Pitṛsūktaṃ (पितृसूक्तं) -

Prologue –

The Pitṛ Sūktam is a compilation from the Ṛg Veda and is from the 10th Maṇḍalā. The Sūktam is invoked to satiate our ancestors of many generations and lifetimes and in turn, invoke their blessings for our well-being. The Sūktam is also a praise of Lord Yama, the Lord of Righteousness and Death as well as Lord Agni, the Lord of Fire and the conveyor of all oblations to the divinities and celestials, as well as all our departed ancestors. This Sūktam is most effective when invoked during the Mahālaya Pitṛ Pakṣa, but can also be invoked in the memory of our ancestors on any other occasions. This Sūktam refers to the Homa (yajña) and food offerings that we offer to our ancestors. A homa ritual accompanied by the invocation of this Sūktam is highly recommended.

Pitṛs can also be our descendants in our current or previous lifetimes and the same is acknowledged in this Sūktam as well as in the Pitṛ tarpaṇa rituals.

Pitṛsūktaṃ (पितृसूक्तं) -

udīratāmavara utparāsa unmadhyamāḥ pitaraḥ somyāsaḥ ।

asuṃ ya īyuravṛkā ṛtajñāste no'vantu pitaro haveṣu ॥ 1 ॥

उदीरतामवर उत्परास उन्मध्यमाः पितरः सोम्यासः ।
असुं य ईयुरवृका ऋतज्ञास्ते नोऽवन्तु पितरो हवेषु ॥ १ ॥

May our Pitṛs (ancestors) of the lower, intermediate and higher generations rise up to partake the Divine Soma offering, the nectar of immortality of the gods. May they become enlivened and remain in the highest order, by means of our sincere prayers and offerings. May they gain the eligibility to accept the sacrificial yajña offerings made to the celestial gods and goddesses. May they be pleased to offer their choicest blessings and immense protection to us at all times!

idaṃ pitṛbhyo namo astvadya ye pūrvāso ya uparāsa īyuḥ ।

ye pārthive rajasyā niṣattā ye vā nūnaṃ suvṛjanāsu vikṣu ॥ 2 ॥

इदं पितृभ्यो नमो अस्त्वद्य ये पूर्वासो य उपरास ईयुः ।
ये पार्थिवे रजस्या निषत्ता ये वा नूनं सुवृजनासु विक्षु ॥ २ ॥

May our sincere prayers be addressed to the newly departed as well as the previously departed ancestors, as well as all their descendants living or departed, residing in all realms such as the hellish Yamaloka, the mortal Martya loka (all material worlds like Earth etc.) or the Divine Viṣṇuloka etc. May our prayers bring good companionship to these souls and may they relish the after lives in joy and contentment.

āhaṃ pitṝnsuvidatrām̐ avitsi napātaṃ ca vikramaṇaṃ ca viṣṇoḥ ।

barhiṣado ye svadhayā sutasya bhajanta pitvasta ihāgamiṣṭhāḥ ॥ 3 ॥

आहं पितॄन्सुविदत्राँ अवित्सि नपातं च विक्रमणं च विष्णोः ।
बर्हिषदो ये स्वधया सुतस्य भजन्त पित्वस्त इहागमिष्ठाः ॥ ३ ॥

May our prayers help bestow and sustain immense knowledge, wisdom and greatness to our ancestors and their descendants by the grace of Lord Viṣṇu. May the ancestors be pleased to take a seat on the sacred Kuśa āsana (Big cordgrass mat) spread out for them in front of us and accept the fire and soma juice offerings prepared in their honor.

barhiṣadaḥ pitara ūtya(1)rvāgimā vo havyā cakṛmā juṣadhvam ।

ta ā gatāvasā śaṃtamenāthā naḥ śaṃ yorarapo dadhāta ॥ 4 ॥

बर्हिषदः पितर ऊत्य(१)र्वागिमा वो हव्या चकृमा जुषध्वम् ।
त आ गतावसा शंतमेनाथा नः शं योररपो दधात ॥ ४ ॥

