Name: Goddess Gayatri Maa
It is a Sanskrit word, Ga means to sing, Yatri means Protection. Gayatri has three phases and so it is called tripada. It is also called tripada because it is Vedmata, Devmata and Vishwamata.
Gayatri (Sanskrit: gāyatrī) is the feminine form ofgāyatra, a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. Gayatri is a consort of Brahma and the goddess of learning. Brahma married her when there was a need for a companion during a yajna. Brahma had to start the yajna along with his wife. Brahma asked Indra to help him find a solution and Indra found Gayatri, who came from the Gurjar community. So Brahma married Gayatri to start the yajna in time.
Gayatri Devi is an incarnation of Saraswati Devi, consort of Lord Brahma, symbolising the "shakti" (strength) and "dev" (quality) of Knowledge, Purity and Virtue. Saraswati Devi is held to be the patronness of the Arts, being a poet and musician, as well as skillful composer. In the form of Gayatri Devi, with the blessings of Lord Brahma, she is believed to have given the four Vedas to mankind.
Gayatri is depicted seated on a lotus. She is depicted with five faces representing the pancha pranas prana, apana,vyana, udana, samana, of the pancha tatwas earth, water, air, fire, sky (prithvi, jala, vayu, teja, aakasha). She has 10 hands carrying the five ayudhas: shankha; chakra, kamala, varada, abhaya, kasha, ankusha, ujjwala utensil, rudrakshi mala.
History of Gayatri Mantra
The Shiva Gayatri is a variation of the Gayatri Mantra sung in praise of Lord Shiva, the hindu god of meditation, penance, and destruction. This particular form of the mantra follows the original 24 syllable syntax of the Gayatri mantra. The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Great sins are said to be expiated by a pious recitation of this Gayatri verse which reads as follows:
Om bhoor bhuvah svaha,
Tat Savitur varenyam,
Bhargo devasya dheemahi,
Dheeyo yonah prachodayat.
Gayatri mantra is meant for realization of God and is regarded as representing the Supreme Lord. It is meant for spiritually advanced people. Success in chanting it enables one to enter the transcendental position of the Lord. But, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra, it is necessary for one to first acquire the qualities of the perfectly balanced person in terms of the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature.