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55-512: In the Samaveda , ' Om Namo Narayanaya' is said to have been taught by Vedic sages to the seekers who came to them for wisdom. It is traditionally believed that this mantra revealed its significance and meaning to these sages through their penances, after which they shared it with seekers as a means of self-realisation. Om Namo Narayanaya is heavily featured in Hindu literature , especially in

110-527: A full life, supremacy over men, enjoys the pleasures of royalty, and becomes the master of all souls. Whoever chants this mantra is held to attain moksha , according to the teachings of the Samaveda . Samaveda The Samaveda ( Sanskrit : सामवेद , IAST : Sāmaveda , from सामन् , "song" and वेद , "knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, and

165-602: A lullaby, for probably the same reason, remarks Staal. Thus the contents of the Samaveda represent a tradition and a creative synthesis of music, sounds, meaning and spirituality, the text was not entirely a sudden inspiration. The portion of the first song of Samaveda illustrates the link and mapping of Rigvedic verses into a melodic chant: अग्न आ याहि वीतये – Rigveda 6.16.10 Agna ā yāhi vītaye Samaveda transformation (Jaiminiya manuscript): o gnā i / ā yā hi vā i / tā yā i tā yā i / Translation: O Agni , come to

220-541: A metric, melodic structure with a wide range of speculations and philosophical topics. The text in eighth and ninth volumes of the first chapter, for example, describes the debate between three men proficient in Udgitha , about the origins and support of Udgitha and all of empirical existence. The text summarizes their discussion as, What is the origin of this world? Space, said he. Verily, all things here arise out of space. They disappear back into space, for space alone

275-571: A person became Brahmana through learning from his Guru , and not because of birth . He administered the sacred thread ceremony and the Gayatri mantra to non-Brahmins in Ramakrishna Mission. This Hindu mantra has been popularized to the masses, pendants, audio recordings and mock scrolls. Various Gayatri yajñas organised by All World Gayatri Pariwar at small and large scales in late twentieth century also helped spread Gayatri mantra to

330-566: A poet-saint of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, invoked the mantra to convince the Pandya king of Madurai of the supremacy of Vishnu. He proclaimed that Narayana was the supreme deity, all-merciful and all-bountiful, and that he was the path towards the achievement of bliss. According to the Sri Vaishnava narrative, the theologian Ramanuja , student of Guru Yadava Prakasa, is regarded to have revealed this secret mantra, illegally against

385-612: A separate compilation, called the Gandharva-Veda , and this Upaveda is attached to the Samaveda. The structure and theory of chants in the Samaveda have inspired the organizing principle for Indian classical arts and performances, and this root has been widely acknowledged by musicologists dealing with the history of Indian music. Our music tradition [Indian] in the North as well as in the South, remembers and cherishes its origin in

440-662: A teacher is third, All three achieve the blessed worlds. But the Brahmasamstha – one who is firmly grounded in Brahman – alone achieves immortality. The Kena Upanishad is embedded inside the last section of the Talavakara Brahmanam recension of the Samaveda. It is much shorter, but it too delves into philosophical and spiritual questions like the Chandogya Upanishad. In the fourth chapter,

495-536: Is Chandogya which has played a historic role in the evolution of various schools of Hindu philosophy . The embedded philosophical premises in Chandogya Upanishad have, for example, served as foundation for Vedanta school of Hinduism. It is one of the most cited texts in later Bhasyas (reviews and commentaries) by scholars from the diverse schools of Hinduism. Adi Shankara , for example, cited Chandogya Upanishad 810 times in his Vedanta Sutra Bhasya , more than any other ancient text. The Chandogya Upanishad belongs to

550-457: Is a term that may be translated as "to or of Narayana". Nara refers to “water”, and anaya means “abode” or “shelter.” Narayana is an epithet of Vishnu, whose celestial realm is Vaikuntha , amid the cosmic waters of creation. Hence, it is a mantra that is associated with submission to God , accepting one's existence in the grand design, as well as seeking the protection of Vishnu. The sage and philosopher Yajnavalkya provides an explanation of

605-511: Is also considered the author of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda. Many monotheistic sects of Hinduism such as Arya Samaj hold that the Gayatri mantra is in praise of One Supreme Creator known by the name Om as mentioned in the Yajurveda , 40:17. The Gayatri mantra has been translated in many ways. Quite literal translations include: Literal translations of the words are below after splitting

