Gayatri Mantra
The most widely recited Vedic verse, addressed to the light of the sun — Rigveda 3.62.10.
Rigveda 3.62.10edition
Sanskrit · संस्कृत
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Meaning
We meditate on that most excellent light of the divine Sun; may it illumine our minds.
This rendering is by a DharmSetu editor, not a quotation from a published translation. Compare with the public-domain translation.
A Hindi meaning has not been written for this mantra yet. Hindi is authored by a named editor rather than machine-translated, so it arrives more slowly.
How to recite
- Repetitions
- 3 · 11 · 108
- Mala
- sphatika
- Time
- brahma muhurta, sunrise, sandhya
Pronunciation key — sounds commonly got wrong
- ट ठ ड ढ ण · ṭ ṭh ḍ ḍh ṇ
- Retroflex — the tongue curls back and touches the roof of the mouth. Distinct from the dental त थ द ध न, where the tongue touches the teeth.
- श ष स · ś ṣ s
- Three different sounds: ś as in “shy”, ṣ retroflex and further back, s plain. Collapsing them changes words.
- ः · ḥ (visarga)
- A soft outward breath echoing the preceding vowel — not a hard “ha”.
- ं · ṃ (anusvara)
- Nasalises the vowel; the closing sound follows the consonant that comes next.
- Long vs short vowels — a / ā, i / ī, u / ū
- Vowel length is meaningful in Sanskrit. Hold the macron vowels roughly twice as long.
- Aspirated consonants — kh, gh, ch, th, dh, ph, bh
- A distinct puff of breath. ph is an aspirated p, never an English “f”.
Word by word
- ॐoṃ
- the primordial soundMW1899-CDSL p.235
- भूर्भुवः स्वःbhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
- earth, mid-region, and heaven
- तत्tat
- that(acc. sg. n.)MW1899-CDSL p.432
- सवितुःsavituḥ
- of Savitr, the impeller — the sun(gen. sg.)MW1899-CDSL p.1190
- वरेण्यम्vareṇyam
- most excellent, to be chosenMW1899-CDSL p.923
- भर्गःbhargaḥ
- radiance, splendourMW1899-CDSL p.748
- देवस्यdevasya
- of the god(gen. sg.)MW1899-CDSL p.492
- धीमहिdhīmahi
- may we hold in thought, meditate uponMW1899-CDSL p.516
- धियःdhiyaḥ
- thoughts, understandingMW1899-CDSL p.516
- यःyaḥ
- whoMW1899-CDSL p.840
- नःnaḥ
- ourMW1899-CDSL p.123
- प्रचोदयात्pracodayāt
- may it impel, set in motionMW1899-CDSL p.657
Glosses are confirmed against a Sanskrit–English dictionary; the reference after each entry names the edition consulted.
Context
Shadanga — the six limbs
The traditional analytic frame for a mantra. Blank limbs are simply not recorded for this text.
- rishi
- Vishvamitra
- chhanda
- Gayatri
- devata
- Savitr
Recited at / traditionally recited for
Classified as Vedic — From the Vedic corpus — Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka or Upanishad. Carries a rishi, a metre, and accent marking. Basis for this classification.
Related mantras
Purnamadah Purnamidam
The fullness verse — take fullness from fullness and fullness remains. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.1.1.
Agnim Ile — the first verse of the Rigveda
The opening verse of the Rigveda, and so the first line of the Vedic corpus — an invocation of Agni.
Sangachhadhvam Samvadadhvam
The closing hymn of the Rigveda, on moving together and speaking together — Rigveda 10.191.2.
Bhadram Karnebhih
A prayer to hear what is good and see what is good, with steady limbs — Rigveda 1.89.8.
Isha Vasyam Idam Sarvam
The opening verse of the Isha Upanishad — all this is pervaded by the Lord; enjoy what is left over.
Dyauh Shantih — the great peace invocation
Peace called down through sky, air, earth, waters, plants and all beings — Shukla Yajurveda 36.17.