Glory of Gayatri and how it leads us from Unreal to Real! (Chandogya Upanisad 3.12)
Introduction गायत्री वा ईदं सर्वं भूतं यदिदं किं च वाग्वै गायत्री वाग्वा इदं सर्वं भूतं गायति च त्रायते च ॥ ३ . १२ . १ ॥ gāyatrī vā īdaṃ sarvaṃ bhūtaṃ yadidaṃ kiṃ ca vāgvai gāyatrī vāgvā idaṃ sarvaṃ bhūtaṃ gāyati ca trāyate ca || 3.12.1 || 1. All that exists in this world, whatever there is, is gāyatrī . It is the word that is gāyatrī, for the word gives names to all things and it also tells them not to fear. While commenting around this verse from Chandogya Upanisad (both before & after), Sri Sankara Bhagavathpaada says as follows :- _gAnAt trAnAt ca gAyatryA gAyatreetvam_ Gayatree derives it’s name from singing and protecting (that which protects when sung). *_mAtaram iva hitvA_* _gurutarAm gAyatreem tato anyad gurutaram na pratipadyate yathoktam brahma api. TasyAm atyantagauravasya prasiddhatvAt_ Since the great reverence for Gayatree is well-known, one cannot attain anything higher, including Brahman Itself, *by rejecting Ga...
