Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Prayer to kami of learning

学神祭がくしんさい

An 1897 prayer to Omoikane, Sugawara, Kuebiko and others, asking to understand books and deepen learning.

English meaning and source text

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English meaning

About this English rendering

This site’s English rendering of the Japanese meaning guide, aligned with this edition. It is separate from the source words for recitation and is not an official liturgy. Sacred sounds are explained where possible, not given speculative literal translations. Historical beliefs, royal authority, illness and protection claims belong to the text; they are not present-day judgments, medical advice or guarantees of results.

Before those invited to dwell upon this sacred seat, where we have established a himorogi to welcome the kami,

with reverence before Yagokoro Omoikane, Imbe, Sugawara, the masters Hakura, Okabe, Motoori and Hirata, and Kuebiko, we respectfully speak.

I, [name],

though immature and unskilled,

read the sacred writings that convey the distant age of the kami and seek their meaning.

May I understand in detail the claim that Japan, the land of abundant rice, is more excellent and precious than every other land,

the grounds upon which the emperor should govern even the universe,

and the important principles between ruler and subjects.

Cherish and show compassion to my heart as I labor and strive morning and evening toward this.

May I read and understand all books in the world, a thousand volumes or five hundred, as many as there are.

May I know the unseen world and the kami as far as knowledge permits.

May I know the world’s great and small events even without traveling there on my own feet.

May this way of the kami become ever clearer and more highly honored,

and may the light of our country Japan shine.

Holding up these offerings as a sign of respect, I humbly ask and pray.

Source text and reading aid

Roman letters are provided for every line of this source text.

How to use the Roman letters

Roman letters follow the kana displayed in this site’s Japanese reader; some readings are editorial additions documented on the Japanese page. These are a reading aid, not restored Sanskrit or a recording of a temple’s chanting. Historical spellings (such as wo, wi, we and ha used as a particle) are kept. Double vowels and repeated vowels mark the written kana; rhythm and pronunciation can differ by tradition.

You can simply read the meaning or sit quietly. No recitation is required. For a temple or shrine’s own recitation, follow that tradition’s published guidance.

本文(ほんぶん)

此(こ)の神床(かむとこ)に神籬(ひもろぎ)立(た)てて招(まね)き奉(まつ)り鎮(しづ)め奉(まつ)る、

kono kamutokoni himorogi tatete maneki matsuri shizume matsuru,

掛巻(かけまく)も畏(かしこ)き八意思兼神(やごころおもひかねのかみ)忌部神(いむべのかみ)菅原神(すがはらのかみ)羽倉大人(はくらのうし)岡部大人(をかべのうし)本居大人(もとをりのうし)平田大人(ひらたのうし)久延彦神(くえびこのかみ)の御前(みまへ)をも慎(つつし)み敬(ゐやま)ひ畏(かしこ)み畏(かしこ)みも白(まを)さく、

kakemakumo kashikoki yagokoroomohikanenokami imubenokami sugaharanokami hakuranoushi wokabenoushi motoworinoushi hiratanoushi kuebikonokamino mimahewomo tsutsushimi wiyamahi kashikomi kashikomimo mawosaku,

某(それがし)い、

soregashii,

をぢなく拙(つたな)き身(み)には在(あれ)ど、

wojinaku tsutanaki miniha aredo,

風音(かぜのと)の遠(とほ)き神代(かみよ)の神典(かみふみ)を読(よ)み窺(うかが)ひ、

kazenotono tohoki kamiyono kamifumiwo yomi ukagahi,

日本(ひのもと)の瑞穂国(みづほのくに)の万(よろづ)の国(くに)に勝利(まさり)て尊(たふと)く、

hinomotono mizuhonokunino yorozuno kunini masarite tafutoku,

皇美麻命(すめみまのみこと)は宇宙(あめのそら)をも統御(しろす)べき元因(もとのいはれ)、

sumemimanomikotoha amenosorawomo shirosubeki motonoihare,

君臣(きみおみ)の大義(ことはり)をも具(つぶさ)に令知給(しらしめたま)へと、

kimiomino kotohariwomo tsubusani shirashimetamaheto,

朝夕(あさゆふ)に労(いたづ)き励(はげ)む心(こころ)を恤(あはれ)み慈(いつく)しみ給(たま)ひて、

asayufuni itazuki hagemu kokorowo aharemi itsukushimi tamahite,

世(よ)に所有(あらゆる)書(ふみ)と云(い)ふ書(ふみ)は千巻(ちまき)五百巻(いほまき)有(あり)の尽(ことごとく)説明(ときあか)し令悟得給(さとりえせしめたま)ひて、

yoni arayuru fumito ifu fumiha chimaki ihomaki arino kotogotoku tokiakashi satorieseshimetamahite,

幽事(かくりごと)神事(かみごと)も知得(しりう)べき限(かぎり)は令知給(しらしめたま)ひて、

kakurigoto kamigotomo shiriubeki kagiriha shirashimetamahite,

足(あし)は不行(あるかね)ども天下(あめのした)の大小(おほきちひさき)の事(こと)も令知給(しらしめたま)ひ、

ashiha arukanedomo amenoshitano ohokichihisakino kotomo shirashimetamahi,

此(こ)の大道(おほみち)の弥明(いやあきらか)に弥高(いやたか)に、

kono ohomichino iyaakirakani iyatakani,

吾(わ)が日本(ひのもと)の国(くに)の光(ひかり)をも令耀給(かがやかしめたま)へと、

waga hinomotono kunino hikariwomo kagayakashimetamaheto,

礼代(ゐやじろ)の幣帛(みてぐら)捧持(ささげもち)て恐(かしこ)み恐(かしこ)みも乞祈奉(こひのみまつ)らくと白(まを)す。

wiyajirono mitegura sasagemochite kashikomi kashikomimo kohinomimatsurakuto mawosu.

Connected kami and buddhas

These connections include figures addressed, mentioned, or associated by tradition. They do not assign a universal recitation practice.

Sources and edition (2)

English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.

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