My Sanskrit is not perfect so I used http://vedabase.net/ dictionary. Tat Savitur Varam Rupam Jyotih Parasya Dhimahi Yannah Satyena Dipayet Tat = That Savitur = derived from Savitri (Creator) Varam = most auspicious Rupam = form Jyotih = Light Parasya = of the Lord (since para = Transcendental) Dhimahi = meditate on (since Dhi = Intellect) Yannah = by which (from yena http://vedabase.net/y/yena) Satyena = Truth Dipayet = illumine (dipa = light) Let us meditate on the most auspicious form of Savitri, on the Light of the Supreme which shall illumine us with the Truth The reason why Sri Aurobindo's Gayatri Mantra is different from the normal one is explained in M.P. Pandit's book "Sri Aurobindo and his Yoga" pp 106-107. You can find the relevant pages on http://books.google.com. Here I paraphrase the text The Gayatri Mantra is addressed to the Sun of Spiritual Truth at the head of Creatiion. This is not the Sun around which the Earth revolves. That is why the Sun is called Savitri and not Surya. The ordinary Gayatri Mantra illuminates only the mind whereas Sri Aurobindo's modification is aimed at supramentalisation. In Their Light,