Obara Di

Also called Obara Dila, Obara Odi

nº 110 of 256 · Edited by Ricco Ledesma

Here the ebbó of the year was born and the light of day came to the world: Eshu brought the genitals down from the forehead, and Shangó passed his crown on to Yemayá.

20 patakíes 6 eewó 8 ebbós and works 13 proverbs

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Obara Di is Odù number 110 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family. It is also written as Obara Dila or Obara Odi. This page brings together its prayer in Yoruba, 20 patakíes (3 in full in plain sight, with their teaching, ebbó and chants), its proverbs, 8 ebbós and works and the signs it shows in the consultation — with the full eewó in plain sight; the rest of the iré and osogbo and the full recipes open with The Notebook, in English.

The sign at a glance

Order in Ifá: Odù 110 of 256
Composition: Obara over Odi
In the Diloggún: 6-7 · Obara tonti Odí
Orishas that speak: Shangó · Yemayá · Eshu · Ogún · Oshún · Olokun · Eni Osha Abuken y Obá Kolaba

What Ifá says in this sign

Obara Di, also known as Obara Dila, speaks to whoever feels they have done a great deal and seen nothing. In this sign were born the ebbó of the year, daylight and the place the genitals occupy in the body; here Shangó drove the bad wind out of the Earth and yielded his crown to Yemayá, and that is why they eat together. Its ruling is a promise for the weary: do not give up, because Orunmila will give you what you desire and the harm others cause you will end in good.

What is crooked in your life straightens out soon if you leave the bad surroundings you move in. You will be called twice from the same place: go, because there you will earn money. If you have trouble with the law, it will turn out well, and if someone disputes a position with you, with your ebbó you win it. Make known what you know how to do: like the silent duck, whoever waits to be sought out ends up alone. Have your own Ifá and receive Ogún, who here gives long life and a lasting name.

«When the one who supports the house gets tired, the house falls apart: Obara Dila shares the burdens in time.»The pulse of Obara Di

Be careful: three people want to bring you down, and in this sign others are paid to topple someone. Do not tell your plans, because other people's ill will undoes them, and in your own home they talk about you. Watch who comes into it, because you may be robbed or blamed for someone else's theft. Do not try to know everything. In the house there is a girl who can go astray if limits are not set in time, and someone who could fall from a height.

In love, you can lose your independence and your dignity because of what your partner demands. To the jealous man it says not to watch his woman so much, because from so much jealousy she leaves him for another; with her he can have three children. Prostitution was born here: the woman who sells her body suffers intimate ailments, and the man who seeks prostitutes risks his life. Give up your love affairs and hold up your home, because if your house falls apart, your strength as a man falls apart too, as happened to Shangó.

In health the bad wind rules: gas, gastritis, ulcers and belly trouble, and also ailments of the lungs. Protect your legs from blows and watch your circulation; the man may suffer impotence. Obara Di invites you to think about how you are living, so as not to regret it when the years arrive: if you change in time, old age will find you at peace and with what you have longed for.

The sign in one line

Do not be overly jealous, support your home together with the others, and do not announce your plans: Orunmila has already signed your reward, and the harm done by others turns into good for you.

The prayer of Obara Di · Yoruba

Obara Dila bara di adifafun Awo olobo oko roko oma shekoye eure owo la meni lebo.

Súyere
Mamba ire mamba osire Iku ba fowao, mamba osire Arun ba fowao, mamba osire Ofo ba fowao (the osobos are named here), mamba ire ba fowao.

