Pavamana Mantra, the Chant for Enlightenment

At the end of every Yoga class, together we chant the Pavamana Mantra, from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

Despite being chanted in Sanskrit, it is relatively easy for most beginners to pronounce, with a universal, non-denominational appeal in the form of a simple imperative:

"May I be inspired to keep moving from the untruth (or misunderstanding) into the truth, from darkness (ignorance or fear) into the light, transforming suffering into bliss."

Please note that this is my liberal translation.  Feel free to compare with others to enhance your own interpretation.

We chant it very simply, in the style I learned in my Yoga Teacher Training at the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.

In my classes, we chant it accompanied only by the peaceful drone of the Shruti Box, but there are many other more orchestral versions which you may enjoy listening to or chanting along with.

Here are a couple to get you started:

The first version is an epic musical performance, most famous for appearing in the end credits of The Matrix and the second is a gentler, more traditional rendition from Ravi Shankar and George Harrison.

Jai!!!

Chant for Enlightenment

Om
Asatoma sat gamaya
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
Mryityor ma amritam gamaya

Om
From the unreal (untruth) to the real (truth)
from darkness (tamas) to light (sattva)
from suffering to the nectar of immortality.

 - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad


This is the verse I often close my yoga classes with.  I chant it the way I learned from my Sivananda teachers, but here are a few of others for you to listen to.

First, a beautiful and meditative Ravi Shankar version from "Chants of India".

Now, some of you may recognize the next one from the final credits of "The Matrix".

WARNING - this video contains scenes from the movie which are violent and gross!

Please feel free to scroll to something more sattvic while you listen.

And finally, the sweet and lovely Deva Premal. 

(Did I ever tell you that I met Deva?  In 2009, at the Omega Ecstatic Chant weekend.  I thanked her for Dakshina which I and many of my students at the time were listening to over and over and over again!  She hugged me for a long time and Om'ed in my ear... ahhh... I pass that big hug and her beautiful smile on to you now!)

Let us reach enlightenment together!  Jai!