Sengotuvel refers Mudy as "her". Mudy mentions about learning and reciting Gayatri mantram from grandparents.
In South India, okay at least in my family, ladies did not recite Gayatri mantram. It was kinda out of bounds for them. My grandmother darn knew it, but I did not catch her reciting it even once, neither my mom.
In other parts of India, I have heard the ladies do recite the Gayatri mantram and infact both male and females recite it audibly well for others to hear it. I have heard family elders mentioning that when we recite Gayatri mantram it should not be heard by anyone else.
Nowadays Gayatri Mantra has been hard-coded into mass produced chips and a continuously repeated recitation of the same by a mellifluous female voice can be heard in all sorts of places - particularly shops. The chip is built into vigrahas/images of deities and embellished with flashing lights.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Nowadays Gayatri Mantra has been hard-coded into mass produced chips and a continuously repeated recitation of the same by a mellifluous female voice can be heard in all sorts of places - particularly shops. The chip is built into vigrahas/images of deities and embellished with flashing lights.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->. Do we need to press the feet of the idol? Can't press the tummy of the idol, that would be irreverent for some <!--emo&<_<--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='dry.gif' /><!--endemo-->
2000 years from now, those chips will have "significance" to people then.
How long before some one really creates a dancing Nataraja powered by 4 1.5v batteries <!--emo&:bhappy--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_woot.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_woot.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Here is some description -
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gayatri is a metre of the Rig-Veda (see Veda) consisting of 24 syllables. This metre has been used in a number of Rig Vedic mantras. The syllables are arranged differently for different mantras, the most common being a triplet of eight syllables each. The Gayatri or the Savitri mantra composed in this triplet form is the most famous and sacred of all mantras. It is a prayer in honour of the Sun, also called Savitur.
The Gayatri with the Mahavyahritis is uttered as- Om, bhur, bhuvah, svah tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat This mantra is believed to have been composed by Sage Vishvamitra. According to others, however, it is so ancient that the four Vedas were born of it.
Initially, this mantra was a simple invocation to the Sun to bless all on earth. Gradually it came to be regarded as a mystic formula of universal power. This was probably due to its simplicity and its power to evolve the idealistic notion of a world that originated from an all-pervading Intelligence.
According to the Skanda Purana, nothing in the Vedas is superior to the Gayatri. No invocation is equal to it just as no city is equal to Kashi (see Tirtha). The Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas, it contains the essence of all the Vedas and of the Brahmanas, for the Gayatri is believed to embody Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the Vedas.
According to the Aitareya Brahmana (see Brahmana), those who desire to go to heaven should recite this mantra a thousand times.<b> The Gayatri Mantra must be recited by all 'twice-born' (see Upanayanam) Hindus, Gayatri Mantra especially the Brahmins, who are expected to recite it every morning and evening. This mantra was however not allowed be reciting or even hearing by a Shudra or a woman</b>. In the early Vedic age however, the status of women was considerably higher than in the later Vedic age. Rishinis or women rishis like Gargi and Lopamudra are said to have undergone the Upanayanam and the former indeed, engaged in debate none less than the law giver, Yajnavalkya. Later, when this mantra became exclusive to 'twice-born' males, care was taken not to recite it loudly.
The Gayatri Mantra is also recited at various rituals pertaining to divine worship and the ritual of the manes (see Shradha). <b>It is said that the recitation of the Gayatri five times a day is as effective as performing the panchamahayagya.</b>
<b>This mantra is taught for the first time during the Upanayanam ceremony when the guru whispers it into the ears of the newly Recitation of the Pupil (brahmopadesham). Thereafter the pupil is expected to recite it every morning and evening throughout his life</b>
It should ideally be recited 16 times a day<b>. To keep track, the right hand is used. When the mantra is recited the first time, the thumb is placed on the third joint of the ring finger and is held there till the mantra is complete. With each completion, the thumb moves one more joints, down the ring finger, up the little finger, over the tips, down the index finger, up the middle finger and the sixteenth recitation is completed on the third joint of the middle finger. When reciting the Gayatri Mantra, the sacred thread (see Upanayanam) is held across the thumb of the right hand.</b>
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Here is some description -
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gayatri is a metre of the Rig-Veda (see Veda) consisting of 24 syllables. This metre has been used in a number of Rig Vedic mantras. The syllables are arranged differently for different mantras, the most common being a triplet of eight syllables each. The Gayatri or the Savitri mantra composed in this triplet form is the most famous and sacred of all mantras. It is a prayer in honour of the Sun, also called Savitur.
