Int J Ayu Pharm Chem REVIEW ARTICLE www.ijapc.com e-ISSN 2350-0204 Impact of Gayatri Mantra Chanting on Manas Prakruti and Stress Rashi Sharma1* and Kavita Indapurkar2 1,2 Dept. of Kriya Sharir, B.V. D. U. C. O. A. , Pune, Maharashtra, India Abstract Ayurvedic treatment focusses on treating a diseased person and also maintaining the health of normal individuals. In Ayurveda,diseases are defined as there which on conjunction cause pain. They are located in mind and body. Rajas and Tamas are considered as the two doshas of the manas (mind). The balance of tamas and rajas are disturbed by stress condition, desires and negative thoughts. To maintain a healthy body and mind, one should try to balance the three gunas. Stress is a state of tension that is created when a person responds to the demands and pressures that come from work, family and other external sources, as well as those that are internally generated from self-imposed demands, obligations and self-criticism. The Gayatri mantra chanting is a form of meditation to protect one from all human sins, physical dissipation and to bestow knowledge, health and longevity. Keywords Manas, Trigunas, Stress, Gayatri Mantra Greentree Group Received 02/04/16 Accepted 02/05/16 Published 10/05/16 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rashi and Kavita 2016 Greentree Group © IJAPC Int J Ayu Pharm Chem 2016 Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.ijapc.com 241 [e ISSN 2350-0204] Int J Ayu Pharm Chem INTRODUCTION of rajas to work and of sattva to reveal. Ayurveda is the divine science of life being Tamas is full of destruction. Tamas is heavy, practiced since time immemorial and which covering and obstructing light. deals with Ayu (life).Therefore every Inspite of this different nature they help research done in the field of Ayurveda also mutually in creation. The quality of sattva gives- emphasis to health prophylaxis along leads towards the divine and tamas towards with treatment. the demonic while in between these two The aim of Ayurveda emphasizes on treating stands rajas. Thus, due to the predominance a diseased person and also maintaining the of any the above gunas determines the health of normal individuals1. Diseases are psychological constitution of mind. defined as there which on conjunction cause Imbalance in any kind of gunas, result in pain. They are located in mind and body. various mental disorders. The balance of Ayurveda divides persons according to tamas and rajas are disturbed by stress prakruti. They are of two types: condition, desires and negative thoughts. To Sharir Prakruti maintain a healthy body and mind, one 3 Manas Prakruti. should try to balance the three gunas. Sharirprakruti belongs to vatta, pitta, kapha According to Ayurveda, stress is a state and manas prakruti belongs to Sattva, Rajas where the mind is imbalanced. The mind is and Tamas. considered to be balanced when it is not Rajas and Tamas are considered as the two agitated, and is firm and stable. When the doshas of the manas (mind)2. mind is in a stable state, the individual has Sattva: The illuminating, pure or good the maximum potential to act or behave in quality which leads to clarity and mental ways that continue to keep the mind in a serenity sattva is full of love. Sattva is light, balanced state. full of knowledge. Worries have always been a constant Rajas: The quality of mobility or activity companion of human life. In ancient texts, which makes a person active and energetic, Acharya Charak while explaning about tense and willful. sadatura(constantly ill person)says that Tamas: The dark and restraining quality worries are the main reason of a constantly 4 which obstruct and counteracts the tendency ill person . Acharaya Charak further ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rashi and Kavita 2016 Greentree Group © IJAPC 2015 Greentree Group © IJAPC Int J Ayu Pharm Chem 2016 Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.ijapc.com 242 [e ISSN 2350-0204] Int J Ayu Pharm Chem explains that one who indulges in activities patient, and tolerant and demonstrates a high which are above ones performing capacity, positive attitude. On the other hand, high puts too much strain on oneself in excess level of “rajas” and “tamas” sleads to a state perishes like a lion trying to drag an of hopelessness, despair, impatience, fear, elephant. i.e., putting too much of stress on a and anxiety. In such a situation, a person system leads to disastrous effects on the becomes confused, lazy and weak in mental body5. State of mana is related to stress. power7. For years it has been “common Stress is a state of tension that is created knowledge” that people who are under a lot when a person responds to the demands and of stress have an increased risk of various pressures that come from work, family and disorders. How people respond to stress may other external sources, as well as those that be more important than the stress itself. are internally generated