Gayatri mantra

[Eric11235]

Vannakam,

I'm not entirely sure if this has been posted before, but who here on this board uses the Gayatri Mantra during meditation?

I just memorized the mantra and have so far used it during two separate occasions and have found its fruits very powerful.

I most recently used it during silent meditation following my temple's Arati service and I felt god as I focused on the shrine in the temple repeating the mantra with my mala.

I won't say that it has truly influenced my daily life, but it has helped me cope with more depressing days.

Who else uses this mantra? and if so to what effect?


namaste

[c.smith]

Hari Om Eric!

I use this mantra as part of my morning prayers and feel that it centers and energizes me for the day. I could easily see where it would help with your "more depressing days".

A site that has some (note the use of "some" for those who may be sensitive to the other contents of the site) www.awgp.org

Om Namah Sivaya!

[Arjuni]

Namast�,

The greatness and beauty of the (Sāvitrī) Gāyatrī is undeniable, and much has been (rightfully) written about its brilliance and power.

And still...I have not yet been able to meditate with it myself. Every time I try to chant it, or even listen to recordings of it, I feel uncomfortable and slightly discordant, as if something's wrong. This has happened with other mantras before - ones that just don't feel right to me. I don't know whether it's the gāyatrī metre that touches a nerve somehow, whether I'm pronouncing the mantra wrong and also listening to incorrect recordings, or whether I'm just nuts.

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[issacnewton]

hi eric

I did practice Gayatri jap for about 2 years. I have some mild anxiety disorder and I wanted to calm my mind. But for some reasons I didn't benefit from it.
I now do pranayam and do Omkar Jap, which is helping my anxiety problem.
I had read somewhere that Gayatri is like a multi vitamin tablet . so if you want
to treat specific problem, one should use other specific mantras. Gayatri
probably takes longer time since it acts like a multi vitamin tablet.

[AmIHindu]

In our Vedic Culture, every mantra has its energy. So when try to do Japa, it generates energy. What you people are feeling is distress of mantra. We should be able to handle the energy transferred from mantra, otherwise it would be difficult to handle energy transferred.

Let me tell you an event of Mahabharat.
During, Mahabharat Yuddha, Ashwasthama thought, that Sudarshan Chakra is very good weapon to fight against Pandavas. So he went to Shri Krishna. He asked to Shri Krishna that he wants to trade his Brahmastra for Sudarshan Chakra. Shri Krisha said okay, well take it if you can. But Ashwathama was not even able to move it then how he is going to hold it in his finger. so he was incapable of handling Sudarshan Chakra.

The other even is lifting of Bow at the time of Sita Swayamwar. No one could lift the Bow but only Shri Ram, that too with out much efforts. That is because Shri Ram had with him Satva.

So that was the one reason of distress. Other reason is black energy - negative energy and our ancestors. These energies are there around us at subtle level. So these energies will not let us people do anything which our soul likes ( good karma). Our soul likes chanting too much, chanting is sweet and sooth and gives you peace, but so far these energies are it is difficult to continue with our Sadhana.

Gayatri Mantra is very high level mantra, it has so much of energy which we can not handle. In the same way, Aum Namah Shivay is also very high level mantra. To much high level means, take example of milk, we can drink one glass of milk easily, but we can not drink one glass of Ghee. On olden days, when people had laborious life, they used to digest one glass of Ghee very easily, but in our sophisticated life it is difficult to digest even one glass of milk.



Now coming back to the point. To do japa, we need to raise our spiritual level. Think about GOD everytime, as said Hinduism is way of life. Read Scripture. Do good karmas, These along with Mantra with take us to higher level of Spirituality. Give more and more time to Japa.

I try to do Japa with Shree Gurudev Datta mantra, which best for the beginners as has been said to me. with this mantra I am trying to take myself to little higher level of Spirituality as I do read some scripture. It will be very much difficult to continue with the mantra but I still continue for at least 90 minutes. Sometimes I feel good, sometimes distress but I am getting there.

And last but least at the beginning ask help from Shri Krishna to continue Japa and at the end, offer gratitude to Shri Krishna for let you do some good karma.

Slowly but surely will get there with the Grace of Shri Krishna.

Namaskar.

AmIHindu ?

[sunyata07]

Namaste,

The Gayatri is indeed a very powerful mantra, one that is as invigorating as it is beautiful to listen to. Recitation is probably tricky unless you are confident with the exact pronunciation, something that is probably necessary in order for the full effects of the mantra to emerge. Like AmIHindu I've also heard from many sources that it's a highly specialised mantra, and there's been some debates about whether or not just anyone can use it. For example, I know it's a common belief among some Hindus that it's not appropriate for women to recite the Gayatri on a daily basis. Personally, I think there's truth to the idea that some mantras do not vibrate well with certain people, be that for whatever reason (past karma, current sadhana, level of consciousness, etc.), but I think the good that comes from the Gayatri is for all so I wouldn't be afraid to try it out sometime. I have briefly meditated on it before, but I have never practised long enough with it to tell you if it did any good to me or not.

Om namah Shivaya

[NayaSurya]

I think this would be a good place to ask...as recently I read something that was curious.

Would one of the very wise Beings here help me understand how to say the word Nah?

[Amala]

Namaste,

I don't use it during meditation, but I sing it before or (usually) after meditation and often throughout the day. I find it's "stuck" in my head some days. It's wonderful for me. I sing it oftentimes simply while doing other things, too. As I sing it, a sense of momentum builds and I find the mantra seems to gain a life of its own, like a cyclist coasting down a steep slope. There are so many changes going on for me that I can't attribute any of them specifically to this, but I have a sense that its effect is certainly part of the wonderful growth currently happening for me.

With love,
Amala

[Amala]

It's something like nuh huh. Imagine saying uh-huh (as in yes) without the nasalization. There's a quick little exhalation at the end (visarga) that echoes the sound of the preceding vowel. You can be lenient with the amount of energy on it so that it fits into the meter of the mantra. The rendition I use (http://youtu.be/nDnamSM3Z3s) gives it only a fraction of a beat's attention before pracodayaat. I hope that helps.

I think this would be a good place to ask...as recently I read something that was curious.

Would one of the very wise Beings here help me understand how to say the word Nah?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté



I do not use it so much as I give-in to it. You ask,

and if so to what effect?

So it uses me. We see this in the name gāyatrī. If we look at its components 'gā + ya + trī

• gā - is to pursue; be born
• ya - light
• trī - is the feminine verson of tra - meaning protected.

With gāyatrī one is protected ; born or pursues the light.

Let's look at it this way : gāya + trī

• gāya - is a song
• trī = tra = protection

Hence gāyatrī is a song/hymn of protecting.

More here if there is interest : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=6680&highlight=g%26%23257%3Byatr%26%23299%3B

praṇām