ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः oṃ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ
When we go to find the original Gayatri Mantra by Rishi Vishvamitra in the Rigveda (3.62.10) we do not find there the expression ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः oṃ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ.
The original Mantra is:
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि | धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ||
tat saviturvareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi | dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt ||
This Mantra of Rishi Vishvamitra is popularly known as Gayatri Mantra as it is in the Gayatri Meter (a 24 syllable meter with 8 syllables in each of the three lines).
The deity invoked here is सविता savitā who is the Creative Sun.
सूते च सवति च सुवति च इति सविता; यः सर्वोत्पादकः (सू प्राणिगर्भविमोचने), यः सर्वैश्वर्यमयः (सु प्रसवैश्वर्ययोः), यः सर्वप्रेरकः (सू प्रेरणे)
sūte ca savati ca suvati ca iti savitā; yaḥ sarvotpādakaḥ (sū prāṇigarbhavimocane), yaḥ sarvaiśvaryamayaḥ (su prasavaiśvaryayoḥ), yaḥ sarvaprerakaḥ (sū preraṇe).
He who is the creator of all, possessor of all riches, and he who impels all is Savitri. It is he from whom all creative energy comes. It is not just the sun that we see (or the many suns in the universe) but it is the creative energy or the force behind the sun or all suns.
The meaning of this Mantra is: The supreme light of god Savitri we hold in contemplation; May that illumine and impel our dhii (that faculty of our consciousness which has the power to receive, discern, hold and execute what is right). Dhii also has the meaning karma. In this sense it can also mean May the supreme light of Savitri illumine our buddhi and karma together.
Now the question is what is ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः oṃ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ? Why this has become a part of this Mantra.
This is called vyāhṛti (व्याहृति) or a mystic utterance [added during the Brahmana (or the Interpretative texts of the Vedas) period], and to be repeated along with OM before the daily prayers.
भूर्भुवः स्वः bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ in a deeper sense stands for all the seven worlds — भूः bhūḥ, भुवः bhuvaḥ, स्वः svaḥ, महः mahaḥ, जनः janaḥ, तपः tapaḥ, सत्यम् satyam of the Veda. Chanted along with OM this expression glorifies the OM Pranava (ॐ इति भूः oṃ iti bhūḥ ॐ इति भुवः oṃ iti bhuvaḥ ॐ इति स्वः oṃ iti svaḥ). So it means OM has its presence in all the three worlds — bhūḥ, the earth, bhuvaḥ, the mid region and svaḥ, the heaven (पृथिवी-अन्तरिक्ष-द्युलोकनामक-लोकत्रयात्मकः pṛthivī-antarikṣa-dyulokanāmaka-lokatrayātmakaḥ).
OM is also the prāṇa, apāna and vyāna (प्राणापानव्यानशक्तिस्वरूपः prāṇāpānavyānaśaktisvarūpaḥ).
तैत्तिरीयारण्यकम् taittirīyāraṇyakam (7.5) says:
भूरिति वै प्राणः, यः प्राणयति जीवयति चराचरं जगत् स स्वयम्भूरीश्वरः bhūriti vai prāṇaḥ, yaḥ prāṇayati jīvayati carācaraṃ jagat sa svayambhūrīśvaraḥ ||
The earth or the bhūḥ is prāṇa as it nurtures and infuses all that is animate and inanimate with prāṇa. It is the Ruler Self-born.
भुवरित्यपानः, यः सर्वं दुःखं मलं च अपानयति सोsपानः
bhuvarityapānaḥ, yaḥ sarvaṃ duḥkhaṃ malaṃ ca apānayati sospānaḥ ||
The mid region bhuvaḥ is apāna as it takes away all dirt and all afflictions.
स्वरिति व्यानः यः विविधं जगद् व्यानयति व्याप्नोति च सः व्यानः
svariti vyānaḥ yaḥ vividhaṃ jagad vyānayati vyāpnoti ca saḥ vyānaḥ ||
The upper world svaḥ is vyāna as it is spread over or extended to various worlds.
OM is also of the nature of Sacchidananda (सच्चिदानन्दस्वरूपः saccidānandasvarūpaḥ)
The vyāhṛti here is to invoke the presence of OM before reciting the actual prayer. The OM in its triple form ( bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ and svaḥ) is the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient:
प्रणवो हीश्वरं विद्यात् सर्वस्य हृदि संस्थितम् |
सर्वव्यापिनमोङ्कारं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ||
praṇavo hīśvaraṃ vidyāt sarvasya hṛdi saṃsthitam |
sarvavyāpinamoṅkāraṃ matvā dhīro na śocati ||
(gauḍapādakārikā, āgamaprakaraṇam, 28)
Know the PRANAVA OM as the Omnipotent Ishvara who rules over all, as the Omnipresent seated in the heart of all, the Omniscient All-knowing that has the knowledge of all. Thus knowing the wise one becomes free from all griefs.
All the above has to be kept in mind while reciting oṃ bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ before the Gayatri Mantra.
This helps invoking the presence of OM that transcends all worlds.
Here is the word by word explanation of the Mantra:
अन्वयः — ओम् भूः भुवः स्वः। सवितुः देवस्य तत् वरेण्यं भर्गः धीमहि। यः नः धियः प्रचोदयात्।
anvayaḥ — om bhūḥ bhuvaḥ svaḥ. savituḥ devasya tat vareṇyaṃ bhargaḥ dhīmahi. yaḥ naḥ dhiyaḥ pracodayāt.
ओम् om — The Supreme sound, the signature of the Lord.
भूः bhūḥ— The earth (in the lower hemisphere representing the physical consciousness and in the higher hemisphere representing the SAT).
भुवः bhuvaḥ— The mid region (in the lower hemisphere representing the vital consciousness and in the higher hemisphere representing the CHIT).
स्वः svaḥ— The heaven (in the lower hemisphere representing representing the mental consciousness and in the higher hemisphere representing the ANANDA).
सवितुः देवस्य savituḥ devasya — Of god Savitri, the creative Sun
तत् tat— That
वरेण्यं vareṇyaṃ— Supreme
भर्गः bhargaḥ— Light
धीमहि dhīmahi — We contemplate upon
यः yaḥ— He who
नः naḥ— Our
धियः dhiyaḥ— Intelligence
प्रचोदयात् pracodayāt— May impel/illumine
We contemplate on the supreme Light of the creative Sun. May he impel/illumine our intelligence.
-Sampadananda Mishra
