Gayatri is the most prevalent and famous mantra of the Vedas. It is considered very pious. The mantra is:
“Om bhur bhuva svah, Tatsa vitur vareniyam, bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo na pracho dayat.”
The meaning of this is - May we attain that excellent glory of Sun the god: So may he stimulate our mind and wisdom."
A personification of this mantra has come to be worshiped as a goddess in her own right, Gayatri. Gayatri is known as Devmata. Gayatri has been given the highest position in prayers and worship. Gayatri is typically portrayed as seated on a red lotus, signifying wealth. She appears in either of these forms:
1. Having five heads with the ten eyes looking in the eight directions plus the earth and sky, and ten arms holding all the weapons of
Vishnu, symbolizing all her reincarnations.
2. Accompanied by a white swan, holding a book to portray knowledge in one hand and a cure in the other, as the goddess of Education.
It is said in the Puranas that for Brahmins, there is no God above Gayatri. For Brahmins, worship of
Vishnu and
Shiva is not considered as equal as that of Maha Devi Gayatri. This is the discourse of the Vedas. Worship of Devi Gayatri is the essence of all the Vedas.
Brahma and other devtas also worship Devi Gayatri in the evening. All the four Vedas include Gayatri mantra. That is why Gayatri is also called “Vedopasya”. Devi Gayatri is the Adi
Shakti (supreme power).
According to an ancient story, Gayatri is the wife of Brahmaji. Once, Brahmaji organized a yagya in Pushkar (Rajasthan). His wife Savitri got late to come for the yagya and to start the yagya in the right muhurat,
Brahma got married to a cowherdess brought by
Indra and started the yagya. This wife of Brahmaji was called Gayatri. After some time, Savitri reached there. As Brahmaji started the yagya without her, she was very angry and cursed Brahmaji that he would not be worshipped anywhere else apart from Pushkar. According to the belief of this story, Brahmaji is not worshipped anywhere else in India apart from Pushkar and there is not a single temple of him in India apart from Pushkar.
