Dear All,
Greetings. The auspicious day of Gayatri Japa falls on 02-Aug-2012 (Thursday) for Yajur Vedins. In that connection, I am happy to attach a very rare and one of the most potent Stutis titled Sri Gayatri Panjara Stotram. I have attached the stotra in Telugu and Kannada in addition to the usual Sanskrit and Tamil versions.
About Gayatri Panajara Stotra
1. Gayatri Panjara Stotra is also known as Savitri Panjara Stotra and sometimes as Brahma Panjara Stotra.
2. This was given to Lord Brahma at the time of creation of universe by Lord Narayana Himself, as told by Lord Brahma to Sage Narada.
3. This Stuti is one of the most important and potent stutis ever and the elaborate phalashruti stands embodiment to this.
4. As per tradition, it is prescribed that Gayatri Hrudayam should be chanted before doing Gayatri Japa and Gayatri Panjaram after Gayatri Japa. For Gayatri Hrudayam, please refer to my ebook on Vedamata Gayatri published about 10 years ago - http://www.ambaa.org/pdf/gAyatrI_Worship.pdf.
As usual, a few snippets on Vedamata Gayatri:
1. Sri Gayatri worship needs no introduction. The quintessence of all Vedas, bodies of Knowledge and Sanatana Dharma is Gayatri - gAyatryAH param nAsti | The following shloka from Yajnavalkya Smriti corroborates this point:
gAyatrI vA idaM sarvaM brahmANDaM brAhmaNAni ca |
vedopaniShac ChAkhAsu brAhmaNAni vidhAnataH ||
purANa dharma shAstrANi gAyatryAH pAvanAni tu |
kIrtitAni tvanekAni gAyatryAH pAvanAni ca ||
Meaning : This entire universe (Brahmanda) is indeed Gayatri. Veda/Upanishad/Veda Shakhas(branches)/Brahmana/Purana/Dharma Shastra - they are considered Pavitra (pure/blemishless) only because of and through Gayatri.
2. Yama Smriti mentions that there is nothing beyond Gayatri as below :
gAyatryA na paraM japyaM gAyatryA na paraM tapaH |
gAyatryA na paraM dhyAnaM gAyatryA na paraM shrutaM ||
Meaning : There is no great Japa or Tapas or Dhyanam or Shastra beyond Gayatri.
3. Diversity in Hinduism is well known - and also the skirmishes associated with such diversity. There may be a scarcity of tuft (people with tuft, that is), there is no scarcity of tuft-catch skirmishes (sorry for the direct translation of Tamil verse குடுமிப்பிடி சண்டை) within Hinduism where one branch tries to prevail over other branches through implied elitism of own's faith over others.
As a self deprecating humour, I could cite my own lineage - I am an Iyengar and we Iyengars have a special gift from Lord - i.e. our nose. Over several centuries, we have perfected the art of keeping our nose up in the air and our perceived megalomaniac tendencies on the religious front need no introduction. I am neither stereotyping nor isolating a tendency within one sect as it exists in one form of other in all faiths within Hinduism and across religions. But the widespread malady, in whatever form, does not justify its existence as it neither contributes to spiritual growth at the personal level nor to societal well-being at large.
Though I have no literary qualifications, the following small poem in the book "Think Big - By Ben Carson" caught my attention recently:
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind
When just the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs (By Ella Wheeler Wilcox)
But, in spite of all skirmishes within Hinduism, if there is one uniting force that makes all differences vanish, that is Gayatri worship. Whatever the sub-sect, Gayatri worship is a pre-requisite qualification to claim subscription to a faith within Hinduism.
4. In this modern society, Gayatri worship in the form of anushtana is thinning unfortunately. But for an Astika, the following dire warnings by Vedas and Rishis could serve as a wakeup call.
kiM vedaiH paThitaiH sarvaiH setihAsa purANakaiH |
sA~NgaiH sAvitrI hIno yo na vipratvaM avApnuyAt || (Parashara Smriti 5-14)
Meaning : What is the use of a person learning Vedas, Itihasas, Puranas, Vedangas, etc. if he does not worship Savitri and therefore does not attain Vipratva?
In other words, one does not become a Brahmin (please do not mistake the term Brahmin with current day caste system - the original Varna System and current day caste system are poles apart in terms of definition and purpose). The following verse from Smritis clearly differentiates this:
janmanA jAyate shUdraH saMskarair dvija ucyate ||
Meaning : All are Shudras (again not current day caste system) by birth. Only by Samskaras one attains Brahmin hood.
5. In Gayatri Tantra, Tritiya Patala, the warning is even more dire.
gAyatrI rahito vipro na spRRishet tulasI dalam |
harer nAma na gRRihNIyAt gAyatrI rahito dvijaH ||
mahA caNDAla sadRRishas tasya kiM viShNu pUjane ||
Meaning : A person who does not worship Gayatri through Sandhyopasana, he should not even touch Tulasi leaves (meaning he is not even qualified to touch Tulasi leaves). What is the use of his Hari Nama Japa and Vishnu Puja when he actually becomes Maha Candala without Gayatri worship?
6. In Devi Bhagavatam (Skanda 11, Chapter 16), Lord Narayana caps it all - people may call themselves as Vaishnavites or Shaivaites or allegiance to any faith. But actually, they are first Shaktas (Shakti Gayatri worshippers). Prayers to Vishnu or Shiva is optional but Gayatri Upasana is mandatory for a Dvija.
etasyA.aparam daivaM brAhmaNAnAm na vidyate |
na viShNUpasanA nityA na shivopAsanA tathA ||
...
tasmAt sarve dvijAH shAktA na shaivA na ca vaiShNavAH |
AdishaktiM anupAsate gAyatrIM veda mAtaram || 16-17 ||
Additional Stutis on Gayatri - A Request
1. In the Gayatri ebook, I have included two Gayatri Ashtottarams and two Gayatri Sahasranamas. But I also understand that there is yet another Gayatri Sahasranama in Vishnu Yamala Tantra. Unfortunately, Vishnu Yamala Tantra is not in print as far as I know. If any of you have access to this Sahasranama, kindly share it with me, so that I could enhance this ebook with many other stotras I collected.
2. Similarly, I am given to understand that there is a separate Savitri Ashtottaram and Savitri Sahasranama and the manuscripts are available in Adyar Library, Chennai (as per Catalogus Catalogorum). I have been trying to get a copy of these for the past several years without success. If any of you have any influence in getting a copy of these, kindly share the same for the benefit of all Astikas.
May we seek the blessings of Veda Mata Sri Gayatri on this Gayatri Japa day!
thanks to you, for bringing to us eternal devotees of the devi, such a valubale stotram. I would kindly request you to translate each line for the benefit of upasana purposes. in order to feel the bhakti bhav towards the devi , meaning of each line must be known. im not conversant with sanskrit. please help us.
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