Sri Dakshinamurti Strotram
Sri Adi Sankaracharya, the great Guru has composed the Sri Dakshinamurti Strotram to glorify the teachings of Adi Guru Dakshinamurti for destroying the notion of duality by removing Ajnana. While I am trying my best to learn, understand and relearn, I get to understand it differently every time. Hence, I felt, should write what I understood in the process of learning, so that I will be correcting myself in the process.
While Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Lord Siva, Lord Hayagriva is treated as an aspect of Lord Vishnu with reference to knowledge. Sixteen Dakshinamurtis are referred to in the Saastra. Sastras are the experiences of sages and maharshis.
Removal of ignorance can be done only by Jnana ( providing knowledge). The seeker can seek two types of knowledge: para vidya ( higher / knowledge of the spirit) and apara vidya (loukika-vyavaharika / materialistic /lower).
Ten verses were composed by Sri Adi Sankaracharya showing his gratitude to Adi Guru Dakshinamurti for giving him knowledge about the self.
The study of this strotram is said to be equivalent to prasthanatrayam: Upanishads, Brahma sutras and Bhagavad Gita.
The following is the invocation verse followed by the Dakshinamurti Strotram.
Brahma Tattvam is imparted through silence
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं वर्षिष्ठांते वसद् ऋषिगणैः आवृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः । आचार्येन्द्रं करकलित चिन्मुद्रमानंदमूर्तिं स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥0॥ మౌన వ్యాఖ్యా ప్రకటిత పర బ్రహ్మతత్త్వం యువానం వర్షిష్ఠాంతే వసద్ ఋషి గణైరావృతం బ్రహ్మనిష్ఠైః | ఆచార్యేంద్రం కర కలిత చిన్ముద్రమానందమూర్తిం స్వాత్మారామం ముదిత వదనం దక్షిణామూర్తి మీడె ||0|| mauna -Vyaakhyaa prakaTita para -brahma -tattvam yuvaanam VarshishThaantE Vasad RshigaNairaavRutam brahma -nishThai@h | aachaaryEndram kara -kalita chin mudramaananda -muurtim Svaatmaaraamam mudita Vadanam dakshiNaamuurti -miiDe ||0||
The ever youthful ( no ageing and fully optimistic nature) Guru who is able to convey the Brahma Tattva through silence. Brahma Tattva is the Supreme Reality-the knowledge which is free from limitations of time, place (spatial context) and property, which exists every where but never in the form of an entity or an object which has attributes or features and descriptions. It is beyond all these,
Who is surrounded by the age old Rishis who follow all religious rules having an intense desire to learn something ,
The teacher of teachers ( it is the lord who initiated the teaching) who is ananda himself with all glow and radiance of wisdom, with his hand gesturing chinmudra – index and thumb form a cycle and other three fingers put straight (as scholars say it signifies the identity of jivatma and paramatma),
One who revels within, with a smiling face, such a wonderful guru , I worship him- Lord Dakshina murti.
Knowing the real you!
विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया । यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥१॥ విశ్వందర్పణ దృశ్యమాన నగరీ తుల్యం నిజాంతర్గతం పశ్యన్నాత్మని మాయయా బహిరివోద్భూతం యథానిద్రయా | యస్సాక్షాత్కురుతే ప్రభోధసమయే స్వాత్మానమేవాద్వయం తస్మై శ్రీగురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 1 || ViSvamdarpaNa -drRSyamaana -nagarii-tulyam nijAntargatam paSyannaatmaani maayayaa bahirivOdbhuutam yathaa nidrayaa | yassaakshaatkurutea prabhodha-samaye svaatmaanam -Evaadvayam tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||1||
According to Sankaracharya, Self is revealed as the consciousness which makes the body and mind sentinent. The conciousness is the Atman. We are different from what we experience. Anatman is the world, Body and Mind. World is an object which is describable, Body is also an object which is describable and Mind is an object of experience that makes us feel its perception and can be described, so they are all not ‘I’ or the Atman. This is Advaita.
