Guru Mantra When in the olden days a disciple went to the family of the teacher in order to attain knowledge, he/she was taught a guru mantra or the Gayatri mantra at the time of the initiation to Vedic studies. For that reason the Gayatri mantra is called the very best mantra. In the ancient times there was no other mantra than the Gayatri. In reality, Mother Gayatri is called the mother of the Vedas. One cannot describe the fruit gained by the worship of Mother Gayatri. It is capable to produce what one desires. The best choice is to choose Gayatri as Ishta. When someone has made this decision, the beginning of spiritual progress is established and he proceeds very quickly. Such a one was given as gurumantra by initiation (diksha).

The mantra is the essence of the Veda. In the way a mother gives birth to children, in that way all the Vedas proceed from it. Therefore, by the observance of the Gayatri and its repetition, all the Vedic knowledge is attained, and the practitioner becomes like the Veda. The power inside of every man we consider as the Self or inner power. With the help of that great mantra we are successful in making this inner power or Self pure and strong. Just like men, women can also benefit from the observance of the Gayatri. Some experts in spiritual matters say that women benefit even more from it. By such initiation the guru or Acarya makes the life of the disciple fruitful and sets him on the path of liberation. Every member of a family should be initiated into a spiritual practice to supplement the knowledge obtained from worldly institutions. One should sit for one’s meditation with clean body and clothes. If one is ill, it is enough to wash the mouth and hands and to rub the body with a damp cloth. One should sit in on a seat of kusha grass or a mat in padmasan or siddhasan. Then one can meditate or do japa of the mantra. For japa a mala of tulsi or sandal wood with 108 beads can be used. The number of mantra repetitions should be at least 108 times in order to attain good results.