shivAparAdha-xamApana stotra of Shankara - 1,2

[Anand Hudli]

aadau karmaprasaN^gaatkalayati kalushhaM maatR^ikukShau sthitaM maaM
 viNmuutraamedhyamadhye kvathayati nitaraaM jaaTharo jaatavedaaH |
 yadyadvai tatra duHkhaM vyathayati nitaraaM shakyate kena vaktuM
 xantavyo me.aparaadhaH shiva shiva shiva bho shriimahaadeva shambho || 1||

 First, the sin due to attachment to karma carries me to the womb of
 a mother. Then, the heat of the womb boils (me) exceedingly in the impure
 place containing excrement and urine. Who can describe the suffering that
 afflict (me) exceedingly in that place! O Shiva! O Shiva! O Shiva!
 O MahAdeva! O Shambhu! Forgive my offense!

 baalye duHkhaatireko malalulitavapuH stanyapaane pipaasaa
 no shaktashchendriyebhyo bhavaguNajanitaaH jantavo maaM tudanti |
 naanaarogaadiduHkhaadrudanaparavashaH shaN^karaM na smaraami
 xantavyo me.aparaadhaH shiva shiva shiva bho shriimahaadeva shambho || 2||

 There is an excess of suffering in infancy and childhood. The body is
 agitated by (frequent) urination and passing of stools. And there is
 a desire for breast-feeding. There is no strength in the organs. Many
 worms, parasites, insects, etc., that are born of Your mAyA keep biting
 and piercing me. Due to suffering from numerous ailments, I keep crying.
 (But) I do not remember (You) Shankara (even then)! (Therefore,) O Shiva!
 O Shiva! O Shiva! O MahAdeva! O Shambhu! Forgive my offense!

 Note:

 Shri Abhinava Vidyateertha, (Divine Discourses, page 91) says that there
 is a causal relation chain that runs as follows:

 mithyAjnAna -> doshha -> pravR^itti -> janma -> duHkha

 MithyAGYAna leads to defects (attachment, aversion, and delusion),
 defects lead to activity, activity leads to (the next) birth, and
 birth leads to duHkha - sorrow, pain and suffering.

 The root cause of this duHkha is mithyAGYAna.

 From this, it follows that everyone who is born in this world does
 so because of mithyAGYAna or erroneous knowledge. And it also
 follows that everyone who is born will undergo duHkha.

 What is this mithyAGYAna? Shri Abhinava Vidyateertha says:

 atasmin.h tadbuddhiH - mithyAGYAnam.h

 MithyAGYAna is perceiving something in what it is not. Thinking
 the body to be the Self is mithyAGYAna.

 Once we identify the Self with the body, we will be subjected to
 defects. The body will be attracted to certain things that are
 considered desirable and averse to other things that are considered
 undesirable. Again, things are classified as desirable and undesirable
 because of delusion. We strive to achieve desirable things and avoid
 the undesirable things. This "striving" is the pravR^itti mArga or
 karma-mArga. Because of karma and depending on whether we performed
 good or bad karmas, we have to take birth again in different forms.
 And birth implies suffering. We perform more karmas in that birth
 leading to yet another birth, and so on. The cycle continues.

 The cycle can be broken by eliminating the root cause, mithyAGYAna.

 duHkhajanmapravR^ittidoshhamithyAGYAnAnAM taduttarottarApAye
 tadanantarApAyAdapavargaH |

 Among sorrow, birth, activity, defects, and mithyAGYAna, by
 eliminating each element, the preceding one is removed and
 thereby, liberation results.

 Anand

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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