Sankaracharya uses two examples:
- Darpana Nagari Drishtanta and Swapna Nagari Drushtanta
Darpana means reflection like the one seen in a mirror. If that ‘I’ of you is able to show you the object of this world (Nagari) – a reflection of what is outside, that means you are not part of that world or part of the image as you are able to see that image as a third entity! In that case we have three entities here: the object (world) you are trying to see, the object (the reflection image of the world – Nija Antargata) you are seeing and the object (the seer-or yourself or the ‘I’). There is something beyond all these, that something is helping you do all the these three. The chaitanya or that energy or the reality that which is not describable and all the above three are not possible without this.
Like an illusion is felt , an image seen during the dream (Swapna) when asleep, and image disappears once you are awake
The Guru teaches the real nature of you, the Atman, the single Entity ‘I’ -the Advayam, the mother Object, which encompasses all other objects.
My salutations to such a Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
Universe is a manifestation of Brahman
बीजस्याऽन्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्गनिर्विकल्पं पुनः मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलना वैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् । मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥२॥ బీజస్యాంతరి వాఙ్కురో జగదితం ప్రాంఙ నిర్వికల్పం పునః మాయకల్పిత దేశకాలకలనా వైచిత్ర్యచిత్రీకృతం | మాయావీవ విజృంభయత్యపి మహయోగీవ యః స్వేచ్ఛయా తస్మై శ్రీగురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీదక్షిణామూర్తయే || 2 || beejasyaamtari vaa~mkurO jagaditam praaMnga nirvikalpam puna@h maayakalpita deaSakaalakalanaa vaichitryachitreekRtaM | maayaaveeva vijRmbhayatyapi mahayoegeeva y@h sveachChayaa tasmai Sriigurumuurtayea nama idam SriidakshiNaamuurtayea ||2||
Like the seed (Beeja) unmanifested and looked still before the sprout from it has manifested into tree in the future dimensions of substance, space and time (both by maya),
the universe is unrolled by Him and is projected like an object / world with more and more varieties of pictures created and overlaid due to maya with substance, space and time dimensions, of course from Brahman again and again in a cycle -punah (karma-srushti-karma). Maya is inherent in Brahman.
Like a magician (mayavi), the Maha Yogi can spread this projection at his will,
My salutations to such a Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
In a way Sankaracharya emphasises the significance of thought and how powerful sankalpa-the will and manifestations of the thought can be.
The pure existence-Satt-the truth-tat and pure consciousness-chit-tvam are one and the same
यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् । यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥३॥ యస్యైవ స్ఫురణం సదాత్మకమసత్కల్పార్థకం భాసతే సాక్షాత్తత్వమసీతి వేదవచసా యో బొధయత్యాశ్రితాన్ | యత్సాక్షాత్కరణాద్భవేన్న పునరావృత్తిర్భవాంభోనిధౌ తస్మై శ్రీ-గురు-మూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ-దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 3 || yasyaiva sphuraNam sadaatmakamasatkalpaarthakam bhaasatE saakshaattatvamaseeti veadavachasaa yO bodhayatyaaSritaan^ | yatsaakshaatkaraNaadbhaveanna punaraavRttirbhavaambhOnidhau tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||3||
He, on whose ignition (sphuraN) causes the light which shows the universe to be real,
the Maha Vakya- Tat Tvam Asit, as told in the vedas is made known to the seekers, that, that is you (I) is the truth
Punaravruti ( the cycle, begin-end-begin) is put to an end,
My salutations to such a Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
That which illuminates is the Atma
नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभा भास्वरं ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा वहिः स्पन्दते । जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत् तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥४॥ నానాచ్ఛిద్ర ఘటోదర స్థిత మహాదీపప్రభా భాస్వరం ఙ్ఞానం యస్య తు చక్షురాదికరణ ద్వారా బహిః స్పందతే | జానామీతి తమేవ భాంతమనుభాత్యేతత్సమస్తం జగత్ తస్మై శ్రీ గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 4 || naanaachChidra GaTOdara sthita mahaadeepaprabhaa bhaasvaram jnAnam yasya tu chakshuraadikaraNa dvaaraa bahi@h spandatea | jaanaameeti tameava bhaantamanubhaatyeatatsamastam jagat tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||4||
