This is the most auspicious moment of your life. Human life can be compared to a four storeyed mansion. The four storeys correspond to four stages of man’s life, namely, Brahmacharya, Grihastha,Vanaprastha and Sanyasa (celibate, householder,recluse and renunciant). Today you are laying the foundation of the mansion of your life. The safety and security of the mansion is assured once you make the foundation strong and sturdy. Man has four births. His first birth takes place from his mother’s womb. He gets a second life when he is initiated into the Gayatri mantra. His third birth occurs when he studies the Vedas. He becomes a Brahmin when he recongnises the principle of Brahman. This is his fourth birth. One becomes a Brahmin not merely by birth, but by knowing the nature of Brahman. For this, chanting of Gayatri Mantra is very essential. Man is the embodiment of all gods. In fact, the gross form of the food that man consumes refers to the principle of Brahma. On this basis, it is said, “Annam Brahma, Raso Vishnu” (food is Brahma and the essence is Vishnu). The subtle form of the food denotes the principle of Vishnu. The subtlest form symbolizes the principle of Easwara. The gross part of the food strengthens the body. The subtle part of the food strengthens the mind; the subtlest part of the food purifies the speech. So, food plays a vital role in strengthening and purifying the body, mind and speech.
Gayatri Is The Mother Of The Vedas
Gayatri is sarvadevata swarupini and sarva-mantra swarupini (embodiment of all gods and all mantras). It is said, Gayatri Chhandasam Matha, meaning Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas. There is no need to chant any other mantra if you chant the Gayatri mantra. Gayatri has three names: Gayatri,Savitri and Saraswati. Gayantham Trayate ithi Gaya-tri (Gayatri protects the one who recites it). Gayatri is the master of the senses. Savitri is the presiding deity of the life principle. When Gayatri acts as the protector of life force, she is known as Savitri. You might have heard the story of Savitri, a woman of chastity, who brought her dead husband, Sathyavan, back to life with the power of her prayer. Savitri protects those who lead a life of Sathya(truth). This is the inner meaning. Saraswathi is the presiding deity of speech. Man has to earn the grace of Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati to sanctify his life. First and foremost, man has to purify his speech. Only then will his life be safe and secure. If you slip and fall, the injury can be cured, but the injury caused by the slip of the tongue is incurable. It will make your life miserable. So, you should have control over your speech. Excessive talk will lead to untruth and unpleasantness. That is why the ancient saints and seers used to observe silence. You can uphold truth and attain fame only by talking less. Limited talk will confer happiness. Excessive talk will put to grave dangers. Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati are latent in everybody. Bhur, Bhuvah and Suvah in the Gayatri mantra refer to body (materialization), life-force(vibration) and soul (radiation). Bhur means Bhuloka(the earth), which is nothing but the combination of materials. This denotes the human body, which is also a combination of materials. Bhuvah refers to the life-force, which makes the body vibrate. Suvah refers to Prajnana Shakti, which sustains the life-force. This Prajnana Shaktiis known as Constant Integrated Awareness. This is also termed as radiation. All the three, namely, materialization, vibration and radiation are present in man. I tell you often, you are not one, but three—the one you think you are (physical body), the one others think you are (mental body) and the one you really are (Atma). – SSS, Vol 33
Sai