Scientific
Basis of Gayatri Mantra Japa
=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya
The aforesaid principles of psychology and
spirituality work towards success of japa. These can elevate the devotee’s
personality out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of divine wisdom.
The four principles mentioned above work in the subliminal domains of the
consciousness to remove the layers of ignorance from the subconscious and thus
help in the emergence of light of spirit within the individual soul. Training
is an integral part of education. It is indeed the first samskara to be
cultivated for personality development. We may never find an educated person
who has not undergone training in one form or the other. From nursery rhymes
and tables to revision and continuous practice of problem solving in higher
classes the process of training by cramming and repetition is very common; this
is also necessary for the inculcation of any desired tendency.
The same is true about the impact of japa too; the
effects of the mantra-vibrations cannot be felt without rhythmic repetition.
The "dhi" element of the Gayatri Mantra refers to prayer for the awakening of
intellect. Just uttering it once or twice cannot have the desired effect. Our
mind is like a barren, uneven, hard landscape, which frustrates all attempts at
its calming and refinement. In order to make the seed of sadhana germinate and
sprout, the field of mind needs to be cleared, ploughed and irrigated with the
help of japa; one has to peep inside and identify, mercilessly uproot and throw
out the debris of accumulated evil tendencies. Sowing the seeds of virtues is
not possible without this cleaning of deep rooted negativities. Japa can also
be likened to cleaning, sharpening and glazing. Its repeated friction and
subtle pressure calms down and cleanses the mind so that it could clearly
reflect glow of the spirit.
Every devotee of Gayatri should therefore perform japa everyday for a fixed
number of times at a fixed place, during fixed intervals of time. The arbitrary
mode of excessive watering on some days and keeping the land dry on the others
does not serve the purpose of proper irrigation of field. The same is true of
the training of mind by japa. Regularity, sincerity, patience and consistency
should be observed in this practice, as far as possible. This should also be
continued over a long duration depending upon the sadhaka's inherent tendencies
and mentality- till the dawn of the rays of success in the sadhana.
The second step in the sadhana is to assimilate in
practice what has been learnt. Observation and analysis of the lower self
cluttered with impurities is of no avail unless it is coupled with simultaneous
attempts at cleansing out and refinement. Japa-sadhana helps in developing the
inner strength and determination towards self-cleansing and self-refinement.
The advanced spiritual masters affirm that the japa of Gayatri Mantra
brings about rapid removal of ingrained vices and evil tendencies. Progress in
this direction further accelerates inner purification, as it deepens the
sadhaka's meditation and thus reinforces the linkage of the sadhaka's higher
inner self with the indwelling divinity which the mantra invokes. During this
process one experiences ups and downs in the mental and emotional domains.
The baser instincts and tendencies accumulated
during innumerable births of the fallen soul in different forms before the
present life are not easy to be uprooted and thrown out. These kusamskaras,
coupled with the ignorance-driven ego, struggle hard to obstruct the process of
inner purification in the initial phases. However, with the continuity of the
japa- sadhana the devotee realizes that he is not the body but the eternal soul
and therefore gains the light and courage to fight and eliminate all the
hurdles in the path of self-realization. He consciously and gladly undergoes
the prescribed austerities to loosen the hold of internal evils and passions.
He understands that only the path of selfless service leads to true happiness,
and that spiritual life is far more superior to life wasted in the pursuit of
materialistic success and power.
Nothing can then stop his march towards
self-awakening. Human ego-centered false self and its gross appearance is only
a vehicle for the manifestation of his soul. This world of mirage is not his
true home. He is guided by divine grace on his journey back to his real home-
the realm of eternal light. Just, as the puppet show would be absurdly
haphazard if even a few threads that control its movements are broken or
loosened, as the young kid is orphaned and becomes helpless due to the sudden
demise of his parents, as the house becomes dark in the night if its electrical
power supply is cut, similarly the soul, the individual self, suffers an
illusory, ignorant, and evanescent existence if its subliminal linkage with
divinity is broken.
Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,
Shiv Sharma
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