Dakshinamurthy Stotram

Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Vishwam Darpana Drishyamana - in sanskrit with meaning
- composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

दक्षिणामूर्ति   स्तोत्रम्
Dakshinamurthy Stotram

मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं
वर्षिष्ठांते वसद् ऋषिगणैः आवृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः ।
आचार्येन्द्रं करकलित चिन्मुद्रमानंदमूर्तिं
स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥१॥

1: (Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy) Whose Exposition through Profound Silence is Awakening the Knowledge of the Supreme Brahman in the Hearts of His Disciples; Who is Himself Youthful ...
2: ... but is Sitting Surrounded by Old and Great Sages who are Devoted to Brahman,
3: The Hands of the Supreme Spiritual Teacher is Forming the Cin-Mudra (gesture of the Knowledge of Brahman) and Whose Appearance is Still and Blissful,
4: Who is Rejoicing in His Own Self which is reflected on His Blissful Face; Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

वटविटपिसमीपेभूमिभागे निषण्णं
सकलमुनिजनानां ज्ञानदातारमारात् ।
त्रिभुवनगुरुमीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं
जननमरणदुःखच्छेद दक्षं नमामि ॥२॥

Meaning:
2.1: Sitting on the ground near the Banyan Tree, ...
2.2: ... were all Munis (Sages), who were (sitting) near to the bestower of Knowledge, ...
2.3: ... who were (sitting) near to the Guru of the Three Worlds, the Lord Himself, personified as Dakshinamurthy Deva, ...
2.4: ... who were (sitting) near to the one, expert in severing the sorrows resulting from the cycles of Births and Deaths; I bow to that Dakshinamurthy.

चित्रं वटतरोर्मूले वृद्धाः शिष्या गुरुर्युवा ।
गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं शिष्यास्तुच्छिन्नसंशयाः ॥३॥

Meaning:
3.1: It is indeed a strange picture to behold; At the root (i.e. base) of a Banyan Tree are seated old Disciples (i.e. aged Disciples) in front of an Young Guru,
3.2: The Guru is Silent, and Silence is His exposition (of the Highest Knowledge); and that (Silence) is severing the doubts (automatically) from the minds of the Disciples.

निधये सर्वविद्यानां भिषजे भवरोगिणाम् ।
गुरवे सर्वलोकानां दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः ॥४॥

Meaning:
4.1: (Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy) Who is a receptacle to all Knowledge, Who is a Medicine to all the diseases of Worldly bondage,
4.2: Who is a Guru to all the Worlds; Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

ॐ नमः प्रणवार्थाय शुद्धज्ञानैकमूर्तये ।
निर्मलाय प्रशान्ताय दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः ॥५॥

Meaning:
5.1: (Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy) Salutations to the embodiment of Pranava (Om), Salutations to the personification of the Pure, Non-Dual Knowledge,
5.2: Salutations to the Pure and Stainless, and Salutations to the Tranquil; Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात्
सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् ।
प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥६॥

Meaning:
(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)
6.1: Just Like the Sun and the Moon are Eclipsed by Rahu, the Pure Consciousness is Eclipsed by Maya (for a spiritually ignorant person),
6.2: A Spiritually Elevated Soul can enter that state of Unborn Deep Sleep (i.e. Pure Consciousness) by Withdrawing His Sense Organs to such an extent that Only the Real Essence remains,
6.3: That state (i.e. Pure Consciousness) is experienced during Spiritual Awakening whereby one clearly Perceives that "Before I was Sleeping" (by being eclipsed by Maya),
6.4: Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि
व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रयाभद्रया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥७॥

Meaning:
(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)
7.1: During Boyhood and Other stages of Life (Youth, Old age etc), during Waking and Other states (Dreaming, Deep Sleep, Turiya etc) and Similarly in All Conditions ...
7.2: ... the Atman Always Shines as the "I" Within, Free from All Conditions but at the same time Present in All Conditions,
7.3: The Inner Guru Awakens this Knowledge of One's Own Atman to those who Surrender to Him; this Knowledge which is represented by the Auspicious Cin-Mudra,
7.4: Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः
शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥८॥

Meaning:
(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)
8.1: The Differentiations that we See in the World as Cause and Effect, as Possessor-Possession Relations, ...
8.2: ... as the Disciple-Teacher, and Also as Father-Son Relations etc, are all Differentiations within the One Atman,
8.3: In Dream or Waking state, He, the One Purusha is always present, and (as if) Maya Wanders over Him and gives rise to all these Differentiations,
8.4: Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy.

भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशु पुमान्
इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम्
नान्यत् किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥९॥

Meaning:
(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)
9.1: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space, Sun, Moon and Jiva, ...
9.2: ... are Verily His (i.e. Atman's) Eight Manifestations Shining within the Moving and the Non-Moving forms,
9.3: Apart from Him (i.e. Atman) there Cannot Exist anything; The Yogis who Reflect (i.e. Meditate) within Discover Him as the Essence From Which Everything Originates, ... Discover Him as Existing Beyond Everything as the Eternal Essence,
9.4: Salutations to Him, the Personification of Our Inner Guru Who Awakens This Knowledge through His Profound Silence; Salutation to Sri Dakshinamurthy.


सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे
तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च संकीर्तनात् ।
सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः
सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥१०॥

Meaning:

(Salutations to Sri Dakshinamurthy Who Awakens the Glory of the Atman within us through His Profound Silence)
10.1: Since the Divine Essence in All is Made Clear in this Hymn,
10.2: Hence by Listening to It, Contemplating on its Meaning, Meditating on It, and Glorifying it,
10.3: One becomes Endowed with the Greatness of the Knowledge of the Divine Essence ( present in All ); Perhaps the Divine Essence by Itself ...
10.4: ... will Awaken within him after that Again, the Eightfold Manifestations of Divine Powers (Siddhis) Unimpeded.