35. Adhyāya 35 — Pitṛmedha
Mantras 1–10
35.1
अपेतो यन्तु पणयो ऽसुम्ना देवपीयवः ।
अस्य लोकः सुतावतः ।
द्युभिर् अहोभिर् अक्तुभिर् व्यक्तं यमो ददात्व् अवसानम् अस्मै ॥
apeto yantu paṇayo 'sumnā devapīyavaḥ ।
asya lokaḥ sutāvataḥ ।
dyubhir ahobhir aktubhir vyaktaṃ yamo dadātv avasānam asmai ॥
Go off from here the niggards, the malevolent and the revilers of Divinity. This is the beauteous place of the generous and inspired yajamana. May Yama, the leading light and controller of the world, grant him a place of rest and freedom blest by the lights of heaven and by days and nights.
35.2
सविता ते शरीरेभ्यः पृथिव्यां लोकम् इच्छतु ।
तस्मै युज्यन्ताम् उस्रियाः ॥
savitā te śarīrebhyaḥ pṛthivyāṃ lokam icchatu ।
tasmai yujyantām usriyāḥ ॥
Human soul, may Savita, Lord of life and Law, will and determine a suitable place of residence for your bodies on the earth or in the skies, and may the rays of the sun be instrumental to that placement for you.
35.3
वायुः पुनातु ।
सविता पुनातु ।
अग्नेर् भ्राजसा ।
सूर्यस्य वर्चसा ।
वि मुच्यन्ताम् उस्रियाः ॥
vāyuḥ punātu ।
savitā punātu ।
agner bhrājasā ।
sūryasya varcasā ।
vi mucyantām usriyāḥ ॥
35.4
अश्वत्थे वो निषदनं पर्णे वो वसतिष् कृता ।
गोभाजऽइत् किलासथ यत् सनवथ पूरुषम् ॥
aśvatthe vo niṣadanaṃ parṇe vo vasatiṣ kṛtā ।
gobhāja'it kilāsatha yat sanavatha pūruṣam ॥
Short is your stay in a temporary world. Your nest is built but on a leaf. Live here as co-sharers of existence with the earth, the senses, the sun-beams and the divine Word, and abide in worship close to the eternal Spirit of the universe.
35.5
सविता ते शरीराणि मातुर् उपस्थ ऽ आ वपतु ।
तस्मै पृथिवि शं भव ॥
savitā te śarīrāṇi mātur upastha ' ā vapatu ।
tasmai pṛthivi śaṃ bhava ॥
May Savita, lord of creation and generation, plant your bodies in the womb of the mother and seat you on her lap of love. Mother, mother earth, Mother Nature, be kind and gracious to this soul.
35.6
प्रजापतौ त्वा देवतायाम् उपोदके लोके नि दधाम्य् असौ ।
अप नः शोशुचद् अघम् ॥
prajāpatau tvā devatāyām upodake loke ni dadhāmy asau ।
apa naḥ śośucad agham ॥
O soul, I place you securely in the beautiful world close to the sacred waters within the divine Prajapati, father of his children. May He wash off our sins and shine us to brilliance.
35.7
परं मृत्यो ऽ अनु परेहि पन्थां यस् ते ऽ अन्य इतरो देवयानात् ।
चक्षुष्मते शृण्वते ते ब्रवीमि मा नः प्रजाꣳ रीरिषो मोत वीरान् ॥
paraṃ mṛtyo ' anu parehi panthāṃ yas te ' anya itaro devayānāt ।
cakṣuṣmate śṛṇvate te bravīmi mā naḥ prajāṁ rīriṣo mota vīrān ॥
Yama, lord of death and reckoning, keep off the path that is other than the divine. Come following the path that is supreme. Lord of vision, lord of the ear, I speak to you in prayer: Do not hurt our children, do not strike the brave.