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660-519: Is also referred to as Sama Veda . Michael Witzel states that there is no absolute dating for Samaveda and other Vedic texts. He estimates the composition of the samhita layer of the text chronologically after the Rigveda, and in the likely range of 1200 to 1000 BCE, roughly contemporary with the Atharvaveda and the Yajurveda . There were about a dozen styles of Samavedic chanting. Of

715-530: Is described in the Sanskrit texts such as the Puspasutra . Just like Rigveda, the early sections of Samaveda typically begin with Agni and Indra hymns but shift to abstract speculations and philosophy, and their meters too shifts in a descending order. The later sections of the Samaveda, states Witzel, have least deviation from substance of hymns they derive from Rigveda into songs. The purpose of Samaveda

770-535: Is greater than these, space is the final goal. This is the most excellent Udgitha . This is endless. The most excellent is his, the most excellent worlds does he win, who, knowing it thus, reveres the most excellent Udgitha ( Om , ॐ ). Max Muller notes that the term "space" above, was later asserted in the Vedanta Sutra verse 1.1.22 to be a symbolism for the Vedic concept of Brahman . Paul Deussen explains

825-778: Is offering to the sacred flame; the Sāvittī is the foremost of poetic meters; of humans, the king is the foremost; the ocean’s the foremost of rivers; the foremost of stars is the moon; the sun is the foremost of lights; for those who sacrifice seeking merit, the Saṅgha is the foremost. In Sutta Nipata 3.4, the Buddha uses the Sāvitri mantra as a paradigmatic indicator of Brahmanic knowledge: Brāhmaṇo hi ce tvaṃ brūsi, Mañca brūsi abrāhmaṇaṃ; Taṃ taṃ sāvittiṃ pucchāmi, Tipadaṃ catuvīsatakkharaṃ If you say you brahmin are, but call me none, then of you I ask

880-564: Is one of the sacred scriptures in Hinduism . One of the four Vedas , it is a liturgical text which consists of 1,875 verses. All but 75 verses have been taken from the Rigveda . Three recensions of the Samaveda have survived, and variant manuscripts of the Veda have been found in various parts of India . While its earliest parts are believed to date from as early as the Rigvedic period,

935-407: Is short one syllable in the first line: tat sa vi tur va reṇ yaṃ . Being only twenty-three syllables the Gayatri mantra is Nichruth Gayatri Chandas ("Gayatri mantra short by one syllable"). A reconstruction of vareṇyaṃ to a proposed historical vareṇiyaṃ restores the first line to eight syllables. In practise, people reciting the mantra may retain seven syllables and simply prolong

990-485: The Bhagavad Gita , Harivamsa , and Manusmṛti . The mantra and its associated metric form was known by the Buddha. The mantra is an important part of the initiation ceremony. Modern Hindu reform movements spread the practice of the mantra to everyone and its use is now very widespread. The main mantra appears in the hymn RV 3 .62.10. During its recitation, the hymn is preceded by oṃ ( ॐ ) and

1045-542: The Mahabharata , Harivamsa , and Manusmṛti . In Majjhima Nikaya 92, the Buddha refers to the Sāvitri (Pali: sāvittī ) mantra as the foremost meter, in the same sense as the king is foremost among humans, or the sun is foremost among lights: aggihuttamukhā yaññā sāvittī chandaso mukham; Rājā mukhaṃ manussānaṃ, nadīnaṃ sāgaro mukhaṃ. Nakkhattānaṃ mukhaṃ cando, ādicco tapataṃ mukhaṃ; Puññaṃ ākaṅkhamānānaṃ, saṅgho ve yajataṃ mukhan. The foremost of sacrifices

1100-785: The Upanishads and the Puranas . The mantra is often specified as being invoked by the characters of these scriptures to gain salvation from the deity, and as an instruction to the devotees of Narayana in the performance of rituals. According to the Tarasara Upanishad , om is the divine sacred syllable that represents the nature of Brahman , the Ultimate Reality that is unchanging and eternal. Namo can be translated from Sanskrit as “to bow to” or “to pay homage to”, as well as refer to an individual's name. Narayanaya

1155-653: The Surya Upanishad . The Gayatri mantra is the apparent inspiration for derivative "gāyatrī" stanzas dedicated to other deities . Those derivations are patterned on the formula vidmahe - dhīmahi - pracodayāt " , and have been interpolated into some recensions of the Shatarudriya litany. Gāyatrīs of this form are also found in the Mahanarayana Upanishad. The Gayatri mantra is also repeated and cited widely in Hindu texts such as

