AUM asato maa

Om, May Lord protect us,
May He bring us to joy,
May we work together,
May our studies be thorough and faithful,
May we never quarrel with each other.
Om Peace Peace Peace!

Lead me from the unreal to Real;
Lead me from darkness (ignorance) to Light (knowledge)
Lead me from death to Immortality.
Om Peace! Peace!! Peace!!

History

Asatoma Sadgamaya is a Shanti Mantra (Mantra of peace), it is taken from Brihadaranyaka Upanishads (1.3.28). It is used as a prayer in Indian schools, during spiritual/ religious gatherings , social events and other times; it is believed that the recitation of these verses bring peace.

In recent times this peace mantra has been used in the 'Navras' soundtrack from the movie 'The Matrix Revolutions'.

At the beginning of a class, the teacher and students general y recite this peace invocation together. Both seek the Lord’s blessings for study that is free of obstacles, such as poor memory, or the inability to concentrate or poor health. They also seek blessings for a conducive relationship, without which communication of any subject matter is difficult. Therefore this prayer is important for both the teacher and the student.