Read, reflect, pray
Nakatomi purification
中臣祓
A text in the 1911 Shintō Ōharai Zenshū anthology. It is presented as a historical reading, not the current ritual of every shrine or temple.
English meaning and source text
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.
By command of Kamurogi and Kamuromi, the imperial ancestral kami dwelling in Takamagahara,
the many kami were assembled in divine council.
They entrusted government of the land, saying, ‘Our heavenly imperial descendant, govern the fertile reed-plain land peacefully as a tranquil country.’
In the land thus entrusted,
they questioned, pacified and removed the unruly kami,
and stilled even the rocks, trees and blades of grass that spoke and made an uproar.
They released the heavenly descendant from the heavenly rock seat, solemnly parted the many layers of cloud, sent him down and entrusted the land to him.
In the land thus entrusted,
they established Great Yamato Hidaka-mi, amid the lands of the four directions, as the place of peaceful government.
They planted great palace pillars upon the bedrock below and raised the roof finials as high as Takamagahara.
They built the heavenly descendant’s fresh and splendid palace,
a dwelling so magnificent it seemed to cover the sky and shade the sun. Dwelling there, he governs the country in peace.
I speak of the many offences, faults and calamities arising from mistakes among the people born and multiplying within that land.
The heavenly offences are breaking field ridges, filling irrigation channels, destroying water-drawing facilities, sowing over another’s field, taking a field by planting stakes, flaying a living animal, and flaying an animal backward.
These many offences are distinguished as heavenly offences.
The earthly offences include injuring the bodies of the living or the dead, and bodily illnesses or abnormalities called ‘shirabito’ and ‘kokumi’ in this text.
Sexual relations with one’s mother, with one’s child, with both a mother and her child, or with both a child and that child’s mother;
sexual relations with animals; calamities from crawling creatures, calamities descending from heaven such as thunder, calamities associated with birds, curses involving the killing of livestock, and harmful magic—
such offences and calamities may arise.
When they arise, follow the ritual method transmitted from heaven: cut the roots and tops of sacred wood and arrange it amply on many stands.
Likewise cut the roots and tops of sacred sedge and hemp, splitting and preparing them finely.
Recite the venerable words of purification transmitted from heaven.
When these are recited,
the heavenly kami will open the heavenly rock door, solemnly part the layers of cloud and hear them.
The earthly kami will ascend the summits of high and low mountains, part the mountain mist and hear them.
When they have heard, every offence and every fault will cease to remain.
As a rising wind scatters the sky’s many layers of cloud;
as morning or evening wind clears the morning or evening mist;
as the bow and stern ropes of a great ship at harbor are untied and it is pushed out into the wide sea;
as the roots of thick-growing trees yonder are cut away with a sharp, well-forged sickle—
so may no offence remain. Those offences and faults thus purified away,
Seoritsuhime, dwelling in the rapids that rush from high and low mountains into the valley called Sakuradani in this edition, will carry out to the broad sea.
Once carried out, Hayaakitsuhime, at the place where violent tidal currents divide and meet, will swallow them completely.
Once swallowed, Ibukidonushi, dwelling at the doorway from which breath issues, will blow and release them.
Once blown away, Hayasasurahime of the land of roots and depths will carry them off, sending them wandering until they disappear.
When they have disappeared, no offence or fault will remain: these words proclaim that you will purify them away.
All you many kami together, hear them attentively, as a stag raises its ears to listen.
Source text and reading aid
Roman letters are provided for 28 of 37 lines. Readings not fully supplied in the source are left without Roman letters.
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.
