DOSHA PARIHARA ASHTAKAM – 8 VERSES

Courtesy: Sri.K. S. Shankar

दोष परिहाराष्टकं - 4

DOSHA PARIHARA ASHTAKAM –  8 VERSES

 

VERSE 3

 

काम भृत्यखिल दोष निधेर ममैष –मय्याह दोषमिति को नु दुराग्रहों S स्मिन् ।

हेयत्वमालपति यो S यमलं न केन –वार्यो S थ सत्त्ववति सो'मयंसत किमाह ॥3॥

 

In the first verse, he conveyed that one should not find fault in others as it will amount to finding fault with Isvara as creation is nothing but manifestation of Isvara. In the second verse, he says that fault lies in us too when there is clash of likes and dislikes between us and others and also one cannot blame others for one's sufferings as he alone is responsible for what he is facing today because of his past karmas or actions.

 

We now move on to the meaning of Verse 3 of the Dosha Parihara Ashtakam.

 

In the third verse Sridhara Ayyaval talks about the people who are finding fault with him. He explains that what is wrong in other people pointing out my imperfections. When I look at myself, I find that I am the repository of all imperfections such as lust, jealousy, fear, anger, etc. Why should I get angry just because they have pointed out my imperfections ?. In fact by pointing out my doshas, they have done a great favour to me out of compassion and I should be ever grateful to them because it gives me an opportunity to correct myself.

 

He further says - Did they point this on a person who is blemishless ? ; No - not at all. If others are commenting on me, they are not uttering any lie, but speaking only the truth. They have merely reiterated that I am marred by blemish which I should have made efforts to remove them at all costs. They only speak what they perceive of me. Why should I get angry for that ? Even if they are not fully correct, it is their problem and not mine. I must only see only the imperfections that is in me and make efforts to remove them.

 

The Sage claims that he possesses a huge treasure house – kama brityakhila dosha nidhih…. What is in that treasure ? Gold, diamonds, precious stones, wealth ? No, not at all.  It is filled to the brim with Kama, krodhadhi sarva doshah.  All the defects are available in fullest measure in me – Nideh mama eshah. How can others be stopped from talking about me as they are speaking absolute truth ? My huge treasure of lust and anger attracts them and I cannot blame them at all. Heyatvam alapati – they rejoice and propagates to everybody that they should not approach or even go near me.

 

Everybody therefore talking between themselves that they should avoid me at any cost. If the other person is talking about me like this, kena varyah ? Why should he be stopped from talking about me as I have huge treasure of asura sampathhi ? Others have full right to gossip about me as I am full of defects myself and I am not supposed to talk ill of them as they are saying only the truth.

 

A great jnani is blaming himself like this in an extreme manner whereas he has no doshas at all. These observations are mainly to address the common people to have such an extreme humble attitude towards their own doshas in order to develop an attitude to alter them.

 

Sri Ayyaval, by blaming himself in a most humble way, conveys to the sadhakas that one should look inwards to see their own imperfections and take efforts to remove them instead of getting angry with people who point them out to you. When others point fingers at you, it is a great opportunity for us to know about our shortcomings and we can work on them to remove that dosha.

 

Our main purpose of this rarest human life is to gain the supreme knowledge about your true svarupa which is available only in Sastras with removal of ignorance which is born with us. Our bondage as a samsari is only a notion due to ignorance or avidya and that has to be replaced with Vidya with the help of Guru and Sastra which is the only valid pramanam or means of knowledge to know about your true svarupa. First and foremost starting point towards this pursuit is to remove the doshas in us, gain antahkarana shuddhi and become an adhikari to do sravanam, mananam and nidhidhyasanam.