Read, reflect, pray
Shingen: sacred words
神言
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.
Dwelling as deities in Takamagahara,
the ancestral deities, Kamurogi and Kamuromi, issued their command.
They assembled the countless deities and held a divine council.
‘Our august imperial grandchild, govern the land of abundant reed plains and fresh rice ears peacefully as a tranquil country,’ they said, entrusting its rule to him.
In the land entrusted to him, the unruly deities were questioned, subdued, and removed.
Even the clamorous speaking rocks, trees, and grass leaves were made still.
The august grandchild was led from the heavenly rock seat; the many layers of cloud were majestically parted, and he was sent down to take charge of the land.
Within the lands thus entrusted to him, Great Yamato, the land of Hidaka, was appointed a peaceful country.
Thick palace pillars were set upon the bedrock below, and the roof finials rose as high as Takamagahara.
A fresh and splendid palace was built for the august grandchild.
Dwelling there in a palace so magnificent that it seemed to cover the sky and shade the sunlight, he peacefully governed the land. Within that land,
the people born and multiplying would commit various offences through error.
The heavenly offences are breaking field ridges, filling irrigation channels, damaging waterworks, sowing over another person’s field, seizing fields by setting stakes, flaying living animals, flaying animals backward, and defiling sacred places with excrement.
These many offences were designated and distinguished as heavenly offences. The earthly offences, further, include:
wounding the bodies of the living or the dead; illnesses or bodily conditions called shirahito and kokumi in the historical text; sexual relations with one’s own mother or one’s own child;
sexual relations with both a mother and her child, or both a child and the child’s mother; sexual relations with animals;
calamities associated with crawling creatures, calamities from heaven such as lightning, calamities associated with birds, curses performed by killing livestock, and spells intended to harm people.
Such numerous offences and calamities may arise. When they do, follow the ritual method transmitted from heaven.
Cut the roots and tips of sacred wood, and arrange it abundantly at the many offering places.
Also cut the roots and tips of sacred sedge and hemp, splitting and preparing them finely.
Recite the venerable words of purification transmitted from heaven.
When these words are recited, the heavenly deities will push open the heavenly rock door, majestically part the many layers of cloud, and hear them.
The earthly deities will climb the peaks of high and low mountains, part the mists hanging over them, and hear them.
When they have heard, every offence will disappear. As the rising wind
scatters the many layers of cloud in heaven;
as morning and evening winds sweep away morning and evening mist;
as the bow and stern ropes of a great ship in harbor are untied and the ship is pushed out onto the open sea;
as a sharp, well-forged sickle cuts away the roots of the luxuriant trees over there;
so may purification leave no offence remaining. These offences,
the deity Seoritsuhime, dwelling in the rushing rapids that flow down from high and low mountains, will carry out to the broad sea.
Once carried out, the deity Hayaakitsuhime, dwelling where powerful currents divide and meet again, will swallow them completely.
Once they are swallowed, the deity Ibukidonushi, dwelling at the gateway from which breath issues, will blow them away to the root and bottom lands.
Once blown away, the deity Hayasasurahime in the root and bottom lands will take them away, wandering until they vanish.
When they have vanished, please purify and cleanse me, so that no offence remains in body or heart. Thus I pray.
Source text and reading aid
Roman letters are provided for 25 of 34 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.
高天の原に神留坐す。
皇か親神漏岐神漏美の命を以て。
sumeraka mutsu kamurogi kamuromino mikotowo motsute.
八百萬の神等を。神集へ集へ賜ひ神議り議り賜ひて。
yahoyorozuno kamitachiwo. kamutsudohe tsudohe tamahi kamuhakari hakari tamahite.
我皇御孫の命は。豐葦原の水穗の國を。安國と平けく所知食せと。事依し奉りき。
wagasumemimano mikotoha. toyoashiharano mizuhono kuniwo. yasukunito tairakeku shiroshimeseto. kotoyosashi tatematsuriki.
如此依し奉りし國中に荒ぶる神等をば。神問しに問し賜ひ。神掃ひに掃ひ賜ひて
kaku yosashi tatematsurishi kuninakani araburu kamitomowoba. kamutohashini tohashi tamahi. kamuharahini harahi tamahite
語問し磐根樹立草の垣葉をも語止めて。
天の磐座放ち。天の八重雲を伊頭の千別に千別て。天降し依し奉りき
ameno ihakurahanachi. ameno yahekumowo itsuno chiwakini chiwakite. amakudashi yosashi tatematsuriki
如此依し奉りし。四方の國中と。大倭日高見の國を。安國と定奉て。
kaku yosashi tatematsurishi. yomono kuninakato. ohoyamatohitakamino kuniwo. yasukunito sadamematsurite.
