Gyatr: The Mother of the Vedas

Sarah Mata
For Dr. Chris Chapple

Spiritual seekers have been guided and encouraged by the Gyatr mantra
to develop their capacity for illumined thought and even to inspire grace. In this
paper I will explore the fact that the Gyatr Mantra has been a central part of
Indian spiritual life through time and consider why it still thrives now. I will
discuss the appearance of the Gyatr in the g Vedas, the Upaniads, the Tantras,
and the Darma Shastras. Finally I will look at the influence of the teachings of
Krishnamacharya. The reach of the gyatrs influence extends evenly in time, as
steady a presence in the spiritual horizon as the movement of the Sun through the
days of time.
The Gyatr in the Rg Veda
The Gyatr was first recorded in the g Veda verse 3.62.10 and is given as
follows:
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhmahi
dhiyo yo nah pracodayt
There is a certain leeway in translation due to the bundle of meanings in every
Sanskrit word. Here are some:

On this, of Savitr the god, the choicest glory let us think. Our thoughts may he
himself inspire!1
We meditate upon the Divine Light of the adorable Sun of spiritual consciousness
which stimulates our powers of spiritual perception.

Let us contemplate the most excellent splendor of God Savitri, so that he may
inspire our contemplations.

We adore Savituh
That radiant splendor,
Thy pure formThe source of all creation.
We meditate upon Thy Divine radiance.
Thee we behold.
Inspire all our thoughts,
Guide our soul,
Open our inner eyeThe eye of Wisdom. 4

Hume, Robert Ernest. The Thirteen Principal Upanishads. Edinburgh/Glasgow/New York/

Toronto/Melbourne/ Cape Town/Bombay: Oxford University Press,
2I.K.

Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 57.

Feuerstein, Georg. The Yoga Tradition :Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice. Prescott,
Arizona: Hohm Press, 1998.
4

Satyavan, . The Gyaytr Mantra: Yoga for Beginners. Brookline, Massachusetts: Autumn Press,
1974.

Gyatr, like a mother, is there at the beginning, appearing in the primary

ground of the g Veda. These are the worlds oldest texts dated from 4500 to 2500
B.C.E. The hymn-like verses record the relationship between the human order and
the universe. The verses are inspired by the timeless power of the sun as a force
of light, and a central symbol in Vedic spirituality.
Fervent practitioners of meditation and asceticism with earnest questions
and devout investigations became the seers or is who performed actions:
Rituals and sacrifices purify meditators open them to experience direct contact
with the higher dimensions. This embodied vision known as rta and dhih is the
foundation of the Vedic conception of bringing the unmanifest, to manifestion.
The seers place in the society as poets and visionaries was highly important. Their
way of knowing was profoundly relational, involving embodied inquiry into the
elements, informed through the senses, held within the heart, and clarified in the
mind.
The g Veda is a document composed and delivered in the pre- dawn of
recorded history. It is the earliest literary document of Indian tradition and
narrates the struggle of the Aryan families of seers (ris) as they tried to
unify the world of diversity and opposition around them in a common
vision- a common viewpoint (daranam). 5 Their function was to connect

5 Antonio T. De Nicols, Meditations Through the g Veda: Four Dimensional Man, (New York : Shanghai: Authors Choice
Press, 1976), 51.

and unify the world of diversity and opposition through sharing a common
vision. 6
In this way the wisdom of the Vedas was born.
The fact that Gyatr upsan leads to gradual unfoldment of human
consciousness at three levels, step by step, will enable us to understand the
reference to Gyatr as the mother of the Vedas. The Vedas in their most
general and deeper sense mean the totality of knowledge which exists on the
higher planes with regard to the Manifest and the Unmanifest.7
The practice of Gyatr leads to a gradual unfolding of perception, the excursion is
inward, yet inspired by the light of the sun. The power of consciousness on earth,
mid heaven and heaven are the three levels of manifestation. As a process of
growth in understanding the Gyatr it is necessarily organic and un-forced, it
requires time and conscious intention.
Here is a word for word translation:
Tat-= that - accusative, singular, genitive, neuter, personal pronoun
Savitur-of the sun god Savitri, genitive, singular, masculine- nominative
Varenyam- the best, choicest, most excellent
Bhargo (bhargas)- light, illumination, radiance, destroyer of sins,
Devasya-of the divine, of god- genitive. Singular masculine
6

ibid

Taimni, I.K. Gyatri. Adyar: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1978.

