Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 75

 

 

 

75) OṀ PIṪRUDEVĀRCHITA BHŨMYAINAMAH:

            OṀ (AUM) -PI-ṪRU- DE'-VAAR-CHI-ṪA- BHOO- MYAI- NA-- MA- HA

 

 

             (Piṫa: means-Father; Archiṫa: means-'one who is honored or worshipped)

 

 

 

In Sanskrit, the word 'pita' means 'one who protects'. The Taiṫṫirīya Upanishad declares that the father is only next to the mother and should be honored like a god and without the father, you don't exist. This is proper since he gives birth, education and culture to his offspring. According to the smrutis it is the father who performs the upanayana sacrament and imparts the sacred Gāyatrī mantra to his sons. According to some dharma śāstra works, the following are pitās or 'fathers': anna dāta (one who gives food); bhayatrāta (one who protects from dangers); śvaśura (father-in-law); Janita (father) upaneta (one who performs upanayana).

 

Only in Vedic tradition we equate the father with god and honor and respect him. He is responsible for your birth and without his 'dhāṫu' (sperm) you don't exist. He also provides food, shelter, roof on your head. He is providing the worldly knowledge for you to survive in the world. Without a father, you don't have a wife or mother because without him, they also don't exist either. One of the debts we don't make and every human being-according to Hinduism-is said to be born under three ruṇas or debts. Among these is the pitruruṇam. This ruṇa can be paid by marrying according to dharma and having a son who will perform śrāddhas to the pitrus or departed ancestors, thereby appeasing them. In western countries, once a year, they have 'father's day' and on that day children go and visit their fathers in the nursing homes or take the fathers to restaurants. For Hindus, the father is honored and worshipped as god and they serve them in their old age.

 

From the Vedic times till the beginning of Kaliyuga, even today for generations in some places there are children who follow the father's occupation and keep the family business or tradition. From father we inherit some traits, gotram, and family name (last name or sir name). Father has also the burden and responsibility to maintain his life style according to dharmaśāstrās because his children are going to look up to him and imitate him. In the great epic Mahābhāratam, Yakṣha (semi-divine being) asks Yudhishṭara, the eldest brother of the Pāndavās that what is the 'ātman' (soul) for the father? And Yudhishṭara replies that 'putra ātmā manushyaśya' meaning 'the son is the ātman for the father'. He also says that father is higher than the sky!

 

Our mother land has the culture of honoring and worshiping the father and is 'Pitrudevārchita Bhūmi'.