Original text
नमस्ते देवि गायत्रि सावित्रि त्रिपदेऽक्षरे । अजरे अमरे मातस्त्राहि मां भवसागरात् ॥ १ ॥ नमस्ते सूर्यसङ्काशे सूर्यसावित्रि कोमले । ब्रह्मविद्ये महाविद्ये वेदमातर्नमोस्तु ते ॥ २ ॥ अनन्तकोटिब्रह्माण्डव्यापिनि ब्रह्मचारिणि । नित्यानन्दे महामाये परेशानि नमोस्तु ते ॥ ३ ॥ त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं हरिः साक्षाद्रुद्रस्त्वमिन्द्रदेवता । मित्रस्त्वं वरुणस्त्वं च त्वमग्निरश्विनौ भगः ॥ ४ ॥ पूषार्यमा मरुत्वांश्च ऋषयोऽपि मुनीश्वराः । पितरो नागयक्षाश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसां गणाः ॥ ५ ॥ रक्षोभूतपिशाचाश्च त्वमेव परमेश्वरि । ऋग्यजुस्सामवेदाश्च अथर्वाङ्गिरसानि च ॥ ६ ॥ त्वमेव पञ्चभूतानि तत्त्वानि जगदीश्वरि । ब्राह्मी सरस्वती सन्ध्या तुरीया त्वं महेश्वरि ॥ ७ ॥ त्वमेव सर्वशास्त्राणि त्वमेव सर्वसंहिताः । पुराणानि च मन्त्राणि महागम मतानि च ॥ ८ ॥ तत्सद्ब्रह्मस्वरूपा त्वं कञ्चित्सदसदात्मिका । परात्परेशि गायत्रि नमस्ते मातरम्बिके ॥ ९ ॥ चन्द्रे कलात्मिके नित्ये कालरात्रि स्वधे स्वरे । स्वाहाकारेऽग्निवक्त्रे त्वां नमामि जगदीश्वरि ॥ १० ॥ नमो नमस्ते गायत्रि सावित्रि त्वां नमाम्यहम् । सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं तुरीये ब्रह्मरूपिणि ॥ ११ ॥ अपराधसहस्राणि त्वसत्कर्मशतानि च । मत्तो जातानि देवेशि त्वं क्षमस्व दिने दिने ॥ १२ ॥ ॥ इति वसिष्ठसंहितायां गायत्रीस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration
Namaste devi gayatri savitri tripade'kshare ajare amare matastrahi mam bhavasagarat (1) Namaste suryasankashe suryasavitri komale brahmavidye mahavidye vedamatarnamostu te (2) Anantakotibrahmandavyapini brahmacharini nityanande mahamaye pareshani namostu te (3) Tvam brahma tvam harih sakshadrudrastvamindradevata mitrastvam varunastvam cha tvamagnirashvinau bhagah (4) Pusharyama marutvamshcha rishayo'pi munishvarah pitaro nagayakshashcha gandharvapsarasam ganah (5) Rakshobhutapishachashcha tvameva parameshvari rigyajussamavedashcha atharvangirasani cha (6) Tvameva panchabhutani tattvani jagadishvari brahmi sarasvati sandhya turiya tvam maheshvari (7) Tvameva sarvashastrani tvameva sarvasamhitah puranani cha mantrani mahagama matani cha (8) Tatsadbrahmasvarupa tvam kanchitsadasadatmika paratpareshi gayatri namaste matarambike (9) Chandre kalatmike nitye kalaratri svadhe svare svahakare'gnivaktre tvam namami jagadishvari (10) Namo namaste gayatri savitri tvam namamyaham sarasvati namastubhyam turiye brahmarupini (11) Aparadhasahasrani tvasatkarmashatani cha matto jatani deveshi tvam kshamasva dine dine (12)
The mantra praised as a mother
The first line holds the whole idea: Namaste devi Gayatri Savitri tripade'kshare, "salutations, O goddess Gayatri, Savitri, the three-footed, the imperishable". Tripada, "three-footed", refers to the three lines of the Gayatri Mantra; akshara means both "imperishable" and "syllable". The mantra and the goddess are addressed as one. She is ageless and deathless, and the first thing asked of her is the oldest prayer of all: "Mother, save me from the ocean of worldly existence." The closing line names its source as the Vasishtha Samhita.
What the twelve verses say
- Her nature (2–3): radiant like the sun, yet gentle; the knowledge of Brahman, the great knowledge, the mother of the Vedas; pervading countless universes; eternal bliss, Mahamaya, the supreme ruler.
- She is every god (4–6): Brahma, Hari, Rudra and Indra; Mitra, Varuna, Agni, the Ashvins and Bhaga; Pushan and Aryaman; the seers and sages, the ancestors, nagas, yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras, even the rakshasas and spirits. Nothing exists outside her.
- She is every scripture (6–8): the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas; the five elements and all the tattvas; every shastra, every samhita, the Puranas, the mantras and the Agamas.
- Her many names (7, 9–11): Brahmi, Saraswati, Sandhya and Turiya, the "fourth" state beyond waking, dream and sleep; the moon and its phases; Kalaratri; Svadha and Svaha, the words spoken in offerings to ancestors and to the gods; and once more Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. These are the three forms she takes at the three sandhyas of the day.
- Forgiveness (12): "Thousands of offences and hundreds of wrong deeds arise from me; O queen of the gods, forgive me day by day."
When to recite it
The last verse makes this a natural prayer to end the daily sandhya, after Gayatri japa, asking forgiveness for the day's mistakes. It is also recited on Gayatri Jayanti, during Navratri and through a Gayatri anushthana. A simple order at home: light a lamp, chant the Gayatri Mantra 108 times, recite this stotra, read the Gayatri Chalisa if you have time, and close with the aarti Jayati Jai Gayatri Mata.
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