CayatrI Japa

by SwamI SIvananda
|E0TATDN DN CAYATF
Dm bhur bhuvch svch tct scvtur vcrenycm;
8hcryo devcsyc dheemch dhyo yo nch prcchodcyct.
SHA80AAFTHA
Dm Para 8rahman; 8hur 8huloka (PhysIcal Plane); 8huvah AntarIksha Svah; Svarga Loka Tat
Paramatma SavItur; svara (Surya); 7arenyam; FIt to be worshIpped; 8hargo Femover of sIns and
Ignorance; 0evasya Clory (Jnana Svaroopa); 0heemahI We medItate; 0hIyo 8uddhI (ntellect);
Yo WhIch; Nah Dur; Prachodayat EnlIghten.
8HA7AAFTHA
Let us medItate on svara and HIs Clory who has created the UnIverse, who Is fIt to be
worshIpped, who Is the remover of all sIns and Ignorance. |ay he enlIghten our Intellect.
The aspIrant prays to |other CayatrI, D 8eloved |other! At the present moment have taken my
body as the selfowIng to AvIdya or Ignorance, through my Impure Intellect. CIve me a pure
Intellect whIch wIll enable me to know my real nature. CIve me lIght and knowledge.
ThIs Is the 8rahmaCayatrI |antra. CayatrI Is the '8lessed |other' of 7edas. There Is no mIlk
superIor to cow's mIlk. Even so there Is no |antra superIor to CayatrI. As Dmkara or Pranava Is for
SannyasIns, so Is CayatrI for 8rahmacharIs and householders. The fruIts that are attaIned by
medItatIon on Dmkara can be attaIned by medItatIon on CayatrI. The same goal that Is reached by
a Paramahamsa SannyasIn can be reached by a 8rahmacharI or a householder by medItatIng on
CayatrI.
Cet up at 4 a. m. In 8rahmamuhurta and start Japa and medItatIon on CayatrI (PanchmukhI or
fIvefaced 0evI seated In lotus flower), sIttIng on Padmasana, SIddhasana or 7Irasana, facIng North
or East. 8urn Incense In the room. n summer you can take a bath. n wInter you can sImply wash
your face, hands and feet and do achamana only. ContInue the Japa for two hours or more. Have
another sIttIng at nIght between 7 and 8 p. m. Constantly feel that you are receIvIng lIght, purIty
and wIsdom from CayatrI. ThIs Is Important. Keep the Image of the CayatrI at the TrIkutI, the
space between the eyebrows by closIng the eyes and concentrate there, or keep the Image In the
lotus of the heart and concentrate there. You wIll have 0arshan of CayatrI.
t Is better If you do Japa of CayatrI J000 to 4000 tImes daIly. Your heart wIll be purIfIed rapIdly.
f you are not able to do thIs number, you can do 1008 tImes daIly. f you fInd It dIffIcult to do thIs
number also, do at least 108 tImes daIly, J6 tImes at sunrIse, J6 tImes at noon, J6 tImes at sunset.
There Is specIal, mysterIous spIrItual force or wonderful magnetIc power at SandhI or junctIon of
the tIme, sunrIse and sunset. The mInd wIll be elevated quIckly. t wIll be fIlled wIth Sattva.
ConcentratIon wIll come by Itself wIthout any effort at thIs tIme. f you fInd It dIffIcult to get up
at 8rahmamuhurta, get up before sunrIse. That man who faIls to do CayatrI at the SandhIs faIls In
the dIscharge of hIs daIly dutIes. He becomes a 8hrashta or fallen man. He loses vIgour, vItalIty
and 8rahmatejas.
n the CayatrI |antra there are 9 names, vIz. , 1. Dm, 2. 8hur, J. 8huvah, 4. Svah, 5. Tat, 6.
SavItur, 7. 7arenyam, 8. 8hargo and 9. 0evasya. Through these nIne names the Lord Is praIsed.
0heemahI Is worshIp of the Lord. 0hIyo Yo Nah Prachodayat Is prayer. HereIn there are fIve halts
or stops vIz. , 'Dm' Is the fIrst stop; '8hur 8huvah Svah' the second; 'Tat SavItur 7arenyam' the
thIrd; '8hargo 0evasya 0heemahI' the fourth; and '0hIyo Yo Nah Prachodayat' the fIfth. WhIle
chantIng or doIng Japa of the |antra, we should stop a lIttle at every stop or halt.
