Some Details Regarding on Gayatri and the Upavita Thread
(1.1.1.12)Chanting the Gayatri Mantra
(gayatri-japa)
"O Brahma, do thou practise spiritual
association by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be
fulfilled." (Brahma-samhita 5.25)
"It is stated in the Brahma Samhita that
Lord Brahma was initiated into the eighteen letter Krsna mantra, which is
generally accepted by all the devotees of Lord Krsna. We follow the same
principle because we belong to the Brahma sampradaya, directly in the disciplic
chain from Brahma to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, from Vyasa to Madhva Muni,
from Madhva Muni to Madhavendra Puri, from Madhavendra Puri to Isvara Puri,
from Isvara Puri to Lord Caitanya and gradually to His Divine Grace
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, our divine master. The chanting of this holy mantra
is the only shelter of the desireless pure devotee of the Lord." (S.B.
2.9.6 Purport)
The chanting of Gayatri mantras - Brahma-gayatri*
and pancaratrika Gayatri mantras - is performed daily at the three junctions
(sandhyas) of the day, namely sunrise, noon and sunset by devotees who have
received mantra-diksa, or brahminical and pancaratrika initiation. While Lord
Caitanya has emphasized the sravana and kirtana of the holy name as the
principle sadhana, He also showed by personal example that those who are
interested in spiritual progress must take Vaisnava (pancaratrika) initiation.
Through pancaratrika initiation one receives mantras which assist in the purification process by helping
to tame the restless mind and which are used in the worship of the arca-vigraha
form of the Lord. Thus both taking up the chanting of the holy name and
receiving pancaratrika mantras from a bona fide guru have been fundamental to
the movement of Lord Caitanya. Vaidic initiation (upanayana-samskara), in which
one receives the Brahma-gayatri mantra, has not been given a crucial role in
the Gaudiya sampradaya for several reasons. However Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura implemented this vaidic diksa samskara in accordance with the
pancaratrika philosophy that the initiated Vaisnava surpasses the brahmana in
qualification. When he gave Vaisnava pancaratrika initiation he also gave the
vaidic mantra (Brahma-gayatri) and thus gave vaidic initiation. Following in
his spiritual master's footsteps, Srila Prabhupada has also combined the vaidic
and pancaratrika initiation. All Vaisnavas who take this initiation
(mantra-diksa) are duty bound to chant the Gayatri mantras received from the
guru thrice daily for the rest of their lives.
*Note: Brahma-gayatri, also known as
Surya-gayatri, is the first Gayatri-mantra in the series of mantras chanted by
brahmana-initiated devotees.
"Fixing the mind on Me, one should
worship Me by his various prescribed duties, such as chanting the Gayatri
mantra at the three junctures of the day. Such performances are enjoined by the
Vedas and purify the worshiper of reactions to fruitive activities." (S.B.
11.27.11)
As the chanting of the Gayatri mantras is a
spiritual practice which will continue daily for the life of the devotee, one
should strive for pure offenseless chanting of the mantras. In order to aid
concentration on the mantra, preparatory procedures (purvanga-karma) such as
acamana, proksana and bhuta-suddhi* may be performed before the mantras are
chanted.
*Note: See Prayoga Section
If one neglects to chant the Gayatri mantras at
the proper time it is considered an offense to Gayatri-devi, the
personification of the sandhyas.* However, exact timing according to local dawn
and sunset is not critical, especially in extreme northern and southern
countries. Pujaris should chant Gayatri in the morning before beginning any
services related to the Deity worship; others may chant morning Gayatri some
time between mangala-arati and guru-puja. If one neglects to chant the Gayatri
mantra in the morning he should chant twice the number of mantras at noon. One
should chant noon Gayatri between the time the Deities take Their noon food
offering and the time They take rest in the afternoon. If one neglects both
morning and noon he should chant thrice the number of mantras during the
evening sandhya. Evening Gayatri should be chanted no later than the time when
the Deities take rest. If Evening Gayatri is missed, one should chant twice the
number of mantras the next morning. If occasional or unusual circumstances
would make the chanting of Gayatri with concentration either difficult or
impossible, one should use one's own discretion to temporarily adjust his
normal times for performing Gayatri japa.
*Note: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura points out that
if while engaged in glorifying the Lord the proper time for chanting Gayatri
passes, it is not an offense to miss the proper time, for such glorification is
the essence of Gayatri japa. Still, one should make up the missed chanting at
an appropriate time.
One should chant in a clean, peaceful place,
ideally in front of the Deity of the Lord. (Of course, this will not be
possible in the early morning before the Deity is awakened, but at noon and in
the evening it is possible.) "It is essential for a devotee to worship the
form of the Lord and not only meditate upon the form of the Lord within his
mind with the chanting of the mantra given by the spiritual master." (S.B.
