Dakshina Murty Stotram
Vishnu Bapat
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दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्
ध्यानम् 1
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं
वर्षिष्ठांते वसद् ऋषिगणौः आवृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः ।
आचार्येन्द्रं करकलित चिन्मुद्रमानन्दरूपं
स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥१॥
maunavyākhyā prakaṭita parabrahmatattvaṁ yuvānaṁ
varṣiṣṭhāṁtē vasad r̥ṣigaṇauḥ āvr̥taṁ brahmaniṣṭhaiḥ |
ācāryēndraṁ karakalita cinmudramānandarūpaṁ
svātmārāmaṁ muditavadanaṁ dakṣiṇāmūrtimīḍē ||1||
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्म तत्त्वम् युवानम् वर्षिष्ठ अंन्ते वसद् ऋषिगणैः आवृतम् ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः आचार्येन्द्रम् करकलित चिन्मुद्रम् आनन्दरूपम् स्वात्मारामम् मुदितवदम् दक्षिणामूर्तिम् ईडे
maunavyākhyā prakaṭita parabrahma tattvam yuvānam varṣiṣṭha aṁntē vasad r̥ṣigaṇaiḥ āvr̥tam brahmaniṣṭhaiḥ ācāryēndram karakalita cinmudram ānandarūpam svātmārāmam muditavadam dakṣiṇāmūrtim īḍē
मौनव्याख्या- exposition in silence. प्रकटित-revealed made evident परब्रह्म- infinite तत्त्वम्- reality युवानम् -young वर्षिष्ठ-elderly अंन्ते-near वसद्- living (resident) ऋषिगणैः-by groups of Rrushis आवृतम्-surrounded ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः-established in the knowledge of Brahman आचार्येन्द्रम् –the king of teachers करकलित- apparent visible in hand चिन्मुद्रम्-a type of mudra (gesture) चिदानन्दरूपम् – personification of Ananda स्वात्मारामम्- one who revels in oneself मुदितवदम्-joyful, cheerful face दक्षिणामूर्तिम्- the form of Lord Shiva ईडे- I worship
I worship Dakshinamurty, the young Guru, who teaches the knowledge of Brahman through silence, and who is surrounded by scholarly disciples who are themselves established in Brahman. I worship Dakshinamurty who is the teacher of teachers, who exhibits chinmudra (sign of knowledge), whose nature is bliss and who ever revel in his own self.
दक्षिणामूर्तिम् ईडे dakṣiṇāmūrtim īḍē :
I worship Dakshinamurty. What is the speciality of Dakshinamurty? In this composition Dakshina murty is worshipped as a God with form, God (Brahman) without form and as a Guru.
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्म तत्त्वम् maunavyākhyā prakaṭita parabrahma tattvam: मौनव्याख्या maunavyākhyā: Teaching in silence
Mauna means silence vyākhyā is exposition. vyākhyā is to explain in detail, to communicate. So the Guru communicated with his students in silence; with the sound of silence. Is it possible to communicate in silence? Paramarthananda says: Dance, painting, sculptures, body language are all non-verbal forms of communication. Dakshina murty employed the methodology of Chinmudra to teach in silence. It communicates he incommunicable truth.
यथो वाचा निव्रत्तन्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह yathō vācā nivrattantē aprāpya manasā saha
Tadamananda adds: Any amount of teachings is not adequate to define what para Brahma is). No number of words could ever define the reality; Whatever words we use, God is more than that. We truly have to admit that the reality that is para Brahma is beyond words.
There is a famous quotation from “Taittiriya Upanishad”.
यथो वाचा निव्रत्तन्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह yathō vācā nivrattantē aprāpya manasā saha : The words returned without reaching Brahman. No amount of description could fully explain Brahman because a finite object cannot explain an infinite spirit.
प्रकटित prakaṭita : revealed made evident. The essence of Brahman was revealed in silence.
परब्रह्म तत्त्वम् parabrahma Tattvam: the essence of Brahman or infinite spirit
युवानम् yuvānam young : The teacher was young but the students old in age.
आवृतम् āvr̥tam: surrounded by वर्षिष्ठ varṣhiṣhṭha: elderly, greatest, longest. The students or seekers were advanced in spirituality.
अंन्ते वसद् ऋषिगणैः aṁntē vasad r̥ṣigaṇaiḥ : he group of Rrushis who lived near the Guru in the Ashram or residents of Ashram. अंन्ते-near वसद्- living (resident) A resident in a gurukula (गुरुकुल ) is called अंते वासि aṁtē vāsi.
