शुक्लवर्णात्वग्निमुखा विश्वामित्र ऋषिस्तथा। ब्रह्मणश्शिरआरूढा शिखा विष्णु हृदि स्थिता
It is white in color, has fire as its mouth, and its sage is Vishvamitra. Its head is established in Brahma, its crest in Vishnu, and it resides in the heart.
उपनयने नियोगः स्यात्सांख्यायन सगोत्रजा। त्रैलोक्यचरणा ज्ञेया पृथिवीकुक्षि संस्थिता
At the initiation, the injunction applies to those of the same lineage as Sankhyayana. It is known to traverse the three worlds and is established in the womb of the earth.
चतुर्विंशतिस्थाने च पादादौ मस्तकांतके। चतुर्विंशत्यक्षरं न्यस्य ब्रह्मलोकं स विंदति
By placing its twenty-four syllables at twenty-four locations from the feet to the crown of the head, one attains the world of Brahma.
प्रत्यर्णदेवतां ज्ञात्वा विष्णुसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्। अपरं च प्रवक्ष्यामि गायत्र्या लक्षणं ध्रुवं
Knowing the deity of each syllable, one attains union with Vishnu. I will also declare another fixed characteristic of Gayatri.
सप्तपंच तथा ब्रह्म यजुरष्टादशाक्षरम्। ज्वलनादिहकारांतं जले स्थित्वा शतं जपेत्
Brahma has seven and five, Yajur eighteen syllables. Ending with the syllable 'ha', recite it a hundred times while standing in water.
उपपातककोट्या तु तथातिपातकैरपि। ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुक्ता यांति ममालयं
Even with millions of minor and major transgressions, and sins such as killing a Brahmin, those who do so are freed and reach my abode.
ॐअग्नेर्वाक्पुंसि यजुर्वेदेन जुष्टात्सोमं पिब स्वाहा। विष्णुमंत्रं महामंत्रं तथा माहेश्वरस्य च
'Om! Having been pleased by the Yajur Veda, drink Soma, Svaha!' The Vishnu mantra, the great mantra, and likewise the mantra of Maheshvara.
देवीसूर्यगणेशानां तथा क्रतुभुजां सुत। यस्य कस्य कुले जातो गुणवानेव तैर्गुणैः
For the deities, the Sun, Ganesha, and the sacrificers, O son, whoever is born in any lineage, if he possesses virtues, he is endowed with those qualities.
साक्षाद्ब्रह्ममयो विप्रः पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः। दानं दद्याच्च विधिवत्सदा पर्वणि पर्वणि
A Brahmin who is directly composed of Brahman is to be worshipped with great care; one should always give gifts to him according to proper rites at every festival.
अक्षयं लभते दाता जन्मकोटिशतान्प्रति। स्वाध्यायनिरतो विप्रो यः पठेत्पाठयेत्परान्
The giver obtains inexhaustible merit for hundreds of millions of births; the Brahmin devoted to study, who recites and teaches others.
धर्मं च श्रावयेल्लोके सदाचारं श्रुतिं स्मृतिं। पुराणसंहितां नूनं तथैव धर्मसंहितां
He should cause the people to hear about dharma, good conduct, the Veda, the Smṛti, the Purāṇa collections, and likewise the Dharma collections.
श्रावयित्वा तु लोकेषु श्रावयित्वा द्विजातिषु। उर्व्यां विष्णुसमः सोपि पूजनीयो नरैः सुरैः1.46.
Having caused them to be heard among people and among the twice-born, he too, being like Viṣṇu on earth, is worthy of worship by men and gods.
यद्बलं चाक्षयं तस्य तीर्थभूतानघस्य च। समानमर्चनं कृत्वा नरो यात्यच्युतालयं
The inexhaustible power of that sinless one who has become a tīrtha is equal; by performing similar worship, a man attains the abode of Acyuta.
कदाचित्क्रियते पापं विप्रः पापैर्न लिप्यते। चांडालस्य गृहे निष्ठौ भास्करज्वलनौ यथा
If a sin is ever committed, the brāhmaṇa is not tainted by sins, just as the sun and fire are not tainted while remaining in the house of a caṇḍāla.
याजनाध्यापनाद्यौनात्तथैवासत्प्रतिग्रहात्। विप्राणां न भवेद्दोषो ज्वलनार्कसमा द्विजाः
From officiating at sacrifices, teaching, and receiving gifts from the wicked, there is no fault for brāhmaṇas; the twice-born are like fire and the sun.
