SánscritoIASTSignificado
अथातःathātaḥnow further; after this
पवमानानाम्pavamānānāmof the pavamāna chants (pavamāna — the 'purifying' sāmans); of the pavamānas; of the purifying chants
एवevaindeed; only
अभ्यारोहःabhyārohaḥthe ascent (abhi-āroha); the rising; the ascent
सःsaḥhe; that one
वैvaitruly; indeed
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
प्रस्तोताprastotāthe prastotṛ (prastotṛ — the priest who strikes up); the precentor; the prastotṛ
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
प्रस्तौतिprastautihe strikes up (pra + √stu); he begins to sing; he strikes up
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्रyatrawhere; when
प्रस्तुयात्prastuyāthe would begin; he would strike up
तद्tadthat; this
एतानिetānithese; these here
जपेत्japetlet him murmur (optative of √jap); let him utter softly; let him murmur
असतःasataḥfrom the unreal (asat, abl.); from non-being; from the unreal
माmānot; no need
सत्satthe true; being
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
तमसःtamasaḥfrom darkness (tamas, abl.); from the gloom; from darkness
माmānot; no need
ज्योतिःjyotiḥto the light (jyotis); to the radiance; to the light
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
मृत्योःmṛtyoḥfrom death (mṛtyu, abl.); from death; out of death
माmānot; no need
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
यद्yadwhen; that which
आहāhasays; it indicates
असतःasataḥfrom the unreal (asat, abl.); from non-being; from the unreal
माmānot; no need
सत्satthe true; being
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
इतिitithus; how
मृत्युःmṛtyuḥdeath; dying
वाvātruly; surely
असत्asatuntruth; the unreal
सत्satthe true; being
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
मृत्योःmṛtyoḥfrom death (mṛtyu, abl.); from death; out of death
माmānot; no need
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
माmānot; no need
कुर्व्kurvmake; create
इतिitithus; how
एवevaindeed; only
एतत्etatthis; the present
आहāhasays; it indicates
तमसःtamasaḥfrom darkness (tamas, abl.); from the gloom; from darkness
माmānot; no need
ज्योतिःjyotiḥto the light (jyotis); to the radiance; to the light
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
इतिitithus; how
मृत्युःmṛtyuḥdeath; dying
वैvaitruly; indeed
तमःtamaḥdarkness; gloom
ज्योतिःjyotiḥto the light (jyotis); to the radiance; to the light
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
मृत्योःmṛtyoḥfrom death (mṛtyu, abl.); from death; out of death
माmānot; no need
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
माmānot; no need
कुर्व्kurvmake; create
इतिitithus; how
एवevaindeed; only
एतत्etatthis; the present
आहāhasays; it indicates
मृत्योःmṛtyoḥfrom death (mṛtyu, abl.); from death; out of death
माmānot; no need
अमृतम्amṛtamto immortality (amṛta); to the imperishable; toward immortality
गमयgamayalead (causative imperative of √gam); lead across; the vedi
इतिitithus; how
नnanot; no
अत्रatrahere; in this place
तिरोहितम्tirohitamof the hidden (tiro-hita); of the concealed; of what is kept secret
इवivahow; as it were
अस्तिastiam; exists
अथathathereupon; further
यानिyānithose who; those that
इतराणिitarāṇiother; the rest
स्तोत्राणिstotrāṇithe hymns; of the praise
तेषुteṣuinto them; among them
आत्मनेātmanefor himself; for himself
अन्नाद्यम्annādyameatable food; food to be eaten
आगायेत्āgāyetlet him sing; he should chant
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
उusurely; indeed
तेषुteṣuinto them; among them
वरम्varama gift; the choice
वृणीतvṛṇītalet him choose; he should elect
यम्yamyam; the syllable yam
कामम्kāmamdesire; the target
कामयेत्kāmayetlet him desire; he might desire
तम्tamit; that one
सःsaḥhe; that one
एषःeṣaḥthis; he
एवंवित्evaṃvitone who knows thus; one who knows in this way
उद्गाताudgātāthe udgātṛ; the singer-priest
आत्मनेātmanefor himself; for himself
वाvātruly; surely
यजमानायyajamānāyafor the sacrificer; for the sacrificer
वाvātruly; surely
यम्yamyam; the syllable yam
कामम्kāmamdesire; the target
कामयतेkāmayatedesires; longs for
तम्tamit; that one
आगायतिāgāyatisings; he chants out
तद्tadthat; this
हhasurely; as is known
एतत्etatthis; the present
लोकजित्lokajita winner of the world; one who attains the world
एवevaindeed; only
नnanot; no
हhasurely; as is known
एवevaindeed; only
अलोक्यतायाःalokyatāyāḥof worldlessness; of being without a world
आशाāśāhope; expectancy
अस्तिastiam; exists
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एवम्evamthus; in this way
एतत्etatthis; the present
सामsāmathe sāman; the chant
वेदvedaknows; realises
The summit of the third brāhmaṇa is a prayer that has become the voice of all Upaniṣadic faith: asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor māmṛtaṁ gamaya — "from the unreal lead me to the Real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality". Three petitions, murmured (japet) beneath the rising pavamāna chants while the soma is being clarified in the strainer — as the juice is purified and rises, so does the soul.
And the Upaniṣad itself supplies their interpretation, cutting away every abstraction: the unreal is death; darkness is death; all three petitions are one: "from death lead me to immortality". And in the third, it says, "there is nothing hidden" — it is transparent as the thirst itself. The whole metaphysics of asat and tamas is reduced to a single living cry of a creature: do not let me die!
Mark the crucial word — gamaya, "lead": not "may I cross" but "carry me across". The prayer is addressed to One who leads: immortality is not seized but given, and the petitioner hands himself over in advance to the Hand that leads. Hence this ancient japa is essentially the seed of all bhakti: the admission that across the river of death a Ferryman is needed. With this prayer on its lips the Upaniṣad passes from sacrificial imagery to the great narratives about Him who leads.