Dhmahi- let us think/ meditate/ imbibe/contemplate

Dhiyo (dhiyah) thoughts, intellect
Yo (yah)- which, who relative pronoun
naha- of us, our
pracodayt- pracodaya/ to inspire, excite, urge, incite -verb

In Meditations through the g Veda, de Nicols emphasizes the primacy of

sound in understanding the world -view and the multidimensional way of
knowing of the i. Profound seeing involved all of the senses becoming conscious,
at such an extraordinary level that a kind of synesthesia occurs where deities or spiritual
forces were heard and seen. De Nicols writes,
the dh, the vision, which the is offered to their society and its members, is not
only a goal for the mind, but an integration of the whole human sensorium into an
activity which is not content with knowing; it is intent, rather, on becoming that
which it knows: the creator, the means of creation, and the creation. 8
The Gyatr mantra helps the spiritual community access this method of knowing
by becoming like the exemplary luminosity of the sun. The effect of this
connection to the original vision resonates through the body from the breathed
sound of the mantra to the inner synaptic refinement. The unfoldment as Taimni
writes, is a process relating to stages of commitment and absorption that are

Antonio T. De Nicols, Meditaions Through the g Veda: Four Dimensional Man, (New York:
Shanghai: Authors Choice Press, 1976), 157.

sustained until the light of the sun is revealed within. For the steadfast it may
come to be relied upon as point of view, a spiritually illuminated way of seeing.
The act of communion with the light of the sun, with the power of the mind,
becomes a revelation. The act of practicing gyatr becomes a consciousness of
unity with spirit lived on earth.
The evolution out of matter is brought about by identification with
consciousness. The more we identify ourselves with matter the more we sink
into matter and become slaves of our vehicles and our environment. The
more we identify ourselves with consciousness the more we become free
from the jaa jagat (material universe) and its illusions and become aware of
that reality which is known as God. 9
The Gyatr Mantra of the g Veda, attests to the fact that from the earliest times
there was the impulse, the need, and the capability to rise above the mundane and
experience the utmost elevation of consciousness. Within its syllables is a
footprint in word and sound of the human need for transcendence.
The Gyatr has a close relationship to the praava O. It is said to have
flashed forth in the heart of Brahm, while he was absorbed in deep meditation. It
unfolded itself in the form of the Gyatr, which in its turn, became the mother of the
Vedas.
9

10

The word mantra is composed of the root man which means, to think and

I.K. Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 21.

10

J. Gonda, "The Indian Mantra," Oriens, 16, no. Dec.31 (1963): 244-297 pg274,

the suffix tra which means, to protect. Therefore the mantra directs the mind
through concentration and protects the mind from fragmentation and lack of focus.
The basic doctrine underlying Mantra Yoga is that all this hard and tangible
universe which we see all around us is made up of only different kinds of
vibrations and energies working at different levels. The things which appear so
solid and real are not what they seem but are merely the result of different kinds
of energies and consciousness. This appeared as a fantastic doctrine only half a
century ago when matter was considered to be made up of material and
indestructible atoms. 11
Thus with diligent mental energy, absorbed in the vibration of sacred sound, a
perceptual refinement is gradually attained. The ongoing spiritual process serves to
deconstruct and re-experience the intrinsic fundamentals of life. As de Nicolas
discusses in Meditations on the g Veda, the poles of continuity and innovation form
the vital muscle of a living tradition. A certain amount of transformation is inherent to
vitality.
The Vedas themselves exhort the initiated to worship the Sun every dawn while
facing the East with gyatr mantra. This Mantra is the heart of the sandhyvandana
ritual. Sandhy means the meeting, or meeting of night and day, and vandana
means worship. Sandhyvandana is Sun worship with meditation on the gyatr
mantra.
The word sandhy is etymologically interpreted differently by some scholars.
Sandhy is considered a word derived from the root dhyai, to meditate or think
deeply (dhyai cintym), as is the yogic word dhyna, meditation. The prefix sa
means something complete, it being a cognate of the English word sum which

11

I.K. Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 34.

means total. So sandhy could be considered to mean total contemplation. And

sandhyavandana could be thought of as worship (of the Sun) with a complete
contemplative veneration, a complete meditative ritual.12

Originating in the Vedas this daily ritual reaches back to the original vision
and always forward into the exact juncture of the Sun at is various meetings
throughout the day.
The Gyatr in the Upanishads
Over a period that spanned between 2100 and 1900 B.C.E. 13 Vedic
knowledge was absorbed into a process of reinterpretation that included the
Upaniads. This was esoteric knowledge and was gradually freed from sacrificial
Vedic rituals. Characteristic of the Upanishads was an intimacy of instruction, even
requiring secrecy and initiation which is suggested in the word itself sitting
down near(upa near, ni down shad to sit) ones teacher.14 The Gyart is
vital and endures in Sanskrit literature reappearing significantly in the Brihadanyaka- Upaniads, (5.14.4) Chndogya-Upanishad, (3.12.1) Maitri Upanishad.
In the time of the Vedas, Gyatr emerged in the characteristic three lines
of eight syllables form, new associations appear in the Upanishads, such as the
explicit combination with the praava or Om.

12

Ramaswami, Srivatsa. "Sandhyvandanam." Nmrpa Volume 2 & 3 (): 12.

