दक्षिणामूर्ति ध्यानश्लोकााः (dakṣiṇāmūrti dhyānaślokāḥ)

Note: The following paragraph is derived from the lecture given by Swami Paramarthananda.
Dakshinamurthy Stotram is a “Moksha Shastra”, a scriptural teaching that can lead to Moksham. It
contains the profound teaching of Advaita Vedanta. To understand the in -depth meaning of this text,
one should have studied and understood the Upanishads thoroughly. Swami Chinmayananda calls this
as Ph.D. text for Vedantic students. There are many elaborate commentaries on this work. Sri
Sureshwaracharya, one of the direct disciples of Shankara has written the commentary “Manasollassa”
on this work. Traditionally there is a practice of reciting Dhyanashlokas (these are taken from
Manasollasa and elsewhere) before starting with the main text.

मौनव्याख्याप्रकक्षििपरब्रह्मित्त्वं यवु ानं

वर्तिष्ठान्तेवसदृक्षिगणैरावृिं ब्रह्मक्षनष्ठैाः।
आचायेन्द्रं करकक्षििक्षचन्मद्रु मानन्दरूपम ्
स्वात्मारामं मक्षु दिवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे॥१॥
maunavyākhyāprakaṭitaparabrahmatattvaṁ yuvānaṁ
varṣiṣṭhāntevasadṛṣigaṇairāvṛtaṁ brahmaniṣṭhaiḥ|
ācāryendraṁ karakalitacinmudramānandarūpam
svātmārāmaṁ muditavadanaṁ dakṣiṇāmūrtimīḍe||1||

I worship that Lord Dakshinamurti, a young guru, imparting knowledge of Brahman through silence,
surrounded by rishis who are firmly established in wisdom, teacher of teachers, whose gesture (Mudra)
signifies wisdom, whose nature is fullness, who is reveling in Himself and ever in Ananda.
Maunam – in this context is to be taken to suggest indirect teaching through implication. Being
attributeless, Brahman cannot be described directly. Hence the expert Guru Dakshinamurthy teaches
through non-Verbal communication.

विक्षविक्षपसमीपे भूक्षमभागे क्षनिण्णं

सकिमक्षु नजनानां ज्ञानधािारमाराि ।्
क्षिभवु नगरुु मीशं दक्षिणामूर्तिदेवं
जननमरणदाःखच्छेददिं नमाक्षम ॥२॥
vaṭaviṭapisamīpe bhūmibhāge niṣaṇṇaṁ
sakalamunijanānāṁ jñānadhātāramārāt |
tribhuvanagurumīśaṁ dakṣiṇāmūrtidevaṁ
jananamaraṇaduḥkhacchedadakṣaṁ namāmi ||2||

I prostrate to that Lord, seated on the ground under the banyan tree, bestowing knowledge to all the
Rishis who have assembled near Him, the teacher of the three worlds, destroyer of the miseries of birth
and death.

ू े वृद्ााः क्षशष्या गरुु यवुू ा ।

क्षचिं वििरोमूि
गरु ोस्त ु मौनं व्याख्यानं क्षशष्यास्त ु क्षिन्न संशयााः ॥३॥
citraṁ vaṭatarormūle vṛddhāḥ śiṣyā gururyuvā |
 gurostu maunaṁ vyākhyānaṁ śiṣyāstu chinna saṁśayāḥ ||3||

Amazing! Under the banyan tree aged disciples sat around a youthful guru. He taught them in silence,
yet their doubts were dispelled.

क्षनधये सवूक्षवद्यानां क्षभिजे भवरोक्षगणाम ।्

गरु वे सवूिोकानां दक्षिणामूिय
ू े नमाः ॥४॥
nidhaye sarvavidyānāṁ bhiṣaje bhavarogiṇām |
gurave sarvalokānāṁ dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ ||4||

Prostrations to Lord Dakshinamurti, the abode of all wisdom, teacher of the whole world, healer of those
suffering from the disease of Samsara.

ु ज्ञानक
ॐ नमाः प्रणवार्ाूय शद् ै मूर्यू े ।
क्षनमूिाय प्रशान्ताय दक्षिणामूिय
ू े नमाः ॥५॥
OM namaḥ praṇavārthāya śuddha jñānaikamūrthaye |
nirmalāya praśāntāya dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ ||5||

Prostrations to Lord Dakshinamurti, who is free from all impurities, tranquil, the embodiment of pure
knowledge alone and who is the meaning of Pranava.

ईश्वरो ग़रुु रात्मेक्षि मूर्ति भेद क्षवभाक्षगन े ।

व्योमवद्व्याप्तदेहाय दक्षिणामूिय
ू े नमाः ॥६॥
īśvaro ġururātmeti mūrti bheda vibhāgine |
vyomavadvyāptadehāya dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ

Namaskarams to Dakshinamurthy, who is all pervading like the space and who is manifest in different
forms as Ishwara , Guru and Atman.