The Gayatri with the Mahavyahritis is uttered as- Om, bhur, bhuvah, svah tat Savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat This mantra is believed to have been composed by Sage Vishvamitra. According to others, however, it is so ancient that the four Vedas were born of it.
Initially, this mantra was a simple invocation to the Sun to bless all on earth. Gradually it came to be regarded as a mystic formula of universal power. This was probably due to its simplicity and its power to evolve the idealistic notion of a world that originated from an all-pervading Intelligence.
According to the Skanda Purana, nothing in the Vedas is superior to the Gayatri. No invocation is equal to it just as no city is equal to Kashi (see Tirtha). The Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas, it contains the essence of all the Vedas and of the Brahmanas, for the Gayatri is believed to embody Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the Vedas.
According to the Aitareya Brahmana (see Brahmana), those who desire to go to heaven should recite this mantra a thousand times.<b> The Gayatri Mantra must be recited by all 'twice-born' (see Upanayanam) Hindus, Gayatri Mantra especially the Brahmins, who are expected to recite it every morning and evening. This mantra was however not allowed be reciting or even hearing by a Shudra or a woman</b>. In the early Vedic age however, the status of women was considerably higher than in the later Vedic age. Rishinis or women rishis like Gargi and Lopamudra are said to have undergone the Upanayanam and the former indeed, engaged in debate none less than the law giver, Yajnavalkya. Later, when this mantra became exclusive to 'twice-born' males, care was taken not to recite it loudly.
The Gayatri Mantra is also recited at various rituals pertaining to divine worship and the ritual of the manes (see Shradha). <b>It is said that the recitation of the Gayatri five times a day is as effective as performing the panchamahayagya.</b>
<b>This mantra is taught for the first time during the Upanayanam ceremony when the guru whispers it into the ears of the newly Recitation of the Pupil (brahmopadesham). Thereafter the pupil is expected to recite it every morning and evening throughout his life</b>
It should ideally be recited 16 times a day<b>. To keep track, the right hand is used. When the mantra is recited the first time, the thumb is placed on the third joint of the ring finger and is held there till the mantra is complete. With each completion, the thumb moves one more joints, down the ring finger, up the little finger, over the tips, down the index finger, up the middle finger and the sixteenth recitation is completed on the third joint of the middle finger. When reciting the Gayatri Mantra, the sacred thread (see Upanayanam) is held across the thumb of the right hand.</b>
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In the late 1930's Pandit Sharma lived as a hermit in the Himalayas, reciting the Gayatri mantra 7,000 times a day, 365 days a year, for 24 years. He meditated on the dawning sun and ate only buttermilk and a handful of grains. Out of this continuum of Gayatri sound meditation he penetrated into the potency of the Gayatri's 24 syllables and its special amplifying relationship to the yagna ritual. He extensively studied the Vedas, and later translated the entire collection.
His catholic outlook for the Gayatri use by women was criticized, but he answered in his book, Gayatri, The Omnipotent Primordial Power: "The code of conduct in Hindu religion has equality of humans in all respects with unity and compassion as basic tenets. Hindu culture regards the female of human species as superior to its male counterpart. How could then the wise sages of India deprive women of super wisdom of practice of Gayatri? In ancient days, the rishikas (nuns) participated together with men in all religious and metaphysical rituals. Gayatri is symbolized by a female deity. Gayatri is accessible to each and every individual of the human species."
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Thanks for sharing those information. I was more interested in the subtle differences between the way things were between North and South. How did the differences develop? Why did some communities go the way they went? Is there a possible narration lurking around?
Many years ago - I was taking my wife (we were newly married then) around the sights of the UK and Europe. On a visit to some place in the UK I decided to give in to the temptation to see a much advertised "Roman wall". We paid Five UK Pounds apiece to enter the area and I saw no wall until someone drew my attention to a line of worn bricks at ground level which was (all there was left of) the wall. Talk about being suckered...
Months later we found ourselves in Rome where "Roman" ruins and Roman architecture many stories high were visible everywhere. Every stone in Rome has history to the extent that it is often ignored and taken for granted. The "Farnese gardens" in Rome is a huge collection of Roman ruins and there is at least one ruin there inside which a church has been built.
Egypt similarly has huge architectural structures dating from a forgotten era - the culture having been completely wiped clean.
