Asato Mā Sadgamaya — Lead Me from Untruth to Truth
असतो मा सद्गमय
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28 · Universal Peace Prayer
Source: Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28
Key Points to Remember
- ▸Pañcamī (5th case) marks "from where" — असतः, तमसः, मृत्योः all mean "from X"
- ▸गमय = causative of √gam — "cause me to go" = "lead me"
- ▸अमृत = a + mṛta — "not dead" — same root as English "mortal" (from Latin mors)
- ▸तमस् = one of the three guṇas (qualities): tamas (inertia), rajas (passion), sattva (clarity)
The Verse
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
asato mā sad gamaya | tamaso mā jyotir gamaya | mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya | oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace.
— Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28
Word-by-Word Meaning
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| असतः | asataḥ | from the unreal, from non-being | a (not) + sat (real, true, existing — from √as, to be) — Pañcamī (5th, ablative): "from non-being" |
| मा | mā | me (first person accusative) | asmad — 1st person pronoun, Dvitīyā — "me" (direct object of "lead") |
| सत् | sat | the real, truth, being, existence | √as (to be, to exist) — present participle: "that which is" |
| गमय | gamaya | lead! bring! cause to go! | √gam (to go) — causative imperative: "cause me to go" |
| तमसः | tamasaḥ | from darkness | tamas (darkness, one of the 3 guṇas) — Pañcamī: "from darkness" |
| ज्योतिः | jyotiḥ | light, flame, radiance | √dyut (to shine) — neuter noun; same root as "Zeus" (Greek sky-god of light) |
| मृत्योः | mṛtyoḥ | from death | √mṛ (to die) — Pañcamī: "from death" |
| अमृतम् | amṛtam | immortality, nectar of immortality | a (not) + mṛta (died, from √mṛ) — "that which does not die"; same root as English "mortal" |
| शान्तिः | śāntiḥ | peace, tranquillity, cessation of disturbance | √śam (to be quiet, to calm down) — abstract feminine noun |
Three pairs of opposites: unreal/real, darkness/light, death/immortality. Each prayer uses Pañcamī (5th case — "from") for the negative and a destination for the positive. "Śāntiḥ" is chanted three times to address the three planes of disturbance: ādhibhautika (from other beings), ādhidaivika (from natural forces), ādhyātmika (from within).
Exercises (3)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Identify the pairs of opposites in the prayer
1. असत् (asat — unreal) ↔ _______ (real)
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सत् (sat)
2. तमस् (tamas — darkness) ↔ _______ (light)
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ज्योतिस् (jyotis)
3. मृत्यु (mṛtyu — death) ↔ _______ (immortality)
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अमृत (amṛta)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer
1. All three "from" words (asataḥ, tamasaḥ, mṛtyoḥ) are in which vibhakti?
Show answer
Pañcamī (5th)
2. "Gamaya" is a causative form. What does causative mean?
Show answer
"cause to go / lead"
3. "Amṛta" (immortality) shares its root √mṛ with which English word?
Show answer
Mortal
Exercise 3: Short Answer
Answer in your own words
1. The prayer asks to be led "from X to Y" — not "give me Y." What is the significance of the journey rather than the destination?
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2. Why is "śāntiḥ" chanted three times? What are the three sources of disturbance it addresses?
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