The Sun freely gives her life giving rays to all that lives.
Her splendour illumines our world so we can see.
Her splendour illumines our world so we can see.
Gayatri Mantra.
om bhur bhuvah svaha
A Detailed Discussion.
ॐ भू र्भुवः स्वः ।
om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
om bhuur bhuvah svaha
Presence protects releases gives
of Deity vitality pain joy
तत् सवितु र्वरेण्यं ।
tat Savitur vareṇyam
that (is) like the excellent, revered
Sun
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
bhargo devasya. dhīmahi
bhargo devasya. dheemahi
enlightening, radiant, Meditate on
splendorous divine.
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
dhiyo yo nah prachodayāt
dhiyo yo nah pracho-dayaat
intellect Deity our guide, propel, inspire
We meditate on Deity, the Source of Healing, which can
protect our vitality, release our pain and bring us joy,
that is like the Sun, radiating the Source of life, and excellent, venerable
splendorous, enlightening and radiant and holy.
May Deity guide, inspire and propel our intellect.
Dear Reader.
This Mantra is about radiant Presence (Savitur).
is intended to guide and propel (pracho-dayāt) us towards radiant Presence,
and kindle the flame of Liberation (bhargo devasya).
So please do not be tempted to read this writeup in full, nor hurriedly.
Perhaps the section entitled “The Mantra Discussed”
is sufficient for one visit.
The rest can wait for another time.
Table of Contents.
The Songs.
Pronunciation Discussed.
The Mantra Discussed.
Line 1 : Presence that Protects – A Discussion.
Lines 2 and 3 : Descriptors of Radiant Presence – a Discussion.
Dhīmahi - a discussion.
Line 4 – Wish for Guidance by Presence.
The Mantra Summarised.
Derivation Details for Line 1.
Dictionary Spellings and Translations.
Reference – from www.gayatri.info
The Songs.
Most Kirtan musicians record this mantra, and many websites give word-for-word analysis, for it’s very popular. Of the many albums I have, I would like to recommend two debut albums (this is the first mantra I really wanted to learn). These recordings meet my criteria : they have good instrumental, good singing, and good melody, and they are easy to sing along to. So they are excellent (varenyam) for your music meditation.
These are both debut albums, so they might lack the maturity and development of later albums, but I still recommend them.
By Deva Premal, on her first successful album “The Essence”, track 1, 1998. The success of this song may have launched her and her partner Miten on their career. You can hear a good sample on -
https://devapremalmiten.com/the-essence/ This is also available on i-tunes as a single.
This recording has no instrumental breaks. It follows chanting tradition, repeats indefinitely, and builds up a real momentum that is transporting. As individual words approach and recur in the song-cycle, they can leap out, and their meaning can soak deep into our Being. This is the profound benefit of Kirtan, and this recording can carry us into a new world of healing.
U Tube has an excellent video recording of Deva, Miten and Manose performing this in concert 10 years ago. It’s quite similar to the original on “The Essence”, and has seven million views. It’s on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IFlaG45xM8
Deva also offers a more recent recording on her website, as a single, but this is a bit too fast for beginners to learn from.
Kate B offers a better melody for singing the mantra without the music playing. It’s on her first album “Sun and Moon”, 2015. This song has several instrumental breaks; so it’s good for music meditation. You can listen to the full song, and buy it as a single on –
https://katebmusic.bandcamp.com/track/gayatri
Pronunciation Discussed.
(A dot below or bar above a letter indicates proper pronunciation of sacred language.
Please read my page “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”)
Please read my page “Pronouncing the Sanskrit.”)
These mantras come from the aural tradition of chanting mantras. The pronunciation is likely to be different to the “correct” scholastic written spelling we (sometimes) get on the internet. This early recording by Deva Premal might reflect a more traditional pronunciation. This is actually how Deva pronounced the mantra, back in 1998.
om muu buvaa hasvaha
tatsa vetu vaare hiniyam
vagode vasyaa nimaahi
dhiyo yo na pracho hudayaat
Note the extra syllables introduced into varenyam (it becomes vare-hiniyam), and into pracho dayaat (it becomes pracho hudayaat).
Note that the “h” in bhuur softens the b so that the word sounds like muu.