Ifá says — what Obara Di tells you

Impotence in the man, and the possibility that the woman may come to prostitute herself.
That three people want to bring you down, and that people are bribed to sink others.
That you will have trouble with the law, but do not be frightened: you will come out well. Beware of thefts: know who comes into your house, and make sure you are not blamed for what someone else takes.
That in your home there is a young girl who may go astray if a limit is not set for her in time.
Be careful: a person in your house may climb to a height, fall, and die.
That for seven days one must not ride a horse, and for sixteen one must not attend gatherings or parties, nor close any deal with anyone for the time being.
That if there is a broody hen in your house, the eggs she is sitting on are an odd number; if the chicks have already hatched, they are killed over the hen, resting on her head, and afterwards she is given to Egun.
That you will be called twice from a certain place: go, because you will earn money.
Illnesses of the sign: impotence, stomach gas, circulatory conditions, gastritis, ulcers and problems in the legs caused by blows.
The woman with wide hips and the gold tooth.
Of the very jealous man: do not be so jealous of your wife; otherwise she will turn bad and, out of anger, leave with another man. She is a good and fortunate woman, a head of money, and if she stays with you, you will have three children.
The young man who is courting a pretty and graceful girl: make ebbó to marry her, because many will envy him and try to take her away.
That the one who is obliged to support the house is not doing his duty, and the day the one who truly supports it gets tired, the house falls apart.
That the person quickly gets rid of the bad that afflicts her if she moves away from the harmful environment in which she moves or lives.
That you should not tell your plans or secrets to anyone, because the evil thoughts of your enemies will ruin them; at home there is gossip against you.
That it is not advisable to want to know everything: you want to find out down to the last detail, and that does you harm.
A woman very close to you, anxious to have a child: with the sacrifice of the small pepper, she will surely begin to have them.
That Orun and the mud have soiled the person.

Proverbs of Obara Di · Òwe

“The dog has four legs and takes only one road.”
“The mouse does not kill the cat.”
“Two things that are not next to each other can hardly catch fire.”
“Harm turns into good.”
“A bribe only hits the mark in an ambitious mind.”
“Whoever poisons some against others is up to petty schemes.”
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
“The sound of the seeds makes you upright; the sound of coins burns worse than fire.”
“Whoever criticizes another's religion cheapens their own.”
“Whoever eats the meat should eat the bone too.”
“Whoever hates dies leaving no trace; whoever loves is immortal.”
“Whoever sets up as a redeemer ends up crucified.”
“Behind a good king there is a good adviser.”

10 proverb interpretations in this Odù, locked.Every proverb explained: which road it comes from and how it applies.Unlock →

Iré and Osogbo

Three iré and three osogbo of this sign, open to everyone.

Iré · what the sign brings

Even if they feel tired of doing so much without seeing results, Orunmila will reward them and they will see what they wish for.
The harm others do to them ends up turning into something good for them.
The bad they have is quickly removed when they leave the bad life they move in.

Osogbo · what the sign warns

They may lose their independence and integrity, and their relationships become unbalanced by the demands of their partner.
Bad wind rules them: they suffer gas, gastritis, ulcers and ailments of the belly.
The man suffers impotence, and if his house falls apart, his strength as a man falls apart too.

37 more iré and osogbo readings in this Odù, locked.The rest of the iré and osogbo of the sign, sorted by subject — health, money, love, death, loss…Unlock →

What is born in Obara Di · Ìbí

The ebbó of the year.
Prostitution.
That the genitals be placed between the legs, and that humans have pubic hair.
Eshu removed the penis and the vulva from the forehead, set them between the legs, and covered them with pieces of skin from the black goat of the sacrifice.
That Shangó and Yemayá eat together.
Shangó passed his crown on to Yemayá.
Killer (the one who kills).
Eni Osha Abuken.
After the flood he was left with a hump on his shoulder blade from having borne the weight of humanity; he lived forever in the yagruma plant, and he was the one who brought the light back.
That this Odù brought daylight.
That the bad wind rules here.
Shangó took it out; the winds lived under the earth with no way out, and that was the sickness of the land of Omo Laye.

What is forbidden · Eewó

The full eewó of this Odù, open to everyone — with the road each ban came out of.

You do not ride a horse (for seven days).
The hat is not taken off to greet anyone.
When traveling in a vehicle, he is not in the habit of greeting; keep that habit.
Do not try to know everything.
Yemayá threw the caracol in Orunmila's house wanting to know more than he did, and she lost the house.
Do not be nosy.
Make sure that no one dies suddenly inside your home.
Do not attend meetings or parties for sixteen days.
Do not tell your secrets or your plans to anyone.
Envy tears them apart.

