If you’ve been in one of my classes or workshops, then you know that chanting is an integral part of my teaching.  The Asatoma Prayer it is the chant used to begin my classes.  I learned this chant as part of my studying with Gurudev, Yogi Amrit Desai, and I continue to chant it to not only begin classes but also at the start of my own daily sadhana.  I’ve received a couple of requests for more information about the Asatoma Prayer recently; so, here we are.

First, don’t get hung up on the word prayer.  The Asatoma Prayer is a humble request directed at your own Higher Self, the Guru within you.  Patañjali refers to the Guru within as the Witness or Seer.  This is that which exists before life and after death.  Gurudev calls this the Guru, Source, Higher Self or God-within.  In LDS terms, this is spirit.

Sanskrit	English
Asatoma Sadgamaya	Lead me from the unreal to the real
Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya	Lead me from darkness to light
Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya	Lead me from time bound consciousness to timeless state of be-ing
Gurur Brahma	The Guru is Brahma, Creator
Gurur Vishnu	The Guru is Vishnu, Preserver
Gurur Devo Maheshvarah	The Guru is Shiva, Transformer
Gurur Sakshat Param Brahma	The Guru is the Supreme Absolute
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha	Salutations to that beloved Guru
OM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti	OM, Peace, Peace, Peace

MP3 of Ramdas chanting the Asatoma Prayer

Asatoma Sadgamaya

Lead me from the unreal to the real.  We all have stories that we make up about everyday life.  These stories color our vision so we can’t see what’s really happening right in front of us.  This is a reminder for us to practice truth.

Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya

Lead me from darkness to light.  To one degree or another, we live in the darkness of ignorance.  While we might be unintentionally ignorant, in the dark, about what is going on around us; we are often wilfully ignorant of what is going on within us.  This is a reminder that if we do not practice self-study, we will be left in the dark.

Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya

Lead me from time bound consciousness to timeless state of be-ing. This is Gurudev’s interpretation of this line.  The actual translation is “Lead me from death to immortality” but that’s not a very practical translation.  Death becomes a time bound consciousness, one that is limited by time or is consumed with the past or the future.  Immortality becomes timeless state of be-ing, one that is not limited by the constraints of life or death but is fully alive and engaged in this present moment, now.  One cannot live the memories of yesterday nor the fantasies of tomorrow.  One can only live now.  When does now end?  When did it begin?  We are reminded that Yoga is stilling the mind so as to be fully Present now.

Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshvarah

The Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.  These three Hindu deities represent the powers of creation, preservation and transformation that lie within each one of us.  We each have to power to create, sustain and transform every experience we have.  You might say, “Outside forces work on me every day.  How can you say I create my experiences when I have no control over what happens to me?”  True, if I give you an ice cream, you have no control over that.  You do, however, create your experience of my giving you an ice cream.  If the day is hot, you might create a pleasant experience.  If you have just vowed to give up ice cream for a year, you might create a painful experience.  The ice cream remains the same.  You then have the power to sustain that experience or to transform it into something else. (Side note, yes gurur is spelled correctly as it’s the proper form of the Sanskrit word guru for the way it’s used in this mantra).

Gurur Sakshat Param Brahma

The Guru is the Supreme Absolute.  The Guru—Source, Witness, spirit—is eternal.  The circumstances surrounding it—sickness, health, youth, old age, poverty, wealth—will change but the Guru remains.

Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha

Salutations to that beloved Guru.  We welcome the True Guru into our lives.  Yes, the Guru is already and has always been within each of us but we consciously acknowledge that there is something more than this identity that we have created so far in this life.

OM, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

OM (represents everything), Peace, Peace, Peace.  For me, this line has a beautiful triple meaning:  First, everything that has been chanted to this point is designed to create peace.  Second, everything that is about to occur in my sadhana is designed to create peace.  Third, everything is designed to create peace.

For me, the Asatoma Prayer is a source of great strength and peace.  I hope that it will bring you a sense of peace and quiet strength as well.

Jai Bhagwan