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It is said that everything
started with the cosmic chant ‘Om’. This single sound split into three
syllables – ‘A’, ‘U’, ‘M’. These in turn gave rise to the three vyAhrutis
– ‘bhU’, ‘bhuvah’, ‘svah’ (or ‘suvah’). These expanded further into the
Gayatri mantra, consisting of three lines of 8 syllables each. From the
Gayatri mantra came the Purusha sUkta, which later expanded into the three
Vedas – Rig, Yajus and Sama. Thus, in a manner of speaking, the Gayathri
mantra is sort of a mid-way point between Omkara and the three vedas. It
is also the essence of all the vedas, which is why it has been given such
a high position amongst all mantras. A perusal of our scriptures will reveal that from times immemorial the
Gayatri mantra has been associated with Lord Narayana. However, with the
passage of time this relationship was gradually forgotten and people
started associating the mantra with the Sun. The twelfth century saw the advent of Sri MadhvachArya. He rejuvenated timeless theological concepts that have been enshrined in our scriptures but had been forgotten with the advent of Kaliyuga. He has left behind innumerable priceless philosophical gems for us to savor and benefit from. One of these is his commentary on the first forty hymns of the Rig Veda. He also provided many solid and authoritative references to prove that every sound, syllable, word or phrase is actually the Lord’s name. He provided an insight into the depth of meaning hidden in the Omkara and its association with Gayatri mantra, and the rest of the Vedas. -- Sri Hunsur Sriprasad
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About Sri Vidyesha tIrtharu:
We are blessed that His Holiness Sri Vidyesha teertha, the pontiff of Bhandarkeri matha, has consented to deliver this talk on Gayathri mantra. The very fact that he was personally chosen by the great Sri Vidyamanya teertha as his successor for Bhandarkeri matha speaks volumes about his personality, scholarship and asceticism. In addition, he is one of the foremost living experts on the Gayatri mantra. He has published several articles and treatises on this topic. Every thought or idea expressed by him has the weight of worthy scholarship and deep contemplation behind it. Listeners of Madhva Radio are indeed fortunate to have such priceless gems delivered at their doorstep.
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Gayatri mantra is without doubt the most well-known Vedic mantra.
Traditionally, it is taught to a boy at the time of his Upanayana or
Brahmopadesham, thereby giving him the authority to do Veda-adhyayana
(studying our scriptures in a traditional manner). However, its popularity
transcends narrow limitations of religion, sect or caste; it is
universally revered as ‘Veda mAta’ or the Genesis of all vedas. To
appreciate this thought, one needs to understand the underlying
relationships between them.
