The Gayatri Mantra -- Prayer to the Divine Light
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat
Translation. Om. We meditate on the glorious light of the Divine Sun (Savitri), the supreme effulgence. May that divine light illuminate our intellects.
Meaning
The Gayatri is the most sacred of all Vedic mantras -- called the Mother of the Vedas. It is a prayer for the illumination of the intellect by the light of Divine consciousness. Savitri refers to the creative power of the sun -- both the physical sun that sustains all life and the inner sun of awareness that illuminates all experience.
Commentary
The Gayatri Mantra appears in Rigveda (3.62.10), composed by the sage Vishwamitra. It is traditionally initiated to twice-born boys during the Upanayana ceremony, though in modern times it is taught widely across communities. The Gayatri is properly understood in three layers: the literal (a prayer to the solar deity for illumination); the subtle (a meditation on the light of awareness itself); and the transcendent (a recognition that the seeker, the sought, and the seeking are ultimately one light). Chanted 108 times at dawn as part of Sandhyavandanam, it is the supreme daily practice of Vedic tradition.
Reference: Rigveda 3.62.10 · Tradition: Veda