(Compilation for a discourse by N.R. Srinivasan, Nashville TN, June 2014)
Sarvasvam Me Raamacandro Dayaalu |Na -Anyam Jaane Naiva Jaane Na Jaane
[Rama is my Mother and Rama (Ramachandra) is my Father, Rama is my Lord and Rama (Ramachandra) is my Friend, Rama is my All in All, O the Compassionate Rama (Ramachandra)! I do not know any other; I do not know any other; indeed I do not know any other.]
Yaanti devavrataa devaan pitrun yaanti pitruvrataah |
APPENDIX
MANTRAS & SLOKAS ON FATHER FROM VARIOUS SCRIPTURES
Mantra from Taittareeya Upanishad
“Pitru
devo bhava”--May the Father be, to thee, God!
Deva-pitru-kaaryaabhyaam na pramaditavyam
Never
swerve from your duties towards gods and to the Pitrus! (departed souls that
includes father if he is not alive)
Atharva Veda
The son
shall be devoted to his father, be of the same mind with his mother.
1. Sloka from Puranas-
पिता धर्मः पिता स्वर्गः पिता हि परमं तपः। पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने प्रीयन्ते सर्वदेवताः॥
Pita swarga,Pita
dharm ,Pita hi Param Tapo ; Pitari pritimaapannay, Preeyantay sarva devatah
Father is compared to Heaven; Father
is Religion; Father is ultimate sacrifice. He is placed at a higher pedestal
than all Gods combined --Padma Purana & Mahabharata
2. Slokas from Chankya
Neeti
जनिता चोपनेता च यस्तु विद्यां प्रयच्छति |अन्नदाता à¤à¤¯à¤¤्राता पञ्चैते पितरः स्मृताः |
Janitaa chopanetaa cha yastu vidyaam
prayachchati | annadaataa bhayatraataa pa~nchaite pitarahsmrutaah ||
One who gives birth, one who brings closer
(to the Lord, to spirituality - by means of initiating through the sacred
thread ceremony), he who gives knowledge, he who gives food, and he who
protects from fear - these 5 are deemed as fathers.
सत्यं माता पिता ज्ञानं धर्मो à¤्राता दया सखा। शान्ति: पत्नी क्षमा पुत्र: षडेते मम बान्धवा:॥
Satyam mata pitaa
jnaanam dharmo bhraata dayaa Sakha | shantih patnee kshama putrah
shadete mama baandhavaah ||
Truth is my mother, Knowledge is
my father, Righteousness is my brother, Mercy is my friend, and Peace is my
wife and Forgiveness my son. These six are my kith and kins.
सर्वतीर्थमयी माता सर्वदेवमयः पिता | मातरं पितरं तस्मात् सर्वयत्नेन पूजयेत् ||
sarvateerthamayee maataa
sarvadevamayah pitaa | maataram pitaram tasmaat
sarvayatnena poojayet ||
Mother is (the embodiment) of
all pilgrimages, father is (the embodiment) of all deities. Hence, mother
and father are to be revered with all efforts.
3. Slokas from Ramayana
यन्मातापितरौ वृत्तं तनये कुरुतः सदा | न सुप्रतिकारं तत्तु मात्रा पित्रा च यत्कृतम् |
yanmaataapitarau vruttam tanaye
kurutah sadaa | na supratikaaram tattu maatraa pitraa cha yatkrutam ||
--Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda
The deeds done by mother and father for
their children constantly; there is no requital to these actions performed by
the parents.
यतः मूलम् नरः पश्येत् प्रादुर्à¤ावम् इह आत्मनः | कथम् तस्मिन् न वर्तेत प्रत्यक्षे सति दैवते || २-१८-१६
Yatah moolam narah pasyet
pradurbhaavam iha aatmanah; katham tasmin na varteta prtyaksham sati
devatae-218-16
A man can see his father as the cause of his existence, (so) why wouldn't he
want to behave (towards his father) as if his father were visible God (pratyaksha
devata)
4. Slokas from Garuda
Purana
पितॄन्नमस्ये निवसन्ति साक्षाद्ये देवलोकेऽथ महीतले वा ॥
तथान्तरिक्षे च सुरारिपूज्यास्ते वै प्रतीच्छन्तु मयोपनीतम् ॥ 89.27 ॥
Pitru-nnamasye nivasanti sakshaadye
devaloke atha maheetale vaa; tatha-antarikshe cha suraaripoojyaaste vai
prateecchntu mayopaneetam
पितॄन्नमस्ये परमार्थà¤ूता ये वै विमाने निवसन्त्यमूर्त्ताः ॥
यजन्ति यानस्तमलैर्मनोà¤िर्योगीश्वराः क्लेशविमुक्तिहेतून् ॥ 89.28 ॥
Pitirun-namasye paramaarthabhootaa ye vai
vimaane nivasantyamoortaah;
yajanti
yaanast-amalair-manobhir-yogeesvaraah klesa-vimukta-hetoon
पितॄन्नमस्ये दिवि ये च मूर्त्ताः स्वधाà¤ुजः काम्यफलाà¤िसन्धौ ॥
प्रदानशक्ताः सकलेप्सितानां विमुक्तिदा येऽनà¤िसंहितेषु ॥ 89.29 ॥
Pitrun-namsye
divi ye cha moorttaah svadhaabhujaah kaamya-phalaabhi-sandhau; pradaana-saktaah
sakalepsitaanaam vimuktidaa ye-anabhi-samhiteshu
I bow
before my father, in whom all the deities of all realms reside, truly he is my
deity.
