Paapa Kshamaapana Ashtakam

Composed by
His Holiness Shri Datta Swami

Prayer in Eight Verses to Lord Datta for Pardoning Sins

पापक्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।

साहङ्कृति स्सहचरानपि संविधूय,
स्वात्मानमेव सकलोत्तम माविधाय ।
मत्तो मृगो वनचरेष्विव जीवितोऽहम्
पापक्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।1।।

Sāhaṅkṛti ssahacarānapi saṃvidhūya,
Svātmānameva sakalottama māvidhāya, ।
Matto mṛgo vanacareṣviva jīvito'ham,
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।1।।

I was always amalgamated with ego and threw away my associated human beings. I always treated myself as the highest and best among all the human beings. I lived like a proud animal among the other animals in this world-forest. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

मात्सर्य दुर्विष रुषा विनयं विहाय,
योग्याधिकानपि विनिन्द्य शमं प्रयामि, ।
त्वामप्यहं नरतनुं विसृजामि मूढ:,
पाप क्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।2।।

Mātsarya durviṣa ruṣā vinayaṃ vihāya,
Yogyādhikānapi vinindya śamaṃ prayāmi, ।
Tvāmapyahaṃ naratanuṃ visṛjāmi mūḍhaḥ,
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।2।।

I was poisoned with jealousy that arose anger in me due to which I abandoned all my submissiveness and I became pacified on scolding deserving people greater than me. What a fool I am since I am leaving even You, the Lord Datta, who arrived on this earth in human form! O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

क्रोधं विहाय दयया ह्यसि मय्यघौघे,
स्वल्पाघ मानवचये बहुधाऽस्मि रुष्टः, ।
कामाय केवलमियं त्वयि भक्ति रेषा,
पाप क्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।3।।

Krodhaṃ vihāya dayayā hyasi mayyaghaughe,
Svalpāgha mānavacaye bahudhā'smi ruṣṭaḥ, ।
Kāmāya kevalamiyaṃ tvayi bhakti reṣā,
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।3।।

You have left anger and became kind in my case, who is the heap of sins whereas I was always becoming very angry towards the people around me for their small negligible sins. All my present devotion on You is only to fulfil my selfish desire with the help of You. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

मोहेन पुत्र कलितेन धनेषणार्तः
पापं कृतं बहु न दानलवोऽपि योग्ये, ।
लोभाकृति र्मम कुटुम्ब विलम्बमानः
पाप क्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।4।।

Mohena putrakalitena dhaneṣaṇārtaḥ,
Pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ bahu na dāna lavo'pi yogye, ।
Lobhākṛti rmama kuṭumba vilambamānaḥ,
Pāpakṣapmāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।4।।

I was always surrounded by the fascination towards my children due to which I became very much fascinated for money for which I did a lot of sins. I never did any trace of charity for the sake of any deserving receiver. I am the embodiment of greediness and I was always hanging around my little family only. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

सेवा कृता न तव दक्षिणयाऽपि भार्या –
पुत्रेषणा विकलितो ऽप्यघतो धनार्थी ।
निष्कारणात्त करुणां कुरु मय्ययोग्ये,
पाप क्षमापण पटो! प्रभु दत्त! पाहि ।।5।।

Sevā kṛtā na tava dakṣiṇayā'pi bhāryā-
Putreṣaṇā vikalito 'pyaghato dhanārthī, ।
Niṣkāraṇātta karuṇāṃ kuru mayyayogye,
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।5।।

I never did any service to You and never offered even a little to You as Guru Dakshinaa (offering to the Sadguru). I was always surrounded by the fascinations of my spouse and children due to which I was always craving to earn money even through sin. Please show Your causeless kindness on me, who is not deserving at all in any angle. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

पापं करोमि परिताप मुपैमि पश्चात्
पापं पुनः पुनरपि क्रियते च हन्त ।
देवादिदेव! भवदीय दयैव रक्षा
पापक्षमापण पटो! प्रभुदत्त! पाहि ।।6।।

Pāpaṃ karomi paritāpa mupaimi paścāt,
Pāpaṃ punaḥ punarapi kriyate ca hanta ।
Devādideva! Bhavadīya dayaiva rakṣā
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta Pāhi ।।6।।

I will do sins and repent immediately. Alas! Even then, the sin is repeated by me again and again. O first God of Gods! Your mercy alone is my protection. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

जानामि पापफलमेव शुगेकमूलम्,
किञ्च क्रियासु न हि विस्मरणं तथाऽपि ।
पापं कृतं सततमत्र बलं धिगस्य
पापक्षमापण पटो! प्रभुदत्त! पाहि ।।7।।

Jānāmi pāpaphalameva śugekamūlam,
Kiñca kriyāsu na hi vismaraṇam Tathā'pi
pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ satatamatra balaṃ dhigasya
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।7।।

I know very well that the fruits of sins are only the source of all my misery. I remember this truth while doing the sin again and again. Still, the sin is done by me here. How strong is this sin! Shame on me! O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

यद्वर्तमान परिवर्तन कर्म नश्यम्
भूताघसर्वमपि तत् यतते जनोऽयम् ।
एतत्प्रयत्न परिपूर्ण बलं त्वमेव
पापक्षमापण पटो! प्रभुदत्त! पाहि ।।8।।

Yadvartamāna parivartanakarma naśyam
Bhūtāghasarvamapi tat yatate jano'yam ।
Etatprayatna paripūrṇa balaṃ tvameva
Pāpakṣamāpaṇa paṭo! Prabhu Datta! Pāhi ।।8।।

If I restrain from the sin done today, all the past sins are destroyed. For this reason, I am trying today not to repeat the sin. Only You are the complete strength in my effort being done today. O Lord Datta! You are alone capable of pardoning my sins. Please protect me.

पापक्षमापण स्तोत्रम् इति कृष्णकृतं पठन् ।
दत्तानुग्रहतो गच्छेत् पापनिर्मूलनं फलम् ।।

Pāpakṣamāpaṇa stotram iti Kṛṣṇa kṛtaṃ paṭhan ।
Dattānugrahato gacchet pāpanirmūlanaṃ phalam ।।

In this way, if one reads the prayer to God Datta for pardoning the sins written by poet Krishna (Shri Datta Swami), the reader will attain the fruit of destruction of sins by the grace of God Datta.

[NB:- Sadguru, the divine preacher, Lord Datta advises every devotee to recite the above prayer every day at least once before going to bed.]

Continue to read the Datta Pratijnaa Shlokah.