Mr. Venkatakrishnayya, a lawyer-devotee, visited Sri Ramana Maharshi ten years before and asked Him what he should do to improve himself. Maharshi told him to perform Gayatri Japa. The young man went away satisfied. When he returned after some years, he asked:
Devotee: If I meditate on the meaning of the Gayatri mantra, my mind again wanders. What is to be done?
Maharshi Ramana: Were you told to meditate on the mantra or its meaning? You must think of the one who repeats the mantra.
Source: Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Summary
So what Sri Ramana Maharshi is saying here is that while doing mantra jap we must focus our mind on the Infinite Divine Consciousness (God, soul) within us. We must not try to think of the mantra’s meaning at that time. We can contemplate on the mantra’s meaning, for a few minutes, PRIOR to starting our jap. Then we can begin our jap.
Now suppose we are doing Gayatri Mantra Jap. Then when performing the jap, we can keep before our mind, the image of Gayatri Ma or of the rising sun, and concentrate upon those. The physical sun being a symbol of the Divine light of pure consciousness within us, whom we are trying to reach through our Sadhana. By doing jap in this way our sadhana will become fruitful.
