Goddess Gayatri is the personification of the Gayatri Mantra, a well-known hymn from Vedic texts. She is also called Savitri and Vedamata ('mother of the Vedas'). Gayatri is a manifestation of Goddess Saraswati and is also associated with Savitṛ, a solar deity mentioned in the Vedas. Her consort is Lord Brahma. Many scholars consider Gayatri to be the female form of Gayatra, a synonym of Savitri and Savitṛ.
The Puranas describe her as an Abhira girl (shepherdess or milkmaid) who helped Brahma perform a Yajna that he performed in Pushkar.
Iconography
Some early bronze images of the goddess were found in Himachal Pradesh, where people worshipped her as the consort of Lord Sadashiva. One such image dating back to 10th century CE was from Champa. It has 5 faces and 10 hands holding various items like a lotus, sword, trident, skull, disc, noose, goad, a manuscript, a jar of ambrosia, etc. Her left hand displays Varada Mudra, and the right hand displays Abhaya Mudra.
The Shaivite form of Gayatri (Parvati) has 5 heads (Mukta, Vidruma, Hema, Neela, Dhavala) and 10 eyes looking in eight directions as well as the earth and sky, and 10 arms holding different weapons attributed to the Trimurti - Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. In a more recent depiction, there is a white swan by her side, and she holds a book (representing knowledge) in one hand and a cure in the other. Here, she is the goddess of learning. She also has a frightening image with 3 faces. Two of these resemble Goddess Kali, while one is calm. This form also holds weapons.
What the Puranas Say About Goddess Gayatri
Some Puranas claim that Gayatri is another name for Saraswati, the wife of Brahma. As per the Matsya Purana, Brahma's left half had a female form known as Saraswati, Savitri, and Gayatri. The Kurma Purana says that Sage Gautama was blessed by Goddess Gayatri and succeeded in overcoming the obstacles in his life. The Skanda Purana claims that Gayatri is the consort of Brahma and, hence, a form of Saraswati.
Some Puranic texts hold that Gayatri is not Saraswati. According to one version, Savitri is Brahma's first wife, and Gayatri, the second. It is said that Savitri became furious on hearing about the marriage of Gayatri with Brahma, and cursed all the deities who attended the wedding.
However, the Padma Purana says that Savitri was mollified by Brahma, Vishnu, and Lakshmi and decided to accept Gayatri as her sister.
The Varaha Purana and Mahabharata say that Goddess Gayatri killed the demon Vetrasura on the day of Navami. The demon was the son of Vritra and river Vetravati.
Legend of Brahma and Gayatri
Once, Brahma decided to perform a Yajna. However, his wife Saraswati was delayed. As her presence was essential for the Yajna, he told the priest who was officiating the ceremony to find another woman whom he could wed so that he could go ahead with the ritual. The priest searched high and low and eventually found a beautiful shepherdess called Gayatri Devi. Brahma got married to her, and she took the place of Saraswati so that the Yajna could be completed. Supposedly, the shepherdess was an incarnation of Saraswati herself.
As Brahma's wife, Gayatri gave him the 4 Vedas. Hence, she is called Veda Mata. She is also the patron Goddess of poets, artisans, and musicians.
Significance of Goddess Gayatri
Goddess Gayatri embodies the divine essence of 3 goddesses - Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati, and Mahakali. 'Gaya' means ‘hymn of wisdom’, and 'Tri' denotes the strength of the three Goddesses. People worship Goddess Gayatri to gain knowledge and wisdom. She is the female form of the Sun’s light, which denotes wisdom that has the power to enlighten the soul. Gayatri Mantra is a hymn that extols the goddess. It is a Mula Mantra, meaning the most basic Mantra in Hinduism. Chanting it can help one attain perfection.
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