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| GAYATRI |
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| GAYATRI - THE CONSORT OF BRAHAMA |
Gayatri is in fact the name applied to one of the most well
known Vedic hymn consisting of twenty-four syllables. This hymn is addressed to god Surya (sun)
as the supreme generative force. Being translated this hymn means "We meditate
on that glorious light of the divine Surya (Sun), may he, the lord of light,
illuminate our minds". It is ordained that repeating this hymn again and
again leads to salvation. One who desires to attain heaven should recite it a
thousand times each day. A man of the upper caste, who daily repeats the Gayatri
hymn 3000 times for one month, shall be freed from guilt, however great.
Gayatri later came to be personified as a goddess. She is shown having five heads
and is usually seated within a lotus. She is another consort of Brahma.
According to the myth one day Saraswati was late to arrive at the time when Brahma
was to perform his sacrifices to gods. Brahma became very angry because his consort's
presence was indispensable to complete the ceremonies. Brahma asked the priest
to fetch him any woman and wed him to her at the spot. Just in the neighborhood
was found a very lovely shepherdess. In reality she was no other person than
this Vedic hymn of Gayatri incarnated in the shape of that beautiful girl. Brahma
immediately married that girl and kept her as his other wife together with Saraswati.
The five heads of Gayatri represent the four Vedas of ancient
Aryans and the remaining one represents the Almighty Lord himself. In her ten hands she holds
all the symbols of Lord Vishnu including mace, lotus, axe, conch, sudarshan,
lotus, etc. One of the sacred texts explicitly reads, 'The
Gayatri is Brahma, the Gayatri is Vishnu, the Gayatri is Shiva, the Gayatri is
Vedas".
All sects of Hindus accept the importance of this hymn. Even the Arya Samajists,
who do not believe in the worship of images and idols, proclaim this hymn as
the most sacred one and in every prayer of theirs repeat the holy mantra to achieve
success as well as salvation.
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