13

Ibid pg. 123

Ibid pg. 126

14

There is no question that om is the oldest mantra, or sound of numinous power

known to the sages of India. Its origin, however is somewhat obscure. A century
ago, the German scholar Max Muller, editor and translator of the Rg Veda, had the
idea that om might be a contraction of the word avam, a prehistoric pronominal
stem, pointing to distant objects while ayam pointed to nearer objects. He
continued, Avam may have become the affirmative particle om, just as the French
oui arose from hoc illud.15 Feuerstein points out that the pranava was believed to
have been known, but was not recorded in the Vedic times.
Gyatr has a close relation to Pranava. Swami Sankaranda believed that, like
soma, the sacred syllable om represents the Sun. This seems to be confirmed by
the Aitareya- Brahmana (5.32): om ity asau yosau [srya] tapiti, That which
glows [i.e., the Sun] is om. The Sun was indeed central to Vedic spirituality,
and the Vedic sages looked upon the Sun not merely as a star that supplies our
planet with the necessary light and warmth but as a multi dimensional entity
of which the visible stellar body is merely the outermost material shell.
Feurstein concludes that the esteemed Swamis conjecture is worthy of deeper
consideration. However most spiritual authorities regard om as the
vocalization of an actual sound or vibration which pervades the entire universe
and is audible to yogins in higher states of consciousness.16
Pranava or om is then combined with the vyhrtis which are said to be the
sound of the seven lokas meaning planes of consciousness or even worlds. It is
often preceded by the great utterance om bhr bhuvah svah translated as, Om
Supreme Divine, Thou art the Creator of this universe, Of earth, space and heaven.
Or essentially, Om. Earth. Mid-heaven. Heaven. Which situates the mantra
standing on earth, surrounded by space and reaching upwards to the heavens and
15

Feuerstein, Georg. The DeeperDimension of Yoga :Theory and Practice. Boston & London:
Shambala, 2003.

16

Ibid pg. 305

9

comes to be associated with a sense of the levels of reality, bhr - the waking state,
bhuvah-the dream state, and svah- the deep sleep state. Additionally, the name
Gyatr itself refers to the poetic meter of three lines or pda with eight syllables each.
The impact of specific patterns of sounds as well as units of time is a highly regarded
element of its power. Feuerstein points out that
the true power of the gyatr is thought to lie in its fourth foot, which
transcends grammar and is the blazing Sun itself (see Briha-ranyakaUpanishad 5.14.3) The Fourth (caturtha or turya) is an important
metaphysical concept of the Upanishads: It stands for that part in us that
exceeds waking, dreaming, and sleeping. It is the ever wakeful transcendental
Self (tman) symbolized by the Sun. Hence the Brihad-rankya- Upanishad
(5.14.7) contains the verse; Salutation to your fourth foot (pda) visible
beyond the sky. 17
Here we see another view of how it is the turya that we are seeking to
open up to and understand. The turya state could be thought of as the state
entered through sustained yogic practice when the tool of practice itself is
transcended. Additionally, on the physical level knowledge becomes perceivable
as the luster in the body of the knower. Moreover there is recognition and even
fame. This knowledge is apparent on the earth, it is visible. Within the Fourteenth
Brhmaa of the Bhad- rayaka Upanishad we find
That is the fourth, the sightly, foot, namely the one above the darksome who
glows yonder. This fourth is the same as the Turya. It is called the sightly
(daratam) foot, because it has come into sight (dade), as it were. And he is

17 Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice., (Boston and London: Shambala, 2003), 301.

10

called above- the -darksome (paro- rajas), because he glows yonder far
above- everything darksome.
4. This Gyatr is based upon that fourth, sightly foot, the one above- thedarksome. That is based upon truth (satya). Verily, truth is sight, for verily
truth is sight. Therefore if now two should come disputing, saying I have
seen! I have heard! we should trust the one who would say I have seen.18
Thus he glows with luster and glory who knows thus that foot of it.
The Fourth or Turya is beyond words, like the silence after sound, it is the
transcendent state above waking, dreaming and sleeping. This passage suggests
that what is true is found in that quiet mental state. Srivatsa Ramaswami defines
turya as the individual liberated stage19 of consciousness. Of note is the shift
towards the power of sight as the primary sense as opposed to the power of sound
that became the vision or dh of the rishis. More benefits of the Gyatr are
described:
Thus is that Gyatr based with regard to the self (adhy=atman) It protects
the house servants. Verily, the house servants are the vital breath (prna). So
it protects the vital breaths. Because it protects (root tr) the house servants

18 Robert Ernest Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, (London: Oxford University Press ), 155.

19

Ramaswami, Srivatsa. "Sandhyvandanam." Nmrpa Volume 2 & 3 (): 12.