SavIta Is the presIdIng deIty of the CayatrI |antra, FIre (AgnI) Is the mouth, 7IshwamItra Is the
FIshI and CayatrI Is the metre. t Is recIted In the InvestIture of sacred thread, practIce of
Pranayama and Japa. What CayatrI Is, the same Is Sandhya, and what Sandhya Is, the same Is
CayatrI. Sandhya and CayatrI are IdentIcal. He who medItates on CayatrI, medItates on Lord
7Ishnu.
A man can repeat CayatrI mentally In all states whIle lyIng, sIttIng, walkIng etc. There Is no sIn of
commIssIon and omIssIon of any sort In Its repetItIon. Dne should thus perform Sandhya three
tImes wIth thIs CayatrI |antra every day, In the mornIng, noon and evenIng. t Is the CayatrI
|antra alone that can be commonly prescrIbed for all the HIndus. The Lord commands In the
7edas Let one |antra be common to all Samano |antrah. Hence the CayatrI should be the one
|antra for all the HIndus. The secret lore of the UpanIshads Is the essence of four 7edas, whIle
CayatrI wIth the three 7yahrItIs Is the essence of the UpanIshads. He Is the real 8rahmIn who
knows and understands thus, the CayatrI. WIthout Its knowledge he Is a Sudra, though well versed
In the four 7edas.
CLDFY DF CAYATF
(|ANU S|FT, CHAPTEF )
76. 8rahma mIlked out, as It were, from the three 7edas, the letter A, the letter U, and the letter
|; these form by theIr coalItIon the three trIlateral monosyllable, together wIth three mysterIous
words, 8hur, 8huvah, Svah, or earth, sky, heaven.
77. From the three 7edas also, the Lord of creatures IncomprehensIbly exalted, successfully
mIlked out the three measures of that Ineffable text, begInnIng wIth the word Tat, and entItled
SavItrI or CayatrI.
79. And a twIceborn man, who shall 1000 tImes repeat those three (Dm, the 7yahrItIs and the
CayatrI) apart from the multItude (EKANTA) shall be released In a month even from a great
offence, as a snake from hIs slough.
81. The three great Immutable words, preceded by the trIlIteral syllable and followed by the
CayatrI whIch consIsts of three measures, must be consIdered as the mouth or prIncIpal part of
the 7eda.
82. Whoever shall repeat day by day, for three years, wIthout neglIgence, that sacred text, shall
hereafter approach the 0IvIne Essence, move as freely as aIr and assume an ethereal form.
8J. The three trIlIteral monosyllable Is an emblem of the Supreme, the suppressIons of breath
wIth a mInd fIxed on Cod are the hIghest devotIon; but nothIng Is more exalted than the CayatrI;
a declaratIon of truth Is more excellent than sIlence.
84. All rItes ordaIned In the 7eda, oblatIons to fIre, and solemn sacrIfIces pass away; but that
whIch passes not away, Is declared to be the syllable D|, thence called Akshara; sInce the Japa
should be fInIshed before noon daIly and should not be done In the afternoon. All the words should
be repeated slowly wIthout mutIlatIon and Akshara SuddhI (clarIty In pronuncIatIon). You must not
be hasty In the performance of the Japa. You must have always the meanIng of CayatrI before the
mInd's eye. You must perform a Havan In the end to propItIate the Coddess. As a substItute for the
Havan you can perform 6 lakhs of Japa. You can make as many Purascharanas as you lIke.
85. FruIts of three kInds of JapaThe act of repeatIng CayatrI loudly (7aIkharI Japa), Is 10 tImes
better than the appoInted sacrIfIce; a 100 tImes better when It Is heard by no man (Upamasu
Japa), done In a whIsperIng tone; and a 1, 000 tImes better when It Is purely mental (|anasIc
Japa).
87. The four domestIc sacraments whIch are accompanIed wIth the appoInted sacrIfIce, are not
equal, though all be unIted, to a sIxteenth part of the sacrIfIce performed by a repetItIon of the
CayatrI.