35.8
शं वातः शꣳ हि ते घृणिः शं ते भवन्त्व् इष्टकाः ।
शं ते भवन्त्व् अग्नयः पार्थिवासो मा त्वाभि शूशुचन् ॥
śaṃ vātaḥ śaṁ hi te ghṛṇiḥ śaṃ te bhavantv iṣṭakāḥ ।
śaṃ te bhavantv agnayaḥ pārthivāso mā tvābhi śūśucan ॥
35.9
कल्पन्तां ते दिशस् तुभ्यम् आपः शिवतमास् तुभ्यं भवन्तु सिन्धवः ।
अन्तरिक्षꣳ शिवं तुभ्यं कल्पन्तां ते दिशः सर्वाः ॥
kalpantāṃ te diśas tubhyam āpaḥ śivatamās tubhyaṃ bhavantu sindhavaḥ ।
antarikṣaṁ śivaṃ tubhyaṃ kalpantāṃ te diśaḥ sarvāḥ ॥
May the spaces be harmonious and good to you. May the waters be soothing and blissful to you. May the rivers and the seas be kind and favourable to you. May the skies be kind and generous. And may all the directions feed, nourish, strengthen and season you with love and kindness (for life and death).
35.10
अश्मन्वती रीयते सꣳ रभध्वम् उत् तिष्ठत प्र तरता सखायः ।
अत्र जहीमो ऽशिवा ये ऽ असञ्छिवान् वयम् उत्तरेमाभि वाजान् ॥
aśmanvatī rīyate saṁ rabhadhvam ut tiṣṭhata pra taratā sakhāyaḥ ।
atra jahīmo 'śivā ye ' asañchivān vayam uttaremābhi vājān ॥
Friends, brothers and comrades, the river of rocks and boulders rushes on. Gird up your loins all, arise and cross over. Whatever be the hurdles against us, we crush, and let us win the battles of life to victory.
Mantras 11–20
35.11
अपाघम् अप किल्विषम् अप कृत्याम् अपो रपः ।
अपामार्ग त्वम् अस्मद् अप दुःष्वप्न्यꣳ सुव ॥
apāgham apa kilviṣam apa kṛtyām apo rapaḥ ।
apāmārga tvam asmad apa duḥṣvapnyaṁ suva ॥
Sage physician of mind and soul, great as apamarga, universal cure, wash out sin, cleanse impurity, eliminate evil action, rectify sensual frailties, and root out dirty dreams.
35.12
सुमित्रिया न ऽ आप ऽ ओषधयः सन्तु दुर्मित्रियास् तस्मै सन्तु यो ऽस्मान् द्वेष्टि यं च वयं द्विष्मः ॥
sumitriyā na ' āpa ' oṣadhayaḥ santu durmitriyās tasmai santu yo 'smān dveṣṭi yaṃ ca vayaṃ dviṣmaḥ ॥
May the waters and pranic energies, and herbs such as somalata be good friends to us, and may they be antidotes to those negativities which harm us and which we hate to suffer.
35.13
अनड्वाहम् आ रभामहे सौरभेयꣳ स्वस्तये ।
स न ऽ इन्द्र ऽ इव देवेभ्यो वह्निः संतरणो भव ॥
anaḍvāham ā rabhāmahe saurabheyaṁ svastaye ।
sa na ' indra ' iva devebhyo vahniḥ saṃtaraṇo bhava ॥
Just as we employ the bullock, off-spring of the cow, as carrier power for the service of noble people in
35.14
उद् वयं तमसस् परि स्वः पश्यन्त ऽ उत्तरम् ।
देवं देवत्रा सूर्यम् अगन्म ज्योतिर् उत्तमम् ॥
ud vayaṃ tamasas pari svaḥ paśyanta ' uttaram ।
devaṃ devatrā sūryam aganma jyotir uttamam ॥
Let us rise beyond the dark to the regions of light and bliss, watching higher and higher, and reach to the self-refulgent Sun, the highest light among the brilliancies of the universe.
35.15
इमं जीवेभ्यः परिधिं दधामि मैषां नु गाद् अपरो ऽ अर्थम् एतम् ।
शतं जीवन्तु शरदः पुरूचीर् अन्तर् मृत्युं दधतां पर्वतेन ॥
imaṃ jīvebhyaḥ paridhiṃ dadhāmi maiṣāṃ nu gād aparo ' artham etam ।
śataṃ jīvantu śaradaḥ purūcīr antar mṛtyuṃ dadhatāṃ parvatena ॥
I fix and raise this limit and boundary wall for the safety and discipline of the living souls so that nothing alien may encroach upon their freedom and property. May these abundant souls live for a hundred years and by their law and discipline resist death from within.