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1210-574: The Tandya school of the Samaveda. Like Brhadaranyaka Upanishad , the Chandogya Upanishad is an anthology of texts that must have pre-existed as separate texts, and were edited into a larger text by one or more ancient Indian scholars. The precise chronology of Chandogya Upanishad is uncertain, but it is the youngest layer of text in the Samaveda, and it is variously dated to have been composed by 8th to 6th century BCE in India. The Chandogya text combines

1265-592: The Vedas ". The term Gāyatrī may also refer to a type of mantra which follows the same Vedic meter as the original Gāyatrī Mantra. There are many such Gāyatrīs for various gods and goddesses. Furthermore, Gāyatrī is the name of the Goddess of the mantra and the meter. The Gayatri mantra is cited widely in Hindu texts, such as the mantra listings of the Śrauta liturgy, and classical Hindu texts such as

1320-447: The sandhi : We meditate on that most adored Supreme Lord, the creator, whose effulgence (divine light) illumines all realms (physical, mental, and spiritual). May this divine light illumine our intellect. More interpretative translations include: Gayatri mantra, called Gayatri Chandas in Sanskrit, is twenty-four syllables comprising three lines (Sk. padas , literally "feet") of eight syllables each. The Gayatri mantra as received

1375-740: The upanayana ceremony in which it has a significant role . The Gayatri mantra is the subject of esoteric treatment and explanation in some major Upanishads , including Mukhya Upanishads such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad , the Shvetashvatara Upanishad and the Maitrayaniya Upanishad ; as well as other well-known works such as the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana . The text also appears in minor Upanishads, such as

1430-654: The First Covenant of Brahmo Samaj required the Gayatri mantra for Divine Worship . From 1848-1850 with the rejection of Vedas, the Adi Dharma Brahmins use the Gayatri mantra in their private devotions. In the later 19th century, Hindu reform movements spread the chanting of the Gayatri mantra. In 1898 for example, Swami Vivekananda claimed that, according to the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita ,

1485-466: The Kena Upanishad states, for example, that all beings have an innate longing for spiritual knowledge, for self-awareness. This knowledge of Atman-Brahman is Tadvanam (transcendental happiness, blissfulness). In the final paragraphs, Kena Upanishad asserts ethical life as the foundation of self-knowledge and of Atman-Brahman. Tapas , Damah , Work - these are the foundations, the Vedas are

1540-614: The Rigveda, because outside of the musical novelty and melodic creativity, the substance of all but 75 verses of the text have predominantly been derived from the Rigveda. A study of Rigveda suffices. The Indian classical music and dance, states Guy Beck, is rooted in the sonic and musical dimensions of the Sama Veda, along with the Upanishads and Agamas. The Samaveda, in addition to singing and chanting, mentions instruments. The rules and suggestions for playing various instruments form

1595-442: The Rigvedic verses are repeated more than once. Including these repetitions, there are a total of 1,875 verses numbered in the Samaveda recension translated by Griffith. Divisions Sama vedic Yajur vedic Atharva vedic Vaishnava puranas Shaiva puranas Shakta puranas Samaveda samhita is not meant to be read as a text, it is like a musical score sheet that must be heard . Staal states that

1650-471: The Samaveda... the musical version of the Rigveda. Gayatri Mantra Traditional The Gāyatrī Mantra ( Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɡaː.jɐ.triː.mɐn.trɐ.] ), also known as the Sāvitrī Mantra ( Sanskrit pronunciation: [saː.vi.triː.mɐn.trɐ.] ), is a sacred mantra from the Ṛig Veda ( Mandala 3 .62.10), dedicated to the Vedic deity Savitr . It is known as "Mother of

1705-619: The Shrautasutra. The song books remain unpublished. A German edition of Samaveda was published in 1848 by Theodor Benfey , and Satyavrata Samashrami published an edited Sanskrit version in 1873. A Russian translation was published by Filipp Fortunatov in 1875. An English translation was published by Ralph Griffith in 1893. A translation in Hindi by Mridul Kirti called "Samveda Ka Hindi Padyanuvad" has also been published recently. The Samaveda text has not received as much attention as

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1760-521: The adherents of Vishnu who make up the dominant denomination within Hinduism. The religious significance of chanting this incantation is described in the Tarasara Upanishad , stating that he who chants the mantra is purified by the deities Agni , Vayu , Surya , as well as Shiva . The merit attained by chanting it is described to be the equivalent of reciting the Itihasas , the Puranas , and all

