Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Suga Shrine festival prayer

須賀神社例祭(八坂同之)すがじんじゃれいさい(やさかこれにおなじ)

An 1897 prayer praising Susanoo’s defeat of the eight-headed serpent and the song at Suga, and asking for peace in daily life and well-being.

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 Takehaya Susanoo no Mikoto, whose name we speak with awe, dwelling in this village and worshiped at Suga Shrine,

[name], your attendant, purifies and restrains the self, bows deeply, and respectfully speaks.

The great kami is strong in heart and valiant.

In the distant age of the kami, at Torikami in Izumo Province, you slew the great serpent with eight heads and eight tails,

removing what obstructed this world where people live.

Coming to Suga, you said, ‘My heart is refreshed.’

You built a palace, lived with Kushinadahime no Mikoto, and composed the song beginning ‘Eightfold clouds rise.’

You also presented the Ame-no-Murakumo sword to Amaterasu Ōmikami.

We honor your noble, mighty work for the world and respectfully remember your achievements.

As we have always done, this year we appoint [year, month and day in the Meiji era] as the annual festival day.

Those born and raised here have brought luxuriant sakaki trees dug from the deep mountains and stretched a sacred rope before you.

For the robes we offer, we have prepared beautiful, brightly shining cloth.

For food, we heap up abundant products of sea, river, field and mountain until the bamboo vessels bend beneath them.

We perform the various duties of the festival. Please receive them peacefully.

Protect and bless the emperor’s reign, that it may be peaceful and abundant.

May the men and women of this land under your care live without discord,

not be led astray by other lands’ different religions, and be free from illness and trouble.

Protect them, keeping their hearts pure and their bodies healthy, and grant grace and blessing. 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.

本文(ほんぶん)

此(こ)の里(さと)に鎮座(しづまりま)して須賀神社(すがかむやしろ)と斎(いは)ひ奉(まつ)る掛(かけまく)も畏(かしこ)き建速素盞鳴命(たけはやすさのをのみこと)の大前(おほまへ)に

kono satoni shizumarimashite sugakamuyashiroto ihahi matsuru kakemakumo kashikoki takehayasusanowonomikotono ohomaheni

何某(なにがし)斎(いは)ひ回(めぐ)り清(きよ)め回(めぐ)り頂突(ぬかつき)奉(まつ)りて言(い)はまくも畏(かしこ)けれど

nanigashi ihahi meguri kiyome meguri nukatsuki matsurite ihamakumo kashikokeredo

大神(おほかみ)は御心(みこころ)建(たけ)く雄々(をを)しく坐(ま)して

ohokamiha mikokoro takeku wowoshiku mashite

神代(かみよ)の昔(むかし)出雲国(いづものくに)なる鳥上(とりかみ)の地(ところ)に八俣(やまた)の大蛇(をろち)を切(き)り屠(ほふ)りて

kamiyono mukashi izumonokuninaru torikamino tokoroni yamatano worochiwo kiri hofurite

顕代(うつしよ)の妨害(さまたげ)を除(のぞ)き給(たま)ひ

utsushiyono samatagewo nozoki tamahi

須賀(すが)の地(ところ)に到(いた)り坐(ま)して我(わ)が心(こころ)清々(すがすが)しと宣(の)り給(たま)ひて

sugano tokoroni itari mashite waga kokoro sugasugashito nori tamahite

御殿(みあらか)を立(た)て給(たま)ひ櫛稲田媛命(くしいなだひめのみこと)と住(す)み給(たま)ひて八雲立(やくもたつ)の歌(うた)を詠(よ)み給(たま)ひ

miarakawo tate tamahi kushiinadahimenomikototo sumi tamahite yakumotatsuno utawo yomi tamahi

又(また)天叢雲剣(あめのむらくものつるぎ)を天照大御神(あまてらすおほみかみ)に献(たてまつ)らせ給(たま)ひて

mata amenomurakumonotsurugiwo amaterasuohomikamini tatematsurase tamahite

世(よ)に功(いさを)しく坐(ま)しける其(その)大御稜威(おほみいつ)を崇(あが)め敬(ゐやま)ひ其(その)大御功績(おほみいさを)を偲(しの)び尊(たふと)み

yoni isawoshiku mashikeru sono ohomiitsuwo agame wiyamahi sono ohomiisawowo shinobi tafutomi

何時(いつ)はあれども今(いま)茲(これ)明治(めいじ)の何年(なんねん)何月(なんがつ)何日(なんにち)を毎年(としのは)の御祭日(みまつりび)と祝定(いはひさだ)めて

itsuhaaredomo ima kore meijino nannen nangatsu nannichiwo toshinohano mimatsuribito ihahisadamete

産子(うぶこ)の諸人等(もろひとら)奥山(おくやま)の五百枝賢木(いほえさかき)を堀(ほ)り持来(もちき)て大前(おほまへ)に神縄(しめなは)引亘(ひきわた)し

ubukono morohitora okuyamano ihoesakakiwo hori mochikite ohomaheni shimenaha hikiwatashi

奠(たてまつ)る御衣(みそ)は明妙(あかるたへ)照妙(てるたへ)

tatematsuru misoha akarutahe terutahe

御饌(みけ)は海川野山(うみかはのやま)の雑々(くさぐさ)の物(もの)を折竹(をりたけ)のとををに置高成(おきたかな)して

mikeha umikahanoyamano kusagusano monowo woritakenotowowoni okitakanashite

雑々(くさぐさ)の神事(かみわざ)仕奉(つかへまつ)らくを平(たひらか)に安(やすらか)に聞食(きこしめ)して

kusagusano kamiwaza tsukahematsurakuwo tahirakani yasurakani kikoshimeshite

皇(すめら)が大御代(おほみよ)を安御代(やすみよ)の足御代(たるみよ)と守(まも)り幸(さきは)へ

sumeraga ohomiyowo yasumiyono tarumiyoto mamori sakihahe

敷座(しきませ)る産子(うぶこ)の男女(をとこをみな)は己(おの)が乖々(むきむき)令有(あらしめ)不給(たまはず)

shikimaseru ubukono wotokowominaha onoga mukimuki arashime tamahazu

他国(あだしくに)の異教(ことをしへ)に惑(まど)はさるる事(こと)无(な)く病(やま)しき事(こと)无(な)く煩(わづら)はしき事(こと)无(な)く

adashikunino kotowoshiheni madohasaruru koto naku yamashiki koto naku wazurahashiki koto naku

心(こころ)清(きよ)く身(み)健(すこやか)に守(まも)り恵(めぐ)み幸(さきは)へ給(たま)へと畏(かしこ)み畏(かしこ)みも白(まを)す

kokoro kiyoku mi sukoyakani mamori megumi sakihahe tamaheto 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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