Greatness of Gayathri

GREATNESS AND THE FAME OF GAYATHRI:

"Gayatham Thraayathey Ithi Gayathri". It means, Gayathri protects
everyone who pronounces/chants it with Swaram. Gayathri, Ushnik,
Anushtup, Bruhathee, Pankthee, Thrishtup, Jagathee are all Chandas
(Grammar) which are mentioned in the Vedas. As per my knowledge, these
Chandas are concerned with the Moola Mathrams and other Manthrams of all
Devathas. 'Sri Rudram' comes under Anushtup Chandas; Ganapathy Moola
Manthram comes under Gayathri Chandas etc.
Even in Sanskrit poetry, there are Anushtup, Arya, Indra Vajra, Vasantha
Thilakam Chandas`.
Chandas are those which specify that there should be certain number of
characters and certain syllables (Maathra Kaalam) in any structure.
Among them Gayathri is also a Chandas. Initially it was stated to have 4
characters every paadam. Later it got transformed to have 8 characters.
So, Gayathri has 3 paadams with 24 characters. This principle is told to
us in the Vedas in the form of a story in Krishna Yajurvedam, 6th Canto;
1st Prasnam; 6th Anuvakam:

There were 2 sisters namely, Kathru & Suparni. They had an argument as
to who were the beautiful of the two. They agreed that who ever lost,
will become a slave to the other. Kathru won and made Suparni as her
Slave.
Kathru settled that, if Suparni could get her the flower called
'Somalatha' from the 3rd world she would be freed. Suparni had a few
sons who were the form of Chandas`.
She called them and told them that they need to get the 'Somalatha' in
order to free her. They obliged. The first son, who was the form of 14
character Chandas, Jagathee, went to the get the flower. But not only
did Jagathee fail, but also lost 2 characters and returned as one having
only 12 characters.
Next went Thrustup, with 13 characters. Thrustup too lost 2 characters
and returned as having only 11 characters.
Then came the turn of Gayathri Chandas, which had only 4 characters. It
not only got 'Somalatha', but also brought the 4 characters which were
earlier lost by Jagathee and Thrushtup and stood having 8 characters.
So, Gayathri, in spite of being small in age and size, Gayathri is
greater of the 3, as often concluded by the 'Brahma-Vadis'.
As per this story, Gayathri became a Chandas with 8 characters. So, the
Gayathri Manthram has been formulated in such a way that it has 3
paadams with 8 characters each, to complete the structure into 24
Aksharas. Here, Gayathri is the only Manthram which is in the true and
full-fledged form of the Gayathri Chandas.
There is a specialty for the character 24 itself in our Mythology.
It is keeping this number as base, that Valmiki wrote Ramayan in 24,000
verses. Even Thyagarajar is believed to have sun 2,400 Keerthanams.
Jayadevar wrote 24 Ashtapathis.
There is another type of the Ramayana. It consists of 24 paragraphs,
with 2 lines in every Paragraph. The beginning of the every paragraph
corresponds to the number in the Gayathri Manthram and begins with the
Aksharam that the number corresponds to, in the Gayathri. It is called
as 'Gayathri Ramayanam'.
Every Aksharam is like a jewel in itself.

knr

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God