India too has a long loong history of culture that pops up everwhere. A few days ago - walking through Lalbagh I discovered something I had not seen before - an unmarked, unnoticed set of old sculptures. One is a stone Basava/Nandi bull - half buried and about 1.5 meters long, next to a rectangular slab with a bas relief of a female figurine next to a man holding a spear. The presence and significance of this have been forgotten - nobody has a clue. Here are some pics (cellphone lowres camera)
India is full of these signs of an old old culture - a culture that will surely get forgotten and trampled on just like the Roman ruins in the UK and the remains in Egypt unless we take the trouble to document things and write explanations or experiences for future generations to read.
Here is some description -
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gayatri is a metre of the Rig-Veda (see Veda) consisting of 24 syllables. This metre has been used in a number of Rig Vedic mantras. The syllables are arranged differently for different mantras, the most common being a triplet of eight syllables each. The Gayatri or the Savitri mantra composed in this triplet form is the most famous and sacred of all mantras. It is a prayer in honour of the Sun, also called Savitur.
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Canonical gAyatrI meter (tripAda gayatrI) has 3 parts (pAdas), each part consisting of eight syllables (akSharas).
But curiously, the GayatrI-mantra itself has an anomaly. The first pAda has only 7 syllables!
tatsaviturvareNyam = ta-tsa-vi-tu-rva-re-Nyam (7 syllables or aksharas)
In sAmavedic singing, it is rendered as:
ta-tsa-vi-tu-rva-re-ni-om (now it has 8 syllables!).
Some people have argued that sAmavedic rk-s are the oldest (although most of them are also present in rgveda). This is based on the hypothesis that oldest mantras were meant to be sung, not just recited. And the corresponding samans (the melodies, not the text) are also the oldest melodies. It may be an accident of systemization that rgveda is considered to be the oldest text. There has hardly been as detailed a study of sAmavedic sAmans (melodies) as say of R^ichA-s of rgveda.
The oldest parts of vedas had many metrical peculiarities, most probably due to their structure being not as standardized as the later ones. And if they were primarily meant to be sung, then the syllables (aksharas) in them may have been split to maintain the metre, e.g. "nyam" being split into "ni-am". We are talking about a metrical corpus perhaps spanning millenia. That provides a possible explanation for the curious fact already mentioned that the most famous example of the gAyatrI metre, the gAyatrI-mantra, in its rk form has one less syllable than the canonical gAyatrI metre.
Also during puja when it comes to offering the prasad its the Gayatri that is chanted. And pujas are performed by both men and women all over India. So whats the issue?
Is it to the formal initiation to the gayatri that is being talked about?
BTW, I think the Hindu narrative rests on four columns- Dhrama (ethical code), Sanskriti (culture), Parampara (tradition) and itihasa (history of custom). Removal of any one of them will bring instability.
In sAmavedic singing, it is rendered as:
ta-tsa-vi-tu-rva-re-ni-om (now it has 8 syllables!).
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Aha - thanks for this little tidbit. In fact I hadn't figured out the Samvedic connection - but now that you say so I realise that the sing-song quality of Samavedic chants is there in this.
Just for completeness let me add that metrical-science (chhandaH-shAstra) in India has had many phases.
1. The oldest phase defined chhandas (metres) by counting the syllables (aksharas). This is the the system of vedic metres.
2. When pingala wrote his masterpiece vedanga text of "chhandaH-sUtram", he introduced the ideas of "laghu" (light) and "guru" (heavy) syllables. He also created triplets of these to define a basic unit of a metre. Out of these two units, laghu and guru, eight triplets are possible. These eight became the eight gaNa-s of Pingala.
"laghu" was assigned a mAtrA (time-interval ) of one and "guru" of two. This was the first time when an explicit time-measurement was introduced for metrical purposes.
3. To reemphasize: metres in India can be classified in two broad categories:
<b>(i) akshara-chhanda </b>: metres defined by counting of syllables
<b>(ii) mAtrA-chhanda</b> : metres defined by counting time-measurements (mAtrA) to syllables. "laghu" syllables getting one mAtrA and "guru" syllables getting two mAtrAs.
4. All vedic metres are "akshara-chhandas". Most non-vedic metres are "mAtrA-chhandas".
5. Since most non-vedic metres were time-measurement based, many people think that there is something deficient in vedic-metres because they stick with counting of syllables, not how long a syllable may last. So in vedic meteres two "laghu" syllables will get same weightage as two "guru" syllables.
But there is a serious misconception in this view.
<b>A syllable (akshara) is anchored around a vowel (svara). All consonants preceding the vowel get assigned to it. In the case of final consonant of a pada, that consonant gets assigned to the preceding vowel. So, the number of syllables depends only on the number of vowels. Consonants merely define the type of syllable(akshara), they don't affect the count.</b>
Overemphasis on mAtrA-chanda in non-vedic metres would lead people into thinking that short vowels naturally have one mAtrA and long vowels naturally have two mAtrAs.
