History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.119

v2.c24.s1.119

are the two Sāvitrīs respectively for kṣatriya and vaiśya. That all these rules about the Sāvitrī being in the Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh and Jagatī metres for the three varṇas respectively are probably very ancient follows from the text 'gāyatryā brāhmaṇamasṛjata triṣṭubhā rājanyam &c.' (quoted in note 356 above). The Āsv. gṛ., Ap. gṛ., and some other sūtras are entirely silent on the point, while Pār. gṛ. II. 3 allows an option viz. all varṇas may learn the Gāyatrī or the Sāvitrī verses in the Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh and Jagatī respectively.⁷¹⁵ Why the Gāyatrī verse (Rg. III. 62. 10) came to be famous it is difficult to say. Its fame was probably due to its grand simplicity and to its adaptability to an idealistic conception of the world as emanating from an all-pervading Intelligence. The Gopatha Brāhmaṇa (I. 32-33) explains the Gāyatrī in various ways. In the Tai. Ār. (II. 11) it is stated that the mystic words 'bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ' are the truth (essence) of speech and that Savitā in the Gāyatrī means 'one who engenders glory'.⁷¹⁶ Atharvaveda 19. 71. 1 calls it 'vedamātā' and prays that it may confer long life, glory, children, cattle &c. on the singer.⁷¹⁷ The Bṛ. Up. V. 14. 1-6⁷¹⁸ contains a sublime eulogy of Gāyatrī which word is there derived from 'gaya' meaning 'prāṇa', and the root 'trai' (to save) and it is said that when the teacher repeats the Gāyatrī for the benefit of the young student he thereby saves the boy's life (from ignorance and the effects of sin). The Āp. Dh. S. I. 1. 1. 10 mentions a brāhmaṇa text to the effect that the Sāvitrī is recited for all the Vedas (i. e. by its recital all Vedas become recited as it is their essence). Manu II. 77 (=Viṣṇu Dh. S. 55. 14) says that each pāda of the Sāvitrī was as if extracted from each of the three Vedas and that (II. 81=Viṣṇu Dh. S. 55. 15) the Sāvitrī together with om and the three mystic syllables (bhūḥ &c.) is the mouth of Vedic lore (since Vedic study starts with it, or 'brahma' may mean 'the Supreme Being'). Manu II. 77-83, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 55. 11-17, Śaṅkhasmṛti XII, Saṁvarta (verses 216-223), Bṛhat-Parāśara chap. V (where the mystical significance of each of the 24 letters of the Gāyatrī is explained) and numerous⁷¹⁹ other works contain hyperbolical eulogies of Gāyatrī. Parāśara V. 1 calls it ‘Vedamātā’. The words ‘Āpo jyotī rasoṃṛtam brahma bhūr-bhuvaḥ svarom’ are said to be the *śiras* (head) of the Gāyatrī (vide Śaṅkhasmṛti XII. 12). Manu (II. 104) and others prescribe that every day a brahmacārī (as well as others) must perform japa of Gāyatrī. Baud. Dh. S. II 4. 7–9 prescribes that in the evening Saṁdhyā adoration one should murmur the Gāyatrī a thousand times, or a hundred times with prāṇāyāma each time or ten times with ‘om’ and the seven vyāhṛtis.⁷²⁰ Vas. Dh. S. 26. 15 prescribes that a man desirous of purifying himself from sin should repeat the divine Gāyatrī 1000 times (daily) as the maximum or 100 times (as the middle way) or at least ten times. There are mantras for invoking the Gāyatrī and for taking leave of it.⁷²¹