Lyrics · Meaning · Audio
Three short lines from the Upanishads that sum up the whole spiritual journey: lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28
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Asato Ma Sadgamaya
Son of Kali · Essence of Sacred Mantras
Each line shows an easy way to say it, with its English meaning. Turn on the Sanskrit, the exact pronunciation or the word-by-word meaning whenever you want to go deeper.
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
Om Asato Ma Sadgamaya
oṃ asato mā sadgamaya
Om — lead me from the unreal to the real.
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya
tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
Lead me from darkness to light.
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya
mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ gamaya
Lead me from death to immortality.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
Om — peace, peace, peace.
Asato Ma Sadgamaya is one of the most quoted prayers in the world. It comes from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the oldest Upanishads, where it is called the pavamāna mantra — a “purifying” chant recited during Vedic rituals. In just three lines it captures the deepest longing of the human heart.
Each line moves from one state to its opposite. From asat (the unreal, the passing) to sat (the real, the lasting). From tamas (darkness, ignorance) to jyoti (light, understanding). From mṛtyu (death) to amṛta (the deathless). The Upanishad itself explains that all three mean the same thing: “make me immortal” — help me find what does not die.
It ends with Om shanti, shanti, shanti — peace three times, traditionally for peace in the body, peace in the world around us, and peace from forces beyond our control. It is chanted at the start of classes, meetings, yoga sessions and prayers all over the world.
Shanti mantras end with three repetitions of peace. Tradition explains them as calming three kinds of disturbance: ādhyātmika (from within — illness, worry), ādhibhautika (from other beings and the world around us) and ādhidaivika (from nature and unseen forces — storms, fate).
Saying peace three times is asking for harmony on every level of life.
Unusually, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad does not leave this prayer to interpretation. Right after it, the text says: the unreal is death and the real is immortality; darkness is death and light is immortality.
So all three lines are one prayer said three ways — a request to wake up to the part of us that is eternal.
When to chant
How many times
Usually chanted once or three times. As a meditation it can be repeated 11 or 21 times.
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Listen to the recording once with the meaning on.
Chant each line on one breath, feeling the movement from darkness to light.
End with Om and the three shantis, softer each time.
Sit in the quiet for a few breaths.
The sounds that trip people up most in this hymn, and how to say them.
asato mā
a-sa-toh maa, long “aa” on mā.
sadgamaya
sud-ga-ma-ya — “lead to the real.”
jyotirgamaya
jyoh-tir-ga-ma-ya.
mṛtyormā
mri-tyor-maa, ṛ as a short “ri”.
śāntiḥ
shaan-tih, with a soft breath at the end.
What does Asato Ma Sadgamaya mean?
“Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Om, peace, peace, peace.”
Where does Asato Ma Sadgamaya come from?
It is from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28), one of the oldest Upanishads, where it is called the Pavamana mantra.
Why is shanti said three times?
Traditionally the three shantis ask for peace from three sources of disturbance: within ourselves, from the world and other beings, and from nature and unseen forces.
When is Asato Ma Sadgamaya chanted?
It is popular at the start of classes, yoga sessions, meetings and prayers, and especially at Diwali, the festival of light.