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Amrita (, IAST: amṛta), Amrit or Amata in Pali language, (also called Sudha, Amiy, Ami) is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to in ancient texts as an elixir. Its first occurrence is in the Rigveda, where it is considered one of several synonyms for soma, the drink of the devas. Amrita plays a significant role in the Samudra manthan, and is the cause of the conflict between devas and asuras competing for amrita to obtain immortality.
Amrita has varying significance in different Indian religions. The word Amrit is also a common first name for Sikhs and , while its feminine form is Amritā. Amrita is cognate to and shares many similarities with ambrosia; both originated from a common Proto-Indo-European source.Walter W. Skeat, Etymological English Dictionary"Ambrosia" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 315.
The concept of an immortality drink is attested in at least two ancient Indo-European languages: Ancient Greek and Sanskrit. The Greek ἀμβροσία ( ambrosia, from ἀ- “not” + βροτός “mortal”) is semantically linked to the Sanskrit अमृत ( amṛta) as both words denote a drink or food that gods use to achieve immortality. The two words appear to be derived from the same Indo-European form * ṇ-mṛ-tós, "un-dying" Mallory also connects to this root an Avestan word, and notes that the root is "dialectally restricted to the IE southeast". ( n-: negative prefix from which the prefix a- in both Greek and Sanskrit are derived; mṛ: Ablaut of * mer-, "to die"; and -to-: adjectival suffix). A semantically similar etymology exists for Greek nectar, the beverage of the gods (Greek: νέκταρ néktar) presumed to be a compound of the PIE roots *nek-, "death", and -*tar, "overcoming".
Brahma enlightens the devas regarding the existence of this substance:
When the asuras claim the nectar for themselves, Vishnu assumes the form of the enchantress Mohini, and her beauty persuades the asuras to crudely offer her the task of its distribution: When the danava Rahu disguised himself as a deva and sat in the clan's row to partake in consuming the nectar, Surya and Chandra alerted Mohini of his presence. Mohini sliced his head off with her Sudarshana Chakra, and continued to distribute the nectar to every single one of the devas, after which she assumed her true form of Narayana and defeated the asuras in a battle.
Metaphorically, God's name is also referred to as a nectar:
The Shabda is Amrit; the Lord's bani is Amrit.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਸੇਵਿਐ ਰਿਦੈ ਸਮਾਣੀ ॥
Serving the True Guru, it permeates the heart.
ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖਦਾਤਾ ਪੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸਭ ਭੁਖ ਲਹਿ ਜਾਵਣਿਆ ॥
O Nanak, the Ambrosial Naam is forever the Giver of peace; drinking in this Amrit, all hunger is satisfied.Guru Granth Sahib, page 119
In doctrinal contexts, amṛta often refers to the ultimate goal of spiritual practice: liberation (vimokṣa). Nirvāṇa is described as "deathless," likened to an elixir that brings serenity and clarity to the enlightened person. Practitioners are said to metaphorically and physically "touch the deathless element" during profound spiritual experiences.
Amṛta is also associated with healing substances, including the five divine nectars (pañcāmṛta): milk, ghee, butter, honey, and sugar. In Tibetan Buddhism, these are incorporated into tantric rituals, where they are transformed into offerings in a skull cup (Kapala). Pills made from amṛta (bdud rtsi ril bu) are sometimes distributed by religious figures for spiritual and physical benefits.
In the Amata Sutta, the Buddha advises monks to stay with the four Satipatthana: "Monks, remain with your minds well-established in these four establishings of mindfulness. Don't let the deathless be lost to you."
In the Milinda Panha, King Milinda asks for evidence that the Buddha once lived, wherein Nagasena describes evidence of the Dhamma in a simile:
The foundational text of traditional Tibetan medicine, the Four Tantras, is also known by the name The Heart of Amrita ().
The Immaculate Crystal Garland () describes the origin of amrita in a version of the legend retold in Buddhist terms. In this Vajrayana version, the monster Rahu steals the amrita and is blasted by Vajrapani's thunderbolt. As Rahu has already drunk the amrita he cannot die, but his blood, dripping onto the surface of this earth, causes all kinds of medicinal plants to grow. At the behest of all the Buddhas, Vajrapani reassembles Rahu who eventually becomes a protector of Buddhism according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Inner Offering (, t=内供) is the most symbolic amrita offering assembly, and the Inner Offering Nectar Pill (, t=内供甘露丸) is a precious and secret medicine of Tibetan Buddhism, which are only used internally for higher-ranking monks in Nyingma school. Its ingredients including Five Amrita and Five Meat, which represents five buddhas, and five elements respectively. According to Tantras of Chakravarti, and Tantras of Vajravārāhī, a ceremony needs to be held for melting and blessing the Inner-Offering Nectar. Five Nectar needs to be arranged in four directions: yellow excrement in the east, green bone marrow in the north, white semen in the west and red blood in the south; blue urine is placed in the center. Four Nectar should come from Lama and the ova should be collected from the first menstruation of a blessed woman. The Five Meats are arranged similarly, meat of black bull in the southeast, the meat of the blue dog in the southwest, the meat of the white elephant in the northwest, the meat of the green horse in the northeast, and the meat of a red human corpse in the center. After the ceremony, these ingredients will transform into a one taste ( ekarasa) elixir, which bestows bliss, vitality, immortality and wisdom. Actual modern practitioners will take a 'synthesized essence' of the Nectar Pill and combine it with energy drinks and alcohol, but mostly the "Nectar Pill" are derived from plants.The handbook of Tibetan Buddhist symbols, Robert Beer. , Boston, MA. :Shambhala, 2003.
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