It is a short poem composed of nine verses. Here, the poet prays Lord Shiva to eliminate the afflictions of the devotee. He asks if it is acceptable for the Lord not to answer his prayers when it is said that he protects those who even think of him. He then says that he is just the opposite of the Lord, who is almighty and omniscient in that he is weak and ignorant. How is it that the Lord does not feel sorry for him? These verses are very moving in their appeal. The poem is a precious stone and the reader would like to add it to the collection of hymns he will recite during his prayer.
॥ Artihara Stotram Bengali Lyrics ॥
॥ অথ আর্তিহরস্তোত্রম্ ॥
শ্রী শংভো ময়ি করুণাশিশিরাং দৃষ্টিং দিশন্ সুধাবৃষ্টিম্।
সন্তাপমপাকুরুমে মন্তাপরমেশ তব দয়ায়াঃ স্যাম্ ॥ ১ ॥
অবসীদামি যদার্তিভিরনুগুণমিদমোকসোংহসাং খলু মে।
তব সন্নবসীদামি যদন্তকশাসন নতত্তবানুগুণম্ ॥ ২ ॥
দেব স্মরংতি তব যেতেষাং স্মরতোঽপি নার্তিরিতিকীর্তিম্।
কলয়সি শিব পাহীতিক্রন্দন্ সীদাম্যহং কিমুচিতমিদম্ ॥ ৩ ॥
আদিশ্যাঘকৃতৌ মামন্তর্যামিন্নসাবঘাত্মেতি।
আর্তিষুমজ্জয়সে মাং কিংব্রূয়াং তবকৃপৈকপাত্রমহম্ ॥ ৪ ॥
মন্দাগ্র্ণীরহং তব ময়ি করুণাং ঘটয়িতুং বিবোনালম্।
আকৃষ্টুং তান্তু বলাদলমিহ মদ্দৈন্যমিতি সমাশ্বসিতি ॥ ৫ ॥
ৎবং সর্বজ্ঞোঽহং পুনরজ্ঞোঽনীশোহমীশ্বরৎবমসি।
ৎবং ময়ি দোষান্ গণয়সি কিং কথয়ে তুদতি কিং দয়া নৎবাম্ ॥ ৬ ॥
আশ্রিতমার্ততরং মামুপেক্ষসে কিমিতি শিব ন কিং দয়সে।
শ্রিতগোপ্তা দীনার্তিহৃদিতি খলু শংসংতি জগতি সন্তস্ত্বাম্ ॥ ৭ ॥
প্রহরাহরেতিবাদী ফণিতমদাখ্য ইতি পালিতো ভবতা।
শিব পাহীতি বদোঽহং শৃতো ন কিং ক্বাং কথং ন পাল্যস্তে ॥ ৮ ॥
শরণং ব্রজ শিবমার্তীস্সতব হরেদিতি সতাং গিরাঽহম্ ৎবাম্।
শরণং গতোঽস্মি পালয় খলমপি তেষ্বীশ পক্ষপাতান্মাম্ ॥ ৯ ॥
ইতি শ্রী শ্রীধরবেংকটেশার্যকৃতিষু আর্তিহরস্তোত্রং সংপূর্ণম্ ॥
Sridhara Venkatesa lived about 300 years ago in Tiruvisanallur, a village in Tanjavur district in Tamilnadu. He was called Tiruvisanallur Ayyaval deeply respected person) out of great respect people held for him. Even today he is known by that name only. He was the son of Lingayaryar who was a minister to the Maharaja of Mysore. Even as a young boy Ayyaval was deeply religious and in particular had a great devotion to Shiva but he made no distinction between Shiva and Vishnu. He studied Vedas, shastras and Puranas and had a great desire to travel and spread the message of the Puranas and in particular the glory of the Lord’s name among the people. After his father’s death, the Maharaja wanted him to take his father’s job but he politely declined and left Mysore state with his wife and mother. He came to Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu and stayed for some time giving talks. He was supposed to have brought back to life a woman who had died by praying to the Lord. This attracted people who wanted him to solve their problems. Ayyaval did not like this and left the place. He proceeded to Tanjavur. It seems that King Shahaji 1684-1710.AD) who was ruling at that time in Tanjavur wanted him to stay in Tanjavur but Ayyaval wanted to lead a quiet life. King Shahaji was inviting scholarly brahmins to stay in his kingdom. He renamed the village Tiruvisanallur as Shahajirajapuram.
One street was allotted for their stay. Ayyaval also stayed in a house there. Ayyaval was a proponent of the view that in this dark age Kali chanting the lord’s name will ward off its evil effects. He was the senior contemporary of Bodhendra Swami who was the 59th pontiff of the Shankara Math at Kanchipuram and who was an ardent advocate of the glory of the lord’s name. Ayyaval wrote a book ##bhagavannaamabhuuShaNam## Bagavannamabhushanam) on the subject which is sadly not available now. Bodhendra Swami had also written a book ##naamaamR^itarasaayanam## Namamritarasayanam)on the subject wherein he had made references to the work of Ayyaval. Once Ayyaval had to perform a sraddha ceremony in his house. Therein food is prepared and offered to the departed forefathers who are invoked in three brahmins invited for the occasion. When everything was getting ready Ayyaval saw an outcast with his family in a famished condition begging for food. His heart melted with compassion at their condition. Without any hesitation, he offered them the food that was being prepared for the ceremony. He then had the house washed and prepared to conduct the ceremony again. But the brahmins in the village considered this act reprehensible and refused to conduct the ceremony again. Ayyaval pleaded with them quoting texts from the scriptures to support his action but the Brahmins were not convinced. He asked them what he should do to remedy the situation. They said that the only atonement was having a bath in the Ganges. But there was no time to go to Varanasi and return. So he prayed to Lord Shiva in Gangashtakam) to release the waters of Ganga from His matted hair as he did on an earlier occasion for Bhagiratha. Water started flowing out of the well in his house and flooded the streets of the village.
The villagers got scared and prayed to Ayyaval to forgive them and stop the flood that was threatening the village. He accordingly prayed again to stop the flooding and requested her to appear in the well every year on that day. Even now people flock to that place every year on that day and take bath in the waters of the well in the belief that Ganga is present in the well on that day. Ayyaval had composed a number of works some of which are not yet been printed and some not available. Some of his works are listed below.
1) Bhagavannama Bhushanam.
2) Akhyashashti
3) Daya Satakam
4) Matrubhtasatakam
5) Stuti Paddati
6) Shivabhakthikalpalatha
7) Shivabhaktha Lakshanam
8) Taravali Stotram
9) Artihara Stotram
10) Kuliresvarashtakam
11) Jambhunathashtakam
12) Doshapariharashtakam
13) Krishnadwadasa manjari
14) Achyuthashtakam
15) Dola Navarathnamala
16) Padamanimanjari – a Sanskrit dictionary
17) Shahajiraja Charitam
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