Mantra · Savitr (Solar Aspect)
Gayatri Mantra — Sanskrit, Transliteration & Meaning
By: Rishi Vishvamitra (Rigveda 3.62.10)
Best time to recite
Three Sandhyas — sunrise (Pratah-sandhya), noon (Madhyahna-sandhya), sunset (Sayam-sandhya). Brahma Muhurta (90 minutes before sunrise) is the most powerful single window.
Repetitions
10, 27, or 108 per session. Daily Sandhya tradition prescribes 10 at each of the three Sandhya periods.
About this Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra appears in the Rigveda (Mandala 3, Hymn 62, Verse 10) and is attributed to the rishi Vishvamitra. It is composed in the Gayatri meter — 24 syllables across three feet of 8 syllables each — which gives the mantra its name.
The mantra is addressed to Savitr — the divine sun, not as the physical star but as the consciousness that illumines all minds. The prayer asks Savitr to inspire and energize the practitioner's intellect (dhī). It is, at root, a prayer for clarity, wisdom, and right understanding.
In traditional Vedic practice the Gayatri is the most important mantra of the day, recited at the three sandhya periods (sunrise, noon, sunset). It is also the mantra given during the Upanayana (sacred-thread) ceremony — the initiation that traditionally marked entry into Vedic study. Today it is recited universally regardless of caste, gender, or initiation.
Full text
Mantra
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः। तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि। धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्॥
Om Bhur Bhuvah Swah. Tat Savitur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi. Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayaat.
Word-by-word meaning
पद-दर-पद अर्थ
Benefits & when to recite
- ✦Sharpens intellect and clarity of thought — the most direct mantra for wisdom
- ✦Recommended for students before exams and study sessions
- ✦Traditional Sandhya practice: 10-108 repetitions at sunrise, noon, sunset
- ✦No initiation required in modern practice — open to all
- ✦Often the first mantra taught to children in observant Hindu families
- ✦Said to bring inner light, mental peace, and spiritual progress over time
Explore more prayers
Chalisas, aartis, and mantras for every deity — full Hindi text with transliteration and meaning.
All prayers →