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 सद्गमय ।
om asato maa sad gamaya |
unreal not real lead me
may I be not in the unreal ego, but moving towards real and higher self
तमसो मा ज्योति र्गमय ।
tamaso maa jyotir gamaya |
darkness not light lead me
may I be not in the darkness of confusion, but moving towards light of spiritual understanding.
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
mrtyor maa amrtam gamaya |
mortality not immortality lead me
may I be not in mortality, but moving towards the eternal happiness of Liberation
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
om shaantih shaantih shaantih ||
peace peace peace
May we have inner peace, peace in our lives, and world peace.
from https://greenmesg.org/stotras/vedas/om_asato_ma_sadgamaya.php
om asato maa sad gamaya |
unreal not real lead me
may I be not in the unreal ego, but moving towards real and higher self
तमसो मा ज्योति र्गमय ।
tamaso maa jyotir gamaya |
darkness not light lead me
may I be not in the darkness of confusion, but moving towards light of spiritual understanding.
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
mrtyor maa amrtam gamaya |
mortality not immortality lead me
may I be not in mortality, but moving towards the eternal happiness of Liberation
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
om shaantih shaantih shaantih ||
peace peace peace
May we have inner peace, peace in our lives, and 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 4 talks about mortality (mrityor) and immortality (amritam, amṛtāt).
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.
So let us reflect on this dynamic of our experience as mortal human Beings (mrityor). Let us start moving towards (gamaya) the true (satya) happiness of amritat, amritāt. Let us remain no (maa, mā) longer in this lower state of darkness (tamas) and our un-true (asat) or lower self.
(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 4 talks about mortality (mrityor) and immortality (amritam, amṛtāt).
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.
So let us reflect on this dynamic of our experience as mortal human Beings (mrityor). Let us start moving towards (gamaya) the true (satya) happiness of amritat, amritāt. Let us remain no (maa, mā) longer in this lower state of darkness (tamas) and our un-true (asat) or lower self.
(My writeup on the triambakam mantra further explores the meaning of -
mrityor maa amritam. Perhaps for your next visit to this website …)
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.