4.8.56)
Sastra
recommends facing east during morning and noon sandhyas, and north in the
evening. This applies especially if one is outdoors, or where there is no
temple or Deity in sight. If, however, one is in the presence of the Deity or
picture of one's spiritual master, naturally to face the Deity or spiritual
master would take precedent over the compass directions.*
One may also chant Gayatri mantra while standing
knee deep or waist deep in a river, or while sitting or standing on the bank of
a river. It is recommended that one avoid chanting in a vehicle, since while
moving one will easily be distracted; nor should one sit on a bed, since it is
contaminted by sleep. Out of respect one should not chant with his back to a
temple, a body of water, fire, or a pippal tree. One should be properly bathed
and dressed, with Vaisnava tilaka and tied sikha. The hands should be covered
with the upper cloth while chanting, and one should chant the mantras silently.
Although wearing or holding the upavita thread is not integral to chanting
Gayatri mantras, while chanting the mantras it is traditional to wrap the
upavita thread around the right thumb (2-1/2 times), a tradition which was
followed by Srila Prabhupada. One should know the meaning of the mantras he is
chanting.
One should concentrate on the mantras and not
engage in other activities simultaneously, such as talking, looking here and
there or pacing back and forth. One should avoid yawning, dozing, scratching
oneself or cleaning the nose while chanting. If an important person such as a
senior Vaisnava comes, one should interrupt one's Gayatri japa, give proper
reception to the person, and with his permission resume one's activities.
*Note: For ceremonial purposes the direction of
the Deity is often considered as east.
(1.1.1.12.1)Brahmana Thread (yajnopavita or
upavita)
"The sacred thread is a sign of those who
are competent to study the Vedas from the acarya, or the bona fide spiritual
master...the spiritual master accepts only the sincere inquirer as his disciple
and gives him the sacred thread." (S.B. 1.2.3 Purport)
The upavita is given to a qualified person who
receives vedic Gayatri mantra. It signifies one's acceptance of a spiritual
master and one's qualification to take up study of the Vedas. It is also said
to represent the upper cloth in case of emergency when one must perform a
ceremonial function but is lacking the upper cloth. According to tradition the
upavita is not worn by women.
One should keep the thread clean by washing it
daily while taking bath (not removing it from the body, but rubbing soap on the
thread and scrubbing it between the hands). While passing nature, one should
keep the thread wrapped around the right
ear: Since the seven sacred rivers are residing in the right earlobe the thread
remains pure in that position while the rest of the body is impure. After sauca
is completed, the thread may be restored to its normal position. One should not
be without his upavita at any time.*
*Note: The upavita may be wrapped around the
waist while shaving the head or taking oil massage. It should not be used for
carrying keys or other objects.
-The upavita (gayatri thread) should be wound
(2-1/2 times) around the right ear. If one fails to do this the upavita becomes
impure and unusable and one should change the thread.* The right ear remains
pure even when the rest of the body becomes impure from passing nature, for all
the sacred tirthas reside in the right ear.
*Note: Reasons to change the upavita: If even one
strand of the thread breaks, if the knot becomes undone, if one attends a funeral
ceremony, if one touches a woman who has just given birth to a child or who is
in her menstrual period, and after a solar or lunar eclipse. In all of these
cases one should take bath and put on clean clothes before wearing the new
thread. Srila Prabhupada has mentioned that one may change the thread either on
every full moon day or else when the thread breaks. To change the upavita, one
should put on the new one and chant gayatri japa with both the old and new
upavitas wrapped around the thumb. The old upavita is then removed from the
body -- not by lifting it over the head but rather taking it down and out from
under the feet.
While tying the sikha one may chant the Hare
Krsna mantra, or if initiated with gayatri mantras one may chant (silently) the
Brahma-gayatri (first line of Gayatri).
Acamana is performed for purification of body and
mind before numerous spiritual activities, such as applying tilaka, chanting
Gayatri, chanting japa, performing puja and homa, observing vrata, taking
prasada, reading or reciting sastra or mantras, and engaging in meditation. In
addition it is performed after various bodily activities: after rising from
bed, after bathing, after dressing, after touching the lips, after eating,
after going to an impure place, after spitting or coughing or speaking improper
words, after touching something impure and upon returning from a journey. One
should perform acamana twice before homa, chanting Gayatri, worship, eating,
giving in charity, after going to cremation grounds, after touching the lips
and after talking to a candala.*
*Note: It is common practice for Gaudiya
Vaisnavas to perform acamana prior to performing spiritual activities, as
described above. Less common is to
perform acamana after the various bodily activities mentioned, unless
one is intending to immediately perform some specifically spiritual activity.
Devotees engaged in Deity worship should be familiar with these various rules
as a means of adhering to the principle of cleanliness. For more details on
considerations of purity and impurity (suddhi-vicara) see page <?>.
MEDITATION
ON GAYATRI
ARTHA
To meditate upon the identity of the deity of themantra, and one's relationship with him.
NYAS
To realize that the Lord fo the mantra is his protector.
PRAPATTI
To meditate that one takes shelter of His lotus feet.
SARANAGATI
To realize that one is an extremely miserable living entity, and now he is surrendering unto
Him.
ATMARPANA
To surrender
oneself unto Him. To realize that whatever he has is His, nothing belongs to
him. He himself also belongs to Him and let Him enjoy him.