8y the sole repetItIon of the CayatrI a prIest IndubItably attaIns beatItude, let hIm perform or not
perform, any other relIgIous act.
enefIts of CayatrI Japa
CayatrI Is the mother of the 7edas and the destroyer of sIns. There Is nothIng more purIfyIng on
the earth as well as In the heaven than the CayatrI. The Japa of CayatrI brIngs the same fruIt as
the recItatIon of all the four 7edas together wIth the Angas. ThIs sIngle |antra, If repeated three
tImes a day, brIngs good (Kalyan or |oksha). t Is the |antra of the 7edas. t destroys sIns. t
bestows splendId health, beauty, strength, vIgour, vItalIty and magnetIc aura In the face (8rahmIc
effulgence).
CayatrI destroys the three kInds of Taapa or paIn. CayatrI bestows the four kInds of Purushartha
vIz. , 0harma (rIghteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desIred objects) and |oksha (lIberatIon or
freedom). t destroys the three CranthIs or knots of Ignorance, AvIdya, Kama and Karma. CayatrI
purIfIes the mInd. CayatrI bestows Ashta SIddhIs. CayatrI makes a man powerful and hIghly
IntellIgent. CayatrI eventually gIves lIberatIon or emancIpatIon from the wheel of bIrths and
deaths.
The mInd Is purIfIed by constant worshIp. t Is fIlled wIth good and pure thoughts. FepetItIon of
worshIp strengthens the good Samskaras. As a man thInks, that he becomes. ThIs Is the
psychologIcal law. The mInd of a man who traIns hImself In thInkIng good, holy thoughts, develops
a tendency to thInk of good thoughts. HIs character Is moulded and transformed by contInued
good thoughts. When the mInd thInks of the Image of CayatrI durIng worshIp, the mental
substance actually assumes the form of the Image. The ImpressIon of the object Is left In the
mInd. ThIs Is called Samskara. When the act Is repeated very often, the Samskaras gaIn strength
by repetItIon, and a tendency or habIt Is formed In the mInd. He who entertaIns thoughts of
0IvInIty becomes transformed actually Into the 0IvInIty hImself by constant thInkIng and
medItatIon. HIs 8hava or dIsposItIon Is purIfIed and dIvInIsed. The medItator and the medItated,
the worshIpper and the worshIpped, the thInker and the thought become one and the same. ThIs
Is SamadhI. ThIs Is the fruIt of worshIp or Upasana.

CAYATF PUFASCHAFANA
The 8rahmaCayatrI|antra has twentyfour Aksharas. So, one CayatrI Purascharana constItutes
the repetItIon or Japa of 24 lakhs of tImes of CayatrI |antra. There are varIous rules for
Purascharana. f you repeat J, 000 tImes daIly, you should keep up the number daIly all
throughout tIll you fInIsh the full 24 lakhs. Cleanse the mIrror of |anas of Its |ala and prepare the
ground for the sowIng of the spIrItual seed. HIs grace Is very, very Important.
The |aharashtrIans are very fond of CayatrI Purascharana. There are In Poona and other places
persons who have performed Purascharana several tImes. SrI PandIt |adan |ohan |alavIyajI was a
votary of CayatrI Purascharana. The success In hIs lIfe and the establIshment of a grand HIndu
UnIversIty at 8enares, Is all attrIbutable to hIs CayatrI Japa and the benIgn Crace of the 8lessed
|other CayatrI.
SwamI 7Idyaranya, the reputed author of the celebrated PanchadasI, performed CayatrI
Purascharana. |other gave hIm 0arshan and granted 7Idyaranya a boon. SwamI 7Idyaranya asked:
D |other! There Is a great famIne In the 0eccan. Let there be a shower of gold to relIeve the
Immense dIstress of the people. AccordIngly there was a shower of gold. Such Is the power or
SaktI of CayatrI |antra.