1815-573: The breakdown of the components of the mantra: In the Vaishnava Upanishads , the Samashti-Yantra , the words described over Ananta , the seat of Vishnu, bear the ashtakshara. The Narada Purana furnishes the following details regarding the chanting of this mantra: If a man performs the japa of chanting the mantra in the banks of the river Ganga , he would achieve moksha . The Narayana Upanishad also remarks upon

1870-438: The chant of Sāvitrī, consisting of three lines in four and twenty syllables. Imparting the Gayatri mantra to young Hindu men is an important part of the traditional upanayana ceremony , which marks the beginning of study of the Vedas. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan described this as the essence of the ceremony, which is sometimes called "Gayatri diksha " , i.e. initiation into the Gayatri mantra. However, traditionally,

1925-486: The chant- and rituals-related score modifications of the verses. The Samaveda text contains notated melodies, and these are probably the world's oldest surviving ones. The musical notation is written usually immediately above, sometimes within, the line of Samaveda text, either in syllabic or a numerical form depending on the Samavedic Sakha (school). R. T. H. Griffith says that there are three recensions of

1980-476: The existing samhita text dates from the post-Rigvedic Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit , between c. 1200 and 1000 BCE or "slightly rather later," roughly contemporary with the Atharvaveda and the Yajurveda . Along with the Samhita layer of text, the Samaveda includes Brahmana texts, and a final layer of the text that covers philosophical speculations ( Upanishads ). These layers of the compilation dates from

2035-399: The feast. Multiple melodies were created by clans of sages from a Yonimantra, which is a base Mantra for Sama Chanting. Gautama's Parka was one such example cited by Dr. Damodar Satwalekar in his book Samveda. Two primary Upanishads of Hinduism are embedded inside the Samaveda – the Chandogya Upanishad and the Kena Upanishad. Both are notable for the lifting metric melodic structure, but it

2090-504: The formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ ( भूर् भुवः स्वः ), known as the mahāvyāhṛti , or "great (mystical) utterance". This prefixing of the mantra is properly described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that it should be chanted with the syllable oṃ , followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse. Whereas in principle the gāyatrī mantra specifies three pāda s of eight syllables each,

2145-538: The length of time they pronounce the "m", they may append an extra syllable of "mmm" (approximately va-ren-yam-mmm), or they may use the reconstructed vareṇiyaṃ . The Gayatri mantra is cited widely in Hindu texts, such as the mantra listings of the Śrauta liturgy, and cited several times in the Brahmanams and the Srauta-sutras. It is also cited in a number of grhyasutras, mostly in connection with

2200-569: The limbs of the same, the Truth is its fulcrum. The Kauthuma recension has been published (Samhita, Brahmana, Shrautasutra and ancillary Sutras, mainly by B.R. Sharma), parts of the Jaiminiya tradition remain unpublished. There is an edition of the first part of the Samhita by W. Caland and of the Brahmana by Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra, as well as the neglected Upanishad, but only parts of

2255-414: The mantra is the means for achieving all objects, and hence must be invoked for every occasion. In Sri Vaishnavism , the chanting of the mantra was part of the panchasamskaras of Ramanuja , the five sacraments that initiated him into the tradition by his guru, Periyanambi. According to Vaishnava theology, it is held that whoever studies this ashtakshara of Narayana and recites it constantly attains

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2310-420: The mantra, stating that one attains Vaikuntha by chanting it. The mantra is also often associated with Prahlada , a daitya devotee of Narayana, and the son of Hiranyakashipu . Despite repeated instruction by his instructors to chant the invocation, " Hiranyaya namaha " (glory to Hiranya), the devotee sticks to his favoured mantra, " Om Namo Narayanaya Namaha " (glory to Narayana). Periyalvar , an Alvar ,

2365-504: The mantras a hundred thousand times. It is also stated to be the equivalent of reciting the Gayatri mantra a hundred thousand times, and the syllable ' Om ' ten thousand times. It is stated to be powerful enough to purify ten of one's immediate ancestors, and ten of one's immediate descendants. Finally, it states that the recitation of the mantra allows one to attain the state of union with Narayana. The Linga Purana states that chanting

