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To the Sun
Gayatri — Lyrics (English)
OM bhur bhuvah swaha
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyoyo nah prachodayat
Hail to the Sun — Radiating beauty all around you.
And blessings to the Moon — Offering her solace in the dark of night.
Peace to the Earth — Basking in the glow of a Love that moves the Sun and all the other Stars.
O Holy Spheres, Help us Remember who we are, who we really are.
The Gayatri Mantra
bhur = Earth · bhuvah = Sky · svaha = Heavens · tat = that · savitur = Sun God · varenyam = brilliant · bhargo = luminous · devasya = divine · dhimahi = we meditate · dhiyo = mind · yo = which · nah = us · prachodyat = illuminate
We meditate upon the brilliant light of that divine Sun, so that He may illuminate our minds.
About the Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri Mantra was first put into written form in the Rigveda, one of the oldest known sacred texts of India, dating back to between 1700 and 1100 BC. The name Gayatri refers to a type of meter of three lines consisting of eight syllables each — there are actually many Gayatri mantras, but THE Gayatri mantra refers to this particular verse dedicated to Savitri, the sun god.
The first line is composed of mahavyahritis — introductory mantras referring to three of the seven worlds: earth, sky, and heavens. Gayatri is also the name of the goddess who personifies the mantra.
About This Song
I wanted to compose a song that reflected the course of one's day from morning to evening, and how we can infuse that time with loving awareness. The Gayatri mantra is a wonderful vehicle for that practice. After all, our bodies are aware of the presence of the sun everyday, so it makes sense to associate love with the sun.
I was moved by a beautiful quotation from the last lines of Dante's Divine Comedy: "Love that moves the sun and all the other stars." What a beautiful notion — that the prime mover of the universe is Love. And so each time we look upon the sun, we may be reminded to love.
To the Divine Feminine
Jagatambe — Lyrics (Sanskrit)
Ya devi sarva bhuteshu
Shakti-rupena samsthita
Namastasyai namastasyai
Namastasyai namo namaha
He Ma Jagatambe
Translation: To the Goddess who is in all beings in the form of power, I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow, I bow. Hey, Mother, Mother of the World.
Subsequent verses invoke: shakti (power) · buddhi (intelligence) · shraddha (faith) · kanti (beauty) · daya (kindness)
Aspects of the Divine Feminine
In some sects of Eastern thought, the Divine Feminine is considered the supreme guiding principle of the universe. In Shaktism, she is the Goddess — all Goddesses are aspects of Shakti, feminine power. Tara is the compassionate aspect, Kali is the fierce aspect, with endless diversity.
The Mahavidyas
In the bridge of the song, the Mahavidyas are invoked: 10 wisdom Goddesses worshipped in Shakti and Tantric traditions:
- Kali — Devourer of Time
- Tara — the Compassionate
- Lalita Tripura Sundari — Beautiful One of the 3 Worlds
- Bhuvaneshwara — Mother of Being
- Bhairavi — the Awe-Inspiring
- Chhinnamasta — the Ego Destroyer
- Dhumavati — the Widow
- Bagalamukhi — who takes down enemies
- Matangi — the Creator
- Kamala — the Lotus
The Story of Durga
The verses of this song come from the Devi Mahatmya, a section of the ancient Markendaya Purana. The earth was being ravaged by Mahishasura the Buffalo Demon, who was granted the boon that he could not be killed by any masculine being.
As the devas' anger grew, light concentrated in the center of their circle and took the form of the protector goddess Durga — whose name means invincible. Like Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings, she proclaimed, "I am no man!" In the afterglow, the devas sang the praises that make up the verses of this song.
