Gāyatrī Mantra — Word by Word
गायत्री मन्त्र
Ṛgveda 3.62.10 · The Most Sacred Vedic Mantra
Source: Ṛgveda 3.62.10 — attributed to Ṛṣi Viśvāmitra
Key Points to Remember
- ▸भूः भुवः स्वः = three cosmic planes (mahāvyāhṛtis): earth, atmosphere, heaven
- ▸सवितृ = √su (to stimulate) — the Sun as cosmic impeller, not just the physical sun
- ▸धीमहि = √dhyai — "we meditate"; same root as "dhyāna" (meditation) and Japanese "Zen"
- ▸प्रचोदयात् = causative optative — "may He cause our intellects to be impelled toward wisdom"
The Verse
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः। तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्॥
oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ | tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi | dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt ||
Om. Earth, atmosphere, heaven. We meditate upon the divine radiance (bhargo) of that adorable (vareṇyam) Sun-god (Savitṛ). May He inspire (pracodayāt) our intellect (dhiyaḥ).
— Ṛgveda 3.62.10
Word-by-Word Meaning
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| भूः | bhūḥ | the earth plane | √bhū (to be/exist) — the ground of existence; Prathamā singular |
| भुवः | bhuvaḥ | the atmospheric plane (between earth and sun) | √bhū → bhuvas — the middle world; also means "existence" |
| स्वः | svaḥ | the heavenly plane, the realm of light | su (good, well) + va (abode) — the realm of luminous beings; also written "svarga" |
| तत् | tat | that (divine being) | tat — neuter demonstrative pronoun; same as "that" in Indo-European languages |
| सवितुः | savituḥ | of the Sun-god (Savitṛ), of the stimulator | √su/√sū (to generate, to stimulate, to impel) — Savitṛ is the Sun as the impulse behind all creation |
| वरेण्यम् | vareṇyam | adorable, most excellent, desirable | √vṛ (to choose) → varenīya — "worthy of being chosen as the best"; a gerundive |
| भर्गः | bhargaḥ | radiance, lustre, effulgence (the divine light) | √bhṛj/√bharg (to shine, to roast/purify by light) — the purifying brilliance of the Sun |
| देवस्य | devasya | of the god, of the divine | √div (to shine) → deva (shining one, deity) — Ṣaṣṭhī: "of the shining one" |
| धीमहि | dhīmahi | we meditate, we contemplate | √dhyai (to meditate, to think upon) — 1st person plural ātmanepada optative: "may we meditate" |
| धियः | dhiyaḥ | our intellects, our mental powers | √dhī (to think, to perceive) — feminine plural: intellects; Dvitīyā plural (object of "inspire") |
| प्रचोदयात् | pracodayāt | may He inspire, may He impel, may He direct | pra + √cud (to impel, to urge) — causative optative: "may He cause to be impelled" |
The three opening syllables bhūr-bhuvaḥ-svaḥ are called the "mahā-vyāhṛtis" (great utterances) — they name the three planes of existence. The actual Gāyatrī meter is 24 syllables in 3 lines of 8 each. The prayer is to Savitṛ (the Sun as cosmic impulse) — not to ask for worldly things, but to have one's intellect inspired toward wisdom.
Exercises (3)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Identify the three planes (vyāhṛtis)
1. भूः (bhūḥ) = the _______ plane
Show answer
earth
2. भुवः (bhuvaḥ) = the _______ plane (middle world)
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atmospheric
3. स्वः (svaḥ) = the _______ plane
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heavenly / realm of light
4. धियः (dhiyaḥ) = our _______ (what the Sun is asked to inspire)
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intellects / mental powers
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer
1. Who is the deity addressed in the Gāyatrī Mantra?
Show answer
Savitṛ (the Sun as cosmic impulse)
2. What does the prayer ask for?
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Inspiration of the intellect
3. "Devasya" (of the god) uses which vibhakti?
Show answer
Ṣaṣṭhī
Exercise 3: Short Answer
Analyse and answer
1. The mantra asks Savitṛ to inspire our intellects (dhiyaḥ), not to give us wealth or health. What does this tell you about what the Vedic rishis valued most?
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2. "Deva" means shining one (from √div — to shine). How does this root connect to the English word "divine" and the Latin "Deus" (God)?
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