Monday 29 January 2018

Power of the Gayatri Mantra is beyond imagination



 
The beautiful Panchamukhi Gayatri idol installed in Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. 


Gaayantham Thraayathe Ithi Gayatri



The Gayatri mantra is considered as one of the most powerful, all-encompassing and comprehensive mantras. Commonly, it is said,

Sarva Roga Nivaarini Gayatri (Gayatri Mantra is the reliever of diseases),

Sarva Duhkha Parivaarini Gayatri (Gayatri Mantra wards off all misery),

Sarva Vaancha Phalasri Gayatri (Gayatri Mantra is the fulfiller of all desires).

Those apart, the mantra also ensures that bad thoughts do not arise in one’s mind. It filters thoughts to allow only good and noble ones. It also increases one’s focus and concentration abilities. 

The Gayatri Mantra was discovered by Sage Viswamitra. It was the same Sage Viswamitra who initiated Sri Rama. It is a Universal Mantra and can be chanted by anyone, irrespective of religion, nationality, gender, caste, creed or race. In fact, as Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Swami) puts it, this mantra can be chanted at any place and any time. 

There are innumerable instances, public and private, where Swami has dilated on the power and potency of the Gayatri Mantra. One thing He always says is,

“Gaayantham Thraayathe Ithi Gayatri. (Gayatri is that which protects and redeems the chanter of the mantra.)”

Though I have heard and read this multiple times, the enormity of that statement hit me when I read an incident from the book, “Avatar’s Prescription” by Dr. M. Vijai Kumar (MD, DA). This book is a collection of experiences of this venerable doctor who has done free medical service for over four decades. It is the story of his association with Swami and the guidance he has received from his Guru and God. It is on page 109 of the book that he reveals this incident which makes our jaw drop in awe about the power of the Gayatri Mantra. 


Bhagawan Baba chanting the Gayatri mantra. Play 
it as you read the article. You will get the merit of
hearing the Gayatri Mantra a few times atleast! :)

The accident in 1985 that could have a different ending

In the year 1985, Dr. Vijai Kumar and several others were with Swami in an interview. Swami was speaking to all the assembled people. However, He seemed to evince lot of interest in talking with a six year old girl seated on her mother’s lap. The girl was asking Swami many questions in rapid succession and Swami was answering all of them with great patience and love. After a while, Swami gifted her with a photograph of Himself. Now, the girl wanted to know whether to put the picture in a big frame and hang it on the wall or put it in a small table-top frame.

“Put it in a small table-top frame...” Swami answered.
“Swami, where should I keep it? Should I keep it in my bedroom or in the living room?”
“Dear one, keep it on the window sill in your house - the one where there is direct sunlight. Then you can view it from your study table and well as from the living room,” Swami revealed in His omniscience.

The conversation went on and soon, the child seemed to be the sole focus for Bhagawan. All the while, the mother was sobbing silently but uncontrollably. Swami allowed her to cry. Everyone in the interview room were amazed at this unique interaction and were wondering why the mother was crying.

As if to appease everyone’s curiosity, Swami informed them in a very soft voice that the girl’s father had traveled on board “Air India Kanishka”.


Picture taken of the aircraft involved, Kanishka, landing at London Heathrow Airport on 10 June, less than two weeks before its destruction 

It dawned on everyone that the girl’s father had died in the tragic terror attack and the explosion that occurred onboard the Air India flight enroute to India from Canada, off the western coast of Ireland. No doubt Bhagawan was filling the void for that girl by sharing His fatherly love. Swami also materialised vibhuti and gave it to the little girl. Towards the end of the interview, Swami turned towards Dr. Vijai Kumar and said in a matter-of-fact manner,

There were more than 250 passengers onboard Kanishka. Even if one had chanted the Gayatri Mantra, the accident could have been averted.”
Everyone in the interview room sat in silence absorbing the profundity of the statement.

Many are the escapes that people have had by chanting the Gayatri Mantra. One of the most thrilling narratives of the same is the near-death experience of Sri Devesh Srivastava, the brother of Dr. Sailesh Srivastava (a teacher in Swami's school and university at Puttaparthi).

The powerful Gayatri

Swami says, “Gayatri Chandasaam Matha (Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas)”. He goes on to explain that one can either peel and eat multiple fruits to derive nutrition and strength or one can drink mixed-fruit juice. “Gayatri Mantra is the fruit-mix concentrate”, He adds. It embodies all the 4 Mahavakyas (great statements) of the Vedas. However, there are certain conditions that must be met to unlock the mantra’s great powers. Swami says that:

  1. The person chanting the Gayatri mantra should not do it casually; it must be done with complete faith and reverence.
  2. To ensure reverence, one must have purity. Purity comes from speaking the truth and having the unity of thought, word and deed.

