Gayatri Mantra in English

Amazing Story: Origin of the Gayatri Mantra

There was once a king who ruled most of the earth a long, long time ago. His name was Viswamitra. In Viswamitra’s kingdom, everyone was happy. The level of spirituality was quite high. Viswamitra’s armies protected all of their lands.

The Warrior King Tours His Kingdom
Viswamitra decided that he needed to take a tour of his kingdom. His kingdom was so large that this effort took an entire year. He brought an army of 1,000 soldiers along in case they were needed. Everything went quite well.

Visiting a Forest Hermitage
At the end of the year, they approached their final stop: a hermitage deep in the forest where the guru of the king lived. The king’s guru was named Vahistha. The forest ashram was small, but beautiful and peaceful. The fruit trees were lush. The animals of the forest loved to be near the small group of householders and devotees.

King Viswamitra and His Guru Vahistha Converse

Viswamitra and Vahistha had a pleasant conversation together. The king assured his guru that all was well in the kingdom, thanks to the prayers, mantras and rituals performed by Vahistha and his disciples. In turn, Vahistha assured the king that his ashram had all of the land and cows and support that they needed for their livelihood and services.

Vahistha Offers a Feast
Vahistha is concerned that the king and his men must be tired and hungry from their long expedition. He offers to prepare a feast for them. The king cannot understand where they will get sufficient food, but he does not want to be rude. He accepts the offer.

Vahistha’s Magical Cow

Vahistha looks out into a nearby pasture and calls a beautiful cow to his side. He asks the cow to produce a banquet. Out of the belly of the cow emerges silver platters covered with food, crystals goblets filled with refreshing drinks, and tables to hold the magnificent feast. The army of a thousand men eat to fullness as the food refills the platters endlessly. 

The King Desires to Have the Cow

Now King Viswamitra decides that he must have the cow for himself. He imagines all of the fantastic feasts that he can provide for foreign dignitaries and others. He offers 10,000 cows in return for the magical cow. Vahistha refuses.

Viswamitra Wants to Buy the Magical Cow
Viswamitra offers 14,000 war elephants. Vahistha refuses. The king offers 11,000 of his best horses. Vahistha again refuses. Finally, the king offers 800 chariots filled with gems. Vahistha refuses. Now the king is becoming angry.

Vahistha Refuses to Sell the Cow
Viswamitra reasons that the land and the entire hermitage are his. Therefore, he can take what he wants. His guru Vahistha replies that the cow was given to him by God for the benefit of his hermitage. The cow is not for sale at any price.

Disaster Strikes

In his anger, the king commands his soldiers to capture the cow. Vahistha responds by commanding the cow to protect herself. out of her belly pour thousands of soldiers who kill Viswamitra’s entire army. Viswamitra realizes that this divine power is greater than any he himself possesses. Humiliated and alone, he retreats to the Himalayas.

Viswamitra Becomes a Shiva Devotee

Since Viswamitra is seeking the power of revenge for his humiliation, he becomes a devotee of the god Shiva, known for his destructive power. Viswamitra’s discipline as a warrior helps him to perform great austerities and yogic feats. He learns to eat only berries and leaves. He stands in freezing cold rivers to mediate. He stands in the sun on the edge of cliffs to meditate. He chants to Shiva for 1,000 years.

Shiva Grants a Boon
Finally, Shiva appears to grant a boon to Viswamitra. A boon is a special gift that has been earned through tremendous effort. Viswamitra asks for the power of fire, water, and wind. He also asks for the power of venomous snakes. Finally, he requests the ferocity of all wild animals.

Viswamitra Returns for Vengeance

Viswamitra returns to the hermitage. he uses the power of fire to incinerate every hut; every tree; every meadow; every anima;, every man, woman and child. Then Viswamitra calls on the power of water. Everything that remains is uprooted and destroyed. His guru Vahistha appears and holds forth a staff of power. The staff absorbs all of the power of water in the world. Vahistha is unhurt.

Vahistra Absorbs All of the Weapons of Nature
Next, Viswamitra calls on the power of air. Vahistra’s staff absorbs the power of wind and hurricanes. Finally, Viswamitra call on the Brahmastra. The Brahmastra holds the power of all creation. This power emerges from Viswamitra’s third eye.  However, Vahistra’s staff absorbs all of the power of creation.

The Power of a Brahma Rishi
Now Viswamitra sees his mistake. His guru Vahistha is a Brahma Rishi. This is the highest type of rishi. Vahistra’s word is the word of God. Nothing can destroy him. Viswamitra has been defeated again. Now he wants to have God’s power not for revenge but to atone for his grave errors.

Viswamitra Returns to his Meditations

Viswamitra’s determination has been renewed. Now he desires power to atone rather than to destroy. He meditates on Brahma for 1,000 years. Now the creator God appears. Viswamitra is given the title of Raja Rishi. This means the “King Seer” or the royal sage. However, Viswamitra knows this is not as high a title as Brahma Rishi. He knows that somewhere in his 1,000 years of meditation, there was a flaw.

Viswamitra Examines Himself
He remembers a day when he was mediating and a bird began to sing. Disturbed, he cursed the bird. He begins to examine his anger and realizes that his mediatation is still for the sake of ambition and desire. He must learn to meditate only for the sake of loving God. 

Vishnu Appears to Viswamitra
Now the God Vishnu appears, the preserver of life. He grants Viswamitra the title of Brahma Rishi. Viswamitra receives a staff similar to that of his guru Vahistha. Next Viswamitra seeks a way to atone for his former destructive state.

Viswamitra Travels Forward in Time
Vishnu sends him forward in time to experience the Dark Ages that are coming. Viswamitra has attained God through the determination and willpower of a warrior. The days are coming when humankind will need powerful tools to survive spiritually.

The Gayatri Mantra Is Heard for the First Time

Viswamitra begins to mediate fervently on ways to assist mankind. He begins to hear a sound. The sound grows to a series of 24 golden syllables. The Gayatri Mantra is the gift that Viswamitra will give to mankind for their freedom and liberation from suffering. The Gayatri Mantra is the foremost mantra from the Rig Veda (Mandala 3, Hymn 62, Verse 10), the oldest and most sacred text in India.

Gayatri Mantra in English Versus Sanskrit

Some have mapped the syllables of the Gayatri Mantra to the human body, believing that the syllables stimulate spiritual centers for both health and liberation. The Gayatri Mantra in English is helpful for understanding the intention of the mantra and the connection to the Sun as the supreme deity. However, the sounds themselves are said to be the key factor.

Sound and the Human Energy System
Each sound travels along the nadi and meridians or energy channels of the human body. The two main nadi are along the spine, entwined from the base to the top. Other energy centers include the seven main chakras as well as many minor chakras. Learn more about the chakra and energy systems in all of our Chakra Resources.