O Dear Pitṛ ancestors who have graced us with your esteemed presence, please accept the homa fire offerings, as well as the food preparations that have been made for your consumption. Be pleased with the offerings and bestow your choicest blessings upon us all and all your descendants! May we be free of all sufferings and hardship caused by loss of wealth, health, peace etc. May all of these sufferings end immediately with your benevolence!

upahūtāḥ pitaraḥ somyāso barhiṣyeṣu nidhiṣu priyeṣu ।

ta ā gamantu ta iha śruvantvadhi bruvantu te'vantvasmān ॥ 5 ॥

उपहूताः पितरः सोम्यासो बर्हिष्येषु निधिषु प्रियेषु ।
त आ गमन्तु त इह श्रुवन्त्वधि ब्रुवन्तु तेऽवन्त्वस्मान् ॥ ५ ॥

May our Dear Pitṛ ancestors who have partaken the treasured soma juices offered to them and seated upon the sacred kuśa grass, listen to all our prayers and intercede on our behalf with the gods and goddesses. May your efforts and benevolence relieve us from all worries and grant us sufficient wealth and adequate protection from all harm.

ācyā jānu dakṣiṇato niṣadyemaṃ yajñamabhi gṛṇīta viśve ।

mā hiṃsiṣṭa pitaraḥ kena cinno yadva āgaḥ puruṣatā karāma ॥ 6 ॥

आच्या जानु दक्षिणतो निषद्येमं यज्ञमभि गृणीत विश्वे ।
मा हिंसिष्ट पितरः केन चिन्नो यद्व आगः पुरुषता कराम ॥ ६ ॥

O Dear Pitṛ ancestors, please bend your left knee and sit on the right side of the yajña fire altar. Please bless the fire rituals and sacrificial offerings made in your honor. We sincerely request you to please forgive our sins and faults made in the past and deficiencies in our efforts to serve you. Please be magnanimous and bless us to rise and shine in our mundane tasks and help us achieve the pinnacles of success and fruition of all our cherished desires.

āsīnāso aruṇīnāmupasthe rayiṃ dhatta dāśuṣe martyāya ।

putrebhyaḥ pitarastasya vasvaḥ pra yacchata ta ihorjaṃ dadhāta ॥ 7 ॥

आसीनासो अरुणीनामुपस्थे रयिं धत्त दाशुषे मर्त्याय ।

पुत्रेभ्यः पितरस्तस्य वस्वः प्र यच्छत त इहोर्जं दधात ॥ ७ ॥

Seated on the lap of the Divine Mother Uṣā, the goddess of dawn, O Dear Pitṛ ancestors, please shower your benevolence upon your descendants and make us wealthy in all aspects of life.

ye naḥ pūrve pitaraḥ somyāso'nūhire somapīthaṃ vasiṣṭhāḥ ।

tebhiryamaḥ saṃrarāṇo havīṃṣyuśannuśadbhiḥ pratikāmamattu ॥ 8 ॥

ये नः पूर्वे पितरः सोम्यासोऽनूहिरे सोमपीथं वसिष्ठाः ।

तेभिर्यमः संरराणो हवींष्युशन्नुशद्भिः प्रतिकाममत्तु ॥ ८ ॥

May Lord Yama, the god of righteousness and death, be pleased with our homa fire offerings and may He grant the privilege of partaking the celestial nectar soma with our departed ancestors, in the presence of the honorable sage Vasiṣṭhā and his lineage.

ye tātṛṣurdevatrā jehamānā hotrāvidaḥ stomataṣṭāso arkaiḥ ।

āgne yāhi suvidatrebhirarvāṅsatyaiḥ kavyaiḥ pitṛbhirgharmasadbhiḥ ॥ 9 ॥

ये तातृषुर्देवत्रा जेहमाना होत्राविदः स्तोमतष्टासो अर्कैः ।

आग्ने याहि सुविदत्रेभिरर्वाङ्सत्यैः कव्यैः पितृभिर्घर्मसद्भिः ॥ ९ ॥

Salutations to you O Lord Agni, the god of fire, conveyor of all offerings to the gods and goddesses! May you be pleased with the sacrificial offerings made by us in the presence of our departed ancestors seated on the kuśa mats, to appease you and all celestial sages, gods and all divinities. May you please bring along with you, the great homa specialist Kavya and other skilled sages, to enhance this ritual with the appropriate devotional practices and help gain immense fame and reputation to our ancestors, who thirst for drinking soma with the Divine celestials such as yourself!

