The Origin of Vedmata Gayatri

Veda means Supreme Knowledge. Rik, Yaju, Sam and Atharva are four branches of knowledge. Spiritual wellbeing and fulfillment, self realization, peace of mind, Brahma-Nirvana, dutifulness, love, Tapas, compassion, beneficence, generosity, service etc., fall under Rigved. Generosity, valour, courage, gallantry, self defence, leadership, fame, victory, power, dignity etc., fall under Yajurved. Samved deals with games, sports, amusement, recreation, music, arts, literature, sensual enjoyment, beauty, harmony, poetic imagery dynamism, refined taste, gratification etc. Wealth, prosperity, accumulation of money and resources, medicines, food grains, materials, metals, buildings, vehicles, animals and similar other materials of worldly wellbeing fall within the purview of Atharva Veda.

If the subtle and material, internal and external activities and imaginations of any living being are seriously and scientifically examined, it will appear that its entire consciousness moves within these four spheres. The current of knowledge of all living-beings flows only in the four directions of (1) Rik-spiritual wellbeing and fulfillment ,(2) Yaju- valour, (3) Sam- enjoyment, and (4) Atharva- prosperity. Rik is also known as righteousness, Yajur as liberation (Moksha), Sam as sensual pleasure (Kam) and Atharva as prosperity (Arth). These are four faces of Brahma. Brahma has been described four-faced, because although having only one face, there is outflow of four currents of knowledge from his mouth. Although supreme Knowledge or law which is called Veda is one, it manifests in four different aspects. This is the secret behind the four arms of Vishnu. For the spontaneous development of these four aspects, four stages of human life (Ashrams) and four social divisions (Varnas) have been formed. Childhood is the stage of playfulness and self development; youth of raising a family and earning money, Vanprastha of virility, and Sanyas of doing welfare activities. According to this four-fold division, Brahman is Rik, Kshatriya is Yaju, Vaishya is Atharva and Shudra is Sam.

These four kinds of knowledge are off-shoots of that creative consciousness of Brahma which has been described in the ancient scriptures by the name of Gayatri. Thus, Gayatri is mother of four Vedas and it is, therefore, called Vedmata. Just as water manifests in four different forms of ice, vapour (cloud, dew, fog etc.), air (hydrogen, oxygen) and liquid, and fire manifests in the forms of burning, heat, light and movement, so also Gayatri manifests in the form of four Vedas, four kinds of knowledge. Gayatri is the mother and four Vedas her progeny.