The Gayatri Mantra is one of the best known prayers and is also one of the oldest. It has been recited for thousands of years. Its composition is to be found in the ancient Rig Veda as a verse of a hymn recorded by the great rishi Vishwamitra, who in turn received this great revelatory knowledge when he was one with the supreme in deep meditation.
Om Bhur Buvah Svah = this is an invocation to the Earth, Sky and Heaven
Tat = that (the supreme being to who you are praying)
Savitur = the supreme being, the Paramatman who has created the universe
(the next three words attempt to describe the grandeur and glory of the supreme)
Varenyam = the adorable
Bhargah = the great purifier
Devasya = shining, glorious
Dheemahi = we mediate upon the supreme
Dhiyo'yo nah prachodayaat = may our intelligence be awakened.
What is the aim of life? Many people have different goals and aspirations. So what should one aim for? Our senses can show us how grand and real the material world is. This universe functions systematically like clockwork adhering to numerous laws. All the complex processes that take place can surely not be a chance occurrence - a creator is behind it all - that is God. We are all therefore a part of the Supreme Being and force that is Brahman (God). The aim, therefore, should be to re-emerge with Brahman by attaining spiritual enlightenment thus achieving moksha (liberation). The Gayatri Mantra is a powerful mantra that aids the sincere individual to satisfy the objective of spiritual enlightenment. It is a direct invocation to the Earth, Sky and Heaven (and indeed to Gayatri - the Veda Mata or mother of the Vedas) to open the door to the spiritual kingdom as a result of our intelligence being awakened.
The underlying concept for the prayer and aim is as follows: We are all a part of God and God is everywhere. Just like a Japa Mala (prayer string with beads) has 108 beads, the string connects all the beads and is in all of them. Similarly, we see countless galaxies, stars, humans, animals, insects, plants and so on - But they all have a common denominator - God. God is in all of us; as Krishna said to Arjun (in the Bhagavad Gita) 'I am seated in the hearts of all creatures'. To be with God, we need to see him within our hearts by focusing. This is difficult as our mind and thoughts are impure due to conditioned bad thoughts and desires picked up throughout our lives. Just like a cloudy day - the clouds prevent us from seeing the sun but we know that the sun is there and it still illuminates everything. Similarly, our thoughts and senses can prevent us from seeing God. But God is still there and we need to strive to clear our paths to see God.
Reciting the Gayatri Mantra can address this as it requests that our intelligence is awakened so that we can concentrate on ONE thought - that is to focus on Brahman. Eventually, through practice, the mind is conditioned to focus on one thought (God) and that is when our Divya Drishti (divine vision) is enabled by the opening of our third eye to finally see God seated deep within our hearts. When this occurs, we have fulfilled our destiny; to realize that there is another kingdom (the spiritual one) and to re-emerge into Brahman. The Gayatri Mantra is therefore a powerful tool to help us realize ourselves.
Why do we do anything? The answer is that there will be a benefit as a result. A student spends hours studying so that they attain a good grade in exams. A footballer trains and practices hard so that their match performance improves. Although the time spent revising or training may be arduous, the individual must and will persist in order to realize the benefits to the fullest. The Gayatri Mantra leads to the greatest of all benefits - it brings you closer to God until one day God will come to you and make you his own. We will then attain bliss and always receive whatever we need. Our minds will become sharp, bright, calm, contented and peaceful. Ask yourself, when was the last time you can say that mind was in such a state? This shows that the benefits can be some of the greatest that can be had.
The true glory and significance of the Gayatri Mantra should be much clearer now. Its antiquity is of no question; it was recorded in the ancient Rig Veda but was divinely revealed in an age when our great ancestors pursued the true meaning of life through greater diligence. This spiritual treasure has been utilized by great saints for many, many thousands of years and we should count ourselves as fortunate that the Gayatri Mantra has been preserved and is available for our benefit also. The mantra, if recited regularly and with faith and conviction, will awaken our intelligence and show us a whole new realm - one within which we can satisfy the greatest aim of all, to attain spiritual enlightenment and return to Brahman.