高天原に神留座す皇親神漏岐神漏美の命を以て
八百萬神等を神集に集賜ひ神議に議賜ひて
yahoyorozunokamitachiwo kamiatsumeni atsumetamahi kamihakarini hakaritamahite
吾皇御孫尊をば豐葦原の水穗の國を安國と平げく所知食せと事依し奉りき
wagasumemimanomikotowoba toyoashiharano mizuhono kuniwo yasukunito tahirageku shiroshimeseto kotoyosashi matsuriki
如此依し奉りし
kakunogotokuyosashi matsurishi
○國中に荒振神達を神問しに問賜ひ神掃に掃賜ひて
○ kuninonakani araburukamitachiwo kamitohashini tohitamahi kamiharahini harahitamahite
語問し磐根樹の立草の垣葉をも語止めて
天磐座放ち天八重雲を伊豆の千別に千別て天降り依し奉りき
amanoihakurahanachi amanoyahegumowo izuno chiwakini chiwakite amakudari yosashi tatematsuriki
如此依し奉りし
kakunogotokuyosashi tatematsurishi
○四方の國中に大倭日高見の國を安國と定奉りて
○ yomono kuninonakani ohoyamatohidakamino kuniwo yasukunito sadamematsurite
下津磐根に宮柱太敷立て高天原に千木高知りて
shimotsuihaneni miyabashirafutoshikitate takamanoharani chigitakashirite
吾皇御孫尊の美頭の御舍に仕奉りて
wagasumemimanomikotono mizuno miarakani tsukahetatematsurite
天の御蔭日の御蔭と隱座して安國と平けく所知食さん
ameno mikage hino mikageto kakuremashite yasukunito tahirakeku shiroshimesan
○國中に成出ん天の益人等が過を犯しけん雜々の罪事咎祟り
天津罪とは畔を放ち溝を埋め樋を放ち敷蒔串刺生剝逆剝
amatsutsumitoha azewo hanachi mizowo ume hiwo hanachi shikimaki kushisashi ikehagi sakahagi
許々太久の罪を天津罪と法り別けて
○國津罪とは生の膚斷死の膚斷白人胡久美
○ kunitsutsumitoha ikino hadatachi shino hadatachi shirahito kokumi
己が母を犯せる罪己が子を犯せる罪母と子と犯せる罪子と母と犯せる罪
畜犯せる罪昆虫の災高津神の災高津鳥の災畜仆し蠱物せる罪
kemonookaseru tsumi hafumushino wazahahi takatsukamino wazahahi takatsutorino wazahahi kemonotafushi majimonoseru tsumi
許々太久の罪を出してん
如此出しては天津宮事を以て天津金木を本打斷り末打斷ちて千座に置足はして
kakunogotokuidashiteha amatsumiyagotowo motsute amatsukanakiwo motouchikiri suweuchitachite chikurani okitarahashite
天津菅曾を本苅斷ち末苅切りて八針に取辟きて
amatsusugasowo motokaritachi suwekarikirite yaharini torisakite
天津祝詞の太祝詞の事を宣れ
amatsunoritono futonoritono kotowo nore
如此宣らば
kakunoraba
○天津神は天磐戸を押開き天八重雲を伊豆の千別に千別て所聞食さん
○ amatsukamiha amanoihatowo oshihiraki amanoyahegumowo izuno chiwakini chiwakite kikoshimesan
○國津神は高山の末短山の末に登り座して高山の伊惠理端山の伊惠理を撥分けて所聞食さん
○ kunitsukamiha takayamano suwe mijikayamano suweni nobori mashite takayamano iweri hayamano iweriwo kakiwakete kikoshimesan
如此所聞食しては罪と云ふ罪咎と云ふ咎は不在と
kakunogotokukikoshimeshiteha tsumito ifu tsumi togato ifu togaha arajito
科戸の風の天の八重雲を吹放つ事の如く
shinadono kazeno amano yahegumowo fukihanatsu kotono gotoku
朝の御霧夕の御霧を朝風夕風の吹掃ふ事の如く
ashitano mikiri yufubeno mikiriwo asakazeyufukazeno fukiharafu kotono gotoku
大津の邊に居る大船の舳綱解放ち艫綱解放ちて大海原に押放つ事の如く
ohotsuno beni witaru ohofuneno hezunatokihanachi tomozunatokihanachite ohounabarani oshihanatsu kotono gotoku
彼方屋繁木が本を燒鎌の敏鎌を以て打掃ふ事の如く
ochikataya shigekiga motowo yakigamano togamawo motsute uchiharafu kotono gotoku
遺れる罪は不在と祓賜ひ清賜ふ事を
nokoreru tsumiha arajito harahitamahi kiyometamafu kotowo
高山の末端山の末より佐久良谷に落瀧つ速川の瀨に座す瀨織津比咩と云ふ神大海原に持出しなん
takayamano suwe hayamano suweyori sakuradanini ochitakitsu hayakahano seni masu seoritsuhimeto ifu kami ohounabarani mochiidashinan
如此持出しては荒鹽の八百道の鹽の八百會に座す速開都比咩と云ふ神持可々牟吞でん
如此可々牟吞では氣吹戸に座す氣吹戸主と云ふ神氣吹放ちてん
○如此氣吹放ちては根國底國に座す速佐須良比咩と云ふ神持佐須良比咩失ひてん
○ kakuibukihanachiteha nenokunisokonokunini masu hayasasurahimeto ifu kami mochisasurahimeushinahiten
○如此失ひては遺れる罪と云ふ罪咎と云ふ咎は不在物をと祓賜ひ清賜ふと申す事の由を
○ kakuushinahiteha nokoreru tsumito ifu tsumi togato ifu togaha araji monowoto harahitamahi kiyometamafuto mausu kotono yoshiwo
八百萬神等諸共に左男鹿の八の耳を振立てゝ聞食せと申す
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 (1)
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.