Ajapa-gayatri

Ajapa-gayatri

अजपा गायत्री, ajapā gāyatrī

Ajapa-gayatri – spontaneous natural repetition of the mantra "So Ham" (सः saḥ – He or That, Brahman, अहं ahaṃ – I) during the day. Can be used in pranayama and dhyana. Dhyana on the mantra "So Ham" is called Sukshma-Dhyana. When practicing ajapa-gayatri one should meditate on Parabrahman.

Nathas have special shabar mantras called ajapa-gayatri, which open the entire chakra system and allow one to feel connection with Brahman.

See also Ajapa.

"Hamsa Upanishad" says:

यदा हंसो नादे लीनो भवति तदा तुर्यातीतमुन्मननमजपोपसंहारमित्यभिधीयते।
एवं सर्वं हंसवशात्तस्मान्मनो हंसो विचार्यते। स एव जपकोट्या नादमनुभवति
yadā haṁso nāde līno bhavati tadā turyātītamunmananamajapopasaṁhāramityabhidhīyate
evaṁ sarvaṁ haṁsavaśāttasmānmano haṁso vicāryate
sa eva japakoṭyā nādamanubhavati

When Hamsa dissolves into the sound of Nada, then [ajapa-] japa disappears in the state of Unmani, which is beyond Turya (Turyatita).
Thus, all is subjected to Hamsa, because Hamsa makes the mind to expand. Repetition of the mantra millions of times [leads to] the experience of the sound of Nada.

"Yoga Shikha Upanishad" (130, VI.54) says:

हकारेण बहिर्याति सकारेण विशेत्-पुनः।
हंस -हंस् एत्यमुं मन्त्रं जीवो जपति सर्वदा।
hakāreṇa bahiryāti sakāreṇa viśet-punaḥ |
haṃs-haṃs etyamuṃ mantraṃ jīvo japati sarvadā |

Each jiva goes out with the sound "ham" and enters again with the sound "sah". And thus, each jiva continuously repeats this mantra – "ham-sah" ("so-ham"). (Yoga Shikha Upanishad, 130, VI.54)

This is called ajapa-gayatri – that is the highest form of the gayatri mantra. There is no need to repeat this mantra out loud or with any effort. Gayatri means "a sacred song, by singing which one can achieve liberation from all fetters". In accordance with an amazing divine design, this great mantra contains the highest spiritual Truth, continuously chanted by every jiva, with every breath day and night without any effort. Sadhaka must focus most fully on the inner content of his natural breath to realize the identity of the individual and the cosmic self and achieve liberation.

Yogi Guru Gorakshanath describes this process in an accessible language:

षटशतानि दिवा रात्रौ सहस्त्राण्येकविंशतिः
एतत्सङख्यान्वितं मन्त्रं जीवो जपति सर्वदा॥
अजपा नाम गायत्री योगिनां मोक्षदायिनी।
अस्याः सङ्कल्पमात्रेण नरः पापैर्विमुच्यते॥
ṣaṭaśatāni divā rātrau sahastrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ |
etatsaṅakhyānvitaṃ mantraṃ jīvo japati sarvadā ||
ajapā nāma gāyatrī yogināṃ mokṣadāyinī |
asyāḥ saṅkalpamātreṇa naraḥ pāpairvimucyate ||

During the day, jiva continuously repeats this mantra (identical to the individual and cosmic soul) 21,600 times. This is ajapa-gayatri, which bestows moksha (liberation) to the yogis. By simply focusing on this ajapa-gayatri, one is freed from all sins (Viveka Martanda, 46-47)

He glorifies ajapa-gayatri in various ways and instructs all seekers to make the best use of this natural remedy for their spiritual self-realization. One of the Upanishads says:

अनया सदृशी विद्या अनया सदृशो जपः।
अनया अदृशं ज्ञानं न भूतं न भविष्यति॥
कुण्डलिन्याः समुद्भुता गायत्री प्राणधारिनी।
प्राणविद्या महाविद्या यस्तां वेत्ति स योगवित्॥
anayā sadṛśī vidyā anayā sadṛśo japaḥ |
anayā adṛśa|ṃ jñānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati ||
kuṇḍalinyāḥ samudbhutā gāyatrī prāṇadhārinī |
prāṇavidyā mahāvidyā yastāṃ vetti sa yogavit ||

There is no level of knowledge like ajapa-gayatri, there is no repetition (japa) equal to it. There is no knowledge in the past or in the future that can compare with this mantra. The life-sustaining ajapa-gayatri arose from Kundalini-shakti. Knowledge of ajapa-gayatri is called prana-vidya (true insight into the essence of the life system), or maha-vidya (great wisdom). One who has attained the knowledge of ajapa-gayatri is truly an expert in yoga. (Yoga Chintamani Upanishad, 34-35)