Gayatri Mantra

Gayatri Mantra - as known to everyone

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

Aum Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat

Gayatri Mantra is one of the very famous mantras prevalent in Hinduism. It is a highly regarded mantra. To the masses it is known to exist in a scripture called Taittiriya Aranyaka and this is where it has been written and described wrongly. The actual correct mantra is described in the Yajurveda.

Actual Gayatri Mantra in Yajurveda

भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात्

Bhur Bhuvah Swah, Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat

Yajurved Adhyay 36, Mantra 3 - The actual Gayatri Mantra is given in Yajurveda and it does not have "Om" (ॐ) in the front. There is no mention of "Om" in the mantra anywhere. By putting "Om" in front of the mantra, it actually becomes useless. As mentioned in Gita Ji Adhyay 8 Shlok 13, "Om" mantra is the sole mantra for jaap of God 'Brahm' and Vedas are describing the glory of Param Akshar Brahm, the Supreme/Complete God. So, this Mantra 3 of Adhyay 36 of Yajurved is praising the Supreme God, Param Akshar Brahm. Putting "Om" in front of it would be like addressing the Prime Minister as Chief Minister, which will be an insult to him.

Gayatri Mantra in Yajurveda - Evidence from Yajurveda

Om Tat Sat - ॐ तत सत

Om Tat Sat - a mantra from scriptures of Hinduism is an indicative mantra of Supreme God. "Om Tat Sat" per se is not any mantra.

Om (ॐ) is a straight forward mantra of Brahm (ब्रह्म) / Kaal. Tat (तत्) is a coded mantra of Par Brahm and Sat (सत्) is a coded mantra of Purna Brahm / Supreme God.

The speaker of Bhagavad Gita explains this in detail in Gita chapter 17 verse 23 - 26Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (श्रीमद भगवद गीता) Adhyay / Chapter 17 (अध्याय १७) Verse / Shlok 23 - 26 (श्लोक २३ - २६)

Gita Chapter 17 verse 23

ॐ, तत्, सत्, इति, निर्देशः, ब्रह्मणः, त्रिविधः, स्मृतः,
ब्राह्मणाः, तेन, वेदाः, च, यज्ञाः, च, विहिताः, पुरा।।23।।

In Adhyay 17 from Shlok 23 to 28, it is stated that for the attainment of purna Parmatma (Supreme God), Om' (ॐ) - Tat' - Sat', these are the three naams.

Om (ॐ) is the mantra of Brahm (ब्रह्म).

In Gita Adhyay 8 verse 13, Brahm says that the mantra of my attainment is "Om (ॐ)"

ओम्, इति, एकाक्षरम्, ब्रह्म, व्याहरन्, माम्, अनुस्मरन्,
यः, प्रयाति, त्यजन्, देहम्, सः, याति, परमाम्, गतिम्।।13।।

The speaker of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is saying that in that mantra of three words (Om, Tat, Sat), there is only one word Om/ॐ for me i.e. Brahm, which has to be chanted for doing sumiran. A devotee who while doing sumiran-sadhna unto last breath, gives up his body, he attains the supreme state i.e. salvation.

{Brahm has called his salvation as (anuttamam) very inferior/very bad in Gita Adhyay 7 Shlok 18.

Tat (तत्) is the mantra of Par Brahm (Kshar Purush - क्षर पुरुष)

This Tat mantra is a coded (hidden) mantra, which is jaap mantra of ParBrahm and in the jaap of Satnaam through breaths, the breath 'iti' i.e. ends on the Tat mantra.

Gita Chapter 17 verse 25

तत्, इति, अनभिसन्धाय, फलम्, यज्ञतपःक्रियाः,
दानक्रियाः, च, विविधाः, क्रियन्ते, मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभिः।।25।।

The breath 'iti' i.e. ends on the jaap of Tat (तत्) mantra of Akshar Purush i.e. ParBrahm, and is done by those men who perform various kinds of activities of yagya, austerity and charity without desiring the fruit and with the desire of attaining well-being i.e. by those who only wish to become completely free from the cycle of birth and death.

Sat (सत्) is the mantra of Purna Brahm (Supreme God / Param Akshar Brahm - परम अक्षर पुरुष)

Gita Chapter 17 verse 26

सद्भावे, साधुभावे, च, सत्, इति, एतत्, प्रयुज्यते,
प्रशस्ते, कर्मणि, तथा, सत्, शब्दः, पार्थ, युज्यते।।26।।

‘Sat’- this Saarnaam is used in true sense and in supreme sense at the end of Tat mantra with the name of this very Purna Parmatma, and Oh Paarth, Sat Shabd i.e. Saarnaam is only used in a superior act; i.e. is added at the end of the aforesaid two mantras Om and Tat.

Om Namah Shivaya - ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya - ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya (Aum Namah Shivaya) is a Mantra highly prevalent in Hinduism. It is considered to be a mantra of Lord Shiva (Siva) the destroyer among the Trimurti's (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)

Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra or the Five Syllable Mantra

Shiv Puran (A Holy text of Hinduism) gives the description of the Panchakshara / Panchakshari mantra in great detail. In there it is described that the "Om"(ॐ) Mantra is made of five syllables and is in reality the actual "Panchakshara / Panchakshari" mantra. Shiv Puran describes that the "Om"(ॐ) Mantra is made of five sounds is thus the actual Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra whereas translators of Shiv Puran have adulterated the mantra while doing the translations and have added "Om Namah Shivaya" (ॐ नमः शिवाय) on their own. In reality "Om Namah Shivaya" (ॐ नमः शिवाय) is not the Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra and is indeed self made and arbitrary.

"Om" (ॐ) or the Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra in Shiv Puran

Om Namah Shivaya (Aum Namah Shivaya) is a Mantra highly prevalent in Hinduism. It is considered to be a mantra of Lord Shiva (Siva) the destroyer among the Trimurti's (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra or the Five Syllable Mantra

Shiv Puran (A Holy text of Hinduism) gives the description of the Panchakshara / Panchakshari mantra in great detail. In there it is described that the "Om"(ॐ) Mantra is made of five syllables and is in reality the actual "Panchakshara / Panchakshari" mantra. Shiv Puran describes that the "Om"(ॐ) Mantra is made of five sounds is thus the actual Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra whereas translators of Shiv Puran have adulterated the mantra while doing the translations and have added "Om Namah Shivaya" (ॐ नमः शिवाय) on their own. In reality "Om Namah Shivaya" (ॐ नमः शिवाय) is not the Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra and is indeed self made and arbitrary.
"Om" (ॐ) or the Panchakshara / Panchakshari Mantra in Shiv Puran