ऋषिगणैः-by groups of Rrushis . This refers to he senior Rrushis who approached Dakshina Murti for Brahma jnyana
The students are described by two qualifications. वर्षिष्ठ and ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः varṣiṣṭha and brahmaniṣṭhaiḥ : the students were elderly and well established in Brahman. They abided in Brahman. That means they had objective intellectual understanding of the Vedas and Upanishads but not subjective experience of Brahman. In other words they had jñāna (ज्ञान) but not vijñāna (विज्ञान). So they came to Guru Dakshinamurty for subjective knowledge of Brahman.
आचार्येन्द्रम् ācāryēndram: the king of teachers. दक्षिणा मूर्ति dakṣiṇā mūrti is the first teacher who taught Vedas and Upanishads to students. So he is called king of teachers.
करकलित karakalita : apparent, visible in hand. The mudra was very clear to see
चिन्मुद्रम् cinmudram : आनन्दरूपम् ānandarūpam :
This mudra is also called jnyana mudra or mudra of knowledge. Here the thumb (अंगुष्ट aṁguṣṭa ) and index finger also called forefinger (तर्जनी tarjanī ) are brought together to make a circle. This mudra is a symbolic representation of unity of jiva and Brahman.
The word tarjanī has come from the word tarjanā तर्जना which means threatening, menacing, this is because index finger is used to threaten.
अंगुष्ट तर्जनी योग aṁguṣṭa tarjanī yōga is another word for चिन्मुद्रा cinmudrā. The four fingers of the hand represent Prakrati and the thumb represents Brahman. When they are brought in a circle it indicates Ishwara.
Swami Tadamananda writes:
This mudra, in general indicates teaching. But it also yields much more profound Vedantic teachings. This mudra has a lot of symbolism associated with it. The middle, ring and small fingers represent Body, Mind and Senses. They also represent Waking, Dreaming and Deep sleep states. It could also represent स्थूल शरीर sthūla śarīra (physical body), सूक्ष शरीर sūkṣa śarīra (Subtle Body) and कारण शरीर, kāraṇa śarīra. It can have many such representations. Prakrati or nature is represented by the four fingers. Prakrati is kshara or matter that can grow and decay. It is hat pat which you can experience. The thumb represents akshara or non-decaying part of YOU –he conscious observer he sat chi ananda atma. This part is akshara or
In general it represents part of you which is Kshara ( that decays over time; The part that you experience. But there is another aspect of you in addition to those. That is YOU – the conscious observer, YOU – the wakeful witness, YOU – the sat chit ananda atma. It represents the part of you that is Akshara (that never decays). You are not just a body, mind, sense complex. You are also a conscious being. The index finger represents that YOU, the true self – atma. Who are you? You are an assemblage of all four of these aspects. You are sat chit ananda atma accompanied by body, mind and senses. This is what makes you a Jeeva – an individual person.
The hand function depends upon thumb. The thumb represents that upon which everything depends. Thumb hence represents Brahman – the reality because of which everything exists.
परब्रह्म तत्त्वम् parabrahma tattvam: discourse on the on ultimate reality of knowledge of Brahman. Param Brahma means infinite Brahman. Tattvam means reality; the truth of God. Param or infinite is free from limitations. There are three types of limitation; limitation by time, space and attributes दॆश काल वस्तु परिच्हेद शून्यम्. Para brahma is free from limitations of three forms; spatial limitation, time wise limitation and attribute wise limitation
This is a dhyāna slokāḥs taken from the मानसोल्लास वाशथयकम् of Sureshvaracharya; and here the Acharya offers namaskārā, prostrations to śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtim ide;
Here mauna means indirect description. Indirect description, because Brahman being free from all attributes cannot be directly described. The description are possible only in terms of attributes; you describe a person in terms of his colour, his attribute; that fat person; lean person; tall person; dark person, bald person, bespectacled person, based on various attributes, the ultimate truth being free from all the features for description
Paramarthananda Adds:
Any attribute is considered to be a limitation because any particular attribute excludes the opposite attribute. If you say it is big, you are negating the attribute of being small. if you say it is good, you are negating the attribute of being bad. If you say it is chair; you are negating the attribute of being a table. Therefore, to have an attribute is to have a limitation. And if Brahman is limitless; it should not have any particular attribute; and therefore it is शनगुयणम् च nirguṇam ca.
अन्तेवसदृषिगणै: antevasadṛṣigaṇai: a resident student in a gurukulam is called antevāsi. अन्ते Ante means समीपे samīpe, vasat living near the teacher; because we learn from a teacher through verbal communication. We learn from the teacher, from his body language, his responses and reactions to situations, his life style and his activities; and that is non-verbal communication.
