Pitṛ Stotra

The Pitṛ Stotra is the hymn that Ruci composed in praise of the thirty-one gaṇas (groups) of Pitṛ-devatās, the devas who are the pitṛs (the ancestors). Ruci made it after Brahmā told him to worship the pitṛs. It is found in the Ācāra Khaṇḍa of the Garuḍa Mahā Purāṇa, in Chapters 89 and 90. How Ruci came to compose it is told in the Ruci–Pitṛ Saṃvāda, the talk between Ruci and the pitṛs.

When this stotra is recited at śrāddha (the rite for the ancestors), the Pitṛ-devatās come in person and stay satisfied for years.

The thirty-one gaṇas

The stotra names and praises the thirty-one gaṇas of Pitṛ-devatās in groups.

The whole universe is filled by these thirty-one gaṇas of Pitṛ-devatās.

The stotra

The stotra begins with a series of verses that start with namas yāme’haṃ (“I bow”). Each is addressed to one kind of pitṛs, in one setting of worship. Here are the verses that are given.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn bhaktyā ye vasanty adhi daivataṃ |
devair api hi tarpyante ye śrāddheshu svadhottaraiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who live among the devatās, with devotion. Even the devas satisfy them at śrāddhas with offerings that end in svadhā.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn svarge siddhāḥ santarpayanti yān |
śrāddheshu divyaiḥ sakalaiḥ upahārair anuttamaiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs in svarga (heaven) whom the siddhas satisfy at śrāddhas with all kinds of divine and unsurpassed offerings.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn svarge ye tarpyante maharshibhiḥ |
śrāddhairmano mayair bhaktyā bhukti mukti mabhīpsubhiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs in svarga who are satisfied by the great ṛshis with śrāddhas made in the mind, with devotion, by those who wish for enjoyment and for mukti (liberation).

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn bhaktyā ye’rcyante guhyakair divi |
tanmayatvena vāñchadbhir ṛddhim ātyantikīṃ parāṃ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are worshipped with devotion in the sky by the guhyakas, who wish, by becoming one with them, for the highest and final prosperity.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn maryair arcyante bhuvi ye sadā |
śrāddheshu śrāddhayābhīshṭa lokapushṭi pradāyinaḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are always worshipped on earth by mortals at śrāddhas, with faith and with their wishes in mind, and who give nourishment to the world.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn viprair arcyante bhuvi ye sadā |
vāñchitābhīshṭa lābhāya prājāpatya pradāyinaḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are always worshipped on earth by brāhmaṇas, to gain what they wish, and who give the state of Prajāpati.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn ye vai tarpyante’raṇyavāsibhiḥ |
vanyaiḥ śrāddhairy atānihārais tapo rdhūta kalmashaiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are satisfied by those who live in the forest, with śrāddhas made of forest food, by those whose faults have been shaken off by tapas.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn viprair naishṭhikair dharma cāribhiḥ |
ye saṃyatātmabhir nityaṃ santarpyante samādhibhiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are always satisfied by brāhmaṇas who keep lifelong brahmacarya, who follow dharma, who rule themselves, and who stay in samādhi.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛchrāddhai rājanyās tarpayanti yān |
kavyair aśeshair vidhivat loka dvaya phala pradān ||

I bow to the pitṛs whom the kings (rājanyas) satisfy by śrāddhas, with all the kavya offerings made by the rule, and who give the fruit of both worlds.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛn śūdrair arcyante bhuvi ye sadā |
svakarmābhiratair nityaṃ pushpadhūpānna vāribhiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are always worshipped on earth by śūdras, who are always devoted to their own work, with flowers, incense, food and water.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛchrāddhocchūdrair api ca bhaktitaḥ |
santarpyante jagat kṛtsnaṃ nāmnākhyātāḥ sukālinaḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are satisfied with devotion also by śūdras, and who are known by the name Sukālin.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛchrāddhe pātāle ye mahāsuraiḥ |
santarpyante sudhāhārais tyakta daṃbhamadaiḥ sadā ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are satisfied in pātāla by the great asuras, who live on nectar and who have given up pride and arrogance.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛchrāddhai rcyante ye rasātale |
bhogair aśeshair vidhivan nāgaiḥ kāmān abhīpsubhiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are worshipped in rasātala by the nāgas, who wish for their desires, with all kinds of enjoyments, by the rule.

namas yāme’haṃ pitṛchrāddhai sarpaiḥ santarpitān sadā |
tatraiva vidhivan mantra bhoga sampat samanvitaiḥ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are always satisfied there by the sarpas (serpents), by the rule, with mantras, enjoyments and wealth.

pitṛn namas ye nivasanti sākshād ye devaloke’tha mahītaleva |
tathāntarikshe ca surāri pūjyās te vai pratīcchantu mayopanītaṃ ||

I bow to the pitṛs who live in person in the world of the devas, on the face of the earth and in the sky, and who are worshipped even by the enemies of the devas. May they accept what I have brought.

pitṛn namas ye paramārtha bhūtā
ye vai vimāne nivasanty amūrtāḥ |
yajanti yān astamalair manobhiḥ
yogīśvarāḥ kleśa vimukti hetūn ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are the highest truth, who live without form in vimānas (heavenly chariots). The lords of yoga worship them with minds free of stain, as the cause of release from kleśa (suffering).

pitṛn namas ye divi ye ca mūrtāḥ
svadhābhujaḥ kāmya phalābhi sandhau |
pradāna śaktāḥ sakalepsitānāṃ
vimukti dāye’nabhisaṃhiteshu ||

I bow to the pitṛs who are in the sky and who have form, who eat the offerings of svadhā. They are able to give all that is wished. They give release to those who have no desire for fruit.

