The gāyatrī mantraḥ, which can be found in the taittirīhopaniṣat (4.41.26), praises the Sun in a FEMININE FORM. In this mantra, we are asking for the darkness of our ignorance to be dispelled and to be supplied with strength and clarity so that we may find our way along the journey of Life toward the expression of our full spiritual potentiality. Generally, the gāyatrī mantraḥ may be taken to mean May the Most High impregnate our intellects with spiritual wisdom and inspire us to advance heavenward. A more detailed, word-for-word, breakdown is offered below.

Based on what you see in the word-for-word meanings below, how would you translate the gāyatrī mantraḥ in a single, coherent, and complete sentence? Give your response in the comment section.

||  saṁhitā pāṭhaḥ  ||

ओं तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि  ।  धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्  ॥
oṁ tatsaviturvareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi  |  dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt  ||

WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSLATION
oṁ = praṇavaḥ, the sacred syllable representing Isvara (the Divine Ideal of Pure Awareness), aka God;
tat = that; that ONE which represents God, Infinite Intelligence, Supreme Consciousness, the Most High etc.;
savitur = Light; the Sun; (from savitṛ) “that which gives birth”;
vareṇyaṁ = best selection; preeminent choice; bright; brilliant; most virtuous; who is worthy; best of the best;
bhargo = glorious light; purifier; self-illuminating; divine light; destroyer of impurities;
devasya = divine; luminous; enlightened; having the qualities and attributes of God;
dhīmahi = meditation (on God); receive; imbibe; make pregnant; saturates (the intellect);
dhiyo = intellect; good and right thoughts; wisdom and high reasoning; spirit faculty; spiritual insight;
yo = which; who; what; that; whatever; you; God;
naḥ = ours; all of us; none excluded;
pracodayāt = push; forward movement; advancement through inspiration.

NOTE: The devanagari script (which Sanskrit is written in) is not given from here on out since it’s given in its entirety above in saṁhitā pāṭhaḥ.

||  krama pāṭhaḥ  ||

oṁ  tatsavituḥ | saviturvareṇyaṁ | vareṇyaṁ bhargaḥ  | bhargo devasya | devasya dhīmahi  |

dhīmahīti-dhīmahi   | dhiyo yaḥ | yo naḥ | naḥ pracodayāt  | pracodayāditi pra-codayāt  ||



||  jaṭā pāṭhaḥ  ||

oṁ  tatsavitussavitustattatsavituḥ |  

saviturvareṇyaṁ vareṇyagṁsavitussaviturvareṇyam |  

vareṇyaṁ bhargo bhargo vareṇyaṁ vareṇyaṁ bhargaḥ |  

bhargo devasya devasya bhargo bhargo devasya |  

devasya dhīmahi dhīmahi devasya devasya dhīmahi |  

dhīmahīti-dhīmahi |  

dhiyo yo yo dhiyo dhiyo yaḥ |  

yo no no yo yo naḥ |  

naḥ pracodayāt pracodayānno naḥ pracodayāt |  

pracodayāditi pra-codayāt ||



||  ghana pāṭhaḥ  ||

oṁ tatsavitussavitustattatsaviturvareṇyaṁ vareṇyagṁsavitustattatsaviturvareṇyam |  

saviturvareṇyaṁ vareṇyagṁsavitustattatsaviturvareṇyam bhargo bhargo vareṇyagṁsavitustattatsaviturvareṇyam bhargaḥ |  

vareṇyaṁ bhargo bhargo vareṇyaṁ vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya devasya bhargo vareṇyaṁ vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya |  

bhargo devasya devasya bhargo bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhīmahi devasya bhargo bhargo devasya dhīmahi |  

devasya dhīmahi dhīmahi devasya devasya dhīmahi |
 
dhīmahīti-dhīmahi |  

dhiyo yo yo dhiyo dhiyo yo no no yo dhiyo dhiyo yo naḥ |  

yo no no yo yo naḥ pracodayātpracodayānno yo yo naḥ pracodayāt |  

naḥ pracodayāt pracodayānno naḥ pracodayāt |  

pracodayāditi pra-codayāt ||