Question: What is the minimum number of Gayatri that one should Japa? We have specific rules on the number of Gayatri's to be repeated in morning/afternoon/evening. But what if that is hard?
Aachaaryah: The way it is instructed for Gayatri is with parts before and after it.

First, one does prokshana, apochana, arghya, then Gayatri Japa, then upasthanam. The time taken for Gayatri is much lesser than the time takes for the other kriyas.
In reality, one should repeat it 108 times, and in general, there is no relaxation for the morning Japa.

In the afternoon one can do 32, and in the evening one can do 64 and that I enough. What I say is, at least repeat the Gayatri at least 12 times. Repeating it fewer times is not an in. But one must do that Japa. I say this because, if we have some ashoucha.

We are not clean enough, then dharma shastras have actually instructed that it is sufficient to recite Gayatri fewer times. It is wrong for me to say myself without a pramana, that it is okay to recite it fewer times, and I am not doing that.

But the point to note here is, even if you have ashaucha and also if you are unclean, you should still do Gayatri Japa. Unlike much other karma, which you cannot/need not do, when you are unclean, here in Gayatri, the case is different.

You should still recite it, but just recite it fewer times. So Gayatri should always be on one's tongue.
If one has Gayatri with him, it is said that he can attain all victories. Some don't know it's value. They have never learned about its importance.

They have never tried to learn about its value. They never understand its importance. They are foolish to think that it has no value. How can we make them know its value? Only if they do the Gayatri Japa regularly, will they realise its importance?

With regular Gayatri Japa, the shastras say that it will enhance our buddhi, help us make the right decisions. We don't need any other recommendations.

Gayatri will always be our sole benefactor. Imagine a child who has Upanayana done at 8 years of age, & does this japa regularly from that age! Even ppl without the Japa r claiming to reach great heights, now think how beneficial if that person also has the added power of Gayatri

Under the worst case, if you have no time, you are on a bus or train, what do you do? At least recite the mantra inside your heart, that is better than not doing the Japa at all. But despite that, one should always try to do the Japa as prescribed by shastras.

Sandhya vabdhana should be done without fail, if you are in a position where you can't do full you have to do atleast manasika Sandhya Vandana. @kalpavirksha