Sage Ruchi’s Pitru Stuti Stotram
Let us explore āPitru Stuti Stotramā to glorify the excellence of āpitruesā in this article.
Pitru devatas
Per the belief of the Hindus, the spirits of the departed forefathers, with utmost reverence, are called āPitru devatasā or āPitruesā. After the death of an individual, his funeral rites are performed so that the spirit of that individual finds entry into āPitrulokaā, the heavenly abode of oneās departed forefathers.
In Pitruloka, the spirits of persons of oneās great grandfatherās generation will take the form of āAdityasā, while the spirits of persons of oneās grandfatherās generation will take the form of āRudrasā and the spirits of persons belonging to their fatherās generation will take the form of āVasusā.
The āPitru Devatasā is different from āpitruesā.
3 Pitrupatis
The three āPitrupatisā are Lord Yama, Lord Sri Chandra and Kavyavaha.
7 Pitruganas
The seven āPitruganasā are Agnishvatas, Somashadas, Barhishadas, Somapas, Havirbhujas, Ajyaparas and Sukalas.
31 Chirapitrus
The thirty one āChirapitrusā are Visva, Visvabhuk, Aradhya, Dhanāya, Dharma, Sanatana, Bhutida, Bhutikrt, Bhuti, Vara, Varenya, Varada, Tustida, Pustida, Visvapata, Dhata, Kalyana, Kalyatankarta, Kalya, Kalyatarasraya, Kalyatahetu, Anagha, Mahah, Mahamahah, Mahatejah, Matiman, Phalaprada, Sukhada, Dhanada, Dharmada and Bhutida.
They are collectively called āPitru Devatasā.
Lord Vishnu Appointed Pitru Devatas
Lord Vishnu appointed them to assist āpitruesā during āSraaddha Karmaā and help to hand over the essence of āPinda pradhanaā and āTila tarpanamā offered by the descendants of the concerned āpitrues.ā Owing to this ākarma,ā āpitruesā get nourishment and they resume their journey with enhanced energy towards āUrdhwa lokasā (upper worlds), with fulfilled desires. Pleased by this āsraaddha karma,ā the āPitruesā in turn abundantly grant health, happiness, prosperity, and progeny to their beloved descendants.
Performing āSraaddha karmaā is made a prime component of every individualās ādharmaā. The Vakya (sentence) ā 2 in Chapter – 11 of āTaittiriya Upanishadā invokes that āDeva pitru kaaryaabhyaam na pramaditavyam.ā This means that one should never make a mistake or neglect ādevaā as well as āpitruā rituals.
Sage Ruchi
Sage Ruchi who lived during Treta Yuga, was once visited by his āpitrues.ā They advised him to get married and beget a son so that their souls would get liberation. The sage readily accepted the advice of his āPitruesā. At the very first sight of his āPitruesā, the sage offered prostrations, spontaneously composed āPitru Stuti Stotramā, and recited it with reverence as a mark of great honor to them.
As advised by his āPitrues,ā the sage married ‘Malini’ the daughter of āPushkar,ā (the son of Varuma), and had a son by the name āRouchyaā who through penance became the resident of āBrahmalokaā and consequently all the āpitruesā of the sage got liberation.
Sri Ruchiās āPitru Stuti Stotramā is incorporated in āGaruda Puranaā, which is prominent among eighteen āMahapuranasā.
- The first part of this Purana called āAchara Kaandaā contains a dialogue between Lord Vishnu and Garuda.
- The second part of this Purana known as āKarma Kaandaā depicts the fate of the soul after the death of an individual.
Pitru Stuti Stotram
āO! Pitrues! Please accept my salutations to You because You are beyond physical touch (without material existence), endowed with divine splendor, greatly worshipped and meditated upon by all with much adoration, and for possessing divine vision with which You at all times grace me with looks of benevolence.
Lord Indra, His lieutenants, Daksha, Maricha, Sapta rishis and all others at all times offer You adorations with much reverence to get their wishes fulfilled. O! Pitrues! You are worshipped by Manus and kings under his jurisdiction, Lord Surya and Lord Chandra. I please You with offerings by performing āshraaddha karmasā regularly on the banks of the seas or the rivers.
I with folded hands, offer my salutations to the āpitruesā who are always worshipped and meditated upon by the stars, the planets, the air, the fire, the sky and the earth. I with folded hands offer my prayers to my āpitruesā, whom I see in the form of Kashyapa Prajapati, Soma, Varuna, and Yogeswara.
I offer my salutations to all my āpitruesā of the past seven generations who reside in seven different āOordhwa Lokasā (the Upper Worlds), which can only be realized by āSwayambhuā Lord Brahma through His divine yogic powers.
I with reverence offer my āpranamamsā to the āpitruesā
- who are establishedĀ by the āSomaā (the Moon) and
- who are the embodiment of āYoga Moortyā (the yogic form).
- I also bow to āSomaā who is āJagat Pitaā, the Father of the Universe.
- My prostrations to other āpitruesā who took the form of āAgniā (Fire), highly radiant, and
- also who took the form of āSomaā (the Moon) were so cool.
Consequently, the entire world was pervaded by Agni and Soma and nothing else could be perceived.
I adore those āpitruesā who are the embodiment of radiance, who appear in the form of Lord Surya, Lord Chandra, and Lord Agni also who assume the form of the universe and also the form of Lord Brahma. My salutations to all those āyogisā (the pitrues). I again and again offer my prayers to them with a meditative mind. May my āpitruesā be propitious to me!
The āPitru Stuti Stotramā is an effective and powerful āstotramā to get relief from āpitru doshaā and to please oneās āpitruesā. One who recites this divine āstotramā every day will be sumptuously bestowed with happiness, prosperity, and progeny.