11

(gaya), therefore it is called Gyatr. That Savitri stanza which one repeats is
just this. For whomever one repeats it, it protects his vital breaths.20
The metaphor of house servants as vital breath makes the concept of
pr as close and as essential as your breakfast. The personification makes
visible the invisible and expresses the devoted service of pr. Here the Gyatrs
power even strays into magical curses as it continues:
The veneration of it: O Gayatri, you are one footed, two footed, three footed,
four footed. You are without a foot because you do not go afoot. Adoration to
your fourth sightly foot, the one above the darksome! Let not so- and soobtain such and such! namely the one whom one hates. Or So and so- let not
his wish prosperor Let me obtain such and such21
The scope of benefits spans the sublime, to the not- so- sublime. Almost all you
can long for is counted as a benefit of the mantra!
The complete structure of the Gyatr includes the Praava and the Mah
Vyhitis O bh, O bhuva, O suva, O m, O tpa, m satya . I.K.
Taimni sees the three parts of the mantra beginning with the Praava and Mah
Vyhitis as having a successive relationship, the purpose of the first part ( the
maha vyhitis) is to arouse in the vehicles of the sdhaka certain powers which
prepare the ground for the effective functioning of the second and third parts.22

20
21

Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads p.156

Ibid., 155

22 I.K. Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 66.

12

The second part is; savitur varenya bhargo devasya dhmahi and is meant to
stimulate in the mind of the sdhaka an intense aspiration or determination to
come in contact with the consciousness of Savit, the presiding deity of our solar
system.23 Here we want to kindle the relationship with the sun whose radiance
inspires a quality of sustained focus and yields extraordinary perception. The
word dhmahi stems from the root dha, a benedictive24 from the g Veda which is
translated as vision and related to daran and the later term dhyna or
meditation. A benidictive is a part of speech relating to the act of praying for
divine protection.As de Nicolas pointed out in relation to the Vedic way of
knowing, in this intensified holding to the sunlight, the mind becomes like
sunlight. Continuing we comie to; Dhiyo yo na pracodayt which
is meant to bring about an attitude of self- surrender ( tma samarpaa) which
is essential for the Divine grace (kipa). After intense aspiration in which
consciousness plays an active role, the sdhaka abandons himself to the mercy of
the Great Lord and makes himself passive and open to the forces which are
aroused by the aspiration. It is only under these conditions that the forces can
flow freely into his vehicles and prepare his mind for spiritual illumination.25

23

Ibid

25 I.K. Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 67.

13

Another string of mantras known as the head or siras is placed sometimes at the
finish and sometimes preceding the vyhritis . Om po jyot raso mritam brahma
meaning Om. Water. Light. Essence. Immortality. The Absolute.26
Essentially, gyatr can be embraced as a chant, a muttering, or silent
repetition called japa. Japa is a practice that creates the mental space for an
unbroken span of concentration. Gradually this practice reveals the inner light or
power of the aspirant to become what is so visible in the sun; radiance.
Unfoldment of human consciousness when carried to a certain stage helps us
to come in contact, through the deeper levels of our own consciousness, with
the Universal Mind in which all knowledge of the Vedas are contained. It will
therefore be seen that the only true and effective way of knowing the Vedas
is through Gyatr or any other means which brings about this progressive
unfoldment of our consciousness. 27
In my opinion the emphasis on the mantra as a means to tap into the
knowledge behind the appearance of something so potent and universal as the
sun, keeps it vital and I think open to change. The words must appeal to and
resonate with the sadhka who in this pursuit is both timeless as well as a part of
his or her times. The progressive nature of the growth supports the quality of
26 Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice., (London: Shambala, 2003), 301.

27 J. Gonda, "The Indian Mantra," Oriens, 16, no. Dec.31 (1963): 27,

14

authentic attainment of a spiritual viewpoint. This practice is lived and cultivated

with an emotional attitude like the dailiness with which a mother presides over
her childrens development. The Vedas hold a wisdom accessible by a progressive
interiorization of consciousness. This wisdom is believed to remain as the
foundation behind later conceptions or Vidya.
The Taittirya Upanishad : a method of practice of the Gayatri
The Taittirya Upanishad holds a view that we are composed of five vehicles
or coverings called koas, known as the pacakoas model. This a Vedantin model
and an example of the Upanishad Vidya. According to this view, the process of
spiritual development requires passing through the most dense food body or
annam, to the finer pr body, to the manas or mind, to the vignana intellect, and
the ananda which translates as bliss or soul. This view implies a method we can
understand as a way of working with the Gyatr. That is, the contemplation starts
from the external and sensory information, and is progressively interiorized. This
technique carries some of the ritual feeling of the Vedic way. As Taimni writes ,
powers are aroused through the agency of sound or Vk which harmonizes the
vehicles and attunes them to the forces from the higher planes and thus makes it
possible for the higher states of consciousness to manifest through them.

28

The Maitri Upanishad

28 I.K. Taimni, Gyatri, (Adyar: Madras, 1978), 66.

15

The spiritual process of becoming at one with the source as symbolized by

the sun is described in the Maitri Upanishad. Here the source recognized as the
sun is the external expression of the inner light. As Georg Feuerstein writes, The
gyatr- mantra invokes the Solar Spirit, whose body is our Sun. The most ancient
Yoga was a solar Yoga, and this tradition lies at the heart of much Hindu Yoga.
Without the Sun there would be no life on Earth. Thus the Hindus celebrate and
worship the Solar Spirit as life-giver and also the principle that illuminates the
mind.29
In the Maitri Upanishad the explication of the Savitri prayer is as follows;
Tat savitur varenya- That desirable (splendor) of SavitriThat yonder sun, verily, is Savitri. He, verily, is to be sought thus by one desirous
of the Soul (Atman) say the expounders of Brahma (brahma vadin). Bhargo
devasya dhmahi May we meditate upon (that) splendor of the god! Savitri,
verily, is God. Hence upon that which is called his splendor do I meditate- say the
expounders of Brahma.
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayt And may he inspire our thoughts!
Thoughts, verily are meditations. 30

29 Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice., (Boston and London: Shambala, 2003), 302.

