Let us use the magnificent beauty of Nature
to inspire us to transcend the troubles of our lives.
to inspire us to transcend the troubles of our lives.
om asato ma sad gamaya -
Meaning, discussion
ॐ असतो मा सत् गमय ।
om asato mā sad gamaya
from I, me to real, may I go
untruth truth
may I move away from the unreal & untruthful, and towards the real and truthful
तमसो मा ज्योतिस् गमय ।
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
from I, me to light lead me
dark
lead me away from deadening darkness of confusion, and towards light of spiritual understanding.
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय ।
mṛtyor mā amṛtam gamaya
mortal not to eternal may I go
may I go towards the eternal happiness of Liberation, and not belong to the failings of mortal existence.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
shānti shanti shānti
peace peace peace
(inner peace, peaceful life, world peace)
from https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/om_asato_ma_sadgamaya.php
om asato mā sad gamaya
from I, me to real, may I go
untruth truth
may I move away from the unreal & untruthful, and towards the real and truthful
तमसो मा ज्योतिस् गमय ।
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
from I, me to light lead me
dark
lead me away from deadening darkness of confusion, and towards light of spiritual understanding.
मृत्योर् मा अमृतं गमय ।
mṛtyor mā amṛtam gamaya
mortal not to eternal may I go
may I go towards the eternal happiness of Liberation, and not belong to the failings of mortal existence.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
shānti shanti shānti
peace peace peace
(inner peace, peaceful life, world peace)
from https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/om_asato_ma_sadgamaya.php
The Song.
This appears on the album “The Essence” by Deva Premal, 1998. Simple, unembellished with continual repetition in traditional chanting style. With a short and simple instrumental interlude on guitar. Easy to learn. This early album launched her and her partner Miten onto their career as Kirtan musicians. I really enjoyed their concert in 2018, that near filled a very large concert hall in Westend of Brisbane. I rejoice in their success – their music now is much advanced from those early days, and very inspirational. Youtube has a recording similar to “The Essence” on -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIZHu4rGE5M
This mantra is also a favourite of my sister, who learned it not as Kirtan, but as chanting in her Yoga teacher training.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIZHu4rGE5M
This mantra is also a favourite of my sister, who learned it not as Kirtan, but as chanting in her Yoga teacher training.
The Mantra Discussed.
This is an ancient one, from the Brihada-ranyaka Upanishads (1.3.28). It captures the Goal of purification practice very succinctly.
Line 1 talks about the unreal (asatya) and the real (satya). This can refer to our True Nature. When the defilements assail us, and we are caught in suffering, we can reflect -
“Is this pain really my True Nature? Is this really me to be in suffering?”
“And if I think that this painful person is truly me, where will this lead me = gamaya?”
“Am I being caught in something lower, in my lower self or ego?”
Similarly, when we feel comfortable, at ease, confident, clear headed, when forgiveness and tolerance comes easy to us and it’s easy to share good things, we can look back to those times when we were not so well established. With the same reflection.
Line 3 talks about mortality (mrityu) and immortality (amṛta).
The enlightened state is often presented as the undying, as being eternal. When we can perceive the enlightened state as being permanent, then we know it is always there. It never dies, nor fails, nor disintegrates, just because we have fallen into another slump, yet again. It is always waiting for us, calling out to us. This perception, that happiness is still available to us, is the first step in the healing process. The first step out of suffering.
Unfortunately, the enlightened state is all too often obscured from us by defilements or kilesa. Indeed, this is the main role of defilements, to cut us off from eternal happiness. And defilements will arise, sooner or later, to do their work, whether we will this or no. That is their nature, since beginningless beginning, for all mortal human beings (mṛtyu).
So let us reflect on this dynamic of our experience as mortal human Beings (mṛtyu). Let us start moving towards (gamaya) the true (satya) happiness of amṛta. Let us move away from this lower state of darkness (tamaso) and away from our un-true (asato) or lower self.
Line 2 talks about deadening defilements (tamas) and spiritual enlightenment (jyotis). tamas robs us of vital energy, and leaves us depleted. So it includes despair and feeling defeated, unfair harsh criticism and judgement of people and pursuits, derogatory cynicism, apathy and dullness, hopelessness and depression. If allowed to persist too often for too long, it leads to the beginning of serious disease like cancer.
