All Gods Mantra
Mckenzie Witting
We sit quietly with our backs straight and our legs folded while a sacred sound reverberates in the field of our awareness. When I first started studying yoga, I wondered what made this mantra so special. How does it lead us to our Higher Self?
The yogis say that when we pursue any vibration whatsoever in this universe back to its initial impulse, we find divine awareness. All mantras lead us back through the four levels of sound to their source in the living silence which contains all knowledge.
Gāyatri mantra are very powerful meditation aids to pray for grace of a particular God. Thirty seven such Gāyatri Mantras are given below. Chanting or meditating on these mantras is to be done only as per the teaching of the Guru.
Language can be found throughout the Bible that describes God as wrathful toward those who worship other gods, as a jealous god, as one who punishes not only sinners, but their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Consider this little gem from the Exodus version of the 10 Commandments:
People who take the Bible literally are more likely to have an image of God shaped by this kind of language: a tribal God of reward and punishment, who reacts with fury at any hint of spiritual infidelity.
There is also the God who loves justice and mercy, who is the very embodiment of Love (with a capital L), who stresses compassion and hospitality above purity and partisan identity. Consider these verses:
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. (I John 4:16-19)
So this mantra has more theological content, in contrast to the philosophical OM. Which means that some Christians might feel less comfortable using this mantra: now you are in the arena of invoking deities from another faith.
But others may see all the names of all the gods as pointing to the one nameless mystery, and may find it culturally meaningful to approach the one-who-cann0t-be-named using names from a tradition other than the faith of their upbringing.
Even though in the act of contemplation / meditation / centering prayer itself you are placing your attention on silence, the prayer word is still resonating in the background. So over time, it will undoubtedly shape how you structure your thinking.
Finally, no discussion of Christian/Hindu interfaith dialogue would be complete without mentioning Bede Griffiths (The Marriage of East and West), Sara Grant (Toward an Alternative Theology), or Abhishiktananda (Prayer), all of whom were European Catholics who moved to India to explore this rich opportunity for interreligious dialogue.
Being a catholic myself and having grown up in faith in my formative years, I can tell you bible is a reservoir of mantras. There is something for everyone at any phase of their lives. I remember my dad sitting down with Bible many years ago and declaring emphatically that it is a miracle book and its wisdom is endless. And he was right. Bible affirmation is a powerful tool that can help you get through when life gets tough. If you have an anxious mind, then this post today can help you seek comfort in the Christian mantras.
Studies have shown the positive effects of mantra-based meditation on mental health. While many of these studies focus on traditional mantras, the use of Christian mantras is gaining recognition as a valuable tool for managing anxiety and finding peace.
Christian mantras can help individuals calm anxiety and reduce stress levels. Regularly repeating Bible verses and biblical truths can bring about a sense of tranquility and calmness, even in the face of challenging situations.
Christian mantras can be a powerful way to find comfort, strength, and peace when dealing with anxiety. Here are 10 Christian mantras that you can use to help calm your anxious thoughts and turn to your faith for support:
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Also, see our Privacy page.
This elegantly written book introduces a new perspective on Indic religious history by rethinking the role of mantra in Vedic ritual. In Bringing the Gods to Mind, Laurie Patton takes a new look at mantra as "performed poetry" and in five case studies draws a portrait of early Indian sacrifice that moves beyond the well-worn categories of "magic" and "magico-religious" thought in Vedic sacrifice. Treating Vedic mantra as a sophisticated form of artistic composition, she develops the idea of metonymy, or associational thought, as a major motivator for the use of mantra in sacrificial performance. Filling a long-standing gap in our understanding, her book provides a history of the Indian interpretive imagination and a study of the mental creativity and hermeneutic sophistication of Vedic religion.