तान्प्रतिग्रहजान्दोषान्प्राणायाम व्यवस्थिताः। नाशयंतीह पापानि वायुर्मेघमिवांबरे
Those faults arising from receiving gifts are destroyed here by those established in prāṇāyāma, just as wind destroys clouds in the sky.
गायत्रीं यो जपेन्नित्यं प्राणायामसमन्वितां। प्रत्यक्षरामरैर्युक्तां स्वाङ्गे विन्यस्य तामपि
Whoever recites the Gāyatrī daily, accompanied by prāṇāyāma, and places each syllable, endowed with its own deity, upon his own body—
सर्वपापाद्विनिर्मुक्तो जन्मकोटिकृतादपि। ब्रह्मणः पदवीं प्राप्य स गच्छेत्प्रकृतेः परम्
He becomes freed from all sins, even those accumulated over millions of births, and, having attained the path of Brahman, he goes beyond nature.
प्राणायामयुतां तस्माद्गायत्रीं जप नारद। नारद उवाच-। प्राणायामाः कथं ब्रह्मन्प्रत्येकाक्षरदेवताः
Therefore, Nārada, recite the Gāyatrī joined with prāṇāyāma. Nārada said: O Brāhman, how are the prāṇāyāmas and the deities of each syllable?
तेषां न्यासं तथांगेषु वद तात यथाक्रमम्। ब्रह्मोवाच-। गुददेशेत्वपानस्याद्धृदि प्राणोस्ति देहिनः
Tell me, father, how their placement is to be done on the limbs, in order. Brahmā said: At the region of the anus is apāna; in the heart is prāṇa of the embodied one.
तस्माद्गुदं समाकुंच्य प्राणेन सह योजयेत्। पूरकेण तदा पुत्र कृत्वा कुंभकमुत्तमं
Therefore, contracting the anus, one should unite it with the breath; then, my son, having performed the best kumbhaka with inhalation—
प्राणायामत्रयं कृत्वा गायत्रीं संजपेदिद्वजः। अनेनैव जपेद्यस्तु महापातकसंचयः
Having performed the threefold prāṇāyāma, the twice-born should recite the Gāyatrī; even one who has accumulated great sins should recite it in this way.
सकृदुच्चारितेनैव क्षयं यात्युपपातकं। प्रतिवर्णस्वरं ज्ञात्वा विन्यस्येद्यः कलेवरे
By uttering it even once, minor sins are destroyed; knowing the tone of each syllable, one should place it upon the body.
स जनो ब्रह्मतामेति फलं वक्तुं न शक्नुमः। प्रत्यक्षरस्य यद्दैवं शृणु पुत्र वदाम्यहं
That person attains Brahmanhood; we are unable to describe the fruit. Hear, my son, as I tell you the deity of each syllable.
यज्जप्त्वा च पुनर्मातुस्तनं न पिबति द्विजः। आग्नेयं प्रथमं ज्ञेयं वायव्यं तु द्वितीयकम्
By reciting it, the twice-born does not again drink his mother's milk. The first syllable is to be known as belonging to Agni, the second to Vāyu.
तृतीयं सूर्यदैवत्यं चतुर्थं वैयतं तथा। पंचमं यमदैवत्यं वारुणं षष्ठमुच्यते
The third is associated with Sūrya as deity, the fourth with Vāyu; the fifth is said to have Yama as deity, the sixth is called Vāruṇa's.
सप्तमं बार्हस्पत्यं तु पार्जन्यं चाष्टमं विदुः। ऐन्द्रं च नवमं ज्ञेयं गांधर्वं दशमं तथा
The seventh is Bṛhaspati's, the eighth is known as Parjanya's; the ninth is to be known as Indra's, the tenth as Gandharva's.
पौष्णमेकादशं विद्धि मैत्रं द्वादशकं स्मृतं। त्वाष्ट्रं त्रयोदशं ज्ञेयं वासवं तु चतुर्दशं
Know the eleventh as Pūṣan's, the twelfth is remembered as Mitra's; the thirteenth is to be known as Tvaṣṭṛ's, and the fourteenth as Vāsava's.
मारुतं पंचदशकं सौम्यं षोडशकं स्मृतं। आंगिरसं सप्तदशं वैश्वदेवमतः परं
The Marut mantra is fifteen syllables; the Saumya is known as sixteen; the Āṅgirasa is seventeen; after that, the Vaiśvadeva.
आश्विनं चैकोनविंशं प्राजापत्यं तु विंशकं। सर्वदेवमयं ज्ञेयमेकविंशकमक्षरं
The Āśvina is nineteen syllables; the Prājāpatya is twenty; the Sarvadevamaya should be understood as twenty-one syllables.