But the fact is that <b>a vowel doesn't depend upon how long it is is pronounced! </b>. A vowel is pronounced when the vocal cords are sounded while keeping a fixed configuration of the oral cavity. As long as that configuration is held, the same vowel will be pronounced whether for one second or one minute.
This fact was recoginsed in vedic shiksHA-texts. This is also the reason "aa" is a separate vowel and not just an "a" being held twice as long, as is sometimes casually mentioned. Try pronouncing "aa", ii", "uu" vowels and notice the configuration of your mouth as compared to "a", "i" or "u". They are different! It is not just a time-interval that separates them. Your mouth has to be configured differently to pronounce them. They are separate vowels.
<b>As long as that distinctive configuration of the oral-cavity is maintained, the same vowel is being pronounced. This led the vedics to separate a syllable (akshara) from its time-measurement. A syllable is anchored on its vowel (svara), and doesn't have an unique connection with how long it is to be pronounced.</b>
It so happens that hrasva-vowels (short vowels like "a", "i" or "u") can be distinctly pronounced in a shorter time than the dIrgha vowels ("aa", "ii", "uu", "ai", "o", "au" etc). So if one wanted to fire off aksharas as rapidly <b>and distinctly</b> as possible, one would notice that, hrasvas take smaller amount of time than the dIrghas. This was the reason for the convention of assigning one-mAtrA to the hrasva-vowels (and laghu aksharas) and two mAtrAs to the dIrgha-vowels (or guru aksharas) was started.
In light of this it is easy to see that syllabic-meters (akshara-chhandas) of vedas, are just a different type of metres, not in any way deficient from the mAtrA-chandas of later times. It would be clear if you listen to vedic chants, they often are very slow, and there is no hurry to pronounce each akshara, and so each akshara can be given its own sweet time. Remember that an akshara (or a vowel) is independent of how long it is held. This is different from classical metres, where aksharas (syllables) come rapid-fire one after another and assigning different mAtrAs (time measures) to different type of aksharas becomes more important.
There is a text called "mAtrA-lakshaNam" dealing with time-measure in sAmavedic singing. Lest it confuse some people, this text is not about the rks but about the sAmans (melodies). Depending upon the melody (sAman), same syllable can be given variable amount of time. So, this text merely lays out different kinds of time measurements pertaing to singing. It doesn't lay out time-measurement rules for aksharas/metres in the rks per se.
Even in the vedic gAyatrI there are constraints on the gurutva and laghutva of syllables although it is a little more probabilistic than in the case of the classical meters.
The vedic gAyatrI meter is constructed as per the following rules:
#1 It shall ideally have 24 syllables in two hemistiches
#2 hemistich 1 shall have 16 syllables and hemistich 2 shall have 8 syllables.
#3 Thus there shall be 3 pAdas each of 8 syllables divded into 4 syllable units on which the further rules shall act.
The following are defined as light or short syllables denoted by U
a; i; u; R^i
these vowels make a syllable short.
The following are defined as heavy or long syllables denoted by -
A; I; U; e; ai; o; au; R^I
vowels make a syllable heavy or long.
The combination with a consonant (eg. ag in agni) makes a light vowel heavy or long.
A position which is either short or long is denote by .
#4 The ideal structure of each pAda of the gayatrI is then given as (syllables 1 -8; each 4 syllable unit divided by '/' ):
[.][->U][.][->U]/ [U][->U][U][.]
->U means long is preferred over short or vice-versa.
#5 If in the open set of 4 syllables of the second syllable is chosen as the less-preferred U then the 3rd syllable is preferred to be long.
Another frequent but not universal feature is that the 4 syllable halves of each pAda split a word in the 2nd and 3rd pAda of the gAyatrI.
To illustrate these rules in action:
agnim ILe / purohitaM / : yaGNYAsya de/vam R^itvijam/ :: hotAraM rat/nadhAtamaM ::
-U--/U-UU = 4+4 =pAda 1
--U-/U-UU=pAda 2
----/U-UU=pAda 3
agniH pUrve/bhiH R^iShibhiH/ : IDiyo nU/tanaiH uta / :: sa devAM e/ha vakShati/ ::
-U--/UUUU
-U--/U-UU
U---/U-UU
This is the most frequent gAyatri used by the vipras of most clans. However, the kANvas tend to have an additional consistent usage from time to time giving a peculiar gAyatrI structure of their own.
