Gayatri Upanishad

Brahman Granths are offshoots of Vedas. Each Veda had several Brahman Granths but only a few are now available. With the passage of time most of them have disappeared.
Two Brahmans of Rig-Veda viz. Shankhayan and Etreya are available. Shankhayan is also known as Koupeetki.
Similarly, there are three Brahman granths of Yajur-veda also, ie. Shatpath, Kanva and Tettareeya, eleven Brahman of Sam-Veda viz. Aarsheya, Jaiminiarsheya, Sanhitopnishad, Mantra, Vansh, Samvidhan, Shadvinsha, Devat, Tandya, Jaiminya, Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahman and only one of Atharva-veda which is known as Gopath Brahman. Parse 31 to38 of Gopath Brahman are known as Gayatri Upanishad in which the important secret of Gayatri has been explained in the episode of discussion between Maitereya and Moudgalya. According to its literal meaning Gayatri is a prayer for illumination and uplifting of the intellect. But, in this Upanishad several secrets relating to Brahma-vidya (divine knowledge) and Padarth vidya (material knowledge) have been revealed.
Gayatri Upanishad starts with a narration in which Maitreya, who was a great scholar and delivered discourses on the three Vedas, had ridiculed Moudgalya by saying that he did not teach anything substantial to his disciples he enquired from Maitreya what he knew about the secret of Gayatri. Maitreya could not give and reply.
Maitreya had very well understood the intention of Moudglya. When he pondered over the matter deeply he realized that he had not understood that secret of Gayatri by which the Mantra has assumed it's pre-eminence. Unless the fundamental basis was known it was no use knowing exterior symbols. He realized that it was no use delivering discourses on Vedas so long as their origin was not known. He, therefore, resolved that he would first understand the secret behind Gayatri and only then do any other work. He sent away his students and approached Moudgalya with humility and devotion befitting a true seeker and student who approached a master for initiation into sacred knowledge. Contrary to this, in modern times the students are most impertinent and disrespectful and all their education goes waste for want of proper discipline and blessings of the teachers.
Maitreya asked Moudgalya the secret underlying the first part of Gayatri and asked three questions. His first question was, What is Varenya of Savita, which means how that luminous God can be obtained. Secondly, what is the Bharga of that Dev. Thirdly, what is that medium by which God gives inspiration to all or by which the grace of God is attained?
Moudgalya replied (1) Veda and Chand are Varenyam of Savita. (2) Anna (food-grain) is known as Bharga of Dev, and (3) Karma (action) is that dhee element by which God gives inspiration to all, develops all. Let us now ponder over these three questions and their answers, one by one.
1. Veda meand knowledge and Chand implies experience. In fact, God is realized by the knowledge of self. But the knowledge implied here is not mere surface knowledge. A man may read countless books like a donkey loaded with a heavy weight, he may deliver discourses like a parrot but all this does not add up to true knowledge. Our knowledge of truth should be based on self-experience. A man should have intrinsic faith in truth when once it has been established on the basis of reasoning, logic, proof and example. This faith should be reflected in our day to day conduct. It should first be determined with open-mindedness, truthfulness and impartiality which principles are appropriate, propitious and beneficial for the overall wellbeing. Once it is agreed that virtues like truth benevolence self-restraint, honesty etc. are the highest from every point of view, they should be put into practice. When true knowledge ripens and gets deeply rooted in devotion it leads to self-realization. Knowledge without experience is effete. Experience does not stand on sound footing without knowing the principles. When man's true knowledge culminates into faith, when he gets rid of vanity, deception, malice, hypocrisy, cunningness and conceit and when single-pointed faith and devotion reign supreme in one's psyche, God can be instantly realized. Thus, Savita has been described as combination, coordination, of Veda (knowledge) and Chand (experience). In short God can be realized through knowledge and experience combined together.
2. Replying to the second question Moudgalya said that Bharga of Dev is Anna. Material resources are the strength of a superior person. Superiority or excellence can be strengthened only when Anna (food) or material resources are available. Material resources and wealth constitute a power which, if it goes in the hands of the Asuras (demons) increase devilish tendencies and if it goes in the hands of Devata (godly person) promotes godliness. If power to govern a country lies in the hands of cruel and wicked persons they would spread viciousness. The extent to which Nepal has been ruined due to foreign rule in the past centuries is well-known. If this political power is handled by good, righteous people, the country can make exemplary progress, as has been done in countries like Russia, America etc. In his book on Geeta, Yogi Aurobindo has written that "peace and happiness will prevail in the world if Lakshyami (material prosperity) is possessed by virtuous persons. The world is bound to suffer calamity if Lakshyami goes in the hands of demons. "God-like persons need material resources, wealth, not for sensual enjoyment, greed, hoarding, vanity or doing injustice to other, but for defending and promoting godliness, so that the people may be able to make themselves strong, active and resourceful. Anna (food) or material resources have been regarded as the symbol of Lakshyami. Thus, Moudgalya replied that Bharga of Dev is Anna, the worldly s trength of good persons lies in material resources. Without material resources they will remain weak in the physical field.
