Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 296

AN EFFICACIOUS MANTRAM
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in her hand a stalk of darbha grass, dwelling in the sun's
Having thus
face and in the ritual of the Yajur Veda.
pictured her in his mind, he prostrates himself before her.
He
then addresses Vishnu in these words
Vishnu
like a flower,' &c, as before.
To recite the gayatri without having previously offered
homage to Vishnu would be labour lost. Such a lapse
would indeed be a source of sin. They count on their
fingers the number of times that they recite the gayatri.
The hands should be held aloft and covered over with
a cloth, so that no one can see how many repetitions have
been made. They say it in a low voice so that no one
can hear them. The following is the text of this sublime
prayer
Aum ! Glory to Patala Glory to the Earth Glory
to Swarga
I think of the splendid light of the Sun.
May he deign to turn my heart and my soul towards the
path of virtue, and to the blessings of this world and of
the next l
Every Brahmin ought to recite this mantram from a
thousand to ten thousand times daily. He may, if self-
indulgent, repeat it only a hundred or even only twenty
limes, but in no case less than eight times.
It is by virtue of this prayer that Brahmins become like
Brahma, and after their death share his happiness. It is
so extremely efficacious that its fervent repetition will
blot out the most heinous sins, such for instance as having
'
:
!
your eyes are
:
!
!
!
'
!
1
This form does not seem to agree altogether with the original text
given in the chapter on mantrams. I think the explanation is that there
are several forms of gayatri, which vary according to the Vedas from
which they are taken. Dubois.
One would think from the Abbe's description of the gayatri that it
was a meaningless mantram, but the Hindus assert that in it is summed
up their highest philosophy. The following is the text of the gayatri,
with its translation
Aum, bhur, bhiivah, suvah !
:
Aum,
tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat,
Aum, earth, sky, heaven
!
Aum,
that excellent vivifier
The light divine, let us meditate upon,
Which (light) enlightens our understanding.
— Ep.