from self imposed People respond according to their Manas demands, obligations and self-criticism. gunas6. Stress is both additive and cumulative. It Mental disorders or imbalances are caused adds up over time until a state of crisis is when “sattva” decreases and “rajas” and reached and symptoms appear. These “tamas” increase. As “sattva” decreases, symptoms may manifest themselves mental strength, determination, and the psychologically as irritability, anxiety, power to distinguish right from wrong also impaired concentration, mental confusion, decrease. When such a state is prolonged, poor judgment, frustration and anger. They the mind becomes stressed. This may then may appear as physical symptoms. Common lead to other mental disorders like anxiety, physical symptoms of stress include: muscle depression, fear, and nervous debility. tension, headaches, low back pain, insomnia In this jet age, each one of us is exposed to and high blood pressure. Untreated, these some amount of stress. Some of us can symptoms may lead to physical illness and handle stress in a better way than others. In sometimes death8. our own lives we come across situations According to the Oxford medical when we can efficiently deal with high dictionary, stress is a state of affair amount of stress. When situated in a state of involving demand of physical and mental high “sattva” a person is calm, thoughtful, energy. It is a condition, which can disturb ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rashi and Kavita 2016 Greentree Group © IJAPC 2015 Greentree Group © IJAPC Int J Ayu Pharm Chem 2016 Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.ijapc.com 243 [e ISSN 2350-0204] Int J Ayu Pharm Chem normal physical or mental health of an percentage of satva,rajas and tamas in his individual. manas prakruti9 .He can achieve more According to Wikipedia, Stress may also be powerful and superior quality of mind with defined as the sum of physical and mental the help of self-psycho analysis and by responses to an unacceptable disparity evolving oneself with philosophic thoughts between real or imagined personal by nurturing self mind with positive experience and personal expectations. Thus emotions. in short any stimulus that causes any Various means to overcome rajas and tamas imbalance in the internal environment of an are described in Upanishads, allied literature organism is called stress. and even in charak samhita. One of such Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it effective mean is to chant the Gayatri could be that high levels of stress make mantra.The Gayatri mantra chanting is a other risk factors (such as high cholestrol or form of meditation to protect one from all high blood pressure) worse. For example, if human sins, physical dissipation and to we are under stress, our blood pressure may bestow knowledge, health and longevity10. go up, we may overeat, we may Origin of Gayatri Mantra exercise less, and may be more likely to According to ancient scriptures, god gifted smoke. People respond in different ways to Sage vishwamitra this Gayatri mantra for his events and situations according to their eons of deep meditation and penance. This Manas gunas. One person may find an event was to be a gift for all humanity.The Gayatri joyful and gratifying, but another person Mantra was first written in Sanskrit in the may find the same event miserable and Rig Veda, 8000 B.C11. frustrating. Sometimes, Tamas and Rajas The Gayatri Mantra dominant people may handle stress in ways that make bad situations worse by reacting “Aum Bhoor Bhuvah Swah Tat Savitur with feelings of anger, guilt, fear, Vareniyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi Dhiyo hostility, anxiety, and moodiness. Others Yonah Prachodayat” . may face life's challenges with ease. Aum : The divine sound of Aum teaches us It is impossible to change sharir prakruti but that our individual consciousness is a subset a person can definitely change the of the Universal Consciousness, that ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rashi and Kavita 2016 Greentree Group © IJAPC 2015 Greentree Group © IJAPC Int J Ayu Pharm Chem 2016 Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.ijapc.com 244 [e ISSN 2350-0204] Int J Ayu Pharm Chem pervades this Universe. Therefore we should righteous intellect, good health, righteously live life in a manner that upholds the flag of gained wealth, righteously gained name and Universal Consciousness. fame etc. “Bhoor”: teaches us to identify and modify “Varenyam”: tells us to imbibe only those those traits that destroy us and replace them traits that are truly exalted. with those that uplift us in an all round manner. “Bhargo” : tells us to imbibe purity in our body, mind, wealth, health, home, dress and “Bhuvaha”: tells us to carry out our behavior . appointed duties very meticulously and after having done the same and accept the results “Devasya”: signifies developing a generous, as God’s grace.