri is the Creation, Sustenance and dissolution,the differentiation of being two as Jivatman and Paramatman gets obliterated.

(srustistitilayam lakshnasya sarvaprpanjasya dwaitabhavasya adistanam lakshyate)

 

Varenyam stands for the Ananda Rupa of the Brahman.

(“varenyamiti” sarvaraneyam niradhshayaandarupam)

 

By chanting Varenyam one the impurities of the Mind, and Chitta are removed and Knowledge shines forth.

(“bharga iti” aviyatidosabharjanatmakam gyanaikavishayathwatu)

 

Chanting of  Devasya Iti’ is the the culmination of worshiping all the Devatas, the Meditation and merges one in the Aakasa roopa of Brahman, that is from the Gross to the subtle.

(devasya iti” sarvathyadhothanathmakaakandachitekarasam)

 

Thus the Savitri is the chief among the Obeisance and Oblations offered to the Devathas and is the culmination of all Perception.

(savitudevasya ityatra sastayarchi rahoha shirovatu oupacarikaha
bhdhyati sarva dhrisyasya sakshilakshanan)

 

This is the essence of all the Siddhantas about the Para Brahman.
(yanme swarupam thath sarvadhristanarupam paramanandam)

 

It is the Unsullied Form of  the Reality  Brahman that shines forth
(nirastasamasthanardharupam swaprkashachitatmakam brahma ityevam
dhimahe – dhiyayeth)

 

By chanting ,praying this/thus,the duality is vanishes and the One Reality dawns.
(evam sathi praytyagatmanaha brahmana saha thatahtmarupamekatvam bhavathi)

 

This is explanation and the results  of the Seven Vyahrutis of the Gaytri,

 

And this is my (Shankaracharya) explanation.
thayaa sarvathmakabrahmabhodakosyam gayatrimantraha sampatyate
atah saptavyahritinam ayamarthah

 

* There  might be errors in my translation.

 

Scholars in Sanskrit are requeted to send in corrections as this, I consider to be the best explanation of the Gaytri Mantra and the essence of the Vedas