Prayer to Shamash/Utu (mostly protection)

[pixel_fortune]

Šamaš Prayer​

I call to Šamaš, Lord of the Decision, the wisest of the wise. Hear me! Help me! Sit with me now.

Radiance of the lands, bringer of light to humanity,

Chase away the gloom and hatred. Mount your chariot, which destroys foes, slays demons, frees the needy and finds the light.

You preserve humanity by leading us with your wisdom. One who admires you finds no grief. Those who hate you receive wise punishment which evolves their opinions to higher levels.

Sorrow, distress, foes, fears, weaknesses and seductions flee from the person you guard. You guard me with wisdom and show me the path, so I speak to you now. Bring to ruin any traps set for me. Protect me from the evil, arrogant rapists who attack without just cause. Turn them from my path, and lead me instead to heavenly places.

Protect my body from harm. With your affection comfort me. Let me be under your wing, and not fall under the rule of wicked men of guile. Against the fierce passions of wild lust you are unyieldingly strong. You make me victorious in taming these consuming vices. If even the strongest of them tries to kill me, he will be humiliated by your protection over me.

Mighty Šamaš, Lord of Truth and Justice, Help me to be just and wise, to be worthy of what is excellent, beautiful, resplendent and proper!

Loud may we say it, with voices like heroes before a large audience: “that which the righteous love is a true blessing!”

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This is based on a

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, but since it was a combination of 'bringing light on your chariot' and 'justice', Shamash is a very good fit for it, better than the European conception of Jupiter (and better than most other sun gods, who don't have such a strong 'justice' element). I added in a few of his epithets and removed the Jupiterian parts (eg a request for wealth. I love wealth, but that's not Shamash's wheelhouse), changed it from "we/us" to "I/me" and cut some of the more vengeful elements ("make my enemies destitute")

There is a neat thing in Akkadian prayer where someone asks Shamash to "show them the light" but the meaning is "free me from prison" - like stepping out from a dark prison and seeing sunlight again. So if you wanted to add in "show me the light" or "bring me into the light" you could understand it as having that double meaning. Or write it out explicitly: "take me from my dark prison and show me the light of day". (I didn't include it only because it didn't fit neatly, eg you already have a list of three requests in the 6th paragraph, and lists of three are inherently resonant)

If you want to add in some Akkadian, you could swap out:
Lord of the Decision = Bēl Dinīm
Radiance of the lands = šarūr mātāti
who brings light to the people = nūru pān nišī
Lord of Truth and Justice = Bēl Kitti u Mīšari

š is pronounced sh; the line over the top of a vowel means the syllable is extended slightly (like Czech diacritics if that helps anyone)

 

[8Lou1]

thank you i really like it and it totally synced here. i sort of was admiring an artwork (a song i posted in the musictopic) and feltmsomething from wf. i looked and saw your post. i read it and i felt a connection and a sort of light that felt as truth. and then i read jupiter and i smiled, jove is his name to me.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Another prayer or ritual to go in my ritual diary.

Thanks!!

 

[Challis]

Thanks you Very much for posting this. I had no idea I would resonate so much with Shamash and Jupiter. Specifically the line about leading humanity with their wisdom. I feel a strong connection to this, so again thank you for elucidating me to this Prayer.