Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Ōkuninushi festival prayer: Kinoe-ne

大国主神祭(甲子祭)おおくにぬしのかみのまつり(きのえねさい)

An 1897 festival example directly addressing Ōkuninushi. This longer prayer is separate from the short shingo associated with Izumo.

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.

With reverence before Ōkuninushi Ōkami, whose name I speak with awe, I respectfully offer these words.

Following the command of the great kami who was your father, you pacified the world’s unruly kami with words and became Ōkuninushi.

United in heart with Sukunahikona, you exerted your strength to order the land.

For the people and domesticated animals living in this world, you established ways of treating illness.

You also began the use of medicines and charms to prevent calamity, accomplishing great works.

When the heavenly descendant, ancestor of the emperor, descended from heaven, you revered the words of the heavenly kami and ancestral kami and ceded government of the visible world.

In response to the heavenly kami’s courteous words, you withdrew beyond distant, winding paths to govern matters of the unseen world.

You settled at the Yao-gome Kitsuki sanctuary of Izumo, established as Ame-no-Hisumi-no-Miya.

As the earthly officer governing the unseen world, you rule and gather the souls of people within and beyond Japan on behalf of the heavenly kami.

We look up with reverence to your noble activity, protecting us by night and day without change from the age of the kami to the present.

From distant antiquity until now, the day of the Rat has been appointed as your festival day.

At the sacred place of worship, we stretch a sacred rope, hang yū fiber, and offer gifts: please receive them as peaceful and sufficient offerings.

May the household be calm, descendants and relatives live without discord,

and may we serve you free of illness and distress, living long and flourishing in abundance.

Kindly hear these words in which we exhaust our praise. With reverence, we offer this prayer.

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.

掛(か)けまくも畏(かしこ)き大国主大神(おほくにぬしのおほかみ)の大前(おほまへ)を慎(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 ohokuninushinoohokamino ohomahewo tsutsushimi wiyamahi kashikomi kashikomimo mawosaku

汝命(ながみこと)は父大神(ちちおほかみ)の詔(みことのり)のまにまに世(よ)の荒振神等(あらぶるかみたち)を言平和(ことむけやは)して大国主(おほくにぬし)と成(な)り給(たま)ひ

nagamikotoha chichiohokamino mikotonorinomanimani yono araburukamitachiwo kotomukeyahashite ohokuninushito nari tamahi

少彦名命(すくなひこなのみこと)と同心戮力(こころひとつにちからあはせ)坐(ま)して国土(くに)を経営(いとな)み

sukunahikonanomikototo kokorohitotsunichikaraahase mashite kuniwo itonami

顕見蒼生(うつしきあをひとぐさ)の為(ため)畜産(けもの)の為(ため)に病(やまひ)を治(をさむ)る方(かた)を定(さだ)め給(たま)ひ

utsushikiawohitogusano tame kemonono tameni yamahiwo wosamuru katawo sadame tamahi

又(また)薬(くすり)の法(のり)禁厭(まじなひ)の術(わざ)をも始(はじ)め給(たま)ひて大造(おほき)なる功績(いさを)の樹(た)て給(たま)ひ

mata kusurino nori majinahino wazawomo hajime tamahite ohokinaru isawono tate tamahi

又(また)皇孫命(すめみまのみこと)の天降(あまくだ)り坐(ま)し時(とき)には天神(あまつかみ)天祖(あまつみおや)の神勅(みことのり)を畏(かしこ)み坐(ま)して現事(うつしごと)を避(さ)り奉(まつ)り給(たま)ひ

mata sumemimanomikotono amakudari mashi tokiniha amatsukami amatsumioyano mikotonoriwo kashikomi mashite utsushigotowo sari matsuri tamahi

天津神(あまつかみ)の慇懃(ねもごろ)なる神勅(みことのり)に依(よ)りて幽事(かくりごと)を所知食(しろしめ)さむと百不足(ももたらず)八十隈手(やそくまで)に隠(かく)り給(たま)ひ

amatsukamino nemogoronaru mikotonorini yorite kakurigotowo shiroshimesamuto momotarazu yasokumadeni kakuri tamahi

出雲(いづも)の八百米(やほこめ)杵築宮(きづきのみや)と天日隅宮(あめのひすみのみや)と定(さだ)めて鎮(しづ)まり給(たま)ひ

izumono yahokome kizukinomiyato amenohisuminomiyato sadamete shizumari tamahi

幽冥(かくりよ)の事(こと)執(と)り坐(ま)しては大地(おほつち)の官(つかさ)と成(な)りて海(うみ)の内外(うちと)の人魂(ひとだま)を代(かは)り総統御(すべしろしめ)給(たま)ひて

kakuriyono koto tori mashiteha ohotsuchino tsukasato narite umino uchitono hitodamawo kahari subeshiroshime tamahite

神代(かみよ)も今代(いまよ)変(かは)る事(こと)なく夜(よ)の守(まもり)日(ひ)の守(まもり)に守(まも)り奉(まつ)り給(たま)へる神功(かむいさを)を仰(あふ)ぎ尊(たふと)み奉(まつ)りて

kamiyomo imayo kaharu kotonaku yono mamori hino mamorini mamori matsuri tamaheru kamuisawowo afugi tafutomi matsurite

万世(よろづよ)の今(いま)に至(いた)るまで子日(ねのひ)を御祭日(みまつりび)と定(さだ)めて

yorozuyono imani itarumade nenohiwo mimatsuribito sadamete

いつの真屋(まや)に注連(しめ)引延(ひきは)へ木綿(ゆふ)取垂(とりし)でて奠(たてまつ)る幣帛(みてぐら)を安幣帛(やすみてぐら)の足幣帛(たるみてぐら)と聞食(きこしめ)して

itsuno mayani shime hikihahe yufu torishidete tatematsuru mitegurawo yasumitegurano tarumitegurato kikoshimeshite

家内(いへぬち)穏(おだひ)に子孫(うみのこ)の親族(うからやから)は各(おの)が乖々(むきむき)令有(あらしめ)不給(たまはず)

ihenuchi odahini uminokono ukarayakaraha onoga mukimuki arashime tamahazu

病(やま)しき事(こと)无(な)く煩(わづら)はしき事(こと)无(な)く寿(いのち)長(なが)く富栄(とみさか)え令仕奉給(つかへまつらしめたま)へと

yamashiki koto naku wazurahashiki koto naku inochi nagaku tomisakae tsukahematsurashimetamaheto

称辞竟奉(たたへごとをへまつ)らくを平(たひら)けく安(やすら)けく聞食(きこしめ)さえと畏(かしこ)み畏(かしこ)みも白(まを)す

tatahegotowohematsurakuwo tahirakeku yasurakeku kikoshimesaeto kashikomi kashikomimo 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 (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.

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