Note how the first syllable can be detached from its word, and added to the end of the previous word, so bhargo devasya becomes vagode vasyaa. In mantra recitation, the individual words get run together, and appear like one massive word that spans the entire line. Then they are broken up again, and not into correct words.
Many Kirtan musicians pronounce the first line thus :
om bhuur bhuvah svaha.
The correct spelling is :
om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ.
These have an aspirated ending -ḥ. It is called visargha. This is described as an aspiration or expulsion of air. It sounds like ‘an echo of the final vowel sound’. Or it sounds like a very short –ha at the end of the word.
The Mantra Discussed.
This mantra is about radiant Presence of Deity. It’s about that kind of experience when we are fully Present. When the spiritual Qualities are so strong that we become radiant with them. So let me discuss line 1 first –
Line 1 : Presence that Protects – A Discussion.
bhur can mean ‘protection of vitality’.
When we are fully Present, and the spiritual Qualities are strong and active in us, then it is so much easier for us to protect our health. We naturally prefer good meals and nutrition, and put priority on them. We want to exercise, and exercise in a way that gives best benefit and minimum risk of injury. We sleep well at night, for our minds can rest easily.
bhuvah can mean ‘cessation of painful thought’.
When we are fully Present, then it is so much easier for us to let go of unhelpful and unnecessary thoughts. Such defilements no longer have much hold over us; they are more repellent than alluring. We can easily see the troubles that such painful thinking causes, and we can let go of it. Our mind is clear, bright, focussed, still, and very happy to be like this.
svaha can mean ‘brings joy’.
When we are fully Present, then it is so much easier to bring joy into our lives and experience. Instead of requiring extraordinary beauty, we can enjoy the simple things we have, such as home, food, good friendships, and work to pay for all this. Forgiveness and tolerance comes easily to us, and we naturally feel like sharing good things with other people. We feel confident, because we are taking on tasks and projects that we are competent in. We are contented, and at ease, and yet we continue with our activities, work tasks and projects with diligence.
These three vyahriti of bhur bhuva svaha are foundational to spiritual practice. Much of this website explores themes that can help us in this important endeavour.
Lines 2 and 3 : Descriptors of Radiant Presence –
A Discussion.
tat Savitur can mean ‘Presence that is like the Sun’. Savitri is the Name for Deity for our mantra which is sometimes called the Savitri Mantra, and she appears as Savitur.
The second and third lines describe the illuminating and radiant power of the Presence. In Western tradition, this is called the Glory of God. It is likened to the Sun, or to Deity that people associate with the Sun. In Hinduism this is called Savitri, the Sun Goddess. The Sun’s rays are essential to all life. We only have to consider the extreme harshness of the Antarctic desert, for all life, to appreciate the life giving power of sunshine.
The Sun shines her life giving rays onto everyone, including those people we connect well with, and those who we do not. This can encourage us to be a bit more open when we radiate our good will to others.
The Sun also rises every day, regardless of how happy or unhappy we might feel at dawn or during the night. This can remind us that we can too can rise, in our daily life. Juzzie Smith is a wonderfully cheerful musician, and his album “Rise and Shine” expresses this theme eloquently –
“Well the Sun rises every day. Reminds us we can rise in our own way.
And the Sun shines on everyone, to remind us we can shine for everyone.”
Available on https://juzziesmith.com/store/rise-and-shine-mp3/
Sacred Earth also offer a simple yet evocative song -
“Grandmother Moon and Grandfather Sun
I look to your wisdom to guide me
keep me whole and free … ”
Available on –
https://www.sacredearthmusic.com/listen-download Album Bhakti, track 7.
The Rest of Lines 2 & 3.
Lines 2 and 3 of the Gayatri mantra then give three more descriptors of Deity, related to the illuminating and radiant power of Presence. These attributes of radiant Presence have inter-related and overlapping meaning -
vareṇyam means ‘excellent’, and something we can honour and value.
bhargo means ‘illuminating’, and therefor dispelling the darkness of defilement. This is the purifying effect of full Presence. bhargo also means “radiant.”
devasya means sacred and virtuous. Also powerful. This is the powerful divinity of Being fully present, when we naturally perform Right Conduct or virtue. dev-asya also means “generated by deva” (genitive case), or coming from virtue and divinity. Sending out from our heart.
devasya can also mean “radiant.” This is the experience when we have cultivated the Qualities of Presence until we are radiant with peace, appreciation, friendliness, stability, and clarity for good decision making.