If one is interested in receiving directly from Swami about the Gayatri mantra, this comprehensive page on the power and potency of the mantra will be a good read. Better still, if one has twenty minutes to spare for the potential to redeem one’s life, the video below (with subtitles in English) where Swami is lovingly instruction a little boy on the Gayatri Mantra can be seen.

This is an exclusive video of Swami teaching about the Gayatri Mantra
in an interview session (which took place at Kodaikanal in1989).


The Sai Gayatri

Personally, I chant the Sai Gayatri and firmly believe it to be as potent as the Gayatri Mantra. The story of how this mantra came about is also very interesting. The occasion was Christmas eve, the 24th of December 1977. The place was the Sathya Sai Mandir in Brindavan, Whitefield, near Bangalore. The assembled audience consisted of a group of students and faculty members of the Sri Sathya Sai College as well as a number of visiting devotees. It was in the glorious presence of Swami himself that a great vedic scholar Pandit Sri Ghandikota Subrahmanya Shastry was inspired to announce Sri Sathya Sai Gayathri, the mystic formula devoted to Sri Sathya Sai.
He announced it as follows:

Om Saayeeshvaraaya Vidhmahe
Sathya Dhevaaya Dheemahi
Thannassarvah Prachodayaath


The meaning of this is:
"I know through Gurus and Shastras (and by direct experience) that Sai is God Himself: He is Bhagavan and Iswara. I meditate on this form in my heart with all my mental faculties. He is the embodiment of truth, divinity, universal consciousness and one who pervades all the worlds. I pray to such a Saiparameswar to direct our intellects to engage in auspicious and righteous activities. I meditate on this great form."

(This Sathya Sai Gayathri, like other Gayathris, is on par with Veda Mantra or mystic formula. It has 24 letters; it consists of three lines, each with eight letters. Such a composition has unique properties. According to Maharishi Vararuchi, the numerology of all letters adds up to 108. That is why recitation is to be done 108 times; to realize the full effect of Siddhi - which is signified by the 108th number, i.e. Meru or the tassel of a rosary or Japamala. Ashtottara Sata Nama - the 108 name-chanting leads to the realization of God, which is the goal.)

I always keep chanting the Sai Gayatri in my heart. After this story however, I am sure that my chanting will be more focussed, serious and thrilling.

May God bless us with the wisdom to accept the Supreme Word on faith and enjoy the experience of the realization of our faith.



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41 comments:

  1. Thank u for sharing the incidence. Though I knew abt the power of Gayatri listening from Swami is like nectar.

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  2. Thank you for letting us know Swami's interaction in Interview room and the power of Gayatri mantra. Nice to read about the same. Sairam

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  3. The video with Swami and the young boy was absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Sairam!

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  4. Sairam Aravind

    A small query in this regard. Hope you can give some thought and clarify the same which I get confused at times.

    Just recollecting Swami's words..

    "There were more than 250 passengers onboard Kanishka. Even if one had chanted the Gayatri Mantra, the accident could have been averted"

    We say that not even a blade of grass moves without His Will and here in this case, its not just 250 passengers but 250 families.

    Was their fate meant to end like this or if any one of them chanted the Mantra, the lives of 250 families would have taken a different course of action.

    They say only by God's grace we even remember Him and also our efforts but was this accident also allowed by God to take place. HIS Love is unconditional, does He not come to the rescue ??

    Any mother will be surely selfless to save her child when in distress and will the Universal Mother keeps quiet waiting for a call/mantra ??

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    1. Very nice question Ramakrishna. I agree it can seem confusing.

      Taking your own analogy, when a child tries to climb a stool and falls and gets hurt, the mother says,
      "Child, if you had called to me before climbing the stool, I would have come here and you would not have fallen."
      Will you say, "Mother, what sort of a mother you are if you cannot anticipate that sometime in the day I will go and climb the stool and come to my rescue unasked?"

      In the analogy, the mother is powerful and loving and can save. But she needs to be called out to. Even a baby cries for milk and mother arrives.

      You may further ask, "As a kid am not aware of the danger while climbing a stool. But the mother was observing and knew that I was about to fall. Surely she will come to my rescue without any hesitation. The mother knows that the child is not aware of the impending danger."

      The matter of compassion and love is not here because death is the end only according to us. It is as simple as a change of clothes as far as the universe is concerned. To incorporate this aspect, let us modify the analogy a little bit. When a child is riding a bicycle, it falls many times before learning. However compassionate a mother is, she will not stop the child from falling. That is also love because she wants the child to learn. Unless of course the child calls out and says "Mom please come. I can't take it."

      (usually it is the dad who does that but then, God is the mother, father, teacher, friend etc. all rolled into one.)

      "What you meet in life is destiny; how you meet it is self effort."
      The things we are going to face is destined. Depending on how we face it, further things are decided. It is like playing a video game. depending on choices you make, the game proceeds.
      So, if you pray, you survive. Else, you go ahead to the next life.

      If you say God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient - advaitha - everything is divine, then what is the difference between you, a piece of aircraft, the water etc? It's just a cosmic play of consciousness with matter. :)

      It shouldn't matter.

      As Swami says, "Yenta Matramuna Yevvaru Talachina, Anta Matrame Nenu". God plays the role we want him to play in our lives. That is what free will is.
      If we, in our freewill want him to take over our life completely, He will.

      Hope I was able to communicate some clarity.

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    2. Shankar NAGESWAR Rapaka3 February 2018 at 12:43

      That's a great thought. Understanding that death is an incident to change the clothes would give us more insight towards universal love. Sairam

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    3. Sairam Aravind,

      Just adding to the potency of Gayathri. While going through my Cancer treatment, during chemo sessions, many allergic reactions can happen, including Cardiac arrest. I would start my prayers from the moment I start from home, with Rudram, Sai gayathri, Dhanwantri mantra and of course Gayathri. The importance of using Gayathri was given by Swami at that time. Every time the medication is administered,I would chant Gayathri and ever single time I would get over it, without complications. Many a time I have avoided going to hospital by just playing Gayathri, in a loop.

      In other words, what is destiny will happen. Complications will come. But when Gayathri is chanted the effect of it is reduced and it helps us cross our karma without much suffering.


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    4. Very good answer.We must have to face our destiny.But at the same time if we chant Gayatri our suffering would definitely be lessen.My personal experience.

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  5. Jaysairam ,divine article on ma Gayatri

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  6. Jaysairam thanks for sharing Gayatri Mahima.

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  7. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😊Thanks brother for inspiring once again as always. Sairam.

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  8. Dear Brother Aravind, What a beautiful, amazing teaching you have shared here. I too chant the Sai Gayatri regularly and 24X7 in my heart, so much so that in silence, I can hear myself chanting it even when I am not. After reading your blog post, I felt that Swami has sent me a reminder about a very painful phase that I went through but I was constantly chanting the Sai Gayatri and I got through it smoothly. How Swami loves to deftly send reminders like these:)) My prayers of gratitude to you for sharing this profound teaching.

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    1. Sairam sis Swapna, That is really amazing. I hope that one day Sai Gayatri becomes part of my breath as well.

      Sai Bless.

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    2. Thanks a lot for sharing such valuable insights on Gayatri Mantra. I am very proud of my Indian culture where we are initiated into Gayatri mantra at a very early age through UPANAYANA.I am saved from many bike accidents due to the grace of Sai GAYATRI

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  9. Sairam Aravind. Really inspiring article and question answer provoking thinking. I am reminded of a narrative from Ultimate Experience by Phyllis Krystal. Therein she narrates her experience of in flight hijack attempt. She invokes SWAMI internally and lets LOVE & good thoughts flow from her to hijackers and in time the attempt comes to naught, the flight and passengers including herself and hijackers reach destination safely. Two different flights and two experiences. Power of sincere and selfless prayer does make GOD to respond positively. Thanks a lot.

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    1. That is a perfect recollection uncle. Very nice compare and contrast. Thank you for that.

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    2. Sairam Aravind, I was thinking about my comment and your response. I am wrong, as it is wrong to compare these two incidents. In first the bomb was planted somewhere in the plane and set to explode at a certain time. Passengers in that flight were not aware of this, so they slept, watched movies / entertainment (as in any flight) so did not pray. None of the passengers were in that spiritual stage in their lives that they internally pray at all times, so the flight ended in a disaster taking all lives on board. In the second case Phyllis Krystal and other passengers were aware of high jack attempt, she prayed and sent waves of love towards them and slowly situation was saved. Gist is one must practice and chant the chosen at all times including while asleep.

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    3. It is okay uncle because from whatever little I read, it appears that Mrs. Krystal (may her soul rest in peace) would think of Swami constantly.

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  10. Sairam
    On Sai Gayathree, extracted from Father's article:
    http://saidarshan.org/baba/docs/saigaya.html

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    1. Thank you for adding that. Yes, I took a few sentences from his article.

