Format by A.K. Aruna, May 2015 ver.3.0: UpasanaYoga. If downloaded, requires installed Devanāgarī Siddhanta1.ttf font, downloadable from UpasanaYoga. If run from UpasanaYoga website, it alternatively can use online Web Font. Any Devanāgarī in parentheses () is an alternate reading of text in Red. Top button "Collapse all panels" contracts the view in which individual items can be re-expanded, or again the top button "Restore all panels" reloads page to original view. This is a hymn to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti attributed to Śrī Śaṅkarācarya.
by A.K. Aruna
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mauna-vyākhyā-prakaṭita-para-brahma-tattva, yuvan, varṣiṣṭha-ante-vasat-ṛṣi-guṇa, āvṛta, brahma-niṣṭha; ācārya-indriya, kara-kalita-cit-mudra, ānanda-rūpa, sva-ātma-ārāma, mudita-vadana, dakṣiṇā-mūrti, √īḍ. मौन-व्याख्या-प्रकटित-पर-ब्रह्म-तत्त्वं, युवानम् [अ-कालं], वर्षिष्ठ-अन्ते-वसत्-ऋषि-गुणैः ब्रह्म-निष्ठैः (सनकादि-पुराण-जीवैः) आवृतम्, आचार्य-इन्द्रं, कर-कलित-चिन्-मुद्रम्, आनन्द-रूपं, स्व-आत्म-आरामं, मुदित-वदनं सुख-मुखं – तं दक्षिणा-मूर्तिम् ईडे (स्तौमि)॥Salutation to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti (the South-facing One), who (as the teacher) embodies the truth that is the ultimate brahman which cannot directly be taught in words (mauna-vyākhyā-prakaṭita), who remains a youth (time-less) surrounded by aged attending pupils having the qualities of ṛṣis and dedicated to (knowing) brahman; who is the greatest of teachers, whose hand forms the cit-mudra (the knowledge-hand-gesture, with the ego-index-finger bent down – the ‘I am’ joined – to the substratum-brahman-thumb, discerningly separate from the three fingers – the body-senses-mind, the three guṇas, the waking–dream–deep-sleep, etc.), who is an embodiment of fullness, whose fulfillment is its very self, which joy reflects on His face.
vaṭa-viṭapi-samīpa, bhūmi-bhāga, niṣaṇṇa, sa-kala-muni-jana, jñāna-dātṛ, ārāt; tri-bhuvana-guru, īśa, dakṣiṇā-mūrti-deva, janana-maraṇa-duḥkha-cheda-dakṣa, √nam. वट-विटपि-समीपे (वट-शाखि-संसार-वृक्ष-समीपे) भूमि-भागे निषण्णं [आसीनं], स-कल-मुनि-जनानाम् आरात् (साक्षात्) ज्ञान-दातारं, त्रि-भुवन-गुरुम्, ईशं, जनन-मरण-दुःख-च्छेद-दक्षं, दक्षिणा-मूर्ति-देवं नमामि॥Seated on the ground next to the fig-tree (representing Saṃsāra), the giver of the knowledge to all people in His presence who are mentally fit (muni, for this teaching), who is the teacher of all three worlds as their Lord, the effulgent Dakṣiṇā-mūrti – unto that One skilled in removing the sorrow in our cycles of birth and death, my salutation.
citram, vaṭa-tatu, mūla, vṛddha, śiṣya, guru, yuvan; guru, tu, mauna, vyākhyāna, śiṣya, tu, chinna-saṃśaya. चित्रं [विचित्रम् आश्चर्यवत्] – वट-तरोः मूले वृद्धाः शिष्याः युवा गुरुः [च आसत]; गुरोः मौनं तु (एव) व्याख्यानं (शासनम्) [आसीत्], [ततस्] शिष्याः तु [च] छिन्न-संशयाः [आसन्]॥What a wonder – The (ever) young Teacher (Guru) and the ancient pupils at the foot of this fig-tree (of Saṃsāra)! As well (a wonder) is the silent teaching of the Guru and pupils with doubts dispelled!
