Offering to our dear dead mother – Description of the sufferings of motherhood

Offering to our dear dead mother – Description of the sufferings of motherhood

By
P.R.Ramachander

All Hindus believe that by offering Pindas(balls made of food) to the departed souls , they get comfort and later solace . Gaya in Bihar is considered extremely special for offering PIndas to the ancestors. A person without both parents offers 64 pindas , out of them 16 are specially reserved for the mother. These are offered by chanting sixteen Manthras called Mathru Shodasi. I could find a reference to these manthras in Tamil (http://knramesh.blogspot.in/…/pindam-for-mother-at-gayaa-sl… ).The Stotras (given there in Tamil script) are not translated there but a popular commentary on each of those 16 Pinda offerings is given. The stotra is exceedingly moving. I have made an attempt to translate them but am waiting for the original of the Stotra in DEva Nagari script so that I do not commit any mistakes. Taking in to consideration the tamil commentary and my draft of translation, I have made an attempt below to bring out the essence of that Sloka , which I am sure would move even an iron like son to shed rivers of tears

1.Oh mother I caused you great pain and sorrow,
While I came out of your womb and while you put me on earth,
And for the sake of alleviating that great pain,
I am offering this first Pinda to you .

2.Oh mother month after month , I grew up causing pain within you,
Culminating in the great pain of delivery which I caused,
And for the sake of alleviating that great pain,
I am offering this second Pinda to you .

3.Within your womb, I kicked you hard ,
Causing pain to you oh my mother ,those days when you carried me,
And for the sake of alleviating that great pain,
I am offering this third Pinda to you .

5.During those days nearing delivery ,
You underwent and suffered pain again and again,
And for the sake of alleviating that great pain,
I am offering this fourth Pinda to you .

5.When those ten months of your pregnancy ceased,
I gave you lots and lots of pain , to come out of your womb,
And for the sake of alleviating that great pain,
I am offering this fifth Pinda to you .

6.After my birth you had to swallow several bitter liquids,
And several types of extracts . so that I was kept comfortable,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this sixth Pinda to you .

7.You had to starve causing pangs of burning hunger ,
Which made you bitter thin, so that I am nurtured well,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this seventh Pinda to you .

8.All through the night I used to make your cloth wet,
As well as smelly by my frequent urination and you had to bear that,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this eighth Pinda to you .

9.You suffered by toiled hard all the time without any rest ,
So that , your this son would be well nurtured,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this ninth Pinda to you .

10.Without any difference between day and night ,
Oh mother, I caused pain by biting you , when you offered your milk,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this tenth Pinda to you .

11.During the biting cold of those bitter winter months,
To guard me well from that cold , you shivered and suffered in it ,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this eleventh Pinda to you .

12.During those days when I used to fall sick,
Besides toiling you were drowned in pain of apprehension,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this twelfth Pinda to you .

13. Oh mother you used to starve and suffer,
So that me your son got goodies to eat
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this thirteenth Pinda to you .

14. You were about to break your body and come out,
And without any doubt you were travelling towards death,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this fourteenth Pinda to you .

15.On mother in the freezing darkness of Yama’s gate ,
You are waiting with uncontrollable pain of doubt ,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this fifteenth Pinda to you .

15,Never at any time and nowhere is there a son,
Who does not keep on giving pain to his mother,
And for the sake of alleviating that suffering that you have undergone
I am offering this Sixteenth Pinda to you .