Greatness of Gayatri as per Dharmasaastras

Greatness of Gayatri as per Dharmasaastras 

प्रणवे नित्ययुक्तस्य व्याहृतीषु च सप्तसु

त्रिपादायां च गायत्र्यां न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्।
परिहाप्यापि वेदांस्त्रीन् कर्माणि विविधानि च
सावित्रीमात्रमाश्रित्य द्विजो भवति निर्भयः॥
पूर्वां सन्ध्यां जपंस्तिष्ठन् नैशमेनो व्यपोहति
पश्चिमां तु समासीनो मलं हन्ति दिवाकृतं।
ऋषयो दीर्घसन्ध्यत्वात् दीर्घमायुरवाप्नुयुः
प्रज्ञां यशस्च कीर्तिम् च ब्रह्मवर्चसमेव च॥
praṇave nityayuktasya vyāhṛtīṣu ca saptasu
tripādāyāṁ ca gāyatryāṁ na bhayaṁ vidyate kvacit|
parihāpyāpi vedāṁstrīn karmāṇi vividhāni ca
sāvitrīmātramāśritya dvijo bhavati nirbhayaḥ||
pūrvāṁ sandhyāṁ japaṁstiṣṭhan naiśameno vyapohati
paścimāṁ tu samāsīno malaṁ hanti divākṛtaṁ|
ṛṣayo dīrghasandhyatvāt dīrghamāyuravāpnuyuḥ
prajñāṁ yaśasca kīrtim ca brahmavarcasameva ca||

 From Dharmasaastraas.

One who is always in meditation of OM the pranavam, the seven vyahritis namely bhuuH , bhuvaH, suvaH, mahaH, janaH tapaH satyam  and the three paadams of gayatri  tatsavitur.......(1)  bhargo.......(2) and dhiyo...(3),  for whom there can be no fear from anything anywhere.

Even if a person (twice-born) is not able to or has not equipped himself with the knowledge of trayee... the three vedas rk, yajus, and sama, or the other rituals and practices which are usually ordained to him and still he holds on to the upasana of Gayatri alone  he will be bereft of sins and fears..

A dwija should chant Gayatri in the post brahma sandhya muhurta in the morning in a standing pose and all his sins committed during the previous night vanishes from him.  He should chant Gayatri  in a sitting posture in the sandhya period of the evening and all the sins committed by him during the day departs from him.

It has to be noted that the Maadhyahnikopasanam is practically an expiation for  the consumption of prohibited and leftover food and perfoming actions unbecoming of a dwija and if the morning and evening sandhya and Gayatrijapam are peformed with necessary caution , skipping of Madhyahnikam may not be seriously harmful.. Of course this is only a contemporary view and nod purist will approve with this view.  Personally I do not agree with the view than Maahyahnikam can be skipped. 

The statement that chanting gayatri alone can protect even in spite of non-practice of other rituals or study of vedas again, is a view which is to support people who are in dire distress or incapability for anything.. it is like liquid food and oxygen mask and life supporting system, meant for the sinking patient.  But when one is healthy, affluent and is capable of performance, he should practice all Karmas and engage in study of Vedas  with all earnestness.