I bow
before my father who resides in the formless guise of Paramartha, who is
worshipped by blameless yogis for liberation from all conflict (of samsara).
I bow before my father, in whom I see all gods and who fulfills all my
aspirations. He is the inspiration for achievements, and he relieves me from
all worries. I pay my obeisance to my revered father.
पिता यच्छति पुत्राय बाल्ये विद्याधनं महत्। पिताsस्य किं तपस्तेपे इत्युक्तिस्तत्कृतज्ञता।।
Pitaa yacchati putraaya baalye
vidyaadhanam mahat; pitaa asya ki tapas-tepe ityuktis-tat-kritajnyata ||
Father
gives abundant wealth of education to his son in his childhood. He is the
object of meditation, reverence and gratitude.
5. Slokas from Mahabharata
Maataa gurutaram bhoomehe khaat
pitottarastatha | Manah sheegrataram vayoho chinta bahutaree trunaath.
This is Yudhistira's answer to
Yaksha's question. In Mahabharata. Yaksha asks Yudhistira to name that
which is greater than earth, loftier than sky, speedier than wind, and abundant
than grass. Yudhistira says, mother is greater than earth, father is loftier
than sky, mind is speedier than wind and worries are more abundant than grass!
पिता स्वर्गः पिता धर्मः पिता परमकं तपः | पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने सर्वाः प्रीयन्ति देवताः ||
Pitaa svargah pitaa dharmah pitaa parama(ga)m tapah; pitari
preeyam-aapanne sarvaah preeyanti devataah
My father is my heaven, my father
is my dharma, and he is the ultimate penance of my life. If he is happy, all
deities are pleased-- Mahabharata,
Santiparva, chapter 258,sloka 20.
[This is I also quoted in स्कन्दपुराणम्/माहेश्वरखण्डः/कौमारिकाखण्डः/अध्यायः ६, and the Southern
recension of the Mahabharata, with slight modifications],
yena baalo
na paatithaha. | Na shobhate sabhaa madhye hamsa madye bako yathaa. ||
Parents who do not educate their
children are enemies to them. They do not shine amidst scholars like a
crane amidst swans.
Laalayedbaalakam taavath yatra
vimugdhataa | Raajaa prajaswiva preetim paschaath prachcha-dayeth pitaa. ||
The father should cuddle his
children till they are innocent. Afterwards, he should hide his love his love
like a king hides his love for his subjects.
Vinayantu
sutaan santaha svasampaadyaaha punargunaaha | Sarvam krushaanaaha kurvantu
beejam sootenkuram svataha ||
It is the
duty of father [virtuous people] to educate their children. The children
themselves should gather virtues. The farmers do every other work; but
the seed sprouts on its own.
अन्नदाता à¤à¤¯à¤¤्राता विद्यादाता तथैव च । जनिता चोपनेता च पञ्चैते पितरः स्मृताः॥
Annadaataa bhayatraataa vidyaadaataa
tathauva cha | janitaa chopanetaa cha panchaite pitaraha smritaah ||
Who could be considered a
father? One who feeds you i.e. provides ; One who keeps you
away from fear; One who educates; one who caused the birth(biological) ; One
who performs the sacred thread ceremony. These five qualify to be called "father".
This shloka states in one go the duties of a father. It tells to treat each one
that fits these descriptions as a father, if only they are different.
6. Sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam
गुरुर्न स स्यात्स्वजनो न स स्यात्त्पिता न स स्याज्जननी न सा स्यात् । दैवं न तत्स्यान्न पतिश्च स स्यान्न मोचयेद्यः समुपेतमृत्युम् ॥१८॥
One
who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death
should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a
worship-worthy demigod.
There are many spiritual masters, but
Rishabhadeva advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is
unable to save his disciple from the path of birth and death. He
also advises a father should be also a spiritual teacher along with others
7. Sloka from Raghuvamsa
Vagarthaviva sampriktau vagarthah
pratipattaye | Jagatah pitarau vande parvathee parameshwarau || – Raghuvamsha 1.1
I pray parents of the
world, Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati, who are inseparable as speech and its
meaning to gain knowledge of speech and its meaning.
