DOSHA PARIHARA ASHTAKAM – VERSE 5

दोष परिहाराष्टकं - 6

DOSHA PARIHARA ASHTAKAM –  8 VERSES

 

VERSE 5

 

दोषं परस्य ननु गृह्णति मय्यनेन –स्वात्मैष एव परगात्र सम्ह्यतेन ।

दुर्वस्तुनैव मलिनी क्रियते तदन्य – दोष ग्रहादहह किं न निवर्तितव्यम् ॥ 5॥

 

Sridhara Ayyaval stresses on what kind of quality of thoughts one should possess. He says that you become what your thoughts are and what you constantly think because you act upon what you have in your mind all the time. We need to introspect and take care about the kind of thoughts we have; are they positive or negative ? . Our sastras says that allow the other person to be as he is and accept him in total without finding fault as he is part of the creation of Isvara. Accepting other person and situation in full is the most matured living.

 

In case our thoughts are full with dosha chinta - finding doshas or defects of other persons, is it good or bad for us ? If we always have dosha chinta what will happen to us : author explains. When we think of other's faults, the quality of our thoughts become extremely dirty and filthy which will bring dire harm to us. Apart from having filthy thoughts, the author says that when the mind is constantly dwelling on doshas of other person, the mind imbibes the very same doshas and we will be filled with same doshas eventually.

 

The author gives an example : supposing the hand or any part of the body comes into contact with a dirty and filthy object. What happens ? Our part of the body also becomes dirty and bad smell emerges. When our body come in contact with impurities of another body, we catch contagious diseases and we become sick. Just a sneeze is enough to catch a common cold from somebody.

 

Similarly, when the mind is thinking and talking about doshas of others, I am constantly touching the other person's dirt,- parasya dosham grnhati mayi – therefore our mind becomes dirty - Mama manah malini kriyate and also we tend to catch those into ourselves as doshas will spread into us ultimately –paragatra samanena durvastunena eva.

 

Therefore Sridhar Ayyaval says, O Lord Shiva, please help me to avoid thinking and talking about impurities of others so that I can avoid getting myself dirtied, polluted and sick. Let me get the wisdom to understand that my mind becomes dirty through criticism of others and same doshas will become mine eventually.

Therefore, Oh ! Lord Shiva, please bless me with strength and courage to avoid such a dangerous habit in me.