इदं तु कवचं दिव्यं बाधाशतविनाशनम् । चतुःषष्टिकलाविद्यादायकं मोक्षकारकम्
This divine armor destroys a hundred kinds of afflictions, bestows knowledge of the sixty-four arts, and leads to liberation.
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्वापि गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
One is freed from all sins and attains the supreme Brahman; by reciting or even hearing it, one obtains the merit of a thousand cows.
गायत्रीहृदयम् नारद उवाच भगवन् देवदेवेश भूतभव्यजगत्प्रभो । कवचं च श्रुतं दिव्यं गायत्रीमन्त्रविग्रहम्
Nārada said: O Lord, God of gods, Master of the past, present, and future worlds, I have heard the divine armor, the embodiment of the Gāyatrī mantra.
अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि गायत्रीहृदयं परम् । यद्धारणाद्भवेत्युण्यं गायत्रीजपतोऽखिलम्
Now I wish to hear the supreme heart of Gāyatrī, by whose bearing the entire recitation of Gāyatrī becomes fruitful.
श्रीनारायण उवाच देव्याश्च हृदयं प्रोक्तं नारदाथर्वणे स्फुटम् । तदेवाहं प्रवक्ष्यामि रहस्यातिरहस्यकम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: The heart of the Goddess has been clearly taught to Nārada and Atharvaṇa; I shall now declare that, the most secret of secrets.
विराड्रूपां महादेवीं गायत्रीं वेदमातरम् । ध्यात्वा तस्यास्त्वथाङ्गेषु ध्यायेदेताश्च देवताः
Meditating on the great Goddess Gāyatrī, the Mother of the Vedas, in her universal form, one should then contemplate these deities in her limbs.
पिण्डब्रह्माण्डयोरैक्याद्भावयेत्स्वतनौ तथा । देवीरूपे निजे देहे तन्मयत्वाय साधकः
By realizing the unity of the microcosm and the macrocosm in one's own body, the practitioner should contemplate the Goddess's form within oneself for the sake of identification with her.
नादेवोऽभ्यर्चयेद्देवमिति वेदविदो विदुः । ततोऽभेदाय काये स्वे भावयेद्देवता इमाः
Those who know the Veda say, 'No one but a god should worship a god.' Therefore, for non-difference, one should contemplate these deities in one's own body.
अथ तत्सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्मयत्वमथो भवेत् । गायत्रीहृदयस्यास्याप्यहमेव ऋषिः स्मृतः
Now I shall explain how identification with her arises; I myself am considered the seer of this Gāyatrī heart.
गायत्रीच्छन्द उद्दिष्टं देवता परमेश्वरी । पूर्वोक्तेन प्रकारेण कुर्यादङ्गानि षट्क्रमात् । आसने विजने देशे ध्यायेदेकाग्रमानसः
Gāyatrī is the meter, the supreme Goddess is the deity; in the manner previously described, one should perform the six limbs in order, seated in a solitary place with a focused mind.
श्रीगायत्रीस्तोत्रवर्णनम् नारद उवाव भक्तानुकम्पिन् सर्वज्ञ हृदयं पापनाशनम् । गायत्र्याः कथितं तस्माद्गायत्र्याः स्तोत्रमीरय
Nārada said: O compassionate one to devotees, all-knowing, destroyer of sins in the heart, you have spoken of Gāyatrī; therefore, narrate the hymn to Gāyatrī.
श्रीनारायण उवाच आदिशक्ते जगन्मातर्भक्तानुग्रहकारिणि । सर्वत्र व्यापिकेऽनन्ते श्रीसन्ध्ये ते नमोऽस्तु ते
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: O primordial power, Mother of the world, bestower of grace to devotees, all-pervading, infinite, O sacred twilight, I bow to you.
त्वमेव सन्ध्या गायत्री सावित्री च सरस्वती । बाह्मी च वैष्णवी रौद्री रक्ता श्वेता सितेतरा
You alone are the Sandhya, Gayatri, Savitri, and Sarasvati; you are also Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Raudri, the red one, the white one, and the one of mixed color.
प्रातर्बाला च मध्याह्ने यौवनस्था भवेत्पुनः । वृद्धा सायं भगवती चिन्त्यते मुनिभिः सदा
In the morning you are a girl, at midday you are in the prime of youth, and in the evening, O Goddess, you are considered old by the sages, who always contemplate you.