The second and third lines describe the illuminating and radiant power of the Presence. In Western tradition, this is called the Glory of God. It is likened to the Sun, or to Deity that people associate with the Sun. In Hinduism this is called Savitri, the Sun Goddess. The Sun’s rays are essential to all life. We only have to consider the extreme harshness of the Antarctic desert, for all life, to appreciate the life giving power of sunshine.
The Sun shines her life giving rays onto everyone, including those people we connect well with, and those who we do not. This can encourage us to be a bit more open when we radiate our good will to others.
The Sun also rises every day, regardless of how happy or unhappy we might feel at dawn or during the night. This can remind us that we can too can rise, in our daily life. Juzzie Smith is a wonderfully cheerful musician, and his album “Rise and Shine” expresses this theme eloquently –
“Well the Sun rises every day. Reminds us we can rise in our own way.
And the Sun shines on everyone, to remind us we can shine for everyone.”
Available on https://juzziesmith.com/store/rise-and-shine-mp3/
Sacred Earth also offer a simple yet evocative song -
“Grandmother Moon and Grandfather Sun
I look to your wisdom to guide me
keep me whole and free … ”
Available on –
https://www.sacredearthmusic.com/listen-download Album Bhakti, track 7.
The Rest of Lines 2 & 3.
Lines 2 and 3 of the Gayatri mantra then give three more descriptors of Deity, related to the illuminating and radiant power of Presence. These attributes of radiant Presence have inter-related and overlapping meaning -
vareṇyam means ‘excellent’, and something we can honour and value.
bhargo means ‘illuminating’, and therefor dispelling the darkness of defilement. This is the purifying effect of full Presence. bhargo also means “radiant.”
devasya means sacred and virtuous. Also powerful. This is the powerful divinity of Being fully present, when we naturally perform Right Conduct or virtue. dev-asya also means “generated by deva” (genitive case), or coming from virtue and divinity. Sending out from our heart.
devasya can also mean “radiant.” This is the experience when we have cultivated the Qualities of Presence until we are radiant with peace, appreciation, friendliness, stability, and clarity for good decision making.
dhīmahi Discussed (More Details Below).
dhīmahi is usually translated as “meditate on,” and this word is central to our mantra. What kind of meditation does our mantra refer to? dhīmahi occurs at the end of lines 2 & 3, and therefore refers to the descriptors of radiant Presence of Deity discussed above. How do we meditate on such Qualities of Presence?
Sanskrit is a sacred language, and so a word like dhīmahi is full of meaning that can help us with our spiritual practice. (More details below.)
dhī (pronounced ‘dhee’) means thought and mind. So dhīmahi means directing our thought and mind towards something. In this case, directing our thought and mind towards these important Qualities of radiant Presence, consciously and purposefully.
dhīmahi is also related to the word dhāraṇa, which means ‘meditation training’. dhāraṇa is foundational to spiritual practice, so it is sixth of eight Principles in Astanga Yoga. The first step in the practice of dhāraṇa is to stabilise the mind, and free it from unnecessary chatter and clutter. The best method is to train our mind to return to and stay with our chosen meditation object, usually sound, image or touch. Such as the touch sensation of vocalising mantra, and the sound of the mantra as we recite it.
This is a strategy to shift our attention from thinking to sensing, and so restore some essential stability, focus and collectedness. We are training the mind to step out of its age old habit of wandering heedlessly in saṃsāra, discussed below. Then it will be so much easier to focus our attention on radiant Presence. My “Course in Meditation” discusses the essential principles and purposes of such meditation training, or dhāraṇa. Published on this website.
When our mind is still and quiet, then it is so much easier to imbibe the Qualities of Presence, and allow them to suffuse our mind. In this, we make conscious and determined effort to cultivate and practice these important Qualities. And then protect them from self sabotage. These Qualities of Presence are many, and can be summarised as –
dhīmahi also means ‘imbibe, saturate’. We imbibe the Qualities of Presence, and ‘saturate’ our mind with them.
