INTRODUCTION

‘GayatrT is the title of the most sacred mantra of the Vedic

Indians. The sage Visvamitra is the seer of this mantra. The deity,

prayed in this mantra has got the same name i.e. Gayatri. This is

perhaps the elevation of the principal chandas through which

maximum number of hymns of the Vedas came into being. Hence,

Gayatri, through the passing ofdie ages was considered as the mother

of the Vedas because the vedic mantras in large number were

generated from this metre of twenty-four syllables.

0.1 Concept of Mother Goddess in General:

The pantheon of Hindu deities has always included

innumerable goddesses and goddess-worship has long been a

significant aspect of the Hindu religious tradition. The vedic-tradition

imagined the shape of the later Indian religion.

It is also significant to note that the present Hinduism owes

not much to the Vedic religion and its roots may be traced far beyond

the frontiers of Vedism namely, in the non-vedic popular cults and

beliefs. However, due to want of strong evidence, this cannot be stated

with emphasis. The Indus script has not been satisfactorily deciphered
 so far, for which it is difficult to assert on the exact nature of cults

and religious beliefs, which had existed in India when the vedic people

arrived in the region of the Sapta-sindhu1. But on the strength of

important discoveries made at various archeological sites such as

Harappa, Mahenjo-daro, Kot-Diji, Kalibangan and some other related

places. Since 1922, as also on the basis of a comprehensive study of

the AV which presumably mirrors the way of life and the thoughts of

common people as against the hieratic religion of the RV. It may be

assumed that the pre-vedic or non-Aryan religion and belief had been

to an appreciable extent, was female-oriented one2.

The mother-goddess cult, the fertility cult, the cult of guardian

divinities and magical rites in all of which female divinities usually

- prevail, must have constituted the popular religion beliefs of common

people of that period3. RX.Hazra has opined, normally the female

deities are of non-Aryan origin4. It is true that the female deity-worship

was prevalent in the primitive tribes through out the world. She is

1. R.N. Dandekar: Some Aspects of the History of Hinduism, Poona, 1967,p.l-2

Hinduism appeared in the Historic Religions, Vol .ii, 1971, p.244

N.M.Bhattacharya r Indian Mother Goddess, Calcutta, 1971, p.8,103

2. E.O.James : The Cult ofMother Goddess, London, 1959, lOlf

3. S.K.Lal: Female Divinities in Hindu Mythology and Ritual,

University of Poona, 1980.

4. R.C.Hazra: Studies in the Upapuranas, Part-II, p.16.

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described as sitting on lions and is glorified as mountain mother or a

vegetable deity. He has pointed out that the virginity of the female

goddess is an essential factor. But in the Puranas she is a Prakrti

who has married the lord of Universe.

The words ‘Gna ’ and ‘Sad ’ are of common occurrence in RV.

The both of them are described as the wives of Indra. So Hazra’s

statement is to be restricted on the deities of prim itive tribes only. In

the Puranas and the Upa-Purdnas, devoted to the glorification of

Sakti or Devi. She is regarded as the supreme creator, sustainer and

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destroyer of the Universe5. In the chapter entitled ‘Doctrine ofSakti

in the Devi Bhagavata ’ by P.G.Lalye, it is proved that the doctrine of

kakti was not unknown to the vedic people.

The term ‘Sakti’ originates from the root ‘Sak’ which means

that to be able to have energy ‘to do’ or ‘to act’. Thus, Sakti-wor&hip

is the worship of energy, which is personified as a female and is

generally conceived as the all pervading mother goddess6.

The earliest reference to the Safcri-manifestation is in the

Vdgambhrniya-sukta of the RV. We get therein the earliest glimpse of

the omnipotence of a female deity called Vak7. The many of the

5. Mbh, p. 3.2-3b, 12,15,17b, 18.15-16 ; DBF, 1.2, 5.93, 9.40

6. Brhat Sanskrtabhidhanam-Vacaspatyam, Vol.-VI, p. 5074

' #
Sabdariha-cintamani,Vol.-IV, p. 491 ; Sabdakalpadruma, Vol.- V, p. 4-5.

7. RV. x.125, RV.SamMta, Vaidika Samsodhana Mandala, Poona, 1963

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Puranas also glorified the supreme powers Sakti or Maya by virtue

of which ISiva and Visnu became the supreme Gods and could

discharge their functions. Gradually, this Sakti assumed various names

like Laksmi, Sarasvati, Parvati etc. in various Puranas. Towards the

end ofthe puranic-age, the devotion towards this Sakti was considered

to be more effective than the devotion to its possessor, either Visnu

or Siva. This change of emphasis appears due to the growth of the

< - *

Tdntric Systems. This Sakti was called ‘Devi’. Around this Sakti, a

lot of mythology grew up, resulting in the appearance of a Purana,

called DBP, exclusively devoted to the glorification of the dev?.

