Gayatri Mantra And Its Benefits | Significance and Importance of Chanting Gayatri (Gayathri) Mantra

“Ignorance is bliss” this is what we have heard of. But Vedas and Upanishads in Hinduism shun ignorance. They professed  ignorance is the root cause of all sufferings. Swami Vivekananda stands by this idea,too.

The Significance of the Gayatri Mantra:

The mantra is more than 2500 to 3000 years old.
In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna claims that amongst all the mantras he is the Gayathri.
It reaches out to the sun god and the awakening of vital energies in the body and not religion specific. It is actually a prayer to strengthen the intuition.
3) The mantra is equally powerful in all the forms like chanting, listening or just being thought. It is up to our convenience to follow the mantra.
4) There is no hard and fast rule to chant the mantra.In whatever manner the chanting is done it bears fruits of purifying the inner self and fulfilment of desires. But when done by rules it bestows immense benefits to the person who chants
5) This mantra is common to all people, irrespective of gender, age, religion, caste, colour or creed.
It is the most sacred of all the mantras and the most powerful way of touching the god.The Vedas say – Gaayantham Thrayathe ithi Gayathri – meaning Gayathri  is called thus because it  protects the chanter.

How does this mantra work?

To know the answer we need to know the mantra itself. Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha
                          Om Tat Savithur Varenyam
                          Bhargo Dhevasya Dheemahi
                          Dhiyo yo  naha prachodayaat
In short we pray to the sun god whose lustre and brilliance is most adorable and desirable and who is our supreme being, source of energy, collective consciousness, creator, inspirer and source of eternal joy. This warm and loving light may inspire and guide and open our hearts.

Rishis of bygone era have worded this prayer and have taken care that the uttering of each syllable creates a sort of vibration in the body which in turn triggers the vital centres or chakras in our subtle body. The proper working of chakras mean an enlightened soul and mind.

Benefits of the Gayatri Mantra:  

Righteous wisdom is experienced after chanting the mantra. The mantra  protects us wherever we are, gives us sharp intuition, improves the power of speech and make our intellect shine and dispels darkness of ignorance. Prolonged recital of the mantra will improve the immune system of our body and heals our prana or the life force. In the mantra the term diyah or buddhi or intellect  is attributed in the plural form. Meaning all kinds of intellect not just spiritual but physical, economic, administrative etc.

The right chanting of mantra:

Since each and every syllable is powerful and it awakens the energy spots in our body care should be taken while chanting the mantra. The right time will be either dawn, noon or dusk. The mantra should be chanted by pausing at four places. They are Om; Bhur bhuva Swaha; Tat Savitur varenyam; Bhatgo devasya dheemahi; Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. The maximum benefit is attained when one chants it for 108 times but we can chant it for three, nine or eighteen times also as per our convenience and time limitations.