Sanskrit is a sacred language, and so a word like dhīmahi is full of meaning that can help us with our spiritual practice. (More details below.)
dhī (pronounced ‘dhee’) means thought and mind. So dhīmahi means directing our thought and mind towards something. In this case, directing our thought and mind towards these important Qualities of radiant Presence, consciously and purposefully.
dhīmahi is also related to the word dhāraṇa, which means ‘meditation training’. dhāraṇa is foundational to spiritual practice, so it is sixth of eight Principles in Astanga Yoga. The first step in the practice of dhāraṇa is to stabilise the mind, and free it from unnecessary chatter and clutter. The best method is to train our mind to return to and stay with our chosen meditation object, usually sound, image or touch. Such as the touch sensation of vocalising mantra, and the sound of the mantra as we recite it.
This is a strategy to shift our attention from thinking to sensing, and so restore some essential stability, focus and collectedness. We are training the mind to step out of its age old habit of wandering heedlessly in saṃsāra, discussed below. Then it will be so much easier to focus our attention on radiant Presence. My “Course in Meditation” discusses the essential principles and purposes of such meditation training, or dhāraṇa. Published on this website.
When our mind is still and quiet, then it is so much easier to imbibe the Qualities of Presence, and allow them to suffuse our mind. In this, we make conscious and determined effort to cultivate and practice these important Qualities. And then protect them from self sabotage. These Qualities of Presence are many, and can be summarised as –
- inner peace, and stillness and contentment, feeling safe and at ease,
- clarity, and wisdom, good decision making, perceptiveness and tact,
- enjoyment, and happiness, appreciation, wonder and delight, being inspired,
- good will, and friendship, sharing good things, tolerance and forgiveness, being supportive,
- being confident and thus competent, energised, diligent, determined,
- courage, flexibility, endurance,
dhīmahi also means ‘imbibe, saturate’. We imbibe the Qualities of Presence, and ‘saturate’ our mind with them.
Line 4 – Affirmation of Guidance by Presence.
dhiyo yo nah pracho-dayat = “May our thinking be guided and propelled by Presence.” Let me discuss this important theme in spiritual practice.
dhiyo = buddhi = thinking. All too often our thinking = dhiyo is not particularly positive. We find we have drifted, yet again, into some unhelpful or unnecessary train of thought, perhaps often visited, and the Qualities of Presence are sadly lacking. Indeed, if we were to be quite honest about the experience, our thinking may being driven by something completely opposite. Therefore, the paramount Quality of Presence could be described like this –
- not wandering heedlessly in thought, unguarded and unguided, that inevitably strays down dark paths where suffering lurks in ambush. This endless wandering is called saṃsāra (pronounced ‘sung-saara.)
So line 4 of our mantra expresses the important hope and aspiration -
dhiyo yo nah pracho-dayāt
thinking Presence our propel, guide, inspire
“May our thinking be guided, propelled and inspired by Presence."
(yo = Who, and refers to Deity.)
The Mantra Summarised.
Let us imbibe these important Qualities, and suffuse our mind (dhimahi) with them, until our entire Being is radiant with these Divine (devasya) Qualities.
Let us value these important and praiseworthy (vareṇyam) Qualities, for they enlighten our decisions and lighten (bhargo) our mind from the burdens of life.
Let us facilitate these Qualities to inspire, guide and propel (pracho-dayāt) our thinking and attitudes (dhiyo).
This will help us maintain good health (bhūr), let go of painful thought, (bhuvah) and further cultivate all these beautiful Qualities (svaha).
This will also help us better develop our relationships and pursuits (bhūr), and improve our intentions (bhuvah), and thus our speech and action (svaha).
Derivation Details for Line 1.
Let us now turn our attention to scholastics.
Word for word translations of line 1 differ so widely that it’s hard to believe they are all talking about the same thing. Let me try to explain the common ground.
Vyahriti or Loka, Where Deity Exerts Influence.
The first line lists the vyāhṛtiḥ. This is pronounced ‘vyaa hriti’. ṛ with a dot under in pronounced with the tongue pointed towards the mid palette, instead of the teeth. A more subtle way of pronouncing n. It’s usually spelled vyahriti.
The vyahriti are the various domains or fields or loka in which Deity is active, in Hindu tradition. Or they are just : “Mystic words uttered by every Brāhmaṇa (Brahman) in performing his daily Sandhyā adoration”.