8. SLOKA FROM MARKANDEYA SMRITI
Maataapitruparaa ye cha
gurubhaktaah priyamvadaah|
satyaarjavarataa ye
cha tay naraah svargagaaminah ||
Dedicated to father mother and guru, as
well as practicing kindness and focus on Truth one progresses
towards Svargaloka--117:18)
9. SLOKAS FROM MANU SMRITI
In the second chapter from slokas
225-235 Manusmriti deals with the honest service to be rendered to the elders
particularly to father, mother and Guru. It is essential for all to devote all
their attention to these three sacred figures glorified by Veda Mantras in
Taittareeya Upanishad—Matru devo bhava;
Pitru devo bhava; Acharya devo bhava. If
they follow this religion they need not follow any other, because the father is
like the God, the mother is like the Earth and the brothers
are like the replica of the Self. The debts of the immediate creators—father
and mother cannot be repaid even after hundred years of selfless service. These
three (parents and guru) are like three Asram (phases of life), triloka (three
worlds), triveda (three Vedas), and three Agnis (father—gaarhapatyaagni or
domestic fire, mother-dakshinaagni or southern fire, and the
Guru-Aahvaneeyaagni or the fire of rituals). A person wins this world with his
devotion to the mother, he wins Space with his devotion to father and the
Brahmaloka with his devotion to his Guru:
Aachaaryasacha pitaa chaiva maataa
bhraataa cha poorvajaa |
Naartenaapyavamantavyaa braahmanena
viseshatah || 225 ||
Aachaaryo brahnmano moortih pitaa
moortih prajaapateh |
Maataa prithivyaa moortistu bhraataa
svo moortiraatmanah || 226 ||
Teshaam trayaanaam susrooshaaparamam
tapah uchyate|
Na tairabhya-anujnaatoe dharmamayam
samaacharet || 229 ||
225. The
teacher, the father, the mother, and an elder brother must not be treated with
disrespect, especially by a Brahmana, though one be grievously offended (by
them).
226. The
teacher is the image of Brahman, the father the image of Prajaapati (the lord
of created beings), the mother the image of the earth, and an (elder) full
brother the image of oneself.
227. That trouble (and pain) which the parents
undergo on the birth of (their) children, cannot be compensated even in a
hundred years.
228. Let him always do what is agreeable
to those (two) and always (what may please) his teacher; when those three are
pleased, he obtains all (those rewards which) austerities (yield).
229. Obedience towards those three is
declared to be the best (form of) austerity; let him not perform other
meritorious acts without their permission.
230. For they are declared to be the
three worlds, they the three (principal) orders, they the three Vedas, and they
the three sacred fires.
231. The father, forsooth, is stated to
be the Garhapatya fire, the mother the Dakshinagni, but the teacher the
Ahavaniya fire; this triad of fires is most venerable.
232. He who neglects not those three,
(even after he has become) a householder, will conquer the three worlds and,
radiant in body like a god, he will enjoy bliss in heaven.
233. By honoring his mother he gains
this (nether) world, by honoring his father the middle sphere, but by obedience
to his teacher the world of Brahman.
234. All duties have been fulfilled by
him who honors those three; but to him who honors them not, all rites remain
fruitless.
235. As long as those three live, so
long let him not (independently) perform any other (meritorious acts); let him
always serve them, rejoicing (to do what is) agreeable and beneficial (to
them).
4-162. Let
him never offend the teacher who initiated him, nor him who explained the
Veda, nor his father and mother, nor (any other) Guru, nor cows, nor
Brahmanas, nor any men performing austerities.
A man can see his father as the cause of his existence, (so) why wouldn't he want to behave (towards his father) as if his father were visible God (pratyaksha devata)
तथान्तरिक्षे च सुरारिपूज्यास्ते वै प्रतीच्छन्तु मयोपनीतम् ॥ 89.27 ॥
Pitru-nnamasye nivasanti sakshaadye devaloke atha maheetale vaa; tatha-antarikshe cha suraaripoojyaaste vai prateecchntu mayopaneetam
यजन्ति यानस्तमलैर्मनोà¤िर्योगीश्वराः क्लेशविमुक्तिहेतून् ॥ 89.28 ॥
Pitirun-namasye paramaarthabhootaa ye vai vimaane nivasantyamoortaah;
पितॄन्नमस्ये दिवि ये च मूर्त्ताः स्वधाà¤ुजः काम्यफलाà¤िसन्धौ ॥
प्रदानशक्ताः सकलेप्सितानां विमुक्तिदा येऽनà¤िसंहितेषु ॥ 89.29 ॥
I bow before my father, in whom I see all gods and who fulfills all my aspirations. He is the inspiration for achievements, and he relieves me from all worries. I pay my obeisance to my revered father.
पिता यच्छति पुत्राय बाल्ये विद्याधनं महत्। पिताsस्य किं तपस्तेपे इत्युक्तिस्तत्कृतज्ञता।।