- composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya
Dakshinamurthy Stotram
वर्षिष्ठांते वसद् ऋषिगणैः आवृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः ।
आचार्येन्द्रं करकलित चिन्मुद्रमानंदमूर्तिं
स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥१॥
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.
सकलमुनिजनानां ज्ञानदातारमारात् ।
त्रिभुवनगुरुमीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं
जननमरणदुःखच्छेद दक्षं नमामि ॥२॥
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.
गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं शिष्यास्तुच्छिन्नसंशयाः ॥३॥
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॥
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॥
(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.
व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रयाभद्रया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥७॥
(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.
शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥८॥
(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.
इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम्
नान्यत् किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥९॥
(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:
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.