2420-596: The masses. The Gayatri Mantra forms the first of seven sections of the Trisandhyā Puja (Sanskrit for "three divisions"), a prayer used by the Balinese Hindus and many Hindus in Indonesia . It is uttered three times each day: 6 am at morning, noon, and 6 pm at evening. The term Gāyatrī is also a class of mantra which follows the same Vedic meter as the classic Gāyatrī Mantra. Though the classic Gāyatrī

2475-453: The melodies likely existed before the verses in ancient India, and the words of the Rigveda verses were mapped into those pre-existing melodies, because some early words fit and flow, while later words do not quite fit the melody in the same verse. The text uses creative structures, called Stobha , to help embellish, transform or play with the words so that they better fit into a desired musical harmony. Some verses add in meaningless sounds of

2530-534: The norms and broke the promise to his guru Yadava Prakasa from the tower of the Tirukoshtiyur temple to the crowd gathered outside the shrine. For that unlawful act he was punished brutally, by orthodox Royal kuru parampara community people (Ayar/Kōnar) and then escaped to the place of Pakkam for shelter. Later he proclaimed himself as a Saint. The mantra is held in supreme regard by the Vaishnavas ,

2585-470: The post-Rigvedic Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit , likely around the 6th century BCE. Embedded inside the Samaveda are the widely studied Chandogya Upanishad and Kena Upanishad . These Upanishads are considered as primary Upanishads and have had influence on the six schools of Hindu philosophy , particularly the Vedanta school. The Samaveda laid important foundations for subsequent Indian music. It

2640-402: The stanza RV.3.62.10 is imparted only to Brahmana . Other Gayatri verses are used in the upanayana ceremony are: RV.1.35.2, in the tristubh meter, for a kshatriya and either RV.1.35.9 or RV.4.40.5 in the jagati meter for a Vaishya. Gayatri japa is used as a method of prāyaścitta (atonement) . It is believed by practitioners that reciting the mantra bestows wisdom and enlightenment, through

2695-400: The term Brahman means the "creative principle which lies realized in the whole world". The text discusses Dharma and many other topics: There are three branches of Dharma (righteous life, duty): Yajna (sacrifice), Svādhyāya (self study) and Dāna (charity) are the first, Tapas (austerity, meditation) is the second, while dwelling as a Brahmacharya for education in the house of

2750-540: The text has 585 single stanza verses and is organized in order of deities, while Uttararcika text is ordered by rituals. The Gramageya melodies are those for public recitations, while Aranyageya melodies are for personal meditative use such as in the solitude of a forest. Typically, the Purvarcika collection were sung to melodies described in the Gramageya-Gānas index, and the rules of how the verses mapped to verses

2805-565: The text of the Samaveda Samhita: The Samaveda comprises two major parts. The first part include four melody collections and the second part three verse "books" . A melody in the song books corresponds to a verse in the aarchika books. The Gana collection is subdivided into Gramageya and Aranyageya , while the Arcika portion is subdivided into Purvarcika and Uttararcika portions. The Purvarcika portion of

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2860-468: The text of the verse as preserved in the Samhita is one short, seven instead of eight. Metrical restoration would emend the attested tri-syllabic vareṇyaṃ with a tetra-syllabic vareṇiyaṃ . The Gayatri mantra with svaras is, in Devanagari : In IAST : The Gāyatrī mantra is dedicated to Savitṛ , a solar deity . The mantra is attributed to the much revered sage Viśvāmitra , who

2915-460: The three surviving versions, the Jaiminiya preserves the oldest surviving tradition of Samavedic chanting. The Samaveda is the Veda of Chants, or "storehouse of knowledge of chants". According to Frits Staal , it is "the Rigveda set to music". It is a fusion of older melodies ( sāman ) and the Rig verses. It has far fewer verses than Rigveda, but Samaveda is textually larger because it lists all

2970-458: The vehicle of the Sun ( Savitr ), who represents the source and inspiration of the universe. In 1827 Ram Mohan Roy published a dissertation on the Gayatri mantra that analysed it in the context of various Upanishads . Roy prescribed a Brahmin to always pronounce om at the beginning and end of the Gayatri mantra. From 1830, the Gayatri mantra was used for private devotion of Brahmos . In 1843,

3025-530: Was liturgical, and they were the repertoire of the udgātṛ or "singer" priests. The Samaveda, like other Vedas, contains several layers of text, with Samhita being the oldest and the Upanishads the youngest layer. The Samaveda consists of 1,549 unique verses, taken almost entirely from Rigveda, except for 75 verses. The largest number of verse come from Books 9 and 8 of the Rig Veda. Some of

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