This is given by the rule (for each 8- syllabled pAda):
[.][->U][.][-] : [->U][U>-][-][.]
Note the difference in the second 4-syllabled unit. This is illustrated by:
ukthaM cana/ shasyamAnaM /: agor arÃr/ A ciketa/ :: na gAyatraM/ gIyamAnaM/ ::
-UUU/-U-U-
---/-U-UU
--U/-U-U
This variant of the gAyatri interestingly occurs elsewhere in the 3*8 syllabled meter of the avesta. While this suggests a potential connection between the kANvas and the Iranians of the avesta it is not immediately clear as to which form was the primitive gAyatri. The more frequent classical gAyatrI form is likely to be primitive as it is also seen in the underlying motif of syllables used in the non-sholka type anuShTubhs of the R^igveda. Thus, it is possible that the kANva-type gAyatri that follows the pattern of the European trochaic meterical foot (as against the equivalence to the iambic foot of the classic gAyatri) in the closing 4 syllables is a derivation that arose in the milieu shared with the Iranians. These forms may also have relationship with the construction of specialized gAyatra gAnaMs which are alluded to by the kANvas in their hymns (gAyatraM gIyamA
I also tried to weave my way through those rules and became frustrated. You had mentioned IIRC, that you had a copy of "puShpa-sUtra". The same wonder/amazement AND frustration I feel when browsing through that text.
IMHO (and in opinion of some others), these are systematizations attempted after the fact.
Vedic metres probably were purely syllabic. Thats why we see so much variation in the distribution of laghu-guru aksharas within the same nominal metre. Indics were very diligent in systematization and most probably created rules post-hoc to make them fall in line.
Coming back to the example of puShpa-sUtra, it would appear that rks came first, and by elaborate rules given in puShpa-sUtra, the aksharas in the "rks" get modified in such a way as to create the song or the sAman from it. This "flowering" of the "rk" into a "sAman" explains the name "puShpa-sUtra".
But there is strong evidence that the "sAmans" are not uniquely connected with the "rks". A sAman is actually just a melody, rks form the lyrics. Each sAman is named separately, has its own rishi etc, and there are mentions of various rks being sung on same sAman. This supports the view that sAman stood for the melodies and not for the text of the rks. Also the heavy usage of nonsensical syllables termed "stobha-s", suggets that melodies or sAmans were independent of rks, and any gaps were filled in with the nonsensical syllables or stobha-s.
But following puShpa-sUtra (and sAma-tantra) one may be led into believing that rks came first and followed systematic rules in undergoing deformations to be transformed (or blossomed) into full form songs. This whole scheme appears too contrived, although immensely brilliant.
I have the same feeling of post-hoc systematization being attempted with vedic-metres. Vedic metres appear most consistent when seen as purely syllabic. Even then there are variations, as the example of the gAyatrI-mantra itself shows. Introducing laghu-guru rules on top of them introduces even more complexity since one is now forced to introduce new rules to explain all the diversity.
And one central fact still remains. A syllable/akshara doesn't have a unique time-measurement that can be assigned to it. Even regarding laghu and guru, at most one can say is that laghu sylables can be pronounced in shorter duration than the guru ones. The "guru" syllable taking exactly twice as the laghu one is a superimposed assumption for metrical purposes, and not a phonetic fact. Although this does bring a lot of beauty into the metres, which explains its popularity.
One of the stronger objections against a laghu-guru rule for vedic metres is that even within the same sUkta, different R^ichAs DO NOT follow the same arrangement of laghu-guru syllables.
One would assume that same arrangement of laghu-guru syllables should be seen within the same sUkta for all the R^ichA-s. But it is not the case.
Even more importantly, the total mAtrA-s obtained from adding matras of all laghu and guru syllables varies within the same sUkta. This is the strongest indication that vedic metres were not mAtrA-chhanda-s but were syllabic or akShara-chhanda-s.
P.S. I was recently trying to set "durgA-sUktam" from "mahA-nArAyaNa-upanishad" to contemporary music and ran into metrical issues. The stanzas follow the syllable count rules diligently, but don't follow the mAtrA count (or time-measure) rule.
In mAtrA-lakShanam (sAmavedic text), the long-vowels (dIrgha-s) typically get assigned "pluta" or 3-mAtrAs, although 2-mAtrAs to a dIrgha are also allowed and marked by a special sign on top of the syllable. This is different from pingala's fixed rule of 2-mAtrAs for dIrghas.
This also supports the view that the vedics didn't consider a fixed time-duration for an akShara as a given. Hence the primary importance on counting the syllables, rather than on counting the mAtrAs.
