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"Om! We meditate on the spiritual effulgence of that Adorable Supreme Divine Being, the source and projector of reality in three phenomenal world-planes: the gross or physical lower plane, the earth; the subtle or psychical middle plane; and the potential or causal higher plane. All in its extreme macro-cosmic vastness and internal micro-cosmic minuteness. May that Supreme Being (Tat) inspire and stimulate our discriminative faculty (buddhi) so that we may realize the Supreme Truth within us."
This Gayatri Mantra, also known as Sarvitur Mantra and Dwadasha Mantra, have been the two most popular mantras for Sanatan Hindus. "Om" represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. The very first tone represents "Vacha," or the sound. Next, akash, the subtlest element, is delivered in a gross form through the four elements air, light, water and earth. All substances and living beings in this universe are made of various combinations of these five elements. Externally they form a physical entity while internally they form the mind, intellect and ego.
"Om" consists of four letters or elements:
- A
- U
- M
The four also represent:
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Gross, subtle, causal and transcendental states of consciousness.
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Tamas, rajas, satva and nirguna states of awareness.
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Virat, Hiranyagarbha, Ishwar and Brahman forms of Reality.
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Vaishwanara, taijas, pragna, and kaivalya (turiya) states.
The first three states of consciousness in each category are within the field of Maya, Prakriti or Ignorance, and therefore subject to an experience through the external and internal organs. The fourth state itself is Self-Realization and not subject to an ordinary experience through the sense organs.
Only the Atman within us is capable of helping us the fourth state, our true Self or Brahman. During such an ultimate encounter, both Atman and Brahman are experienced to be indivisible -- just as a river loses its identity after merging with the vast ocean. All that remains is one mass of water or consciousness.
In this mantra we pray to the Supreme Being in the form of savita, the sun, whose light and energy sustains us. Even a speck of knowledge can destroy the veil of ignorance the same way a ray of light abolishes staunch darkness. The discriminative faculty, buddhi, helps us to realize who we really are when it is purified of all worldly dross such as lust, greed, name, fame, etc.
So this prayer is a request to the Lord to stimulate or propel our dull intellect towards the supreme fourth state. Our sole purpose as human beings is to experience the true Self and to go beyond raga and dvesh (attachment and aversion detachment).
--Swami Radhanandaji
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Scriptural Wisdom 
