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Re: Periya Thirumozhi- 4.6- KannA! You alone are my rakshakan!, Commentary on this paasuram : Part 2

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Sadagopan • July 29, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :

A very perceptive reader of my posting on
the above subject had the following question 
relating to the Gayathri chandas .

Please read first the query from the Member 
before perusing my response .The query is at the bottom
of this posting . 

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It is a very important question and is most welcome
one . Let me clarify it thru the following comments:

(1) First of all GayathrI Manthram is a Vedha manthram .
It is recited as part of the SamhithAs and it is also 
used in daily japam during SandhyA vandhanam .The aksharams
are different in Vedhic recitation and Japam usage:

VarENiyam japE prOktham VarENyam Vedha PaatakE
( VarENiyam should be the use for Japam tiomes
and VarENyam is during Vedha PaarAyanam ). 

Thus , The Japya GaayathrI (GaaythrI manthram used for Japam)
has "varENiyam " with an extra aksharam and the total
counts up to 24 aksharams .
 
The other one with " VarENyam " becomes 23 in count 
and is permitted as Gaayathri Chandhas in Veda PaarAyaNam .
There is no need to add the "i" ( uyir Yezutthu ) to 
the "N" (meyyezutthu)here to form "Ni" for Veda PaarAyanam , 
where as it is an absolute must to add"i" to "N" 
to form "Ni" to get the 24 lettered GayathrI for japam .

(2) GaayathrI has three paadhams.Eac paadham 
during Japam has 8 aksharams. Gaayathri can 
also be split into Four Paadhams with 6 aksharams
each for archanai alone :

JapE thu thripadhA prOkthA
ArchanE thu ChathushpadhA .

(3) There are other sookshmams such as 
"dhIrga gaayathri" (i-e)., the japam of this 
sacred manthram with five stops using 
the Vedha Svarams ( PanchAvasAnaI). 
The number and timing of the dhIrga 
GaayathrI  should be learnt from those ,
who are familiar with these anushtAnams .

(4) There is yet another GaayathrI manthram 
revered as "ThurIya GaayathrI " , which one
can receive only through special UpadEsam 
from great anushtAthAs ( great souls ).
That has its own nyAsam .That Gaayathri manthram 
has 32 aksharams .Even an additional YajnOpaveetham has 
ben recommended for those , who perform Japam 
of the ThurIya Gaayathri. It is not much in vogue.

(5)The well known statement is " ChathurvimsathyaksharA GaayathrI "
( There should be 24 aksharams in GaayathrI). The rules of Chandas 
permit one less or more or for variations that add up to
the total of 24 (6 times 4 or 8 times 3).When it is 23 ,
it is called nicruth GaayathrI.

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>>the member's question was :
>
>>From what I received from my father, and Sri Kozhiyalam
>Swami's Ahnikam, the gAyatrI that I recite during japa
>also has 24 syllables. This is accomplished by the 'Ni'
>in vareNyam being pronounced as 'vareNiyam'.
>
>Is this different from what you are saying?
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Hope the above comments help to clarify the points 
of interest .I am very happy for the excellent question .

V.Sadagopan