nidhi, sarva-vidyā, bhiṣaj, bhava-rogin; guru, sarva-loka, dakṣiṇā-mūrti, namas. तस्मै सर्व-विद्यानां निधये, भव-रोगिनां भिषजे, सर्व-लोकानां गुरवे – दक्षिणा-मूर्तये नमः॥Salutation to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūti – the Abode of all disciplines of knowledge, the Doctor of the disease of becoming, the Guru to all people.
om, namas, praṇava-artha, śuddha-jñāna-eka-mūrti; nis-mala, praśānta, dakṣiṇā-mūrti, namas. ओं नमः प्रणवार्थाय। शुद्ध-ज्ञान-एक-मूर्तये, निस्-मलाय, प्रशान्ताय – दक्षिणा-मूर्तये नमः॥Salutation to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti – The meaning of the Praṇava (the first praise), Om, whose form (mūrti) is a singularity of pure knowledge, free of defect and satisfying.
īśvara, guru, ātman, iti, mūrti-bheda-vibhāgin; vyomavat, vyāpta-deha, dakṣiṇā-mūrti, namas. ईश्वरः गुरुः आत्मा इति[-रूपेण] मूर्ति-भेद-विभागिने, व्योमवद् व्याप्त-देहाय [च] – [तस्मै] दक्षिणा-मूर्तये नमः॥Salutation to Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti – Having a body like space, yet (as though) separated into the division of Lord-Teacher-Self.
viśva, darpaṇa-dṛśyamāna-nagarī-tulya, nija-antar-gata, paśyat, ātman, māyā, bahis, iva, udbhūta, yathā, nidrā; yad, sākṣāt-√kṛ, prabodha-samaya, sva-ātman, eva, a-dvaya, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यः विश्वं – दर्पण-दृश्यमान-नगरी-तुल्यम्, आत्मनि निजान्तर्-गतम् [अपि] बहिस् उद्भूतं इव पश्यन् मायया, यथा निद्रया, [यः च] प्रबोध-समये अ-द्वयं स्वात्मानम् एव साक्षात्-कुरुते – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who at the time of awakening (knowledge) makes immediately available (sākṣāt) one’s very self as non-dual, seeing in oneself this universe as like a city appearing in a mirror (i.e., unchanging to the witnessing mirror), projected outside as if by magic (māyā), like (a dream) due to being asleep (nidrā, ignorant to reality).
bīja, antar, iva, aṅkura, jagat, idam, prāñc, nis-vikalpa, punar, māyā-kalpita-deśa-kāla-kalanā-vaicitrya-citrī-kṛta; māyāvin, iva, vi-√jṛmbh, api, mahā-yogin, iva, yad, sva-icchā, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यः इदं जगद् – बीजस्य अन्तर् अङ्कुरः इव प्राक् निर्-विकल्पं, पुनर् माया-कल्पित-देश-काल-कलना-वैचित्र्य-चित्री-कृतं स्वेच्छया विजृंभयति (वितानयति), मायावी इव महा-योगी इव अपि – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who, like a magician (that can make a special imagined effect) or a great yogin (that can make a special worldly effect, yet is still only relatively real, only Mithyā), out of His free-will (as the nimitta, intelligent cause) manifests this universe again and again as it existed (unmanifest) before, like a sprout already existing (unmanifest) in the seed, as a painting-like variegated phenomenon of space and time projected through Māyā (the unmanifest potential).
yad, eva, sphuraṇa, sat-ātmaka, a-sat-kalpana-arthaka, √bhā, sākṣāt, tad, asmad, √as, iti, veda-vacas, yad, √budh, āśrita; yad-sākṣāt-karaṇa, √bhū, na, punar, āvṛtti, bhava-ambhas-nidhi, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यस्य सत्-आत्मकम् स्फुरणम् एव अ-सत्-कल्पार्थकं भासते, यः ‘तद् त्वम् असि’ इति वेद-वचसा आश्रितान् साक्षात् बोधयति, यद्-साक्षात्-करणात् भव-अम्भस्-निधौ पुनर् आवृत्तिः न भवेत् – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who as (consciousness) lights up its very nature as reality revealing the unreal appearance (of the universe), who by the Veda words, ‘You are That’ (tat tvam asi, nine times ChanU.6.8.7…6.16.3), makes this known directly to those who abide (in that vision), and because of this direct reason would be this (consciousness-reality), never to be born again in the elemental ocean of becoming.
