Maatru Shodashi

Maatru Shodashi

Offering Pindams or Morsels of rice in memory of departed elders at Gaya is considered the ultimate in worshipping and thankgiving for the generations of elders who brought us on this earth and departed..

In such offering, one or three morsels are offered to each departed elder, male or female..

However, when it comes to mother, one has to offer sixteen pindams..

The sixteen prayers while offering such sixteen pindams is described in a payer called Matru Shodashi.. I give below the sixteen slokas with translations. Then there is one additional sloka in the end, which are also chanted offering pindams to mother..

The slokas have come traditionally to us and are used by all hindus across the country, which offering oblations to the mother at Vishnpadam in Gaya.

The words used vary slightly in some version, but the meaning and the spirit remain the same..

I have many versions in my collection, but I have used the more popular version for translation.

Slokam 1

Right from the moment I was conceived, my mother was undergoing physical suffering for me.. She delivered me suffering the intese pangs of labour pains as I found my way out of her womb. To atone for that pain and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 2.

My mother suffered without end from month to month for nine months, and also the splitting pains at the point of delivery. To atone for that pain and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 3

During the delivery time, when the child arrived late, the mother was crying aloud.. Even after the child is born, the mother cried whenever the child could not be seen.. To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 4

When the time of delivery arrives, the mother is weakened and shattered beyond all levels and her physical conditions are insufferable. To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

.

Slokam 5

When the tenth month of pregnancy arrives, the mother is at the peak of her physical suffering. To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 6

When I was a helpless infant my mother waited on me keeping awake day and night and fed me with the milk of her breast, knowing my needs always..

To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 7

For three days after giving birth to me, my mother suffered being burnt by increased heat of the body by way of fever, and later because of lack of adequate nutrition because she had to nurture me too in addition to herself.

To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 8

As a small child I was giving my mother splitting headaches through my untimely and unexpected discharge of urine and excreata. To be grateful for tolerating that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 9

During my infancy, when the cold season came in Magha, she suffered cold, and covered me safely and watched me suffering all the cold herself.. During hot season, she fanned me but suffered all the heat herself To be grateful for that care and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 10

As a son growing in my mother’s womb, I caused lot of pain to my mother by kicking the womb with my legs. To be grateful for tolerating that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 11

To regulate the quality of milk and lacatation to feed the infant son that was we, my mother underwent a regime of controlled food, and often had to go without food at all.. To be grateful for tolerating that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 12

During pregnancy and after delivery too, my mother had to drink various bitter medicines like Kashayams, and had to eat food that were not to her taste at all. To be grateful for tolerating that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 13

When the son was showing signs of even minor illness, the mother would cry out in sorrow and pain and would take care of the child leaving aside all other things. To be grateful for that love and care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 14.

Because of me, the body of my mother got out of shape, and she suffered a lot indeed for my sake and she almost reached the throes of death.. To be grateful for tolerating that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 15

When , as a boy, I was suffering from hunger my mother cooked and fed me with lots and lots of rice, and ensured that I am happy . To be grateful for that and continuing to care for me, and to ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 16

On death, my mother is about to reach the abode of death God… Yama. She is standing at the doors of that world and she has to cross the famous vaitharini river.. To ensure that my mother finds the right path in her nether life, I am offering the pindam for my mother.

Slokam 17

Now that my mother is dead and there is no one to show her the path to the nether world, I am offering this pindam to ensure that her passage is safe and happy every..

गर्भेषु विषमं दुःखं विषमे भूमि वर्त्मनि

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥1

मासि मासि कृतं कष्टं वेदना प्रसवेषु च I

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥2

यावत्पुत्रो न भवति तावन्मातुश्र्च शोचनम् ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥3

शैथिल्यं प्रसवेप्राप्ते माता विंदति दु:सहम्।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥4

संपूर्णे दशमे मासि मातात्यन्तं प्रपीडिता ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥5

दिवारात्रौ च या माता स्तनं दत्वा च पालयेत्I

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥6

अग्निना शोष्यते देहे त्रिरात्रौ पोषणेन च

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥7

रात्रौ मूत्रपुरीषाभ्यां भिद्यते मातृकर्परे ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥8

माघे मासि निदाघे शिशिरे तप्त दुःखिता

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥9

पादाभ्यां जनयेत पुत्रो जनन्याः परिवेदनं

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥10

अल्पाहारा गताहारा यावत् पुत्रोऽति बालक:।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥11

पिबेच्च कटुद्रव्याणि काषाय विविधानि च

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् I12

पुत्रे व्याधिसमायुक्ते माता ह्याक्रन्दकारिणी।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्II13

गात्रभङ्गा भवेन्माता मृत्युरेव न संशय:।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम्॥14

क्षुधया संपीडिते बाले अन्नं माता प्रयच्छति ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥15

यमद्वारे पदे घोरे विख्याता वैतरिणी नदी ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥16

यस्मिन्काले मृता माता गतिस्तस्या न विद्यते ।

तस्य निष्क्रमणार्थाय मातृपिण्डं ददाम्यहम् ॥17

garbheṣu viṣamaṃ duḥkhaṃ viṣame bhūmi vartmani

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥1

māsi māsi kṛtaṃ kaṣṭaṃ vedanā prasaveṣu ca I

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥2

yāvatputro na bhavati tāvanmātuśrca śocanam ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥3

śaithilyaṃ prasaveprāpte mātā viṃdati du:saham।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥4

saṃpūrṇe daśame māsi mātātyantaṃ prapīḍitā ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥5

divārātrau ca yā mātā stanaṃ datvā ca pālayetI

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥6

agninā śoṣyate dehe trirātrau poṣaṇena ca

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥7

rātrau mūtrapurīṣābhyāṃ bhidyate mātṛkarpare ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥8

māghe māsi nidāghe śiśire tapta duḥkhitā

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥9

pādābhyāṃ janayeta putro jananyāḥ parivedanaṃ

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥10

alpāhārā gatāhārā yāvat putro'ti bālaka:।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥11

pibecca kaṭudravyāṇi kāṣāya vividhāni ca

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham I12

putre vyādhisamāyukte mātā hyākrandakāriṇī।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyahamII13

gātrabhaṅgā bhavenmātā mṛtyureva na saṃśaya:।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham॥14

kṣudhayā saṃpīḍite bāle annaṃ mātā prayacchati ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥15

yamadvāre pade ghore vikhyātā vaitariṇī nadī ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥16

yasminkāle mṛtā mātā gatistasyā na vidyate ।

tasya niṣkramaṇārthāya mātṛpiṇḍaṃ dadāmyaham ॥17