Nowadays a lot of research is going on non-verbal communication, body language, etc. and our shastra feels that non-verbal communication is more and more powerful also. In fact, children learn from the parents; more through non-verbal communication than through verbal communication. And in fact, the first few years, the child is not even ready for verbal communication; it is not trained. And therefore spiritual learning also has to take a lot through non-verbal communication and how to accomplish that? Just live in the presence of the Guru. No talking; but his very august presence is sufficient. That is why in our radtion he students used to live in the Ashrams of Guru. Such a disciple is called अन्ते वसन् शिष्र्ः ante vasan śiṣyaḥ; and here the people are अन्तेवसन्तहः ऋषिगणाः antevasantahaḥ ṛṣigaṇāḥ; antevasantahaḥ ṛṣigaṇāḥ;
आनन्दरूपम् स्वात्मारामम् मुदितवदम् दक्षिणामूर्तिम् ईडे
करकलित चिन्मुद्रम् karakalita cinmudram. in his hand, he is showing a gesture; karakalita; kalitha means sporting Cinmudraḥḥ means jnāna mudraḥḥ, so kare करकशित शचन्मुर ऎन सहः शचन्मुर:; bahuvrihi samaasa; the one who is sporting Cinmudraḥḥ in his hands;
स्वात्मारामम्
मुदितवदम्
दक्षिणामूर्तिम्
ध्यानम् 2
वटविटपिसमीपेभूमिभागे निषण्णं
सकलमुनिजनानां ज्ञानदातारमारात् ।
त्रिभुवनगुरुमीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं
जननमरणदुःखच्छेद दक्षं नमामि ॥२॥
वटविटपिसमीपे भूमिभागे निषण्णम् सकलमुनिजनानम् ज्ञानदातारमारात् त्रिभुवनगुरुमीम् दक्षिणामूर्तिदेम् जननमरणदुःख च्छेद दक्म् नमामि
vaṭaviṭapisamīpēbhūmibhāgē niṣaṇṇaṁ
sakalamunijanānāṁ jñānadātāramārāt |
tribhuvanagurumīśaṁ dakṣiṇāmūrtidēvaṁ
jananamaraṇaduḥkhacchēda dakṣaṁ namāmi ||2||
ध्यानम् 3
चित्रं वटतरोर्मूले वृद्धाः शिष्या गुरुर्युवा ।
गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं शिष्यास्तुच्छिन्नसंशयाः ॥३॥
ध्यानम् 4
निधये सर्वविद्यानां भिषजे भवरोगिणाम् ।
गुरवे सर्वलोकानां दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः ॥४॥
ध्यानम् 5
ॐ नमः प्रणवार्थाय शुद्धज्ञानैकमूर्तये ।
निर्मलाय प्रशान्ताय दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः ॥५॥
स्तोत्रम्
Verse 1
विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं
पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया ।
यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥१॥
Verse 2
बीजस्याऽन्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्गनिर्विकल्पं पुनः
मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलना वैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।
मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥२॥
Verse 3
यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते
साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् ।
यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥३॥
Verse 4
नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभा भास्वरं
ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा वहिः स्पन्दते ।
जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत्
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥४॥
Verse 5
देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः
स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः ।
मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहाव्यामोहसंहारिणो
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥५॥
Verse 6
राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात्
सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् ।
प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥६॥
Verse 7
बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि
व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रयाभद्रया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥७॥
Verse 8
विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः
शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥८॥
Verse 9
भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशु पुमान्
इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम्
नान्यत् किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥९॥
Verse 10
सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे
तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च संकीर्तनात् ।
सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः
सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥१०॥
Bare Shloka
दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटित परब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं
वर्षिष्ठांते वसद् ऋषिगणौः आवृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः ।
आचार्येन्द्रं करकलित चिन्मुद्रमानन्दरूपं
स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥१॥
वटविटपिसमीपेभूमिभागे निषण्णं
सकलमुनिजनानां ज्ञानदातारमारात् ।
त्रिभुवनगुरुमीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं
जननमरणदुःखच्छेद दक्षं नमामि ॥२॥
यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते
साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् ।
यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥३॥
नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभा भास्वरं
ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा वहिः स्पन्दते ।
जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत्
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥४॥
देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः
स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः ।
मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहाव्यामोहसंहारिणो
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥५॥
राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात्
सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् ।
प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥६॥
बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि
व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रयाभद्रया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥७॥
विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः
शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥८॥
भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशु पुमान्
इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम्
नान्यत् किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥९॥
सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे
तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च संकीर्तनात् ।
सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः
सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥१०॥
Reference
- Hymn to Dakshinamurti Commentery by Swami Chinmayananda