217: Asathoma Prayer

Asatho Maa Sad Gamaya
Thamaso Maa Jyothir Gamaya
Mrithyor Maa Amritham Gamaya

Lead me from untruth to truth;

O Lord, lead me from the false, deluding earthly joys and pleasures to the Eternal Truth of Bliss (Ananda) of the Divine within.

Lead me from darkness to light;

O Lord, lead me from the darkness of ignorance binding me to this perishable body into the Eternal Light of the Soul Divine within.

Lead me from death to immortality.

O Lord, lead me from death to the Eternal Life, Divine, of oneness with you, within and all around forever and make me immortal.

In Prashanthi Vahini Swami explains:

Even for being blessed by the Lord's Grace, one must have Santhi and await patiently. Serenity alone succeeds in bringing about the result of Sadhana. Add this lesson to the practices you are engaged in, night and day, and to the Santhi Manthra.

"Asatho maa sadgamaya;
thamaso maa jyothirgamaya;
mrityor maa amritham gamaya,"

this is the Santhimanthra. The meaning of this mantra is given variously by various people, some elaborately, some succulently.

• "O, Lord, when I am deriving happiness through the objects of this world, make me forget the unreal objects and show me the way to permanent happiness," this is the first prayer.
• "O Lord, when the objects of the World attract me, remove the darkness which hides the all-pervading Atma, which every such object really is." This is the second prayer.
• "O Lord, bless me through Your Grace with Immortality or Paramananda, resulting from the awareness of the Effulgence of the Atma, immanent in every object." This is the third prayer. This is the real meaning of the Mantra.

The true Bhaktha will always be dwelling in God. He has no time to know or feel his welfare or worries. Attaining the Lord, is the one and only idea in his mind. It is hard to understand this nature, except by examples. A small child runs about in fear shouting, "Amma, Amma", searching for its missing mother. The mother takes it up in her arms and places it on her lap. The child stops crying and is free from all fear. But, can the child calculate and find out the difference between its previous state and its present relief? No. Nor is it necessary to do so.
So too, he who seek ever to serve the Lord will immerse himself in it when the glorious chance comes; in that Presence, no anxiety or trouble can disturb him. Anxiety and trouble pester only until the moment of attainment; then, all attention is diverted to the Experience. The past struggle and travail are forgotten.