Yoga8hrashtas and puremInded persons only can have 0arshan of CayatrI by doIng one
Purascharana only. As the mInds of vast majorIty of persons In thIs ron Age are fIlled wIth varIous
sorts of ImpurItIes, one has to do more than one Purascharana accordIng to the degree of ImpurIty
of the mInd. The more the ImpurItIes, the greater the number of Purascharana. The famous
|adhusudana SwamI dId seventeen Purascharanas of KrIshna |antra. He dId not get 0arshan of
Lord KrIshna on account of the sIns commItted In kIllIng 17 8rahmIns In hIs prevIous bIrths. 8ut he
had 0arshan of the Lord when he was on the half way of the eIghteenth Purascharana. The same
rule applIes to CayatrIPurascharana also.


HNTS DN CAYATFJAPA
n days of yore, HIndu ladIes also used to wear sacred thread (YajnopavIta) and repeat CayatrI.
|anu was not In favour of thIs.
After the Purascharana Is over, perform Havan and feed 8rahmIns, Sadhus and poor people to
propItIate the Coddess.
Those who wIsh to do Purascharana may lIve on mIlk and fruIts. ThIs makes the mInd SattvIc. Dne
wIll derIve great spIrItual benefIts.
There are no restrIctIons of any kInd when you repeat a |antra wIth NIshkama 8hava for attaInIng
|oksha. FestrIctIons or 7IdhIs come In only when you want to get some fruIts, when you do the
Japa wIth Sakama 8hava.
When a Purascharana of CayatrI Is done on the banks of the Canga underneath an Asvattha tree or
the PanchavrIksha, |antraSIddhI comes In rapIdly.
f you repeat CayatrI 4, 000 tImes daIly, you can fInIsh the Purascharana In one year, seven
months and twentyfIve days. f you do the Japa slowly It wIll take 10 hours to fInIsh 4, 000 daIly.
The same number should be repeated daIly.
You must observe strIct 8rahmacharya when you do Purascharana. Then you can have 0arshan of
CayatrI easIly. Those who are unable to practIse strIct celIbacy should be very moderate In
copulatIon. ThIs Is second best thIng.
The practIce of Akhanda |auna (unbroken sIlence) durIng Purascharana Is hIghly benefIcIal. Those
who are not able to practIse thIs can observe full |auna for a week In a month or on Sundays.
Those who practIse Purascharana should not get up from the Asana tIll they fInIsh the fIxed
number. They should not change the pose also.
CountIng can be done through |aala, fIngers or watch. Count the exact number that you can do In
one hour. Suppose you can do In one hour 400 CayatrI |antras, then Japa for 10 hours means
10x400 =4, 000. There Is more concentratIon In countIng through watch.
There are three varIetIes of CayatrI pIctures for medItatIon In mornIng, noon and evenIng. |any
medItate on the fIvefaced CayatrI only throughout the day.
CLEANNCS
7erIly all thIs creatIon Is CayatrI. Speech Is CayatrI; by speech Is all thIs creatIon preserved. That
CayatrI Is verIly thIs earth. The CayatrI Is verIly composed of four feet, and possesseth sIx
characterIstIcs. The creatIons constItute the glorIes of CayatrI. That 8rahman I. e. the beIng
IndIcated In the CayatrI, Is verIly a space whIch surroundeth mankInd. (Chhandogya UpanIshad:
xII. )
7erIly man Is Yajna (sacrIfIce). The fIrst twentyfour years of hIs lIfe constItute the mornIng rItual
(Pratah savana). The CayatrI Includes 24 letters and It Is the CayatrI through whIch the mornIng
rItual Is performed. (Chhandogya UpanIshad: xvI. )
CDNCLUSDN
n conclusIon wIll have to say that the repetItIon of CayatrI Japa brIngs the 0arshan of CayatrI
and eventually leads to the realIsatIon of the AdvaItIc 8rahman or unIty of conscIousness, or
oneness (Tanmayata, Talleenata, Tadrupata, Tadakarata) and the aspIrant who asked for lIght
from CayatrI, In the begInnIng, sIngs now In exuberant joy, am the LIght of lIghts, that gIves
lIght to 8uddhI.
|ay CayatrI, the 8lessed |other of 7edas, bestow on us rIght understandIng, pure Intellect, rIght
conduct and rIght thInkIng! |ay She guIde us In all our actIons! |ay She delIver us from the
SamsarIc wheel of bIrths and deaths! Clory! Clory unto CayatrI, the creatress, the generatrIx of
thIs UnIverse!