When a pot has a light inside and can spread it in several directions through the several holes on it,
Jnana (light) , from within is spread through the eyes the world outside can be felt, the Jnana that initiates the senses to be functional,
He, through whose knowledge helps in realising who I am,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
Realisation is something to somebody
देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः । मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहाव्यामोहसंहारिणे तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥५॥ దేహం ప్రాణమపీంద్రియాణ్యపి చలాం బుద్ధిం చ శూన్యం విదుః స్త్రీ బాలాంధ జడోపమాస్త్వహమితి భ్రాంతాభృశం వాదినః | మాయాశక్తి విలాసకల్పిత మహావ్యామోహ సంహారిణే తస్మై శ్రీ గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 5 || deaham praaNamapeendriyaaNyapi chalaam buddhim cha Sunyam vidu@h stree baalandha jaDOpamaastvahamiti bhraantaabhRSam vaadina@h | maayaSakti vilaasakalpita mahaavyaamoha saMhaariNea tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||5||
As the viduh (people who know) say with a wrong perception the body, life, senses, Mind, Intellect and sunya is the I,
their interpretation is worse than women??, children, blind and the ignorant,
He who destroys this vyamoha (the delusion) created due to Maya sakti,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
?? The interpretation ‘worse than women’ is explained as emotional dominance and a personality which overpowers intellectual faculty!
Being in deep sleep is not being in sunya sthiti (emptiness)-there is existence
राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात् सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् । प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥६॥ రాహుగ్రస్తదివాకరేందుసదృశో మాయా సమాచ్ఛాదనాత్ సన్మాత్రః కరణోపసంహరణతో యోஉభూత్సుషుప్తః పుమాన్ | ప్రాగస్వప్సమితి ప్రభొధసమయే యః ప్రత్యభిజ్ఞాయతే తస్మై శ్రీ గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 6 || raahugrasta divaakareandu sadRSo maayaa samaachChaa adanaat sanmaatra@h karaNOpa saMharaNatO yO [a]BhuutsuShupta@h pumaan | praagasvapsamiti prabhodhasamayea y@h pratyabhijnaayatea tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||6||
Like the Sun or the Moon during the eclipse, are veiled by Rahu graha, and still have their functionalities intact after,
In the sleep, like all the senses are withdrawn, as though existence is veiled by maya, existence prevails during the state, and
after awakening, the one who remembers he slept well, One who awakens the consciousness of the self,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
Sankaracharya projects that though in sleep state, no transactions are done, yet there is pure existence. It is just a transition from jagrut avasta (state) to sushupti avasta (state). In sushupti (deep sleep) state all the instruments -sense organs, body and life are withdrawn. I Swapna or jagrat states, these instruments are functional along with maya which is active then. These are all the states of the body, and there is existence all through these states.
Experiencing the Self
बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा । स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रयाभद्रया तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥७॥ బాల్యాదిష్వపి జాగ్రదాదిషు తథా సర్వాస్వవస్థాస్వపి వ్యావృత్తా స్వను వర్తమాన మహమిత్యంతః స్ఫురంతం సదా | స్వాత్మానం ప్రకటీకరోతి భజతాం యో ముద్రయా భద్రయా తస్మై శ్రీ గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 7 || baalyaadishvapi jaagradaadishu tathaa sarvaasvavasthaasvapi vyaavRttaa svanu vartamaana mahamityant@h sphurantam sadaa | svaatmaanam prakaTeekarOti bhajataam yO mudrayaa bhadrayaa tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||7||
The one who is beyond changes of ages like child hood , youth and old age, during different states like being awake or in dream,