ye satyāso havirado haviṣpā indreṇa devaiḥ sarathaṃ dadhānāḥ ।

āgne yāhi sahasraṃ devavandaiḥ paraiḥ pūrvaiḥ pitṛbhirgharmasadbhiḥ ॥ 10 ॥

ये सत्यासो हविरदो हविष्पा इन्द्रेण देवैः सरथं दधानाः ।

आग्ने याहि सहस्रं देववन्दैः परैः पूर्वैः पितृभिर्घर्मसद्भिः ॥ १० ॥

O Lord Agni, please be pleased with our offerings and bring along with you, thousands of our forefathers who have gained the honor to ride with you and other celestial gods like Lord Indra, Sūrya etc. to partake the yajña offerings and bless us all.

agniṣvāttāḥ pitara eha gacchata sadaḥsadaḥ sadata supraṇītayaḥ ।

attā havīṃṣi prayatāni barhiṣyathā rayiṃ sarvavīraṃ dadhātana ॥ 11 ॥

अग्निष्वात्ताः पितर एह गच्छत सदःसदः सदत सुप्रणीतयः ।

अत्ता हवींषि प्रयतानि बर्हिष्यथा रयिं सर्ववीरं दधातन ॥ ११ ॥

O Dear glorious Pitṛ ancestors, blessed and purified by the grace of Lord Agni, please take your seats on the Kuśa āsanas spread out here and partake all the food offerings prepared in your honor. Having satisfied yourselves with the food and yajña offerings, kindly shower your immense grace upon your descendants, who care and hold you in great honor at all times! May your blessings fruition and help us gain wealth, health, children, education, status and all types of prosperity!

tvamagna īḻito jātavedo'vāḍḍhavyāni surabhīṇi kṛtvī ।

prādāḥ pitṛbhyaḥ svadhayā te akṣannaddhi tvaṃ deva prayatā havīṃṣi ॥ 12 ॥

त्वमग्न ईळितो जातवेदोऽवाड्ढव्यानि सुरभीणि कृत्वी ।

प्रादाः पितृभ्यः स्वधया ते अक्षन्नद्धि त्वं देव प्रयता हवींषि ॥ १२ ॥

O Lord Agni jātaveda, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for blessing and sanctifying these humble yajña and food offerings and making them “svadhā” for the nourishment of our ancestors and satisfying all their needs. We sincerely pray and plead you to join and partake these offerings and be pleased with us. There is nothing more pleasing to us, than your acceptance of our humble offerings!

ye ceha pitaro ye ca neha yām̐śca vidma yām̐ u ca na pravidma ।

tvaṃ vettha yati te jātavedaḥ svadhābhiryajñaṃ sukṛtaṃ juṣasva ॥ 13 ॥

ये चेह पितरो ये च नेह याँश्च विद्म याँ उ च न प्रविद्म ।

त्वं वेत्थ यति ते जातवेदः स्वधाभिर्यज्ञं सुकृतं जुषस्व ॥ १३ ॥

O Lord Agni jātaveda, the all-knowing and most benevolent, may the yajña and food offerings be conveyed to the ancestors who are in our presence at this time, as well as those who were unable to make the journey to be here with us, those we are aware of and those whom we are completely unaware of, be honored and fully satiated by the svadhā made possible by your benevolent grace.

ye agnidagdhā ye anagnidagdhā madhye divaḥ svadhayā mādayante ।

tebhiḥ svarāḻasunītimetāṃ yathāvaśaṃ tanvaṃ kalpayasva ॥ 14 ॥

ये अग्निदग्धा ये अनग्निदग्धा मध्ये दिवः स्वधया मादयन्ते ।

तेभिः स्वराळसुनीतिमेतां यथावशं तन्वं कल्पयस्व ॥ १४ ॥

O Lord Agni jātaveda, please honor all our ancestors who are in the midst of heaven sanctified by you during the cremation rituals and those without. Please be pleased by our offerings and prayers and make them the embodiment of your Divine grace! We bow and submit ourselves to you in deep reverence.

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

May there be physical, mental and spiritual peace within and beyond!