nānā-chidra-ghaṭa-udara-sthita-mahat-dīpa-prabhā-bhāsvara, jñāna, yad, tu, cakṣus-ādi-karaṇa-dvar, bahis, √spand; √jñā, iti, tad, eva, bhānta, anu-√bhā, etad, samasta, jagat, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यस्य तु [आत्मनः] ज्ञानं नाना-च्छिद्र-घट-उदर-स्थित-प्रभा-भास्वरम् [इव] चक्षुर्-आदि-करण-द्वारा बहिस् स्पन्दते, ‘जानामि’ इति[-रूपेण] तम् [आत्मानम्] एव भान्तम्, [यतस्] एतद् समस्तं जगत् अनुभाति – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Whose (self) is the great, shining, outward illuminating light within, like a flame in a pot with many apertures, this knowledge (jñāna) (appears to) move outward through the senses such as the eyes, revealing this entire universe shining after that light in the form, ‘I know.’
deha, prāṇa, api, indriya, api, cala, buddhi, ca, śūnya, √vid, strī-bāla-andha-jaḍa-upamā, tu, asmad, iti, brānta, bhṛśam, vādin; māyā-śakti-vilāsa-kalpita-mahā-vyāmoha-saṃhārin, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. भ्रान्ताः तु स्त्री-बाल-अन्ध-जड-उपमाः [यथा वृद्ध-बाल-प्राकृत-बुद्धेः अ-प्रमाणात् दुस्-बुद्धेः च वादि-पुरुषाः] भृशं वादिनः ‘देहम् अपि, प्राणम् अपि, इन्द्रियाणि, चलां बुद्धिः, शून्यं च अहम् [अस्मि]’ इति विदुः। [तेषां] माया-शक्ति-विलास-कल्पित-महा-मोह-संहारिणे तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru (teacher) to the saṃsārins (those caught in the cyclic flow of becoming) who are under a great delusion (mahā-moha) by misconception of the play of Māyā’s power, who like the uneducated (strī), immature (bāla), blind or stupid, vehemently argue their delusions, thinking they are just this body, life-force, senses, the changing mind, or even an empty nothing (śūnya).
rahu-grasta-divā-kara-indu-sa-dṛśa, māyā-samācchādana, sat-mātra, karaṇa-upasaṃharaṇatas, yad, √bhū, suṣupta, pumaṃs; prāk, √svap, iti, prabodha-samaya, yad, prati-abhi-√jñā, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यः पुमान् करण-उपसंहरणतस् सुषुप्तः अभूत्, माया-समाच्छादनात् (माया-आवरणात्) सद्-मात्रः [प्राज्ञः] अभूत् राहु-ग्रस्त-दिवा-कर-इन्दु-स-दृशः, प्रबोध-समये यः ‘प्राग् अस्वाप्सम् [सुषुप्तः आसम्]’ इति प्रत्यभिज्ञायते – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who (despite) being pure existence (san-mātra) would, due to being enveloped by Māyā, like the sun or moon eclipsed by the shadow (Rāhu), recollect upon awakening that earlier, ‘I was the sleeping person due to the withdrawal of the senses’ (And later as the enlightened wise person with the help of contemplatively withdrawing the senses always know that am that pure existence ever present there, like the sun).
bālya-ādi, api, jāgrat-ādi, tathā, sarva, avasthā, api, vyāvṛttā, anuvartamāna, asmad, iti, antar, sphurat, sadā; sva-ātman, prakaṭī-√kṛ, bhajat, yad, mudrā, bhadrā, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यः बाल्य-आदिषु जाग्रत्-आदिषु अपि तथा सर्वासु व्यावृत्तासु अवस्थासु अपि अनुवर्तमानम्, ‘अहम्’ इति अन्तर् सदा स्फुरन्तं, स्व-आत्मानं भजनां [शिष्याणां] भद्रया मुद्रया (ज्ञान-मुद्रया) प्रकटी-करोति – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who makes evident its very nature to the pupils through the auspicious mudrā (i.e., the cit-mudrā, DakDhy.1), as the ‘I’ ever available (sphurat, present, like the thumb) inside, continuing in every changing state, such as waking (dreaming and deep-sleep, during a day) and childhood (adulthood and old age, during a life-time).