The Gāyatrī Mantra (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-smallfont-size:85%.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-smallfont-size:100%Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɡaː.jɐ.triː.mɐn.trɐ.]), also known as the Sāvitrī Mantra (Sanskrit pronunciation: [saː.vi.triː.mɐn.trɐ.]), is a sacred mantra from the Ṛg Veda (Mandala 3.62.10),[1] dedicated to the Vedic deity Savitṛ.[1][2] It is known as "Mother of the Vedas".[3]
The term Gāyatrī may also refer to a type of mantra which follows the same Vedic meter as the original Gāyatrī Mantra. There are many such Gāyatrīs for various gods and goddesses.[3] Furthermore, Gāyatrī is the name of the Goddess of the mantra and the meter.[4]
The Gayatri mantra is cited widely in Hindu texts, such as the mantra listings of the Śrauta liturgy, and classical Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita,[5][6] Harivamsa,[7] and Manusmṛti.[8] The mantra and its associated metric form was known by the Buddha.[9] The mantra is an important part of the upanayana ceremony. Modern Hindu reform movements spread the practice of the mantra to everyone and its use is now very widespread.[10][11]
The Gāyatrī mantra is dedicated to Savitṛ, a solar deity. The mantra is attributed to the much revered sage Viśvāmitra, who is also considered the author of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda. Many monotheistic sects of Hinduism such as Arya Samaj hold that the Gayatri mantra is in praise of One Supreme Creator known by the name Om as mentioned in the Yajurveda, 40:17.[15][16]
The Gayatri mantra is cited widely in Hindu texts, such as the mantra listings of the Śrauta liturgy,[note 2][note 3] and cited several times in the Brahmanams and the Srauta-sutras.[note 4][note 5] It is also cited in a number of grhyasutras, mostly in connection with the upanayana ceremony[36] in which it has a significant role[citation needed].
The Gayatri mantra is the subject of esoteric treatment and explanation in some major Upanishads, including Mukhya Upanishads such as the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,[note 6] the Shvetashvatara Upanishad[note 7] and the Maitrayaniya Upanishad;[note 8] as well as other well-known works such as the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana.[note 9] The text also appears in minor Upanishads, such as the Surya Upanishad.[citation needed]
The Gayatri mantra is the apparent inspiration for derivative "gāyatrī" stanzas dedicated to other deities[citation needed]. Those derivations are patterned on the formula vidmahe - dhīmahi - pracodayāt",[37] and have been interpolated[38] into some recensions of the Shatarudriya litany.[note 10] Gāyatrīs of this form are also found in the Mahanarayana Upanishad.[note 11]
In Majjhima Nikaya 92, the Buddha refers to the Sāvitri (Pali: sāvittī) mantra as the foremost meter, in the same sense as the king is foremost among humans, or the sun is foremost among lights:
aggihuttamukhā yaā sāvittī chandaso mukham; Rājā mukhaṃ manussānaṃ, nadīnaṃ sāgaro mukhaṃ. Nakkhattānaṃ mukhaṃ cando, ādicco tapataṃ mukhaṃ; Puaṃ ākaṅkhamānānaṃ, saṅgho ve yajataṃ mukhan.
Imparting the Gayatri mantra to young Hindu men is an important part of the traditional upanayana ceremony[citation needed], which marks the beginning of study of the Vedas. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan described this as the essence of the ceremony,[21] which is sometimes called "Gayatri diksha", i.e. initiation into the Gayatri mantra.[41] However, traditionally, the stanza RV.3.62.10 is imparted only to Brahmana[citation needed]. Other Gayatri verses are used in the upanayana ceremony are: RV.1.35.2, in the tristubh meter, for a kshatriya and either RV.1.35.9 or RV.4.40.5 in the jagati meter for a Vaishya.[42]
Gayatri japa is used as a method of prāyaścitta (atonement)[citation needed]. It is believed by practitioners that reciting the mantra bestows wisdom and enlightenment, through the vehicle of the Sun (Savitr), who represents the source and inspiration of the universe.[21]
In 1827 Ram Mohan Roy published a dissertation on the Gayatri mantra[43] that analysed it in the context of various Upanishads. Roy prescribed a Brahmin to always pronounce om at the beginning and end of the Gayatri mantra.[44] From 1830, the Gayatri mantra was used for private devotion of Brahmos[citation needed]. In 1843, the First Covenant of Brahmo Samaj required the Gayatri mantra for Divine Worship[citation needed]. From 1848-1850 with the rejection of Vedas, the Adi Dharma Brahmins use the Gayatri mantra in their private devotions.[45]
c80f0f1006