Om Ksheera Putraya Vidhmahe Amrita Tatvaya Dheemahi Tanno Somah Prachodyat

ॐ क्षीर पुत्राय विद्महे अमृत तत्वाय धीमहि तन्नो सोमः प्रचोदयात्॥

Let’s break down its profound meaning:

  • Om (ॐ): The primordial sound, representing the ultimate reality.
  • Ksheera Putraya (क्षीर पुत्राय): “To the son of the milk ocean.” This refers to the origin story of Chandra (the Moon) from the Samudra Manthan (the great churning of the cosmic ocean of milk).
  • Vidmahe (विद्महे): “May we know” or “Let us realize.”
  • Amrita Tatvaya (अमृत तत्वाय): “To the one whose essence is nectar.” The Moon is considered the repository of Amrita or Soma, the divine nectar of immortality.
  • Dheemahi (धीमहि): “May we meditate upon” or “Let us contemplate.”
  • Tanno (तन्नो): “May that…”
  • Somah (सोमः): “Soma,” an ancient and primary name for the Moon God.
  • Prachodayat (प्रचोदयात्): “Illuminate,” “inspire,” or “guide us.”

Full Translation:

“Om, let us meditate on the son of the cosmic milk ocean. May we contemplate the one whose essence is the nectar of immortality. May that Soma, the Moon God, illuminate our minds and inspire us.”

Significance and Purpose

While the bija mantras (Om Sraam Sreem Sroum...) are potent sonic keys to invoke a deity’s energy, the Gayatri mantra is a direct prayer for enlightenment and guidance.

Chanting the Chandra Gayatri is believed to:

  • Grant mental clarity and dispel confusion.
  • Enhance emotional intelligence and intuition.
  • Calm the mind and promote deep meditative states.
  • Bestow a serene and peaceful disposition.
  • Strengthen the positive qualities of the Moon (like nurturing, care, and creativity) in one’s personality and life.