In some of the Sutras the female deity is associated with Rudra9.

In BaudhDS, the details are given about the worship of a goddess

called Durga. It is one of the earliest references to the devi concept.

In many Vaisnava Sarhhitas and Puranas, the female deity was

¥

described as the consort of Visnu. In some Vaisnava Puranas,/ Sakti

* * * * •

is mentioned as the creative potentiality of Visnu.10 In the Saiva works,

diva’s wife is variously called as Gaun or Parvati. These works have

used Tantric expressions to glorify Sakti. The Puranas employed Sakti,

S. P.G. Lalye : Studies in Devi Bhdgavata, Bombay, Popular Prakasan, p.13-14

9. SankhSS. 29.1,

Baudh.DS. 11.5.6

10. AP, 26.3.1-6; VP, 1.17-30yMP, 164.27-28, 244,16.26 ; KP, IV, 13.14.

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the word, commonly used and the sectarian works to indicate the

supreme power as wife of a particular male deity.

However, one of the most impressive characteristic of the

ancient Hindu religious tradition is the importance of goddess-

worship. A considerable number of goddesses are known in the earliest

Hindu-scriptwes and the vedic hymns.

The earliest evidences regarding the prevalence of the Mother

Goddess worship have been traced from a larger number of

inscriptions, clay-statues and seals which have been found from the

Indus valley, on the basis of which the history of the worshippers of

the Mother Goddess has been traced. The Possibility of the worship

of the earth as a mother, as Sir John Marshall has pointed out Goddess

on the basis of seal, obtained from Harappa11.

Although the mother-worship is evident from seals, figurines

and statues etc. of the Indus valley, yet we rely upon the evidences

furnished by the Vedas as those are the only earliest physible records.

Generally, it is accepted by the scholars that the vedic people belonged

to the patriarchal system of society and they gave more importance

to the male divinities like Agni, Indra and Soma. They are praised

11. Sir John Marshall: Mahenjo-daro and Indus Civilisation, Vol.-I, PL.X. III. 12

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repeatedly throughout the RV among the other Gods like Varuna,

Mitra, Savitr and Tvastr also occupy significant position in the RV.

But we cannot deny the fact that the few female deities,

described in the RV are of very interesting character. The most

important is ‘Usas’, the Goddess of the dawn12. She is conceived as

the mother and the Supreme force by the vedic-seers.

Aditi is another important female deity. She is described as the

all- pervading Goddess and is the mother of all the beings as well as

the Gods too. She is praised in the AV13.

In the RV, Ila, Bharati and Sarasvati are also praised as the

three Devis14. But among these three, Sarasvati, the goddess of learning

is invoked alone in many hymns who bestows knowledge on men.

The goddess Prthvi too holds a prominent position in the RV. The

idea of the mother earth is repeated in the AV too.

Moreover, the goddess Ratri is said to be the daughter of the

heaven. She protects all beings from evils and gives them shelter lap

just like an affectionate mother15.

We should therefore keep it in mind while studying about the

goddesses in the RV, that although there are many female deities,

12. RV, I- 48,49,113,124 ; IV- 79 ; VII- 75,76.81 ; X.-172

13. AV, VII- 6.2, 6.4.

14. RV, I -142.9, 13.9 ; III - 4.8 ; X - 70.8

15. RV X -.127

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they do not either individually or collectively represent the centre of

Rg-vedie religion. In most cases they are mentioned frequently and

must have played minor roles, when compared to the great male gods

ofthei?F.

There is evidence that some of the vedic goddesses survive in

the later Hindu tradition. Prthvi persists in later Hinduism and becomes
«•»

associated with Lord Visnu. She is often called Bhu-Devi. Although

the goddess Vak disappears in later Hinduism, Sarasvati might be

said to express Vak’s primary meaning as inspired speech.

In the vedic age the word Gayatri is known as a bird or a metre.

This Mantra occurs in the Trayi16. The sage of this Mantra is

Visvamitra and Savitr (sun) is the deity. It is called as Gayatn as it is

composed in Gayatri metre. It is sometimes called as Savitri after the

name of the deity. This Mantra addressed to the God Sun, attained

individuality in the later vedic literature and was the first deity, who

played an important mythical role in it. Gayatri was just a metre, but

the Brahmana authors considered it to be not merely the mechanical

arrangement of the syllables but also a potential creativity17. The SB

has called it energy of the life. Gayatri is full of Tejas and Viryas

16. RV, III - 62.10 ; YV, III-35.30, II - 36.3 ; SV, 13.3.2

17. TS, V - 1.3

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because it is the special metre of Agni, who is produced along with

her from the mouth of Prajapati18.