30 Robert Ernest Hume, The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, (Boston and London: Oxford University Press ), 427-428.

16

May he suggests the distinction that the Gyatr is both a mantra and a
prayer. The distinction includes an awareness of the difference between spiritual
and religious. Spiritual practices recognize the agency of the aspirant to make a
direct connection with the divine, whereas religion usually involves an
intermediary such as a paternalistic deity, a priest, a rabbi, or an institution. In my
study with Gary Kraftsow he emphasized that prayer has the dual qualities of
praise and petition, as well as worship, which the gyatr does. As J. Gonda writes,
To know the mantra of any deity is therefore to know how to set up psychic
communication with that deity. A mantra is from this point of view a syllable or
series of syllables, of the same frequency as the (usually invisible) being to which
it appertains; by knowing it one is able to command the elements and phenomena
of the universe. In employing mantras one is therefore to concentrate ones mind
upon the mystic process of the transmutation which is to result.31 The Gyatr has
enjoyed a long history of belief in the power inherent in the structure of the
syllables that is activated such as the power of light to effect deep change.
Katha Upanishads
Many Upanishadic models vary from the purusha/ prakriti of the Yoga
Sastras but in this verse from the Katha Upanishad 5.11 may foreshadow the
Smkhya inspired view from the Yoga Sutras.

31 J. Gonda, "The Indian Mantra," Oriens, 16, no. Dec.31 (1963): 275

17

As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not sullied by the external faults of the
eyes, so the one Inner Soul of all things, is not sullied by the evil in the world, being
external to it.32 This relates the sun to the view of the purusha as the witness
capacity central to the Samkhya philosophy and strongly present in Patanjalis
Yoga Sutras. The purusha is that which stands apart yet sets everything in motion
and affects everything.
In the passing of time Vedic ritualism grew more complex. From the
beginning the Gyatr was prohibited to all but the initiated, primarily Brahmins,
excluding of course sudras and women. Georg Feurstein writes,
As the ritualism of the orthodox priesthood became more sophisticated and
exclusive, the lay people increasingly hungered for their own inner
relationship to the sacred reality.33
Eventually, people sought out teachings from a newer breed of teachers that were
previously marginalized. While the Brahmins continued to play an essential role,
their influence changed, there was a trend towards consulting Brahmins primarily
for the daily rites.
Feuerstein continues,

32

ibid Hume

33

Georg Feuerstein, The Yoga Tradition:Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, (Prescott,
Arizona: Hohm Press, 1998), 123.

18

These sages were from various backgrounds such as Yjnavalkya who was a
brahmin and instructed the nobility, there kings like Janaka and Ajtashatru,
what they had in common was a penchant for esoteric wisdom, or what in
classical Greece was called gnosis, a transcendental knowledge that could lift
them beyond mundane life, even beyond Vedic ritualism and its promised
heavens, to the realizations of the unconditional Reality.34

In the text Yogayjavalkya Samhita the sage Yjavalkya teaches his wife
Gargi, while inhaling recite mentally the Vyhiti. The learned recite Gyaytr three
times during pryma. Chapter six verse 13. 35 The appearance of a woman
receiving information about the gyatr appears to suggest a valid place for
women in its transmission but in Chapter six verses 16- 18 clarify that woman
may practice pryama but because they and the udras are not initiated, they
may not use the gyatr. Here translated by Dr Jason Birch as:

In [the practice of] Pryma, a learned Brahmin should repeat thrice the
Gyatr mantra with [an equal number of] oms and the [names of the first
three of the seven] worlds (i.e., bhr, bhuvar, and svar). He should do thus
again thrice at the three junctures [of the day]. Otherwise, the wise Brahmin
can always practice with a vedic or non-vedic mantra, and he should repeat it
forty times in Pranayama. [If] a Brahmin is learned in the Vedas and always
devoted to his religious duties he should repeat a vedic mantra and never a
non-vedic one. Some [Brahmins] wish to repeat a non- vedic mantra for the
34
35

Ibid
Desikachar, TKV. Yogayjavalkya Samhita. : Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 2000.

