[Advaita-l] Gayatri?

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 15 Jul 2009, Sunil Bhattacharjya wrote:

> Namaskar,   "Gayantan trayate it Gayatri", ie. it is called Gayatri as 
> it protects the one who recites it. One can pray to Mother Sri Lakshmi 
> or Sri Ganeshji by reciting the respective Gayatris and the deities will 
> protect.

One can recite any mantra and the deities will protect.  There is nothing 
particularly special about a mantra being in Gayatri form.

> The Vedic Gayatri of three padas,which is recited commonly and 
> also by the Aryasamajis is the Veidc Gayatri and it is the essence of 
> the Vedas. It is effective and the Arya samaja booklet explains its 
> meaning.

This is a list for Advaita Vedanta as taught by Shankaracharya.  You 
should not bring up the nastika Aryasamajis and their misbegotten views 
here.  For any mantra there is the question of adhikara.  Vedokta mantras 
in particular are not to be recited by women or any man who is not 
entitled to or has not undergone yajnopavita.

But for every kind of person there is some upaya.  I don't subscribe to 
the view that some mantras are "powerful" or "effective" and others are 
not.  The power of a mantra is in the mana of the person saying it.  Think 
for example of Maharshi Valmiki who was such an ignoramus he chanted "marA 
marA" Yet he still attained the Highest.

> There is a fourth pada used for certain purposes and that is 
> more for the Sanyashis. There is also an esoteric Gayatri called 
> "Srividya-pancadasaakshari", which is only for those initiated to 
> Srividya.

I don't think the panchadashakshari qualifies as any kind of Gayatri.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>