USA based (white) Sai devotee lady's Gayatri mantra spiritual journey; Taught to her by Prof. Kasturi in 1982

Last updated on 22nd Sept. 2015

[I used the term (white) lady to simply let readers know that this account is about how the Holy Vedic Gayatri mantra benefited somebody who was not born in an Indian Hindu cultural environment. My view is that her example shows that people of all ethnic and racial (and gender) backgrounds (white/black/brown whatever and whatever cultural exposure) could also benefit from the Holy Vedic Gayatri mantra (provided, of course, that one has faith in it and practises it diligently).]

In a Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/yaani.drucker/posts/10153660252075477, Mrs. Yanni Drucker shared "Waking Up by Undoing Ego" Facebook user community's post having following contents authored by Yanni Drucker (public sharing here, approved by Yanni Drucker):

Gayatri mantra is chanted day and night for the uplift of all fellowman. Back in '82 when I first came to have Baba's darshan, Professor Kasturi gave a talk on the power of Gayatri mantra. So I started coming to his flat to learn it. He did not let me stop until I had mastered it with perfect pronunciation and intonation. Now always I am chanting Gayatri mantra, softly, under my breath, while I am fixing meals, while I am cleaning house, while I am sitting outside watching the river go by, while I am playing tennis... and always with a prayer for the end of suffering on the planet for all beloved fellowman. Due to this passion for the end of suffering on the planet, Baba brought me to enlightenment in April of 2001. It was a very arduous journey. I am so very very grateful I could manage. It is a wonderful thing to live in the awareness that one's only purpose is to reach enlightenment and then to know that one has reached and thereby served mankind maximally. "The greatest service you can render to the planet is to wake up the truth of who you are."

--- end Yaani Drucker authored content ---

I (Ravi S. Iyer) made the following comment on the above FB page (slightly edited):
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing Yaani Drucker. Very happy to read about an important part of your spiritual journey being initiated by the Gayatri mantra which that wonderful and inspiring devotee-apostle of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Prof. Kasturi, taught you. And, very importantly, how you had FAITH in the Gayatri mantra, were DILIGENT in your practise of it through the various activities of your daily life, which led you to significant spiritual experience(s) (knowing the truth of who you are).

The Gayatri mantra, over centuries and millennia, has been imparted to Hindu Brahmin boys at their sacred thread (upananyam) ceremony. However, I can tell from direct experience (even I went through that ceremony as a boy) that many Brahmins, especially in cities like Mumbai (I grew up in Mumbai and had the thread ceremony there; at that time I was not a Sai devotee), lack the faith in the Gayatri mantra that you demonstrated. The previous generations of South Indian Brahmins (say two to three generations back, including my family elders), especially those who lived in Brahmin Agraharams, were far stronger in their FAITH in the Gayatri (and other) Hindu mantras. [From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agraharam: "An Agraharam (Tamil: அக்கிறஹாரம்; Telugu: అగ్రహారం; Kannada: ಅಗ್ರಹಾರ; Malayalam: അഗ്രഹാരം) or Agrahara is the name given to the Brahmin quarter of a heterogenous village or to any village inhabited by Brahmins."]

I am so happy to see a USA based (white, if you don't mind me saying so) lady benefiting so much from her FAITH and PRACTISE of Gayatri mantra. This should be shared with many, as it will reinforce the faith in the Gayatri mantra in Hindus and people of other faiths who are willing to believe in some aspects of Hinduism.

I should also mention that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has done a GREAT SERVICE to mankind by openly declaring and encouraging all (men & women, Hindus and people of other faiths) to chant the Gayatri (and other beneficent Mantras).

--- end edited comment response ---

About Gayatri Mantra, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayatri_Mantra:

The Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra from the Vedas. Like all Vedic mantras, the Gayatri mantra is considered not to have an author, and like all other Vedic mantras, is believed to have been revealed to a brahmarshi, in this case Vishvamitra. It is a verse from a sukta of the Rigveda (Mandala 3.62.10). Gāyatrī is the name of the Vedic meter in which the verse is composed. As the verse can be interpreted to invoke Savitr, it is also called the Sāvitrī mantra. Its recitation is traditionally preceded by oṃ and the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, known as the mahāvyāhṛti "great (mystical) utterance".

The Gayatri mantra is repeated and cited very widely in Vedic literature and praised in several well-known classical Hindu texts such as the Manusmṛti ("there is nothing greater than the Savitri (Gayatri) Mantra.", Manu II, 83), the Harivamsa, and the Bhagavad Gita. The mantra is an important part of the upanayana ceremony for young males in Hinduism, and has long been recited by dvija men as part of their daily rituals. Modern Hindu reform movements spread the practice of the mantra to include women and all castes and its use is now very widespread.

...

Recitation of the Gayatri mantra is preceded by oṃ (ॐ) and the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ (भूर् भुवः स्वः), known as the mahāvyāhṛti ("great (mystical) utterance"). This prefixing of the mantra proper is described in the Taittiriya Aranyaka (2.11.1-8), which states that scriptural recitation was always to begin with the chanting of the syllable oṃ, followed by the three Vyahrtis and the Gayatri verse. Following the mahāvyāhṛti is then the mantra proper, the verse RV 3.62.10:

In Devanagari

ॐ भूर्भुवः॒ स्वः ।

तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरे॑ण्यं॒

भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि ।

धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ॥

In IAST

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ

bhárgo devásya dhīmahi

dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

--- end wiki extracts ---

Ravi: For the meaning of the Gayatri mantra I have taken it from International Sai orgn. site, http://www.sathyasai.org/devotion/prayers/gayatri.html:

The meaning of the Gayatri mantra is as follows

We contemplate the glory of Light illuminating the three worlds: gross, subtle, and causal.

I am that vivifying power, love, radiant illumination, and divine grace of universal intelligence.

We pray for the divine light to illumine our minds.

Meaning of the individual words

Om: The primeval sound

Bhur: the physical world

Bhuvah: the mental world

Suvah: the celestial, spiritual world

Thath: That; God; transcendental Paramatma

Savithur: the Sun, Creator, Preserver

Varenyam: most adorable, enchanting

Bhargo: luster, effulgence

Devasya: resplendent,supreme Lord

Dheemahi: we meditate upon

Dhiyo: the intellect,understanding

Yo: May this light

Nah: our

Prachodayath: enlighten,guide,inspire

--- end extracts from sathyasai.org ---

Ravi: The above sathyasai.org website has lot of info. about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Gayatri (Swami chanting/singing it, discourse extracts related to it, quotes related to it).

[I thank Yaani Drucker, Wikipedia and sathyasai.org and have presumed (Yaani Drucker gave her approval for sharing here) that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]

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This blog post was included in The Spirituality Daily (blogpost aggregator) issue dated Sep. 21st 2015, (under Leisure category), http://paper.li/GoodBlogPosts2/1309693268?edition_id=e5e928c0-606e-11e5-85c1-002590a5ba2d.