19

well being of [all] people. As [in the case of] a Brahmin, mantra repetition is
prescribed for a Katriya in Pryma. For [all those] Vaiyas, women,
Sudras, and ascetics who performed their religious duties, a mantra without
om is prescribed in Pranayama, O Gargi. [For in their case,] the wise
recommend either a aiva or Vaiava mantra ending in nama. Otherwise, a
udra as well as a woman should practice a non vedic [mantra] prescribed
earlier, and they should repeat [it] forty times in Pryma. udras should
not repeat a vedic mantra and women should never [do so].36
It is important to notice that although mentioned, which is rare, women and udra
are forbidden to use the praava om and Gyatr mantra. The dating of the
Yjavalkya Samhita is complicated, since previously it was thought to be a much
earlier text, but according to Dr Jason Birch, citing more recent scholarship by
James Mallinson and Christian Buoy it is dated as a 13/14 century text.37
The Tantras
Gonda writes, Whereas the Vedic Gyatr is forbidden to dras and
women of all rank, the Tantras have a Gyatr of their own which does not show
such exclusiveness. 38 While the meter and words differ, similar to the g Vedic ,
dhimahi and pracodayat occur in the same place. Emphasizing the essential trend
of inspired contemplation, meditation and the power of the mind. This variation
appears in the

36

Birch, Jason. "The Amanaska:King of all Yogas A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation with a
Monographic Introduction." Unpublished Doctoral Thesis: 120-121.

37

Birch, Jason. "The Meaning of haha in Early Hahayoga." Journal of American Oriental Society
131.4: 528.

38 J. Gonda, "The Indian Mantra," Oriens, 16, no. Dec.31 (1963): 292,

20

Mahnirvatantra 3, 109 ff. the worshipers of Brahman are informed of the

Brahma- Gyatr which confers the successful fulfillment of all aims of life,
final emancipation included. It runs as follows: paramsvarya vidmahe
paratattv dhmahi, tan no brahma pracodt which is usually interpreted as
let us know the Supreme Lord; let us contemplate the Supreme Reality: and
that Brahman must stimulate (direct)us.39
Here again, the emphasis of dhmahi and pracodayt link it to the Vedic Gyatr.
The translation of pracodayt as to stimulate and direct has a relational quality
and suggests to me a female resonance, similar to the consciousness of a mother
attending to the growth of her children. Thus echoing the belief that Gayatr is the
Mother of the Vedic wisdom. Everything which is done, the text continues, be it
worship or sacrifice, bathing, drinking, or eating, should be accompanied by the
recitation of this mantra.40 Here we see the daily aspect of the Gyatr.
The Dharma Shastra
The significance of the relationship between ethics or morality and
spiritual growth is recorded in the Dharma shastras.
According to the old brahmanical model of human motivation, there are
four great values to which people can dedicate themselves. These are
known as the human goal (purusha artha): material welfare (artha),
pleasure (kma), morality (dharma) and liberation (moka). They form a
hierarchical continuum, with liberation as the highest possible value to
39

ibid 292-293

40

Gonda, J.. "The Indian Mantra." Oriens 16. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1580265 (accessed January 2,
2014).

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which we can aspire. Morality and the quest for emancipation, or spiritual
freedom, stand in a special relationship to each other, for the spiritual life
scan blossom only when it is securely founded on morality. 41
The relationship between ethics and spiritual development calls into the
foreground the need for purification. Purification is a necessary prerequisite for
spiritual refinement.
The Gyatr with pryma is considered to be the ultimate tapas, a means
of purification, and a necessary and foundational requirement for the spiritual
aspirant. Described here in the Vsishtha- Dharma- Shstra, Retention is defined
in verse 13 as the suppression of the breath for the duration of three repetitions of
the gyatr- mantra together with the syllable om, the vyhritis or declarations
(viz. bhh, bhuvah, svah), and the shiras (head)- utterance (water, fire/light,
essence, immortal) 42

The dharmashastra holds the moral authority and even

legal authority
The Teachings of Krishnamacharya
By the 20th century India yoga was bundled mightily and prophetically on
the shoulders of T. Krishnamacharya. Luckily, with the advent of film we have
footage of his languid and graceful vinyasa krama or movement sequences

41

Feuerstein, Georg. "Morality and Spirituality- Pre Classical Yoga in the Ethical Legal Literature." In
The Yoga Tradition; Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice. Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press,
2001. .

42 Georg Feuerstein, The Yoga Tradition:Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, (Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 2003),
209.

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 in 1938 {when} the Mysore Maharaja, Krisnaraja Wodyiar, sponsored an early

film of T. Krishnamacharya- the father of modern yoga- demonstrating a series of
flowing asana sequences . For the first time in history these sequences could be
showcased around the country to non students; imagined communities in preindependence India, united through shared pasts and invented futures (cat.261).43
As the Father of modern yoga Krishnamacharya influenced through his teaching
and his students through their teaching, reaching numbers of people that he might
never have imagined. As a Brahmin the practices described previously merging
the sacred Gyatr with pryma can be suspected. I will explore the way the
teachings of two of his most long-term students documented and preserved the
role the Gyatr plays in yoga practice.
TKV Desikachar
Nthmunis Yoga Rahasya is a text that Krishnamachharya transcribed in a
trance state from his 9th century ancestor Nthmuni. Herein we find (as described
before) defining pryama; translated by TKV Desikachar loka 1- 117 , When
the breath is drawn in and out three times, along with the Gyatr, sapta vyhrti,
iras and Praava it is called pryama. Thus, it is proclaimed by the great ri
Manu in his work Manu Smrti.44 As these examples accumulate it is striking that
the preservation of the Gayatri remains so central. Here it is again in a practice
43

Diamond, Debra. "Modern Postural Yoga." In Yoga; The Art of Transformation. : Freer/ Sackler The
Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art, 2013. .