下つ磐根に宮柱太敷立高天の原に千木高知て。
shitatsu ihaneni miyahashira futoshikitate takamano harani chigitakashirite.
皇御孫の命の美頭の御舍仕奉りて。
sumemimano mikotono mizuno miaraka tsukahematsurite.
天の御陰日の御陰と隱坐て。安國と平けく所知食む國中に。
ameno mikage hino mikageto kakuremashite. yasukunito tairakeku shiroshimesamu kuninakani.
成出む天の益人等が。過犯しけむ雜々の罪事は。
nariidemu ameno masuhitoraga. ayamachiokashikemu kusa〲no tsumigotoha.
天つ罪と。畔放ち溝埋。樋放ち。頻蒔。串刺。生剝。逆剝。屎戸。
amatsu tsumito. azehanachi mizoume. hihanachi. shikimaki. kushisashi. ikihagi. sakahagi. kusohe.
許々太久の罪を天つ罪と法別て國つ罪と。
生膚斷死膚斷。白人胡久美。己が母犯せる罪。己が子犯せる罪。
母と子と犯せる罪。子と母と犯せる罪。畜犯せる罪。
昆虫の災ひ。高つ神の災ひ。高つ鳥の災ひ。畜仆し。蠱物爲る罪
hafumushino wazahahi. takatsu kamino wazahahi. takatsu torino wazahahi. kemonotafushi. majimonoseru tsumi
許々太久の罪出む。如此出ば。天つ宮事以て
天つ金木を本打切末打斷て。千座の置座に置足はして
amatsu kanagiwo motouchikiri suweuchitachite. chikurano okikurani okitarahashite
天つ菅曾を本苅斷末苅切て八針に取辟て。
amatsu sugasowo motokaritachi suwekarikirite yaharini torisakite.
天つ祝詞の太祝詞事を宣れ
amatsu noritono futonoritogotowo nore
如此乃良ば。天つ神は天の磐門を推披きて天の八重雲を。伊頭の千別に千別て所聞食む。
kaku noraba. amatsu kamiha ameno ihatowo oshihirakite ameno yahekumowo. itsuno chiwakini chiwakite kikoshimesamu.
國つ神は。高山の末。短山の末に。上坐て高山の伊穗理。短山の伊穗理を撥別て所聞食む。
kunitsu kamiha. takayamano suhe. hikiyamano suheni. noborimashite takayamano ihori. hikiyamano ihoriwo kakiwakete kikoshimesamu.
此所聞食ては。罪と云ふ罪は在らじと。科戸の風の。
kaku kikoshimeshiteha. tsumito ifu tsumiha arajito. shinadono kazeno.
天の八重雲を。吹放つ事の如く
ameno yahekumowo. 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. asakaze yufukazeno. fukiharafu kotono gotoku
大津邊に居る大船を。舳解放ち艫解放ちて。大海の原に押放つ事の如く。
ohotsunobeni woru ohofunewo. hetokihanachi tomotokihanachite. ohowadano harani oshihanatsu kotono gotoku.
彼方の繁木が本を。燒鎌の敏鎌以て打掃ふ事の如く。
ochikatano shigekiga motowo. yakigamano togama mochite uchiharafu kotono gotoku.
遺る罪は在らじと。祓ひ給ひ清め給ふ事を。
nokoru tsumiha arajito. harahi tamahi kiyome tamafu kotowo.
高山の末短山の末より。佐久那太理に。落多支つ速川の瀨に坐す。瀨織津比咩と云ふ神大海の原に持出なむ。
takayamano suhe hikiyamano suheyori. sakunadarini. ochitakitsu hayakahano seni masu. seworitsuhimeto ifu kami ohowatano harani mochiidenamu.
如此持出往は。荒鹽の鹽の八百道の。八鹽道の。鹽の八百會に座す速開都比咩と云ふ神持可可呑てむ。
如此可可呑ては。氣吹戸に坐す。氣吹戸主と云ふ神。根の國底の國に。氣吹放ちてむ。
如此氣吹放ちては。根の國底の國に坐す。速佐須良比咩と云ふ神。持佐須良比失ひてむ。
kaku ibukihanachiteha. neno kunisokono kunini masu. hayasasurahimeto ifu kami. mochisasurahiushinahitemu.
如此失ひては 現身の身にも心にも 罪と云ふ罪は在らじと祓ひ給へ。清め給へと白す。
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.