Ebbós of Obara Di · The sacrifices that open the road

Overcoming enemiesThe split fish🔒 The Notebook Keeping death awayEbbó of the beach🔒 The Notebook HealthEbbó of the bad wind🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe ebbó of daylight🔒 The Notebook LossEbbó of the chameleon🔒 The Notebook

5 ebbós in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Works of Obara Di · The workings of the sign

MoneyThe inshé of Elegba's coconut🔒 The Notebook HealthThe waters of this sign🔒 The Notebook SpiritualThe medicine of Olofin's people🔒 The Notebook

3 works in this Odù, locked.Each full recipe: ingredients, preparation and where it goes.Unlock →

Patakíes of Obara Di · The roads of the Odù

1The Two Hundred Divinities and the Founding of the Earth

The two hundred divinities, those of the right and those of the left, received a consultation just when it was their turn to begin the founding of the earth. It is this odu that tells in what way the world we live in came to be formed.

Before, there had been another world. God covered it with water because its first inhabitants gave themselves over to lust and moral corruption, and so he destroyed it.

Seven thousand years passed, and God resolved to try a second time. He gathered the divinities and commissioned them to go down to the earth, united as if they were one, to improve the world. Koin koin, the heavenly name of Obara Dila, did the divination for them. His advice was that each divinity hand over to Eshu cowries, cascarilla and white clothes, and also leave a parrot feather in Mimikpo, a river of heaven; to their Guardian Angel they had to give a guinea fowl.

Only Orunmila complied. God then sent Arugba, his messenger, to tell them all to come the next day, in the morning, to the Divine Chamber in the palace. Since Orunmila was the only one who had made the sacrifice, Arugba explained to him what it was wise for him to do.

The next morning, with everyone present, God handed out his instructions and forbade anyone to stop at home before departure. Orunmila presented himself last, and that is the reason he was given with the snail shell that held the sand for hardening the earth. With God’s permission, he traveled accompanied by Arugba.

The earth still had no ground and everything was water. The divinities remained up on a palm tree whose roots grew in heaven and whose branches touched the earth, looking at the immense water beneath them. In the end Arugba suggested that Orunmila tilt the snail shell so that its opening faced the water. The sand poured out, the earth became firm and soon afterward they all came down from the palm.

That was the beginning of the second attempt to populate the earth, the one that continues in our days.

What it teaches

Orunmila was the only one who made an offering, and for that reason he received the task of making the world firm. A person who does his ebbó when the others do not finds his path open, and listening to the messenger in time solves what seemed impossible.

Offerings before the descent

For Eshu: cowries, cascarilla, white clothes and a parrot feather, left at Mimikpo, the heavenly river. In addition, each divinity had to bring a guinea fowl for its particular Guardian Angel. Of all of them, only Orunmila complied.

Special offering in Igbodu

What is indicated is a special sacrifice that includes a goat, a guinea fowl, a chameleon, a snail shell gathered in the wild bush, white cloth, cascarilla and the herbs ewe irorowo, ewe ero, ewe odondon and ewe tete. With it the person will be able to have a long life.

In an ordinary consultation

What is advisable is to give a goat to Eshu and receive Orunmila, since the person could go through great difficulties.

The divination verse for the two hundred divinities

KOIN-KOIN MI TA LU IDI. ODIFA FUN ERUMOLE AJUGOTUN, ERUMOLE AJUGOSI NI JO TI WON BO LE ODE AIYE.

2How Eshu Gave Man and Woman Their Present Bodies

At the beginning of the world, animals and plants carried their genitals on the forehead, where they hardly had any function. One day the awó Mikiligui was celebrating his yearly feast near the market. Obó, the vulva, was passing by and stood still so that people could look at her. She was told that things would go well for her if she made an offering: an axe, a machete, a hen, a black goat, kola nuts, four white yams and three water yams. She gathered everything without spending anything, since it was the custom that nobody refused her a favor.

Eshu kept the water yams, the axe, the machete and the goat. When he had finished eating, he asked Obó what she wished for, and she answered that she wanted honor and prosperity. In the whole world, only Eshu could transform or cut down the works of God.