3. The third reply of Moudgalya is that action (Karma) alone is dhee element by which God inspires and uplifts all. This is absolutely true that everyone is uplifted and evolved through God's grace. God inspires everybody towards higher levels of evolution, towards progress. It should, however, be understood that inspiration is 'dhee'. Dhee means that intellect which gives inspiration and incentive to do God like deeds. A person who is favored by the grace of God is endowed with wisdom accordingly. Whether a person enjoys blessings of 'dhee' or not can be judged by examining whether he is industrious and diligent and does his work enthusiastically. A person endowed with such a nature should be considered to have been blessed with dhee element by God.
Several persons are habitually indolent, dull and apathetic. They do work half-heartedly without any enthusiasm. A little exertion makes them tired. Such person's would be considered to be devoid of dhee element. Obviously, they are doomed to remain unlucky in the absence of enlightened intellect which inspires men to utilize their energies in worthwhile pursuits.
There can be no two opinions that Moudgalya's aforesaid teaching is true. Those who blame one's luck and think that what is destined cannot be averted may feel satisfied by accusing others for their misfortunes but the fact is that they have been deprived of God's grace through his own indolence. This grace of God is available to all and is within everybody's reach. By adopting dhee, which also means purposeful industriousness, everybody can become entitled to get divine grace and achieve progress. God never deprives anyone of His grace. It is man himself who foolishly turns his face against it.
The last question which Maitreya asked was, what is Savita, what is Savitri? Savita has been regarded as devta (God) of Gayatri. Every Mantra has its own devta which denoted as to what is the subject of that Mantra. As Savita is devta of Gayatri it is apparent that the prime devta of this Mantra. It is for this reason that Gayatri is also known as Savitri.
Moudgalya replied that Savita and Savitri are inseparable. They are, in fact, one. They combine and form a pair. One is the Transcendent Source and the other its Creative Energy. Both complement each other.
The importance of Shakti Marg lies in the tapping of this power. Every atom is instinct with infinite power. The explosion of one atom may result in the destruction of the whole cosmos. But this happens when that supreme energy is properly released. The transcendental, luminous Almighty God is known as Savita and its Shakti (power) is known as Savitri. Savitri is not different from Savita but complements it. They constitute one integrated pair. God is incomprehensible, unknowable, formless and transcendent. It is only through its creative energy; Savitri that inkling can be had of this absolute Divine.
This is a matter which can be understood only by deep and serious reflection. It is for this reason that the authors of Upanishad have tried to fathom this mystery by giving various examples, to make it easily intelligible to the people.
They say that mind is Savita, speech is Savitri. Where there is mind, there is speech and where there is speech there is mind. In the same way fire and earth, air and space, sun and moon and stars, electricity and lightening, Pran (vital energy) and Anna (food), Veda and Chand, Yagya and dakshina, day and night, hot and cold, fire and water (varoon) have been stated to be Savita and Savitri constituting one pair each. These are only a few examples. By giving these examples, the authors of Upanishad have sought to suggest that supreme Divinity cannot manifest by itself alone, so long as it remains in its Absolute Existence. It manifests only when there is a stirring of its Shakti (manifesting energy). Thus, absolute Savita manifests to man only through invocation of Savitri.
Lakshyami-Narayan, Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna, Uma-Shankar, Savita-Savitri, Nature and God, all these pairs indicate that each one of them complements the other and is the cause for the manifestation of the other. Jeev (soul) also, which is imperceptible, manifests itself on account of Maya (power of God). Human development also cannot be one-sided. Integrated human development and evolution is possible by awakening the dormant Divine Energy within.
Energy and the source of Energy both are inter-related. Just as Savita can be experienced only through the grace of Savitri, we should also awaken in ourselves, through collective Sadhana, all these marvelous energies of the Divine Mother. Our Sadhana has to be a collective effort of kindred souls.
Maitreya told Moudgalya that he had become his disciple; he had acquired real knowledge and secret of inter-relation between power and its source. He further told that whosoever will come to know about the secret of this knowledge will not be subject to mortality. Such a person will regard power as an inseparable part of his soul, he will never misuse it. He must utilize it for the greatest goal.