Yesterday I signed up for a Vinyasa Yoga class at Equinox. After struggling to twist and turn my body for about 45 minutes, the instructor closed off by talking about the Gayatri Mantra.
That caught my attention. I used to have this mantra as a morning prayer at our school when I was about 7 or 8. I knew it by heart but had no idea what any of it meant.
What I learned was that this short, four line prayer is an excerpt from the Rig Veda, one of the oldest surviving religious texts. It addresses the sun, well, not literally. It invokes a divine source that sets things into motion, or that brings forth life (savitr), just like the sun. And it asks that may that power direct our thoughts guide our intellect.
I.
Om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
Om is a sacred sound. Beginning the prayer with this sound to place myself within the whole existence, the larger cosmos - beyond my immediate worries, desires, or circumstances.
II.
Tat savitur vareṇyam
This points to Savitr - the divine source associated with the sun’s life-giving power. I turn my attention towards that source of light, energy, and life.
III.
Bhargo devasya dhīmahi
We hold our attention on that divine radiance. Before asking for anything, we pause and contemplate it.
IV.
Dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
May that power guide and inspire our intellects. Helping us to see more clearly and direct our thoughts well.
What’s interesting is that the prayer doesn’t ask for anything material like wealth, happiness, success, or a particular problem to be solved. Just the clarity to understand things better and for our thoughts to move in the right direction. Perhaps that's a more useful thing to ask for.