asato mā

ASATO MĀ SADGAMAYA
TAMASO MĀ JYOTIRGAMAYA
MṚTYORMĀ AMṚTAM GAMAYA

Lead me from untruth to truth
Lead me from darkness to light
Lead me from death to immortality

asat: untruth
mā: me
sat: truth
gamaya: lead
tamas: darkness
jyoti: light
mṛtyu: death
amṛta: immortality

This Vedic mantra is an invocation from the “Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad” (1.3.28), the oldest and longest of the Upaniṣad-s. It belongs to the White Yajurveda and is therefore one of the earliest Hindu wisdom texts. “Bṛhadāraṇyaka” means “of the great wilderness/forest”, reflecting the understanding that these teachings emerged from the forest, a place far away from worldly life and therefore experienced as filled with the presence of god.
In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, “asato mā” is introduced as a prayer of purification referred to as the “Pavamāna” mantra, which means “being purified or strained”.
In many instances it can be seen as preceded by “oṃ” and/or concluded by “oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ”. These are, however, later additions that are not found in the source text.
“asato mā” can be chanted before meditation, yoga practice, or any other spiritual undertaking. Chanting this mantra, we ask for guidance to clarify our heart and mind so that we may clearly see what is real. In the context of Self-realization, this means attaining liberation by becoming one with the underlying reality of the timeless and unchanging soul, spirit, ātman, or jīva, which is identical in all of us.

I recorded a very short version of this mantra as the opening track of my first mantra album BOLO!, but because of certain challenges in the recording process, I was never entirely satisfied with the outcome. Since the album has now reached its 10-year anniversary, I’ve decided to re-record “asato mā” for my upcoming album RASA (to be released in 2021) in a reimagined version that will hopefully do it more justice.

Watch the video on IGTV

CHORDS (2020 version, from the upcoming album “RASA”)

Part 1
I Em C I D Em I
I ASATO MĀ I SADGAMAYA I
I Em C I D Em I
TAMASO MĀ I JYOTIRGAMAYA I
I Am Em I C Em I
I MRTYORMĀ AMṚTAM I GAMAYA I

Part 2
I Em G I C D I
I Lead me from I untruth to truth I
I Em G I C D I
I Lead me from I darkness to light I
I Em C I Am I D I Em I
I Lead me from I death to immor I tali I ty I

Part 3
I Em C I Am D I
I Truth I Light I
I Em C I D Em I
I Immor I tality I