Sarvaroga praśmanaṃ sarva pīḍā nivāraṇaṃ ǀ

Vipaduddharaṇam vande smaṛtrgāmi sano’vatu ǀǀ

Human desires can be broadly classified into two categories- 1) that they should enjoy newer types of comforts 2) existing sorrows should be dispelled.

At every minute human beings search for newer comforts. They want something new to munch or to enjoy some new luxury. They do not even fear that they will have to pay for this all. Simultaneously they seek to get rid of all their sufferings at the earliest. Amongst the two, this second far is far more desirable. The great saints of the earliest periods had decided that getting rid of suffering is by far the most important desire of human beings.

Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati explains how the Lord resolves this issue.

Sarvaroga praśamanaṃ: He destroys every form of disease- physical, mental and those related to sadhana.

Here disease includes physical/ bodily ailments, mental ailments and diseases pertaining to sadhana.

Everyone is familiar with the term bodily disorders/ sickness. Mental sickness means wavering of the mind (chanchala) and lack of wisdom/ discrimination. Such people do not know what they are doing. Ahamkara (feeling of self importance) etc. are diseases pertaining to sadhana.

What is Sadhana-ahamkara? It means taking pride in spiritual achievements- ‘I have reached this particular level in sadhana. I can now make predictions. My chakra is floating up. I am able to see strange lights. Now I know everything. I can now start preaching’ –such thinking is a disease (roga) in itself. This ahamkara should give way to humility.

As humility increases in the person his sadhana-ahamkara vanishes. When disease (roga) called sadhana-ahamkara vanishes in the person, bodily diseases disappear. When these bodily diseases disappear, mental diseases disappear. All the three are deeply -connected.

The ego –‘I know, I know, I know’ is the root for the diseases. This causes intellect to malfunction. When the mind is disoriented, bodily diseases appear. For this reason, it is imperative that ahamkara (ego) should be given up totally.

By seeking shelter under Lord Datta, all these three diseases are destroyed.

In addition to above-mentioned diseases, there are some pīḍā (extreme difficulties) that torment the person. They are of 8 types. That is why, in commonly people use the term ‘aśta kaśta’ to explain unimaginable hardships faced by them.

Sarva pīḍā nivāraṇaṃ: He destroys the aśṭa kaśṭa (pīḍā) that torment the person.

1. Having to leave the country/ homeland and run away 2) separation between husband and wife 3) Relatives arriving at the doorstep when the host is suffering from severe poverty 4) having to eat other’s left-over foods 5) forcibly having to befriend an enemy 6) eagerly having to look forward for the food that other’s will offer 7) depression and difficulties 8) absolute poverty.

These are classified as asta-kasta. Having to leave the homeland and running away could be for various factors- due to bad name earned, when someone dear has cheated them, unable to repay the loans taken from others, due to bad name that children have brought etc. It is a painful experience.

Husband and wife are good partners to each others. Therefore separation causes great pain.

There are situations when relatives arrive at times of severe financial tightness or friends ask for a hand loan at such times. This is a very difficult situation for the host.

Life at times pushes the person into situations wherein he has to beg and eat other’s leftover food. This is a very great difficulty. Having to befriend an enemy is also a difficult situation. Like a dog waiting for someone to come and give food is yet another horrible situation.

Going into severe depression and self-loathing is yet another severe difficulty. Such persons are prejudiced against their own self and will loath- “After all I am good for nothing. I am not intelligent. I am not rich enough. I am not even beautiful who will even look at me? I am inefficient”.

Last but not the least is absolute poverty. At such times friends distance from the person. Being weighed down by severe diseases, being called a traitor by the society, being unable to study, being dim-witted, losing all the hard earned money all these are part of ‘aśṭa kaśṭa’.

As Lord Datta destroys these ‘aśṭa kaśṭa’, He is praised as – sarva pīḍā nivāraṇam.

This Datta Stava is a very difficult and an extremely powerful mantra. In Kali Yuga, Lord Datta himself preached this great mantra. It is not easy to obtain this mantra.

Vipaduddharaṇam: He extricates the person from all forms of dreadful misfortunes.

As if troubles in life were inadequate, exactly at times of severe problems, more problems land on the head. This is comparable to that person who has injured his arm. Even while the wound is healing, if people come and accidentally hit him on that arm, what would be his condition?

From every difficult situation, Lord Datta can rescue a person. He is the sole refuge. He will gently pull the person out of the problems and seat him at a height from wherein he will be unaffected. That is why it is enough if we worship Him.

Vande: To such a Lord we offer our obeisance.

Smaṛtrgāmi sano’vatu May that Lord who responds instantly when called, protect us all!