The simple dictionary meanings are -
bhūr (bhuur) = earth or the physical body.
bhuvas = भुवस् = air or atmosphere or mental activity.
svar = स्वर् = heavens or spirituality.
However, the vyahriti are not just body, mind and spirit. The mantra is about the Presence of Deity and the effect of Deity in each of these three domains or fields or loka of body, mind and spirit. Therefore -
bhūr (bhuur) = vital energy and health of our body.
bhuvaḥ (bhuvah) = the cessation of pain filled and pain driven thought. This is the purifying effect of Presence of Deity on our thinking.
svaḥ (svaha) = “bringing happiness”. This is the purifying effect of spirituality.
In more detail -
bhūr = prāna-svarūpa = bodily health. This is Deity in the form of the vitality or prāna of our body.
bhuvaḥ = duhka-nākshaka = releasing pain. This is Deity as the transcendence from suffering.
svaḥ = suhka- svarūpa = bringing joy. This is Deity in the form of bringing happiness.
prāna = vital energy of the body, rūpa = form, duhka = suffering, suhka = happiness.
These three vyāhṛtiḥ can also be –
- past, present and future, or
- the external world (gross plane), our intentions (subtle plane) and our actions (causal plane).
and the influence of Presence (of Deity) on these three planes or spheres or loka.
Dictionary Spellings and Translations.
I use two online Sanskrit dictionaries –
https://sanskritdictionary.com gives many meanings per word, but accepts only the correct spelling. This online dictionary is linked to https://vedabase
http://spokensanskrit.org accepts many spellings, and you choose the best word. But it gives few meanings per word.
savituḥ = सवितु means “like the Sun”, according to Prabhupada. savitur is much easier on the vocal chords when singing.
varenyam is not a dictionary word.
vareṇya = वरेण्य means “To be wished for, desirable, eligible. (अनेन चेदिच्छसि गृह्यमाणं पाणिं वरेण्येन from Rig Veda 6. 24 -2). Hence -
vareṇya = वरेण्य also means “Best, most excellent, pre-eminent, most worthy or distinguished, chief.”
bhargas = भर्गस् means “glory, radiance, splendour, lustre.”
devasya is the genitive form of the noun deva.
deva means “God”, or “the Gods as shining beings,” according to Monier Williams. This suggests the following interpretation –
deva can mean “radiant Presence,” when the spiritual Qualities are so well developed that we become radiant with them.
_______________________________________________________________
dhīmahi = धीमिह.
dhīmahi means “Let us meditate upon” according to Prabhupada. Sanskrit is a sacred language, and so a word like dhīmahi is rich in meaning that can help guide our spiritual practice.
dhī means “thought, (especially) religious thought, reflection, meditation, devotion, prayer”, and
dhī means “understanding, intelligence, wisdom (personified as the wife of rudra-manyu), knowledge, science, art,” and
dhī means “mind, disposition, intention, design.”
Thus dhī-mahi can mean directing thought, directing knowledge, directing mind. In context of our mantra, we direct our thought, knowing and mind towards radiant Presence of Deity, consciously and purposefully.
dhīmahi can mean “imbibe, impregnate, saturate our dhī (intellect) with … ” according to www.gayatri.info
The dictionary gives additional meaning thus -
dhīmahi comes from the root word dhā. This means “holding” in relation to the word dhāraṇa, which is the sixth of the eight Principles of Patanjali’s Astanga Yoga, where it precedes dhyān and samādhī. As a dictionary word –
dhāraṇa means “holding, bearing, keeping (in remembrance), retention, preserving, protecting, maintaining, possessing, having,” as a dictionary word.
In practical terms, dhāraṇa means daily training in meditation, as a necessary preparation for dhyān which is meditation absorption. When we are in dhyān, our mind is still, clear, bright, focussed, and very happy to be like this.
When we train the mind in meditation, we repeatedly return to and stay with our chosen meditation object, usually sound, image or touch. Such as the touch sensation of vocalising mantra, and the sound of the mantra as we recite it.