44 T. Krishnamacharya, Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya, (Chennai: Krishnamarchya Yoga Mandiram, 1998), 97.

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that is congruent with the Yjnavalkya Samhita as well as the Manu Smrti which
are a part of the Dharmashastras.
TKV Desikachar portrays his father and teacher as an innovator as well as
a preserver of yogic traditions, he writes,
Krishnamacharya had the independence, the courage, and the openness to
make tremendous changes in himself and in sacred tradition in response to
the needs of his times. Yet he also held fast to the essence of eternal truths
that humanity must preserve, perhaps for its very survival. The enduring
example is that true to his calling, he lived the life of a Yogi- often in the face
of near overwhelming obstacles.45
Srivatsa Ramaswami
A contemporary of Desikachar, Srivatsa Ramaswami studied with
Krishnamacharya longer than anyone other than Desikachar. Here he explains the
daily ritual revolving around the Gayatri known as Sandhyvandana.
Sandhyvandana is a structured meditation ritual centered on the profound
gyatr mantra. The gyatr is considered the mother of all vedic mantras even as
the pranava (Om) is considered the origin of the Vedas.46 The gyatr holds the
center of this daily ritual that has endured throughout time.
To understand why the effect of the Gyatr is so enduring we can rest upon
the past. Ramaswami writes;

45

Desikachar, TKV, and RH Cravens. "The Fire That Dispels Darkness." In Health, Healing and
Beyond; Yoga and the Living Tradition of Krishnamacharya . NY, New York: Aperature, 1998. .

46

Ramaswami, Srivatsa. "Sandhyvandanam." Nmrpa 2 &3: 9.

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Universal interest in mantras and meditation has been growing steadily

and even Western medicine has begun to view meditation as a healthful
practice. But some meditative procedures adopted by contemporary yogis
lack proper structure. Many choose mantras at random and practice
meditation irregularly. The ancients found that well thought out meditation
done regularly and with sincerity was a restorative practice for the mind.
It is traditionally believed that the mind, made up of the three guas- sattva,
rajas, and tamas slowly deteriorates. Sattva becomes dormant and the mind
becomes dominated by tamas and rajas. Once these two gunas take hold of
the mind and dominate it, they incline the mind toward the same groove, the
same saskra. According to smkhyas and yogis, a tamasic mind tends to
become stagnant and depressed. A predominantly rajasic mind, on the other
hand, tends to become aggressive, angry, distracted and likely to experience
considerable pain. Once these gunas dominate the mind, they often make
people depressed, weak and considerably anguished. Samskaras (habits)
strengthen tamas and rajas and make one continue to function in the same
groove all through life. 47
This is why the quality of commitment to the practice becomes like a mother in
that it must be steady and sincere in order to nurture a state of sattva. At best the
result is a deep groove of being predominately illuminated by sattva.
Rmaswm describes the mental regard of the of the pryma mantra
complete with the vyhatis portion and iras.
Keeping the fingers of the right hand in mrgi mudra or deer gesture, one
closes the right nostril and slowly inhales through the left nostril. Then
closing both the nostrils one should mentally chant the pranayama mantra
slowly o bh/ o bhuva/ o suva/ o maha/o jana/ o tapa/ o
satyam/ o tatsavitutvareyam bhargo devasya dhmah/ dhiyoyona
pracodayt/ om po jyotirasa amrta brahma bhrbhuvassuvar om// Om is
the consciousness of the bh loka or that in individual waking stage. Om is
the consciousness of the dream stage. Om is the consciousness of the deep
sleep stage. Om is the consciouness in the turya or the individual liberated
stage. Om is the consciousness of the macrocosmic stage of Universal
creation. Om is the consciousness of the stage of deep contemplation of

47

Rmaswm, rvatsa. Ibid

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Universal Creation. Om is the Supreme pure consciousness. Then one should

exhale through the right nostril. This is one pryma.
With this, all the seven stages of consciousness, from the waking individual
to the undifferentiated supreme consciousness are contemplated as One
Consciousness, an advaitic or non dual contemplation of the ultimate reality.
Some yogis do this contemplation by focusing on the cakras sequentially
from mladhra to sahasrra. Then the gyatr is chanted- and finally the last
portion is known as the iras or head. Om is the pure consciousness (pah), it
is the effulgence, essence of everything (rasah), immortal or non changing
(amrtam) the source of the universe (brahman) and is known experienced
individually in waking, dream and deep sleep stages (bhrbhuvassuvarom).48

This matches the famed 1:4:2 ratio, which would then be inhale 5 hold 20 exhale
10 in contrast to the repeating thrice in the Yoga Yjvalkya. The wisdom of
working slowly and with respect for ones stage of development is echoed in the
Yoga Rahasya where it is advised Depending on ones capacity, this mantra can
be properly divided into parts while using the components of Ndiodhana
pryma.49

As stated in the Smti Ratnkara, Ramaswami writes, the pryma mantra is

made of 64 syllables- 21 for the vyhritis, 24+ 1 for the gyatr portion with
praava, and 18 for the iras position. In practice, it takes about twenty seconds
for the mantra. Thus it works out to be five seconds for praka, twenty for
kumbhaka, and ten for recaka. If one practices bandhas after exhalation, it will
48

Ibid

49

Rmaswm, rvatsa. Yoga for Three Stages of LIfe. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Tradtions, 2000.