Before that, whoever wanted a child asked God for it, and God formed it; and there was a path along which the child walked until it reached its parents on earth. Eshu took the axe, felled the tree and closed that path forever. Next he called a couple, a man and a woman, who carried their genitals on the forehead. He removed the man's penis and placed it between his legs; then he did the same with the woman's vulva. To cover those areas he used pieces of the skin of the black goat that had been offered, and from this comes the pubic hair that humans have today.

Then Eshu used his ashé to lay down three rules. First: from that moment, every creature of God would have its genitals. Second: a person who wanted a child would no longer address God but Obó. Third: whoever addressed Obó had to settle what she owed for her offering. That is the debt paid today by those who seek to have a child, and it is not a dowry: it equals the cost of supporting the wife for as long as the marriage lasts.

What it teaches

A defect from the origin can be mended when the one with power does it in exchange for an offering. Every benefit received creates a commitment, and here it is the support of the family.

Obó's offering

An axe and a machete, a black goat and a hen, kola nuts, four white yams and three water yams. Eshu received the water yams, the axe, the machete and the goat.

When it comes out in Igbodu

The person went through enormous suffering before being initiated. As soon as he or she serves Eshu with an axe, a machete and a goat, prosperity will begin.

In an ordinary reading

Outside the Igbodu, this odu advises the person to have their own Ifá in order to get ahead in life. A goat is offered to Eshu.

3Why Ogún Never Dies

When Ogún was getting ready to come down to the world, an awó named Ebara ji ji ji did the divination for him. It turned out that he had to offer something so as not to die in this world. Ogún gave a hen, a dog and two roosters, and thanks to that he never dies.

If this sign appears in a reading, the person consulting is told to receive Ogún; with that they will live many years and their name will endure.

What it teaches

An offering made in time can save a person from death. Receiving Ogún brings a long life and a name that no one forgets.

Ogún's offering

A hen, a dog and two roosters.

When this odu appears

The person consulting must receive Ogún; then they will have a long life and a name that is not lost.

Prayer of this path

EBARA JI JI JI, ODIFA FUN OGUN ONI JAN ONLE NI JO TO WA AIYE ALA INIKU KON GIRA. EBO ORIKU NI KO RU O.

4Eshu Obadara, God's servant🔒 The Notebook 5Olokun and the chameleon🔒 The Notebook 6The red pepper and its struggle to have children🔒 The Notebook 7Awele, the flirt🔒 The Notebook 8Olofin and the foreign enemies🔒 The Notebook 9The prostitute who slept with everyone🔒 The Notebook 10Shangó forgot Elegba and his house fell down🔒 The Notebook 11When Shangó crowned Yemayá🔒 The Notebook 12The bad wind of the land of Omo Laye🔒 The Notebook 13The night, Olorun and Osha Abuken🔒 The Notebook 14Yemayá cures Orunmila's client🔒 The Notebook 15The silent duck and the hen that sang🔒 The Notebook 16How Shangó and Yemayá were saved🔒 The Notebook 17The lion and the fox🔒 The Notebook 18The donkey and the horse🔒 The Notebook 19Taewo, Cainde, and the volcano of the town of Takua🔒 The Notebook 20The false coup🔒 The Notebook

17 more patakíes in this Odù, locked.Read every road in full with The Notebook.Unlock →

The full treatise is in English. With The Notebook, the whole sign opens on this page in English: the full text of every patakí, the recipes for the ebbós and works, and the iré and osogbo readings. · This page is also available in Spanish: See Obara Di in Spanish →

Frequently asked questions about Obara Di

What does the Odù Obara Di mean in Ifá?

Here the ebbó of the year was born and the light of day came to the world: Eshu brought the genitals down from the forehead, and Shangó passed his crown on to Yemayá.

What number is Obara Di among the 256 Odù of Ifá?

Obara Di is Odù number 110 of the 256 in Ifá, part of the Obara family.

Which orishas speak in Obara Di?

In the Odù Obara Di these orishas speak: Shangó, Yemayá, Eshu, Ogún, Oshún, Olokun, Eni Osha Abuken y Obá Kolaba.

What is a proverb of the Odù Obara Di?

One of the proverbs of Obara Di says: «The dog has four legs and takes only one road.».

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