Dakshinamurti Stotra

विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्ग तं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायय ा बहिरिव ोद्भूतंयथा निद्रया । यस्साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तय े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तय े ।। १ ।।

1. Obeisance to him, Árì Dakäiëàmùrti 1 ,

who is the Guru 2 , who at the time of spiritual

awakening 3 has verily realised his own Self, the one

without a second, 4 having understood that the world

is within oneself, as in dream, but projected by màyà

as though it is outside, even as a city reflected in a mirror 5 . 6

1 Dakäiëàmùrti is one of the aspects of Lord

Áiva. He is usually pictured as sitting in the yoga posture, under a banyan tree, facing the south (dakäiëa = south) and exhibiting the cinmudrà, the sign of knowledge, with his fingers. Being the personification of spiritual wisdom, he is the ideal guru. He is also shown as surrounded by disciples,

Dakäiëàmùrti Stotra much older in age. Though he is sitting silently, the spiritual power that radiates out of him automatically dispels all the doubts that arise in their minds. The additional verses given at the end of this hymn describe this.

2 The guru (spiritual preceptor) is one who has realised the Truth himself, and is able to teach

about it to others, showing the way. According to the Hindu religious tradition, God is the primary Guru (Àdiguru) who transmits spiritual truths through a succession of human gurus to mankind.

It is His power that is actually coursing through the human gurus. Hence, the human guru is often identified with God Himself, at least by his disciples.

3 Awakening comes as a result of listening to the mahàvàkyas (the ‘great sentences’ like tat tvam

asi or ‘Thou art That’) from a competent guru after preparing oneself for the same.

4 According to Advaita Vedànta, it is Àtman alone that exists and nothing else. The entire

world of duality is nothing but an appearance, an illusion.

5 The example of reflection in the mirror is limited to explaining the existence of the whole

world within the Self. It should not be construed that like the real city outside, which is reflected in the mirror, there is a ‘real’ world ‘outside’ of which the ‘inside’ is only a reflection!

6 The various objects seen in the dream including oneself are all creations of the mind and are

within it. Likewise, it is màyà that creates this world of duality and all experiences associated with it. On waking, the dream world, which was very much real during the dream experience, disappears. Similarly, this world experience of the waking state also disappears when the spiritual awakening comes.

Dakshinamurti Stotra with Manasollasa. Translated and Annotated by Swami Harshananda