This is a strategy to shift our attention from thinking to sensing, and so restore some stability, focus and collectedness. We are training the mind to step out of its age old habit of wandering heedlessly in saṃsāra. These dictionary meanings of dhāraṇa suggest what we need to do in this basic training of the mind. As a root word -
dhā means “putting, placing, bestowing, holding,” and also
dhā means “the One who puts, places, bestows and holds.” This suggests the role of Deity in meditation.
dhāraṇa is sometimes translated as “withdrawal” - withdrawing our mind from unnecessary and unhelpful thought, and returning our attention to simplicity, returning to enjoyment, appreciation, contentment, good will and clarity.
mah = मह् means “honouring, respecting, worshipping” as a root word. This gives additional meaning –
dhīmahi can mean “respecting and honouring the Silent Mind, as our True Nature.”
__________________________________________________________
dhiyā = धिया means “mentally, by intelligence, by thought.”
pracodayati = प्रचोदयति means “impel, inspire”
pracodaḥ = प्रचोद means “driving onward, urging, initiating.”
dayate comes from the root word day which means “protect”. It also means “move.”
prachodayāt means “inspire, illumine,” according to Sai Baba.
___________________________________________________________
There is no word in our mantra that suggests the word ‘God’, which is a Western word and therefore will suggest Western understanding about God. This might not be appropriate for an Eastern mantra, nor favoured by all Kirtan enthusiasts.
Our mantra uses indirect language to describe the Divine –
tat in line 2 simply means “that”, but refers to Deity.
yo in line 4 simply means “who” or “which”, but refers to Deity or the Presence of Deity.
Reference.
http://www.gayatri.info/gayatri-mantra---word-for-word-translation is the best word-for-word translation of the Gayatri mantra. With half a million page visits from over a hundred counties!
They are a group of Hindu Americans with a center about 100 km north of Boston. Their Beliefs are a good statement of Hindu values carefully expressed in Western terms, using Western turn of speech. They are quite relevant to the Gayatri mantra.
21st Century - Bright Future
Constitution of New Era - Our Solemn Pledge
[ Yug Nirman Sat-Sankalp ]
1. Firmly believing in the Omnipresence of God and His Unfailing justice, we pledge to abide the essential disciplines of Divine principles (Dharma).
2. Regarding the body as the Temple of God, we will be ever watchful to keep it healthy and full of vitality by adopting the principles of self-restraint, order and harmony in our daily-lives.
3. With a view to keeping our minds free from the inrush of negative thoughts and emotions, we will adopt a regular program of study of ennobling and inspiring literature (swadhyaya) and of keeping the company of saints (satsang).
4. We will vigilantly exercise strict control over our senses, thoughts, emotions and in the spending of our time and resources.
5. We will consider ourselves inseparable parts of the society and will see our good in the good of all.
6. We will abide by basic moral code, refrain from wrong doing and will discharge our duties as citizens committed to the well-being of the society.
7. We will earnestly and firmly imbibe in our lives the virtues of Wisdom, Honesty, Responsibility and Courage.
8. We will constantly and sincerely endeavour to create an environment of loving kindness, cleanliness, simplicity and goodwill.
9. We will prefer failure while adhering to basic moral principles to so-called success obtained through unfair and foul means.
10. We will never evaluate a person's greatness by his worldly success, talents and riches but by his righteous conduct and thoughts.
11. We will never do unto others what we would not like to be done unto us.
12. Men and women while interacting with each other will have feelings of mutual respect and understanding based on purity of thoughts and emotions.
13. We will regularly and religiously contribute a portion of our time, talents and resources for spreading nobility and righteousness in the world.
14. We will give precedence to discriminating wisdom over blind traditions.
15. We will actively involve ourselves in bringing together people of goodwill, in resisting evil and injustice, and in promoting New Creation.
16. We will remain committed to the principles of national unity and equality of all human beings. In our conduct, we will not make any discrimination between person and person on the basis of caste, creed, color, religion, region, language or sex.
17. We firmly believe that each human being is the maker of his own destiny. With this conviction, we will uplift and transform ourselves and help others in doing so. We believe the world will then automatically change for the better.
18. Our Motto is: 'Hama Badalenge – Yuga Badalega', 'Hama Sudharenge – Yuga Sudhrega'. The trends of our times will transform, when we transform ourselves. When we reform ourselves, the world will be reformed.
***********************************
Visit All World Gayatri Pariwar - Official Website
©Copyright by Mike Browning, 2021. You are permitted and encouraged to copy text from this webpage and use as you see fit, provided it is not harmful to mantra-translate. Major edit - June 2021.