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take nearly forty seconds for each breath. 50 He continues, Pryma with
gyatr is an activating process. Gyatr is an energizing or invigorating
(pracodayt) mantra. The inclusion of the mantra finely attunes the mental focus
known as sankalpa or intention. All of the levels of relational engagement make
the quality superior to pryma without mantra.
Ramaswami cites various other ways that gyatr is woven into the yogic
lore, The sage Bharadvaja suggests that one should practice prnyma with japa
during kumbhaka ten times before proceeding to gyatr japa. Then coming to the
benefits of mantra with prnyma or sagarbha prnyma, according to Manu, if
it is done with vyhritis, praava, and iras three times, this is the greatest tapas
for a brhmana (Vedic scholar). Just as metal is cleaned in a smelter, the indriyas
lose their impurities through prnyma.51
The Yoga Sutras
Dating of the classical yoga of Patanjali.Yoga sutras is 5th century. While
making no explicit mention of the gyatr, the Yoga Sutras incorporates the value
of mantra in the pursuit of samadhi. For example, In Yoga Sutra 1.28 Tad japa
artha bhvanam emphasizes the importance of contemplating the meaning of
mantras along with the numerous repetitions. Svdhay which is the centerpiece
of Kriya Yoga and one of the niyamas, is known as a way to link the sadhaka to the
sacred texts of the Vedas, and the Upanishads. In this way the texts become
50 Srivatsa Ramaswami, Yoga for the Three Stages of Life, (Rochestor, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2000), 204.

51

Ibid 205
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mirrors for the aspirant to see the true self or purua. Through the Yoga Sutras
svdhy or self-study is the practice of looking through ones specific lineage (if
applicable) as a way to know the self held by the wisdom of ones ancestors.
My Own Experience
Yoga Sutra 2.44 relates svdhay or self study to a chosen sense of the
divine or ia devat. This is translated by Bernard Bouanchaud as, Union with
the chosen divinity comes from study of the self through the sacred texts.52 (This
was the translation I was working with the most during this time period in 1995).
In my own experience of working with this text and not having a clear sense of a
chosen deity, I started to work with the spirit of the sun as my ia devat.
I learned the Gyatr mantra with TKV Desikachar in 1995. Our small
group walked outside in the mid day New Mexico sunlight and chanted
individually as bravely as we could, striving to match his exact notes or svaras. As
previously mentioned, part of the ritual heritage of the Gyatr is to practice in
relation to the dawn, midday, and dusk called sandhy. In no small way, the depth
of feeling we were witnessing in Desikachar was his ritual heritage linking him
deeply to his past and its traditions and emboldening this moment. We watched as
he stood with a scarf tied over his head, casting a thin shadow, and sharing the
mantra that reached so far back into his spiritual lineage. We listened, watched
and voiced the mantra again and again in emulation of his steady inwardness and

52 Bernard Bouanchaud, The Essence of Yoga: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, (Portland, Oregon: Rudra Press, 1997)

28

his calm and deliberate tones. We resumed marching until he stopped us with
quiet ceremony in another encircled arrangement. It was an event. This method of
learning owes some credit to the vedic emphasis on ritual as action. In him it was
still alive as a manner of teaching, consistent with the Vedas is the view that
possible transformation relies on conscious action.
Looking back, I see a method of knowingly relying on the awkward unmanifest, of not knowing, of learning as an experience of trusting the quality of
asat moving into sat and ultimately to rta and dhih. We engaged almost from
instinct in this very under appreciated style of learning. We followed the wordless
process of coming to know. We each took our turn, bringing both sound and
meaning into the manifest or sat . There was an unspoken encouragement to hold
the sounds with their newness in an emotional, cognitive, and aural resonance.
Encouraged by his example we learned with arms outstretched, heads tilted back,
taking in the heat and light. Then we sat in a circle on the ground and continued in
silence, learning the mantras innate power and letting it resonate through us.
After that I never felt the sunlight in the same way.
As the years pass I am struck more by the irony of how much I, as an
American woman, treasure my study of the Gyatr Mantra. I now realize that it is
ironic that I learned through an Indian Brahmin, because any other time in history,
it would not have happened. The fact is that it has been the cornerstone of my
yoga practice for nearly fifteen years, enhanced by the pryma mantra Srivatsa
Ramaswami (also a Brahmin) taught me. The Gyatr mantra has opened my

29

spiritual experience more than anything from my own culture. As a teacher I rely
on it daily and in varying degrees it has reached my students with its universal
urge towards light. I can not help but wonder if there is not some innate power in
this mantra that moves it through time with such spiritual muscle, arriving with
fresh vitality here today.
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