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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

The following write-up on gayathri japa as meditation on Brahman and 
the references to Savita from upanishads had already appeared in a 
sister list. Since the discussion has come up in this list, I am 
sending this  now.
--------------------------------------------------------

Of the various conclusions arrived at by sage  Badarayana, the one 
regarding Gayathri is being given here. The Vedanta sutras on 
Gayathri are

# Sutra 25 :- "That  which is denoted by the word `Jyotis' (is 
Brahman), because there is the mention of (His) feet (in a connected 
context)"

# Sutra 26 :- `If it be said that, on account of the metre (known as 
the Gayathri) being mentioned (in the context, the Light or Jyotis 
described above is ) not (the brahman), is not (right to say ) so; 
because the teaching (here) relates to the concentration of the mind 
(on the Brahman) conceived at that time (Gayathri); indeed, the 
scripture declares it accordingly.

# Sutra 27:- "because also it is appropriate only thus to declare 
that (intelligent) beings and other objects form the feet (of 
Gayathri)."

The explanation as per Sribhashya:-
The words Jyotis and gayathri are used in Chandogya upanishad to 
denote the Brahman. The purvapakshins held jyotis as ordinary light 
that counteracts darkness in as much as there is no particular 
reference to Brahman here. But the Sutrakara refutes this in two 
ways, by pointing out that the passage under discussion talks about 
Jyotis as light (1) which also resides in beings to digest food, as 
Vaisvanara (refer BG also) and  (2) which is also indicated as having 
four feet, that  is Gayathri.

Sri Ramanuja says,".. the metre also known as the Gayathri is 
mentioned in the statement, "The gayathri is indeed all this" (Chand 
III-12-1) and this Rik verse also which is then quoted after the 
statement `therefore this same (Gayathri known as Brahman) is also 
declared in a Rik verse" (Chand III-12-5) to the effect "such is his 
greatness" (Chand III-12-6) ?relate to ( that)  metre."

It is said " all beings make up His one foot, His three immortal feet 
are in the Highest heaven" (Chand III-12-6). This means that all 
created beings indicate only a quarter of His power, greatness and 
glory, while the remaining three-fourth are not made manifest in our 
visible world at all. They are in the Highest Heaven and this Light 
is said to shine beyond that Highest heaven. When it is said that 
this jyotis has a foot on the world, it is related to Gayathri. It is 
taught that one of the ways of meditating on Him is to conceive Him 
as the Gayathri metre, which has four feet even as He has His four 
feet. "Here it is not merely the metre(gayathri) that is denoted by 
the word Gayathri because it is impossible for what is merely a metre 
to form the Self of all. But on the other hand it is taught here that 
the mind as concentrated on Gayathri  is to be applied to the Brahman 
Himself." To further elaborate this, Ramanuja quotes other words 
like `vidya' and `viraj'  (which consists of ten constituent parts) 
that are grammatically equated to the concepts related to them. 
Therefore whenever it is said that Gayathri is meditated upon, it 
amounts to meditating on Brahman in His Highest form having one 
fourth of His grandeur and glory in manifest forms and three fourths 
in unmanifest forms.

We come across reference to Savita in Svethaswathara upanishad also 
where it is talked about as the glorious Light that must be meditated 
upon as Brahman. This term (Savita) though loosely used in different 
verses in this upanishad to mean the Sun, Antharyami and The Creator, 
applying the  principle of grammatic equation whereby words having 
similar import are inter changed, it is deduced that it is "this 
great Person of sun-like lustre who is beyond darkness' (Taittri Ar 
III-13-7)

Inference:- The three levels as denoted by Bhoo, Bhuva and Suwa 
perhaps relate to His three feet in heaven (Chand). There  seems to 
exist a greater purpose in having  combined  Gayathri with 
Sandhyavandana -  the latter in effect is a form of upasana  of the  
Vyuha form of Brahman. The 12 names of Sriman Narayana are divided 
into to 4 sub-vyuhas of 3 each and are meditated upon in 
Sandhayvandana. It appears that upasana of Para  (Brahman) and of 
Vyuha forms are being done by means of Gayathri japa and in 
sandhyavandana respectively whereas every other upasana seems to be 
around the remaining 3 forms of God, namely, Vibhava,  antharyami and 
vigraha. That is why the injunction on  life-long upasana of the 
two.  When the prapannan meditates on these two highest  forms, his 
Release is in tandem with what he really aspires for -?to reach 
Brahman, because of the injunction that he who thinks of Him becomes 
Him. A corollary is to be  found in verse 8-5  of Gita too commenting 
on which Sri Ramanuja says thus:- "In whatever way he (chetana) 
meditates on Me, he attains that very form, in the same manner as the 
royal sage Bharata attained the form of the deer remembered by him at 
death. Such is the meaning."


Regards,
Jayasree saranathan


> 
> --- blazee7 <sathupadikesavann@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> > dear bagavathas
> > i have a doubt regarding braranayasam
> > if i do baranayasam "i should completely surrender my
> > self to lord narayana.
> > i should not worship other devathas" this is the meaning
> > am i right. 
> > then 
> > How is it correct to chant the gayatri mantra as an
> > brahmin while doing sandhaya vandanam?.
> > plz can any one of u clarify me this doubt.
> > thank you.
> > adiyen
> > kesavan
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>               
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