Dosha Pariharashtakam of Ayyaval

Dosha pariharashtam

(The octet  of antidote  to defects)

By

Sridhara  Ayyaval

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(The great  saint  Sridhara Ayyaval was the son Sri Sridhara Padmanabha who was a high ranking officer in the court of the king of Mysore.  He was offered the post of his father , when his father attained salvation and he rejected that  offer  as he was spiritually oriented and took his residence in Thiruvisainallur in the banks of river Cauvery. You can read about this great savant in http://www.sriayyaval.org/lsdetail.html . Here is a remarkable   stotra , where he   expresses  his views on those who only find the defect of others  and tells  us , what we should do to get rid of defects ourselves.  The devanagari original of the stotra can be found in http://www.sriayyaval.org/history/ayyval_works/Slokas/Doshapariharashtakam.pdf)

1.Anyasya   dosha ganana  kuthukam samethath,

AAvishkarothi   niyatham   mayi doshavathwam,

Dosha punarmayi   na chedakhile   satheese,

Dosha graham   kadhumudhethu  mamesa thasmin.

I  enjoy the counting of the defect of others,

And it makes clear that  I am one with defect,

Oh Lord Shiva , when all the  defects in the world are yourselves,

And  where does  your  defects lie , oh my God?

2.Yeshaa vyadhethara kruthethi   mamesa thasmin,

Kopo yadhi  svapara  kama mukha  prassootha,

Seyam  vydhethi mayi  may  na kadannu kopaa,

Swasya   vyadhaa   swa duritha prabhaavaa  hi sarvaa.

Oh God  , I complain that all my problems are created by others,

And if my anger  is   born due to my   defects like passion,

Why is it that,   I am not getting angry   at my problems,

And it is clear to me that all my problem are due  to my own defects.

3.Kama prabruthya akhila  dosha  nidher mamesha ,

Mayyaha   dosham ithi  ko nu  duragrahoi asmin,

Heyathwa maalapathi  yoayamalam   ne kena,

Vaaryodha   sathva vathi   soyam   masath kimaha.

Oh God , passion and other defects are  all the treasure  of my defects,

And why am I am getting angry when others talk of my defects ,

And they tell others not to come near me and what can I do about it,

As they have  not talked  about anything which is not in me.

4.Yas samsritha   swa hithadhir  vyasana athurasthath,

Doshasya  tham prathi  vaachoisthu  thadanya dosham,

Yaadhchmi  thanmama  na kim  kshathaye  swadosha,

Chinthaiva   may thadapanodha  phalo uchithaath.

Suppose someone approaches me to solve his sorrows and sufferings,

I can possibly point out to  him his defects  and more  defects,

And  will not pointing out defects of others lead  to my  fall due to my defects ,

And so I consider thinking about  my defects so that I can remove them , will be more apt.

5.Dosham parasya  nanugruhnathi  mayyanena,

Swathmaisha   yeva para gathra samahathena,

Durvasthuneva  Malini kriyathe  thadanya,

Dosha grahadahaha  kim na  nirvriuuthithavyam.

When I keep on thinking about the defects  of others,

All those defects , which are collected   from other people ,

Would become  the bad thing that   would dirty my mind,

And so   Why  should I collect   defects    from other persons?

6.Nirdosha bhaavam itharasya  sadoshabhavam,

Swasyami  savidhdhathi   para doshadhi men,

Aastham iyam   thadh itharaa  thu pararthi mathra,

Hethurvya anukthu na kadham  mama  thucha bhavam.

Having  a feeling that I do not have any defects  and feel that others have defects,

And   feeling they only have    all the defects

Causes  sorrow and worries    to all those  persons,

And is this not that   which  shows to  others my pettiness?

7.Padmadhi sourabha   iva  bramarasya harsha,

Hithvaa  anyadheeya sugune   punar anya doshe ,

Harsho durartha ivageha keete  kimasthe ,

Haa may kadhesa  krupayaavigalethsa  yeshaa.

The bee gets  joy due to the sweet smell of the lotus,

And like that if I see greatness of others  I should get joy,

And getting joy out  of defects of others is like the pig getting pleasure,

Out of the gutter  and Oh lord when shall I get rid of this  defect  by your blessing?

8.Dosha swabaaji   mathi kousalam anya bhaji,

Moudyam  gune anya jushi   harshabhara swabhaji ,

Astha prasathir akhileshu  dhaya athyudhara,

Vrutharyojitho  mama  kadasthu  haranuraga.

Let me see my defects  and let me not  have the trick of finding other’s  defects,

Let me be happy of seeing greatness of others and not  to  that of mine,

 Let there  be fame  of  my being  merciful    and  being generous to all others,

When will I increase   my power  by being in love with you?