35.16
अग्न ऽ आयूꣳषि पवस ऽ आ सुवोर्जम् इषं च नः ।
आरे बाधस्व दुच्छुनाम् ॥
agna ' āyūṁṣi pavasa ' ā suvorjam iṣaṃ ca naḥ ।
āre bādhasva ducchunām ॥
Agni, lord giver of life, you purify and sanctify the long years of our life. We pray, create and promote food, energy and the light of knowledge for us, and throw off all evil and violence far from us.
35.17
आयुष्मान् अग्ने हविषा वृधानो घृतप्रतीको घृतयोनिर् एधि ।
घृतं पीत्वा मधु चारु गव्यं पितेव पुत्रम् अभि रक्षताद् इमान्त् स्वाहा ॥
āyuṣmān agne haviṣā vṛdhāno ghṛtapratīko ghṛtayonir edhi ।
ghṛtaṃ pītvā madhu cāru gavyaṃ piteva putram abhi rakṣatād imānt svāhā ॥
Agni, long-lived ruler of power and light, growing by fragrant offerings, manifesting in the rising flames of ghrta, abiding in ghrta, come and, having drunk of ghee and the honey-sweet delicious products of the cow, protect and promote these dedicated souls as father protects the children. This is the voice of the heart in truth of word and
35.18
परीमे गाम् अनेषत पर्य् अग्निम् अहृषत ।
देवेष्व् अक्रत श्रवः क ऽ इमाꣳ२ऽ आ दधर्षति ॥
parīme gām aneṣata pary agnim ahṛṣata ।
deveṣv akrata śravaḥ ka ' imāṁ2' ā dadharṣati ॥
All these, you all, protect and promote the cow, raise the holy voice of knowledge, preserve and replenish the earth, expand the fire of yajna, and feed the divinities of nature and the environment, and who can dare to challenge you ? None!
35.19
क्रव्यादम् अग्निं प्र हिणोमि दूरं यमराज्यं गच्छतु रिप्रवाहः ।
इहैवायम् इतरो जातवेदा देवेभ्यो हव्यं वहतु प्रजानन् ॥
kravyādam agniṃ pra hiṇomi dūraṃ yamarājyaṃ gacchatu ripravāhaḥ ।
ihaivāyam itaro jātavedā devebhyo havyaṃ vahatu prajānan ॥
Knowing well (what is right and what is wrong), I reject and cast away the flesh-eating fire. The carrier of sin must go to Yama, lord of justice and reckoning. And I pray: may this other fire of yajna, symbol of knowledge and power of light and heat of life, come bringing auspicious food and fragrance for the divinities of nature and the best of humanity.
35.20
वह वपां जातवेदः पितृभ्यो यत्रैनान् वेत्थ निहितान् पराके ।
मेदसः कुल्या ऽ उप तान्त् स्रवन्तु सत्या ऽ एषाम् आशिषः सं नमन्ताꣳ स्वाहा ॥
vaha vapāṃ jātavedaḥ pitṛbhyo yatrainān vettha nihitān parāke ।
medasaḥ kulyā ' upa tānt sravantu satyā ' eṣām āśiṣaḥ saṃ namantāṁ svāhā ॥
Man of knowledge brilliant as Agni, for the parents and forefathers, manage the land where, far off, you know the hidden treasures therein, so that streams of delicacies flow for them and their dreams and wishes come true in holy word and deed.
Mantras 21–22
35.21
स्योना पृथिवि नो भवानृक्षरा निवेशनी ।
यच्छा नः शर्म सप्रथाः ।
अप नः शोशुचद् अघम् ॥
syonā pṛthivi no bhavānṛkṣarā niveśanī ।
yacchā naḥ śarma saprathāḥ ।
apa naḥ śośucad agham ॥
Earth, sweet mother, be good and kind to us, thornless and smooth, generous and hospitable. Wide and expansive, give us a happy home. Wash off our sins and make us shine.
35.22
अस्मात् त्वम् अधि जातो ऽसि त्वद् अयं जायतां पुनः ।
असौ स्वर्गाय लोकाय स्वाहा ॥
asmāt tvam adhi jāto 'si tvad ayaṃ jāyatāṃ punaḥ ।
asau svargāya lokāya svāhā ॥
Agni, lord of brilliance and master of a happy home, far higher above have you risen from this world. May this homely world be reborn of you as a new paradise. Our homage to that paradisal world of bliss.