tṛpyantu te’smin pitaraḥ samastā
icchāvatāṃ ye pradaśanti kāmān |
suratvaṃ indratvaṃ ito’dhikaṃ vā
gajāśva ratnāni mahāgṛhāṇi ||

May all those pitṛs be satisfied here, who grant the wishes of those who wish: the state of a deva, the state of Indra or more than that, elephants, horses, jewels and great houses.

somasya ye raśmishu ye’rka bimbe
śukle vimāne ca sadā vasanti |
tṛpyantu te’smin pitaro’nnato yaiḥ
gandhādinā pushṭim ito vrajāntu ||

May those pitṛs who always live in the rays of Soma, in the disc of the sun and in the white vimāna be satisfied here with food, and may they go from here to nourishment through fragrance and the other offerings.

yeshāṃ hute’gnau havishā ca
tṛptir ye bhuñjate vipra śarīra sansthāḥ |
ye piṇḍa dānena mudaṃ prayānti
tṛpyantu te’smin pitaro’nnato yaiḥ ||

May those pitṛs be satisfied here with food, whose satisfaction comes from the havis offered in the fire, who dwell in the bodies of brāhmaṇas and eat there, and who rejoice at the gift of piṇḍa (the rice balls).

The verses go on in the same way through all 31 gaṇas. The stotra closes with the verses that follow.

agnishvāttā bahirshada ājyapāḥ somapās tathā |
vrajantu tṛptiṃ śrāddhe’smin pitaras tārpitā mayā ||

May the Agnishvāttas, Barhishads, Ājyapās and Somapās, the pitṛs who have been satisfied by me, reach satisfaction in this śrāddha.

agnishvāttāḥ pitṛ gaṇāḥ prācīṃ rakshantu me diśaṃ |
tathā bahirshadaḥ pāntu yāmyāṃ me pitaraḥ sadā |
pratīcīm ājyapās tadvad udīcīm api somapāḥ ||

May the Agnishvātta gaṇas of the pitṛs guard my eastern direction. May the Barhishad pitṛs always guard my southern direction. In the same way may the Ājyapās guard the west, and the Somapās the north.

raksho bhūta piśācebhyas tathaivaāsura doshataḥ ||
sarvataḥ pitaro rakshāṃ kurvantu mama nityaśaḥ ||

May the pitṛs always protect me on every side from rākshasas, bhūtas and piśācas, and from the harm of asuras.

The thirty-one gaṇas named in verse

The stotra also names the gaṇas in these verses.

viśvo viśvabhug ārādhyo dharmo dhanyaḥ śubhānanaḥ |
bhūtidaḥ bhūtakṛd bhūtiḥ pitṛṇāṃ ye gaṇā nava ||

These are the nine gaṇas of the pitṛs: Viśva, Viśvabhuk, Ārādhya, Dharma, Dhanya, Śubhānana, Bhūtida, Bhūtakṛt and Bhūti.

kalyāṇaḥ kalyadaḥ kartā kalyaḥ kalyatarāśrayaḥ |
kalyatā hetur anaghaḥ shaḍ ime te gaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ ||

These six gaṇas are remembered: Kalyāṇa, Kalyada, Kartā, Kalya, Kalyatarāśraya, and Kalyatāhetu Anagha.

varo vareṇyā varadas tushṭidaḥ pushṭidas tathā |
viśvapālo tathā dhātā saptaite ca gaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ ||

These seven gaṇas are remembered: Vara, Vareṇya, Varada, Tushṭida, Pushṭida, Viśvapāla and Dhātā.

mahān mahātmā mahito mahimāvān mahābalaḥ |
gaṇāḥ pañca tathaivai te pitṛṇāṃ pāpa nāśanāḥ ||

These five gaṇas of the pitṛs destroy pāpa (sin): Mahān, Mahātmā, Mahita, Mahimāvān and Mahābala.

sukhadaḥ dhanadaś cānyo dharmado’nyaś ca bhūtidaḥ |
pitṛṇāṃ kathyate caiva tathā gaṇa catushṭayaṃ ||

A group of four gaṇas of the pitṛs is also named: Sukhada, Dhanada, Dharmada and Bhūtida.

eka-triṃśat pitṛ-gaṇair vyāptam akhilaṃ jagat |
ta evātra pitṛ-gaṇās tushyantu ca madāhitāt ||

The whole universe is filled by the thirty-one gaṇas of the pitṛs. May those same gaṇas of the pitṛs be satisfied here by what I have offered.

The vara of the pitṛs

When Ruci finished the stotra, the Pitṛ-devatās appeared in blazing light. They were very pleased, and they said:

“We shall be gracious to all who pray to us through this stotra — granting them excellent pleasures (bhoga), knowledge of the ātman, āyur-ārogya, and putra-pautrādis. When the stotra is chanted while brāhmaṇas are eating at a śrāddha, we shall personally attend the ceremony and make that śrāddha-phala akshaya (inexhaustible).”

Āyur-ārogya is long life and health. Putra-pautrādis are sons, grandsons and the rest of the line.

How long the pitṛs stay satisfied by this stotra depends on the season:

• Hemanta (early winter): 12 years of their grace.
• Śiśira (late winter): 24 years.
• Vasanta and Grīshma (spring and summer): 16 years.
• Varshā (the rains): akshaya, without end.
• Śarad (autumn): 15 years.

The pitṛs also said:

“In whatever home this stotra is written and kept safely, we shall personally attend every śrāddha performed there and bless the householder.”

Sources

• Garuḍa Mahā Purāṇa, Ācāra Khaṇḍa, Chapters 89–90 (Adhyāya 89–90)