Maa Kali dressed with lights, flowers, and the scythe of the shrine.

Sacred Learning

Gāyatrī mantra

ṚV 3.62.10 (Savitr Gāyatrī); traditional vyāhṛtis ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः prefixed as commonly recited.

ṚV 3.62.10 (Savitr Gāyatrī); traditional vyāhṛtis ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः prefixed as commonly recited.

Canonical source text

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

IAST transliteration

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt

Close translation

Oṃ. Earth, midspace, heaven. We meditate on that most choice radiance of Savitr; may he impel our insights.

Reader-friendly meaning

A prayer that the sun-like impeller quicken the intellect toward what is worthy. The three vyāhṛtis name the worlds of recitation; the ṛk itself is ṚV 3.62.10.

Meenananda editorial explanation

Gāyatrī is a public Vedic prayer widely recited at sandhyā. This Ashram does not publish a secret Gāyatrī or a purchased count. Learn the mouth from a living teacher; keep the intellect turned toward the Light.

Practice context

Recite at the junctions of the day if that is your house custom. Diksha and a fixed japa-count, if any, come from the Guru.

Word meanings

  • तत् — that
  • सवितुः — of Savitr, the impeller
  • वरेण्यम् — most choice
  • भर्गः — radiance
  • धीमहि — we meditate
  • प्रचोदयात् — may he impel

ṚV 3.62.10 Śākala; vyāhṛtis as in common sandhyā recitation (public). Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.