Nectar of Immortality

asato ma sad gamaya

Usually sung in unison, this chant comes from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, verse I.iii.28. This makes it a very ancient prayer.

Gurudevi composed a very simple melody as befits an ancient text, similar to a Gregorian chant.

The simple translation has layers of meaning:

From untruth to truth — from superficiality to the knowing of my own Divine Essence

From darkness to light — from being lost in delusion to the light of my own Divinity

From the fear of death to the nectar of immortality, from death and fear to the bliss of my own Self.

Each line includes “gamaya,” meaning “lead me.” While you are chanting, consider who you are asking to lead you. At the end of the chant, allow yourself to receive the blessing for which you have prayed, to be led to the Truth, Light and Immortality of your own being.

This chant is very slow, in the beginning almost sounding like a funeral dirge. The plainsong begins to wear down your resistances and the bliss of your own Beingness grows inside, especially during the long OM.

Sanskrit

Asato ma sad gamaya

Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya

Mrityor ma amritam gamaya

English

Lead me from superficiality to Truth.

Lead me from darkness to light.

Lead me from the fear of death to the nectar of immortality.

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ATTRIBUTIONS

Originally published as The Chants of Awakening: Asato, 1999

Music & English Lyrics: Gurudevi Nirmalananda Saraswati

Harmonium, Tamboura: Gurudevi Nirmalananda Saraswati

Vocals: Deva Prem, Diane Donahue and Jenevive Bignell

Sound engineer: Doe Wails and Seacoast Sound

Recorded at: Seacoast Sound, La Jolla CA