One way to get out of tamas is to get active, mentally or physically. This also includes those healing processes where we allow the body to move as it needs, and so includes belly shaking laughter with yawning, and also convulsive sobbing. Or just deliberate vigorous shaking of our body. The intuitive healing response to tamas is a short bout of hot violent anger when alone.
By contrast, jyotis is light. In Nature, this is the light of the Sun, who sends Her life giving rays to all life and all people, whether we know them and like them or not. So jyotis is unconditional. In spiritual terms, jyotis illuminates our Path thru life. jyotis also includes the radiant energy we have when we are completely filled with the spiritual Qualities or bodhyaṅga, so they may radiate from our heart and from our Being.
(My writeup on the triambakam mantra further explores the meaning of -
mrityor maa amritam. Perhaps for your next visit to this website …)
Line 1 talks about the unreal (asatya) and the real (satya). This can refer to our True Nature. When the defilements assail us, and we are caught in suffering, we can reflect -
“Is this pain really my True Nature? Is this really me to be in suffering?”
“And if I think that this painful person is truly me, where will this lead me = gamaya?”
“Am I being caught in something lower, in my lower self or ego?”
Similarly, when we feel comfortable, at ease, confident, clear headed, when forgiveness and tolerance comes easy to us and it’s easy to share good things, we can look back to those times when we were not so well established. With the same reflection.
Line 3 talks about mortality (mrityu) and immortality (amṛta).
The enlightened state is often presented as the undying, as being eternal. When we can perceive the enlightened state as being permanent, then we know it is always there. It never dies, nor fails, nor disintegrates, just because we have fallen into another slump, yet again. It is always waiting for us, calling out to us. This perception, that happiness is still available to us, is the first step in the healing process. The first step out of suffering.
Unfortunately, the enlightened state is all too often obscured from us by defilements or kilesa. Indeed, this is the main role of defilements, to cut us off from eternal happiness. And defilements will arise, sooner or later, to do their work, whether we will this or no. That is their nature, since beginningless beginning, for all mortal human beings (mṛtyu).
So let us reflect on this dynamic of our experience as mortal human Beings (mṛtyu). Let us start moving towards (gamaya) the true (satya) happiness of amṛta. Let us move away from this lower state of darkness (tamaso) and away from our un-true (asato) or lower self.
Line 2 talks about deadening defilements (tamas) and spiritual enlightenment (jyotis). tamas robs us of vital energy, and leaves us depleted. So it includes despair and feeling defeated, unfair harsh criticism and judgement of people and pursuits, derogatory cynicism, apathy and dullness, hopelessness and depression. If allowed to persist too often for too long, it leads to the beginning of serious disease like cancer.
One way to get out of tamas is to get active, mentally or physically. This also includes those healing processes where we allow the body to move as it needs, and so includes belly shaking laughter with yawning, and also convulsive sobbing. Or just deliberate vigorous shaking of our body. The intuitive healing response to tamas is a short bout of hot violent anger when alone.
By contrast, jyotis is light. In Nature, this is the light of the Sun, who sends Her life giving rays to all life and all people, whether we know them and like them or not. So jyotis is unconditional. In spiritual terms, jyotis illuminates our Path thru life. jyotis also includes the radiant energy we have when we are completely filled with the spiritual Qualities or bodhyaṅga, so they may radiate from our heart and from our Being.
(My writeup on the triambakam mantra further explores the meaning of -
mrityor maa amritam. Perhaps for your next visit to this website …)
Translational Note.
The word mā could mean ‘me’, or it could mean ‘not.’ The declension mṛtyoḥ is the noun mṛtyu in both genitive case and the ablative case. In singing Kirtan, this becomes mṛtyor. Line 3 is normally interpreted like so –
- mṛtyor mā can mean “may I go away from the limitations of mortal life”
But another interpretation is possible -
- mṛtyor mā can mean “not belong to mortality, not engendered by mortality”.
In this, I mean that our decisions and thus speech and actions not be controlled by the defilements = tamas.
jyotis and amṛta are changed into jyotir and amṛtam when we recite the mantra. This improves the sound of the mantra, and is called Sandi. Both nouns are in the accusative case.
For more translated Sanskrit mantras :
click onto the + at the top of this webpage, then click again onto the +
My introductory webpages “Mantras Translated A - C”
discuss how to gain the full benefit of these mantra writeups.