Lyrics :
Asato Ma Sadgamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya |
Mrityor Ma Amritamgamaya
Om Shaanti Shaanti Shaantihi ||
~
Meaning :
Oh, Divine One,
Please lead me from the illusions of my world to the eternal truth
Please lead me from darkness to light
Please lead me from death to immortality
Let there be peace, peace, peace!
The basic essence of this mantra is to transcend from Asat (un-truth) to Sat (truth). Many might feel that "the truth" described in this mantra is either vague or exaggerated.
However, the truth mentioned in ancient texts is much more profound. According to Advaita Vedanta, truth is truth if it stands the test of time. The Vedanta suggests that truth should be the same in the past, the present, and the future.
When you imbibe this perspective described by Advaita Vedanta, the mantra gives a much richer meaning.
It means that the reality around us has to be looked at from a much more holistic view. In this visualization, there is unity in all aspects of the universe.
Darkness and light are two sides of the same coin. So is death and immortality, and consciousness and ignorance.