हंसस्था गरुडारूढा तथा वृषभवाहिनी । ऋग्वेदाध्यायिनी भूमौ दृश्यते या तपस्विभिः
Seated on a swan, mounted on Garuda, and riding a bull, you are seen on earth by ascetics as the one who studies the Rigveda.
यजुर्वेदं पठन्ती च अन्तरिक्षे विराजते । सा सामगापि सर्वेषु भ्राम्यमाणा तथा भुवि
Reciting the Yajurveda, you shine in the sky; and as the singer of the Samaveda, you move everywhere on earth.
रुद्रलोकं गता त्वं हि विष्णुलोकनिवासिनी । त्वमेव ब्रह्मणो लोकेऽमर्त्यानुग्रहकारिणी
You have gone to the realm of Rudra, you dwell in the world of Vishnu, and in the world of Brahma, you alone grant favor to mortals.
सप्तर्षिप्रीतिजननी माया बहुवरप्रदा । शिवयोः करनेत्रोत्था ह्यश्रुस्वेदसमुद्भवा
Mother who delights the seven sages, giver of many boons, you are Maya, born from the tears and sweat of Shiva and Parvati's hands and eyes.
आनन्दजननी दुर्गा दशधा परिपढ्यते । वरेण्या वरदा चैव वरिष्ठा वरवर्णिनी
Durga, mother of bliss, is described in ten forms; she is worthy, bestower of boons, supreme, and of excellent complexion.
गरिष्ठा च वरार्हा च वरारोहा च सप्तमी । नीलगङ्गा तथा सन्ध्या सर्वदा भोगमोक्षदा
Most exalted, worthy of the best, of noble form, the seventh, you are the dark Ganga and the twilight, always granting enjoyment and liberation.
भागीरथी मर्त्यलोके पाताले भोगवत्यपि । त्रिलोकवाहिनी देवी स्थानत्रयनिवासिनी
As Bhagirathi among mortals, as Bhogavati in the netherworld, the Goddess flows through the three worlds, dwelling in all three realms.
भूर्लोकस्था त्वमेवासि धरित्री लोकधारिणी । भुवो लोके वायुशक्तिः स्वर्लोके तेजसां निधिः
You alone are present in the world of earth as the sustaining earth; in the world of air as the power of wind; in the world of heaven as the treasury of light.
महर्लोके महासिद्धिर्जनलोके जनेत्यपि । तपस्विनी तपोलोके सत्यलोके तु सत्यवाक्
In Maharloka you are great accomplishment, in Janaloka you are the mother, in Tapoloka you are the ascetic, and in Satyaloka you are truth-speaking.
कमला विष्णुलोके च गायत्री ब्रह्मलोकदा । रुद्रलोके स्थिता गौरी हरार्धाङ्गनिवासिनी
In Vishnu's world you are Kamala, in Brahma's world you are Gayatri, and in Rudra's world you are Gauri, dwelling as half the body of Hara.
अहमो महतश्चैव प्रकृतिस्त्वं हि गीयसे । साम्यावस्थात्मिका त्वं हि शबलब्रह्मरूपिणी
I am the great one, and you are indeed sung as Prakriti; you are the state of equilibrium, the one of variegated Brahman form.
ततः परा परा शक्तिः परमा त्वं हि गीयसे । इच्छाशक्तिः क्रियाशक्तिर्ज्ञानशक्तिस्त्रिशक्तिदा
Therefore, you are the supreme, the highest power, you are indeed praised as the ultimate; you are the power of will, action, and knowledge, the giver of the three powers.
गङ्गा च यमुना चैव विपाशा च सरस्वती । सरयूर्देविका सिन्धुर्नर्मदैरावती तथा
You are the Ganga, Yamuna, Vipasha, Sarasvati, Sarayu, Devika, Sindhu, Narmada, and Iravati.
गोदावरी शतद्रूश्च कावेरी देवलोकगा । कौशिकी चन्द्रभागा च वितस्ता च सरस्वती
Godavari, Shatadru, Kaveri who goes to the world of the gods, Kaushiki, Chandrabhaga, Vitasta, and Sarasvati.
गण्डकी तापिनी तोया गोमती वेत्रवत्यपि । इडा च पिङ्गला चैव सुषुम्णा च तृतीयका
Gandaki, Tapini, Toya, Gomati, and also Vetravati; likewise Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, the third one.
गान्धारी हस्तिजिह्वा च पूषापूषा तथैव च । अलम्बुषा कुहूश्चैव शङ्खिनी प्राणवाहिनी
Gandhari, Hastijihva, Pushapusha, Alambusha, Kuhu, Shankhini, and the one who carries the life-breath.