the one who is aware of his ‘I’ during the present and all other times,
with the sacred chinmudra He awakens the existence of the Atman, and this knowledge to the one who seeks it,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
Ego distances one from the truth – Atman
विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः । स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥८॥ విశ్వం పశ్యతి కార్యకారణతయా స్వస్వామిసంబంధతః శిష్యచార్యతయా తథైవ పితృ పుత్రాద్యాత్మనా భేదతః | స్వప్నే జాగ్రతి వా య ఏష పురుషో మాయా పరిభ్రామితః తస్మై శ్రీ గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 8 || viSvam paSyati kaaryakaaraNatayaa svasvaamisambandhat@h Sishyachaaryatayaa tathaiva pitR putraadyaatmanaa bheadat@h | svapnea jaagrati vaa ya Esha purushO mayaa paribhraamit@h tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||8||
The one who enables the self to see / experience cause and effect (karya-karana) , owner and ownership (sva-sambandhata) forms through Maya in the world,
the distinction of disciple, acharya and father, son etc of within Atman,
In the dream or wake up states, the Purusha present is influenced due to the the maya’s delusion,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
There exists nothing those who reflect on Him
भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशु पुमान् इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम् नान्यत् किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥९॥ భూరంభాంస్యనలోஉనిలోஉంబర మహర్నాథో హిమాంశుః పుమాన్ ఇత్యాభాతి చరాచరాత్మకమిదం యస్యైవ మూర్త్యష్టకమ్ | నాన్యత్కించన విద్యతే విమృశతాం యస్మాత్పరస్మాద్విభో తస్మై గురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీ దక్షిణామూర్తయే || 9 || BhurambhaamsyanalO [a] nilO [a]Mbara maharnaathO himaaMSu@h pumaan ityaabhaati charaacharaatmakamidam yasyaiva muurtyashTakam | naanyatkinchana vidyatea vimRSataam yasmaatparasmaadvibhO tasmai Srii-guru-muurtayea nama idam Srii-dakshiNaamuurtayea ||9||
[Eight fold forms] Earth (Bhuh), Water (ambhasya), Fire (analah), Air (anilah), Space(ambara), Sun (aharanatha-one who radiates), Moon (himansuh) and Jiva (puman: purusha) ,
These all are Atman’s eight manifestations ( muurtyashTakam) shining in moving and non- moving (charachara)forms in universe,
There exist nothing other than Him, All that exists is Brahman,
My salutations to him, the Gurumurti who is embodied by Sri Dakshinamurti.
This sloka is special as it projects Him as the one with several forms. The above slokas were discussing his formlessness.
The Benefit-phala sruti
सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च संकीर्तनात् । सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥१०॥ సర్వాత్మత్వమితి స్ఫుటీకృతమిదం యస్మాదముష్మిన్ స్తవే తేనాస్వ శ్రవణాత్తదర్థ మననాద్ధ్యానాచ్చ సంకీర్తనాత్ | సర్వాత్మత్వమహావిభూతి సహితం స్యాదీశ్వరత్వం స్వతః సిద్ధ్యేత్తత్పునరష్టధా పరిణతం చైశ్వర్య మవ్యాహతమ్ || 10 || sarvaatmatvamiti sphuTeekRtamidam yasmaadamushmin stavea teanaasva SravaNaattadartha mananaaddhyaanaaccha sMkeertanaat | sarvaatmatvamahaavibhuti sahitam syaadeeSvaratvam svat@h siddhyeattatpunarashTadhaa pariNatam chaiSvarya mavyaahataM ||10||
The tatva of Atman is described here clearly,
By sravana (listening or studying ) to the meaning, manana (reciting or reflecting what is studied), dhyaana (meditating or assimilating), sankeertana (glorifying),
one can realize the oneness with Atman, the Divine essence with the profound knowledge,
and attain the eightfold manifestations of Siddhis (Godhood) while experiencing the bliss, gain extra ordinary powers rather…
There are several good books and commentaries written on Sri Sankaracharya’s work -Dakshinamurti Strotram: Manasollasa by Sureshvaracharya and Tattva Sudha by Svayam Prakasa and Ramatirtha [1].
Resources:
- Dakshinamurti Strotram – Govt Library
- www.vignanam.org
- Lekhini.org is used for sanskrit to english transliteration of the verses
- Dakshinamurti – A silent Teacher: A compilation of Lectures of Swami Paramarthananda by R. B Atreya
- For slokas in sanskrit: https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/dakshina.html?lang=sa