viśva, √dṛś, kāya-kāraṇatā, sva-svāmi-saṃbandhatas, śiṣya-ācāryatā, tathā, eva, pitṛ-putra-ādi-ātman, bhedatas; svapna, √jāgṛ, vā, yad, etad, puruṣa, māyā-paribhrāmita, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यः एषः पुरुषः (आत्मा) माया-(विक्षेप-शक्ति)-परिभ्रामितः स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा काय-कारणतया, स्व-स्वामि-संबन्धतस्, शिष्य-आचार्यतया, पितृ-पुत्र-आदि-आत्मना च भेदतः एव विश्वं पश्यति – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who is this person, due to being lost in Māyā, that sees the universe in dream or in waking as being (nothing more than) causes and effects, divided into master-servant, teacher-pupil, father-son, etcetera.
bhū, ambhas, an-ala, an-ila, ambara, ahar-nātha, hima-aṃśu, pumaṃs, iti, ā√bhā, cara-a-cara-ātmaka, idam, yad, eva, mūrti-aṣṭaka; na, anya, kim-cana, √vid, vimṛśat, yad, para, vibhu, tad, śrī-guru-mūrti, namas, idam, śrī-dakṣiṇā-mūrti. यस्य एव भूः अम्भांसि अन्-अलः अन्-इलः अम्बरम् अहर्-नाथः हिम-अंशुः पुमान् इति मूर्त्य्-अष्टकम् इदं चर-अ-चर-आत्मकं [जगत्], विमृशतां [विचारिणां च] यस्मात् परस्मात् विभोः न किम्-चन अन्यद् विद्यते – तस्मै श्री-दक्षिणा-मूर्तये श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये इदं नमः॥Salutation to that Lord Dakṣiṇā-mūrti which is in the form of this my blessed guru – Who appears as this moving and unmoving universe, having (as though) eight forms – earth, water, air, fire, space, sun, moon, and this individual personage (pumān) – and for those who make inquiry (vimṛśat) is found to be nothing other than this ultimate All-pervasive One (Vibhu).
sarva-ātmatva, iti, sphuṭī-kṛta, idam, yad, adas, stava, tad, idam, śravaṇa, tad-artha-manana, dhyāna, ca, saṅkīrtana; sarva-ātmatva-mahā-vibhūti-sahita, √as, īśvaratva, svatas, √sidh, tad, punar, aṣṭadhā, pariṇata, ca, aiśvarya, a-vyāhata. यस्मात् अमुष्मिन् स्तवे [दक्षिणा-मूर्ति-स्तोत्रे] इदं सर्व-आत्मत्वं स्फुटी-कृतम् – इति तेन अस्य [वेदान्त-उपदेशस्य] श्रवणात् तद्-अर्थ-मननात् ध्यानात् संकीर्तनात् च सर्व-आत्मत्व-महा-विभूति-सहितं (सर्व-आत्मत्वम् एव महा-विभूतिः तेन सहितम्) ईश्वरत्वं स्यात्। तद् पुनर् अष्टधा परिणतं [मूर्तम्] अ-व्याहतं च (अ-विच्छिन्नम्) ऐश्वर्यं स्वतस् [स्व-रूपेण] सिद्ध्येत्। [‘अहं ब्रह्म अस्मि’ इति ज्ञान-निष्ठा स्यात्]॥Since this nature of being all is made clear in this hymn, then by listening, reflecting on its meaning, contemplating, and reciting it (to others), then one gains (as not being other than) the Lordship endowed with this nature of being all and having all glories, as well as by one’s nature (‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi – I am the All’) having accomplished the eight-fold (smallest, largest, lightest, etcetera) features found in the Lord (since that Lord is not other than myself in essential nature not embodiment, sva-rūpataḥ, na tu vyaṣṭhitaḥ, ChanU.8.2.1–3.3).