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  11. SaiRam. thank you so much for this write-up. I want to mention something. In the year 2001 i dreamt of Baba entering my school classroom (it was a Catholic school) wearing white robe and teaching us Gayatri mantra. I was a working lady then but in the dream i was in school. He made us repeat each line after him. And i thought there are many Christian girls in class, but they too were repeating. Months later my neighbour's daughter, a young child who studied in the same school as i did, came rushing to our house n said that day a nun in the school wearing a white nun's robe was teaching them the meaning of Gayatri mantra and how to chant it. I was stunned. I also knew Baba was telling me that this is a very important mantra in His way. In the article above you mentioned some conditions need to be met to unlock this mantra's power. Can you please elaborate on that? I really would like to learn more. Thank you! SaiRam!

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  12. SaiRam. thank you so much for this write-up. I want to mention something. In the year 2001 I dreamt of Baba entering my school classroom (it was a Catholic school, Loreto Convent) wearing a white robe and teaching us Gayatri Mantra. I was a working lady then but in the dream I was back in school. He made us repeat each line after him. And I thought there are many Christian girls in class, but they too were repeating. Months later my neighbour's daughter, a young child who studied in the same school as I did, came rushing to our house and said that, that day a nun in the school wearing a white nun's robe was teaching them the meaning of Gayatri mantra and how to chant it. I was stunned. I also knew Baba was telling me that this is a very important mantra in His way. In the article above you mentioned some conditions need to be met to unlock this mantra's power. Can you please elaborate on that? I really would like to learn more. Thank you! SaiRam!

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    1. Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience. I have hyper-linked an elaborate article which contains all of Swami's instructions on the Gayatri Mantra. Hope you find all that you seek in it.

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  13. Anand chakaravarthi29 January 2018 at 23:18

    SaiRam, it was around 12.30 in the afternoon ..I was in office and as I scanned my mail I saw the heading of this blog....I didn't open the mail but the message was conveyed..returning back home in my bike I started chanting gayathri ..half the way back, I was hit by a rushing car ..but the impact was very minimal..recovering back I once again continued my chant ..reaching home the first thing I did was to go thru the blog.surprised and stunned by his protecting hands !! words cannot express the love swami has been showering at every second guarding and guiding his beloved ones.. Sairam bro..

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  14. Sairam Aravind, Thank you for your service and you are lucky enough to be a very good Swami's instrument. Love, Mani

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  15. Swami told a few westerners in an interview in which my aunt was also present that both the Gayatri mantra and Sai gayatri had the same power and chanting either one yielded the same result.

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    1. That is nice to hear for a 'Sai Gayatri' fan like me! :)

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  16. As everybody knows that Mother is the First God to everyone and Gayathri Mantra is First God.
    Let Everybody enjoys the great effect of Gayathri Japam immediately after the bath

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  17. Sairam Brother - Thank you so much for gifting us supreme wisdom, love and enlightenment on this most sacred, redeeming and powerful hymn. Brother - I learnt through one of the satsang that this supreme hymn grants us experience of Swami's Darshan, Sparshan and Sambashan. Thank you Brother. Deva

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  18. Very Inspiring and reassuring. I chant Sai Gayathri 108 times a day, but from past 3 months I kept on chanting when ever I got free time as I was passing though a difficult phase! Now when I think about it, the difficult phase passed easily. This article gave me the exact picture of chanting Sai Gayathri.

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  19. SaiRam
    I chant Sai Gayatri/SaiRam whenever I have freetime.Thank you for gifting us this article.And on today,on MahaSivaratri,I am blessed by Sri Satya Sai for studying this article.

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  20. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  21. Sai Ram
    Can you please make a post on how to chant the gaytri mantra, you know even though the chanting by Swami is available, there is a lot of confusion people have with a few words especially because of excessive information available on internet as to how to chant it. In fact a few students are trying to teach it on youtube videos and ascribing it to the way Swami chants it and which seems to be inconsistent with how Swami chants it in publicly available chants. It would very nice of you to seek clarification from someone who has been in puttaparthi for long and has physically being initiated into gaytri by Swami and who has been chanting it from years. The confusion is in relation to the words swaha or suvaha, tats or tath, veranyam how to pronounce it to be as be prescribed by Swami and naha or naf. I have seen two videos of sai students teaching sai devotees in a manner which seems to be inconsistent with Swami's chanting but they say that Bhagwan chants it that way

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  22. Can ladies chant Gayathri mantra

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  23. Dr. Y. Nayudamma an eminent scientist was in the ill-fated plane. Had he been survived/saved/alive, he would have invented so many medicines. If I am correct even for corona, even it before taking lakhs of lives.

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