The TS says that when there was the contest between the Gods

and the Asuras, Gayatn withdrew into herself force, vigour, energy,

progenitor etc. and stood apart19. She was identified with Savitri, who

also represented the quintessence of divine energy.

The goddess concept as a creating or generating force appeared

in the epic and puranic literature in a more specific manner. She is

generally accepted as a devi or goddess. The PadP, the SkP, the AP,

the GP, the MP, the VarahaP, the VaP and the DBP deal with several

legends textured around Gayatri.

BrhU says that Gayatri and Savitri are one. Savitri means that

which is related to Savitr -

As such this favourable metre of the vedic Samhitas later

assumed a form of a mother goddess in general and the mother of the

vedic hymns in particular is the status of Vedamata Gayatri.

18. SB, 11.3.5.4, 1.3.5.15

19. TS, 11.4.3.1

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 However, it may be pointed out that, the Gayatri is not treated

as a mother goddess in the vedie literature. It is only in the puranic

literature that her procreative nature is manifested along with

Brahma20. According to various sources Savitri, Sarasvati, Satarapa,

Gayatri, Brahmani, Gauri are the female offsprings of Brahma.

Savitri is a post-i?g-vedic name. Inthei?K, ‘ Savitri’ is mentioned

only once (RVt V - 5.4) and not Savitri. But, after die post-vedic period,

Savitri has vividly been referred to in various contexts in the

Mahabharata, the MP, the BrVaiP, the PadP and the SkP.

Later, Sri Aurobindo also believes mother as the supreme poser

and discusses the four aspects of the mother. He also believes in the

four power of the mother which are four outstanding personalities,

portions and embodiments of her divinity through whom she acts on

her creatures, orders and harmonises her creations in the words and

directs the works of her thousand forces. For him, the mother is one

but she comes before us with differing aspects, personalities,

amanations and powers (vibhutis) that do her work in the universe.

He regards the four aspects ofthe mother likely Mahesvari, Mahakali,

Mahalaksmi & Maha-Sarasvatl. This outlook is also influenced by

vedic concept of mother-worship21.

20. BrVaiP, SKP, Setu Mahatymam, 40,41-99.

21. Vidyadhara Sarma Guleri : Female Deities in Vedic and Epic literature, Nag Publishers.

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 As Sampumananda has pointed out that the deities are not the

separate entities as the ocean of the power is indivisible. But it

focalizes and polarizes itself according to the needs of the situation

in various forms and various measures22.

0.2 Meaning:
The word ‘Gayatri’ has been derived from the root ‘Gai * means

to sing. It contains three syllables. The word Gayatri has been derived

from Gayatra. So the term Gayatri has been traditionally derived

from the two roots i.e. ‘gai ’ and ‘trai’23, so it means as ascent

responsible for both singing and protecting. Hence, speech is Gayatri.

Gayatri protects the gayas. The gayas are the vital breaths (Pranah).

So it protects the vital breaths24. Because Gayatri protects the Prana

(gayantam trayate25) so it is called Gayatri26.

22. Sampumananda: Evolution ofHindu Pantheon, p. 24

23. Mr, 1.3.3.;

The Nighantu and the Niruktam, Ed.: Lakshman Swarup, Oxford University press, 1927.

Trafr: '^firanfoi: i

24. fiprfr urdr nitatr - Skoda Puranam, 8.59, Nag Publishers

#mar swri-irmt- ^6,9.3.5.15

25. SB, 94.8.15.7

26. BrhU, 5.14.4 ; Eighteen Principal Upanisads, Ed.: V.P. Limaye and R.D.Vadekar.

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0.3 Origin:
The term ‘Gayatri’ denotes a particular metre in which a

very larger number of vedic stanzas are composed. Among all these

stanzas the must outstanding one is the stanza at RV(3.62.10) of

which the seer is Visvamitra and the deity is Savitr. This Mantra

occurs in other Veda Samhitas, Brahmana texts, Upanisads- and

the flrauta texts. Several major Upanisads.. like BrhU(6.3.7)

explain the importance of the Gayatri-Mantra by stating ‘If one

sprinkles this, even on a dry stump, branches would grow and

leaves spring forth’. This Mantra is used by a twice-born Hindu

in his daily devotions and during special functions of worship.

The Gayatri-Mantra is also called Savitri and Sarasvati in view

of the fact that it is addressed to Savitr and worshipped also as

Sarasvati.

Exactly, on the same idea and verbal pattern, several other

Gayatris have come into vogue, although none of them has attained

the same universality, sanctity and significance which the original

Gayatri posses, Never the less every holy formula cast in the mould

of the first and foremost Gayatri has an out-standing part to play

in the worship of that particular deity with which it is connected.

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 Now the original Gayatri-mantra, how it has been chanted,

used, honoured and passed through the Vedas and Puranas and its

over all significance draw our attention are to be discussed in the

coming chapter.

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