Dakshinamurthy Stotram — Complete Lyrics

दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्

Sanskrit text with English transliteration and translation

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Verse 1

मौनव्याख्याप्रकटितपरब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं वर्षिष्ठान्ते वसदृषिगणैरावृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः । आचार्येन्द्रं करकलितचिन्मुद्रमानन्दरूपं स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥

maunavyākhyāprakaṭitaparabrahmatattvaṃ yuvānaṃ varṣiṣṭhānte vasadṛṣigaṇairāvṛtaṃ brahmaniṣṭhaiḥ | ācāryendraṃ karakalitacinmudramānandarūpaṃ svātmārāmaṃ muditavadanaṃ dakṣiṇāmūrtimīḍe ||

I bow to Dakshinamurti — ever-youthful in form, yet seated amid the eldest sages immersed in Brahman; who expounds the truth of the supreme Brahman through silence; the foremost of teachers, his hand held in the chin-mudra, his nature pure bliss, delighting in his own Self, his face serene with joy.

Verse 2

विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया । यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ १॥

viśvaṃ darpaṇadṛśyamānanagarītulyaṃ nijāntargataṃ paśyannātmani māyayā bahirivodbhūtaṃ yathā nidrayā | yaḥ sākṣātkurute prabodhasamaye svātmānamevādvayaṃ tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 1||

The universe is like a city seen reflected in a mirror — appearing within one's own Self, yet through maya seeming to arise outside, as in a dream. He who, at the moment of awakening, directly realizes it all as his own non-dual Self — to Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 3

बीजस्यान्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्निर्विकल्पं पुनः मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलनावैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् । मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ २॥

bījasyāntarivāṅkuro jagadidaṃ prāṅnirvikalpaṃ punaḥ māyākalpitadeśakālakalanāvaicitryacitrīkṛtam | māyāvīva vijṛmbhayatyapi mahāyogīva yaḥ svecchayā tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 2||

This universe, before its manifestation, lay undifferentiated like the sprout hidden within a seed; then, made into a wondrous diversity by the play of space and time conjured by maya, He unfolds it by His own free will — like a magician, like a great yogi. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 4

यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् । यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ ३॥

yasyaiva sphuraṇaṃ sadātmakamasatkalpārthakaṃ bhāsate sākṣāttattvamasīti vedavacasā yo bodhayatyāśritān | yatsākṣātkaraṇādbhavenna punarāvṛttirbhavāmbhonidhau tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 3||

He whose self-luminous awareness — itself pure Existence (sat) — makes even unreal objects appear as though real; who, through the great Vedic saying 'That thou art' (tat tvam asi), awakens those who take refuge in Him; on directly realizing whom one never again returns to the ocean of birth and death. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 5

नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभाभास्वरं ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा बहिः स्पन्दते । जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत् तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ ४॥

nānācchidraghaṭodarasthitamahādīpaprabhābhāsvaraṃ jñānaṃ yasya tu cakṣurādikaraṇadvārā bahiḥ spandate | jānāmīti tameva bhāntamanubhātyetatsamastaṃ jagat tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 4||

His consciousness — like the radiance of a great lamp set within a pot pierced with many holes — streams outward through the openings of the eye and the other senses. When He alone shines forth as 'I know', this whole universe shines only after Him, borrowing its light. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 6

देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः । मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहा व्यामोहसंहारिणे तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ ५॥

dehaṃ prāṇamapīndriyāṇyapi calāṃ buddhiṃ ca śūnyaṃ viduḥ strībālāndhajaḍopamāstvahamiti bhrāntā bhṛśaṃ vādinaḥ | māyāśaktivilāsakalpitamahā vyāmohasaṃhāriṇe tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 5||

'The body, the breath, the senses, the ever-changing intellect, or mere nothingness — this is the Self', so the deluded loudly contend, like women, children, the blind and the witless. To Him who dispels this great delusion conjured by the play of maya's power — to Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 7

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

rāhugrastadivākarendusadṛśo māyāsamācchādanāt sanmātraḥ karaṇopasaṃharaṇato yo’bhūtsuṣuptaḥ pumān | prāgasvāpsamiti prabodhasamaye yaḥ pratyabhijñāyate tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 6||

As the sun or moon swallowed by Rahu, so the person — when the senses are withdrawn in deep sleep — lies veiled by maya, existing as pure Being alone. On waking he recognizes, 'I existed (sleeping) before' — knowing the Self that endured unbroken. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 8

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

bālyādiṣvapi jāgradādiṣu tathā sarvāsvavasthāsvapi vyāvṛttāsvanuvartamānamahamityantaḥ sphurantaṃ sadā | svātmānaṃ prakaṭīkaroti bhajatāṃ yo mudrayā bhadrayā tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 7||

That Self which shines unbroken within as 'I' — persisting through all the changing conditions of childhood, youth and age, and through waking, dream and deep sleep — He reveals to His devotees by His auspicious hand-gesture (mudra). To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 9

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

viśvaṃ paśyati kāryakāraṇatayā svasvāmisaṃbandhataḥ śiṣyācāryatayā tathaiva pitṛputrādyātmanā bhedataḥ | svapne jāgrati vā ya eṣa puruṣo māyāparibhrāmitaḥ tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 8||

Bewildered by maya, this person — whether in waking or in dream — sees the one Reality as though split into manifold divisions: cause and effect, master and servant, teacher and disciple, father and son, and the rest. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 10

भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशुः पुमान् इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम् । नान्यत्किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥ ९॥

bhūrambhāṃsyanalo’nilo’mbaramaharnātho himāṃśuḥ pumān ityābhāti carācarātmakamidaṃ yasyaiva mūrtyaṣṭakam | nānyatkiñcana vidyate vimṛśatāṃ yasmātparasmādvibhoḥ tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye || 9||

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon and the living soul — as this eightfold form (ashta-murti) of His, the whole world of the moving and the unmoving shines forth. For those who inquire deeply, nothing whatever exists apart from Him, the all-pervading Supreme. To Him, embodied as the Guru, to the blessed Dakshinamurti, this salutation.

Verse 11

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

sarvātmatvamiti sphuṭīkṛtamidaṃ yasmādamuṣmin stave tenāsya śravaṇāttadarthamananāddhyānācca saṅkīrtanāt | sarvātmatvamahāvibhūtisahitaṃ syādīśvaratvaṃ svataḥ tataḥ siddhyettatpunaraṣṭadhā pariṇataṃ caiśvaryamavyāhatam || 10||

Since in this hymn the truth that the Self is all (sarvatmatva) has been clearly revealed, by hearing it, reflecting on its meaning, meditating upon it and chanting it, one attains of one's own accord the state of divinity together with the great glory of being the Self of all — and beyond that, an unobstructed lordship (aishvarya), unfolding in eightfold form.

Verse 12

वटविटपिसमीपे भूमिभागे निषण्णं सकलमुनिजनानां ज्ञानदातारमारात् । त्रिभुवनगुरुमीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं जननमरणदुःखच्छेददक्षं नमामि ॥

vaṭaviṭapisamīpe bhūmibhāge niṣaṇṇaṃ sakalamunijanānāṃ jñānadātāramārāt | tribhuvanagurumīśaṃ dakṣiṇāmūrtidevaṃ jananamaraṇaduḥkhacchedadakṣaṃ namāmi ||

I bow to Lord Dakshinamurti — seated upon the ground at the foot of the banyan tree, the giver of knowledge to all the gathered sages, the Lord and Guru of the three worlds, ever skilful in cutting away the sorrow of birth and death.

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