्
दक्षिणामूर्तिस्तोिम (dakṣiṇāmūrtistotram) - by Adi Shankara

क्षवश्वं दपण ु ं क्षनजान्तगूिं

ू दृश्यमाननगरीिल्य
पश्यन्नात्मक्षन मायया बक्षहक्षरवोद्भि
ू ं यर्ा क्षनद्रया।
याः सािात्कुरुिे प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥१॥
viśvaṁ darpaṇadṛśyamānanagarītulyaṁ nijāntargataṁ
paśyannātmani māyayā bahirivodbhūtaṁ yathā nidrayā|
yaḥ sākṣātkurute prabodhasamaye svātmānamevādvayaṁ
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||1||

To Him who sees the universe like a dream existing within oneself or like a city seen in a mirror but
appearing externally due to Maya, who upon enlightenment beholds the universe directly as his own
non-dual Self – Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.
 बीजस्यान्तक्षरवाङ्कुरो जगक्षददं प्राक्ष‍नर्तवकल्पं पनु ाः
मायाकक्षल्पिदेशकािकिनावैक्षचत्र्यक्षचिीकृ िम ।्
मायावीव क्षवजृम्भयत्यक्षप महायोगीव याःस्वेच्छया
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥२॥
bījasyāntarivāṅkuro jagadidaṁ prāṅnirvikalpaṁ punaḥ
māyākalpitadeśakālakalanāvaicitryacitrīkṛtam|
māyāvīva vijṛmbhayatyapi mahāyogīva yaḥsvecchayā
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||2||

This universe, undifferentiated at first like a sprout within the seed, becoming manifold through Maya's
aspects of time and space, that universe He projects by His own desire like a magician or a great yogi –
Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्क

ू ं भासिे
सािात्तत्त्वमसीक्षि वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याक्षश्रिान ।्
यत्सािात्करणाद्भवेन्नपनु रावृक्षत्तभूवाम्भोक्षनधौ
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥३॥
yasyaiva sphuraṇaṁ sadātmakamasatkalpārthakaṁ bhāsate
sākṣāttattvamasīti vedavacasā yo bodhayatyāśritān|
yatsākṣātkaraṇādbhavennapunarāvṛttirbhavāmbhonidhau
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||3||

He by whose light the unreal universe appears real, who imparts immediate knowledge through the
Vedic teaching, “That thou art” to those who seek his refuge, because of whose direct knowledge one
never returns to the ocean of birth and death – Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form
of my own Guru.

नानाक्षच्छद्रघिोदरक्षििमहादीपप्रभाभास्वरं
ज्ञानं यस्य ि ु चिरु ाक्षदकरणद्वारा बक्षहाःस्पन्दिे ।
जानामीक्षि िमेव भान्तमनभु ात्येित्समस्तं जगि ्
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥४॥
nānācchidraghaṭodarasthitamahādīpaprabhābhāsvaraṁ
jñānaṁ yasya tu cakṣurādikaraṇadvārā bahiḥspandate |
jānāmīti tameva bhāntamanubhātyetatsamastaṁ jagat
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||4||

Whose knowledge is like the light of a shining lamp placed inside a pot with many holes, shining forth
through the sense organs like eye sight, who shines as Consciousness - “I know” because of which this
entire creation appears – Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

देहं प्राणमपीक्षन्द्रयाण्यक्षप चिां बद्धु द् च शून्यं क्षवदाः

 स्त्रीबािान्धजडोपमास्त्वहक्षमक्षि भ्रान्ता भृशं वाक्षदनाः।
मायाशक्षिक्षविासकक्षल्पिमहाव्यामोहसंहाक्षरणे
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥५॥
dehaṁ prāṇamapīndriyāṇyapi calāṁ buddhiṁ ca śūnyaṁ viduḥ
strībālāndhajaḍopamāstvahamiti bhrāntā bhṛśaṁ vādinaḥ|
māyāśaktivilāsakalpitamahāvyāmohasaṁhāriṇe
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||5||

Philosophers, who are misguided, childish, blind, or dull, always teach falsely that the body, life, senses,
active intellect, and non-existence principle is the Self, Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the
form of my own Guru, who destroys their great delusion born of Maya's power.

राहुग्रस्तक्षदवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनाि ्
सन्मािाः करणोपसंहरणिो योऽभूत्सिु प्तु ाः पमु ान ।्
प्रागस्वाप्सक्षमक्षि प्रबोधसमये याः प्रत्यक्षभज्ञायिे
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥६॥
rāhugrastadivākarendusadṛśo māyāsamācchādanāt
sanmātraḥ karaṇopasaṁharaṇato yo'bhūtsuṣuptaḥ pumān|
prāgasvāpsamiti prabodhasamaye yaḥ pratyabhijñāyate
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||6||

who remains as pure existence in deep sleep caused by Maya's power, withdrawing the senses like the
sun or moon covered during an eclipse, who upon waking remembers "I slept" – Prostrations unto Him,
Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

बाल्याक्षदष्वक्षप जाग्रदाक्षदि ु िर्ा सवाूस्वविास्वक्षप

व्यावृत्तास्वनवु िूमानमहक्षमत्यन्ताः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकिीकरोक्षि भजिां यो मद्रु या भद्रया
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥७॥
bālyādiṣvapi jāgradādiṣu tathā sarvāsvavasthāsvapi
vyāvṛttāsvanuvartamānamahamityantaḥ sphurantaṁ sadā |
svātmānaṁ prakaṭīkaroti bhajatāṁ yo mudrayā bhadrayā
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||7||

The Self manifest within as the ever present sense of “I”, that which remains in every state of life and
experience, to the one who reveals this Self to His disciples by His auspicious gesture of wisdom –
Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

क्षवश्वं पश्यक्षि कायूकारणिया स्वस्वाक्षमसंबन्धिाः

क्षशष्याचायूिया िर्वै क्षपिृपिु ाद्यात्मना भेदिाः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रक्षि वा य एि परुु िो मायापक्षरभ्राक्षमिाः
 िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥८॥
viśvaṁ paśyati kāryakāraṇatayā svasvāmisaṁbandhataḥ
śiṣyācāryatayā tathaiva pitṛputrādyātmanā bhedataḥ |
svapne jāgrati vā ya eṣa puruṣo māyāparibhrāmitaḥ
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||8||

who sees the universe as cause and effect, master and servant, teacher and disciple, father and son, and
so on, who sees all this in the waking and dream states due to Maya – Prostrations unto Him, Shri
Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

भूरम्भांस्यनिोऽक्षनिोऽम्बरमहनाूर्ो क्षहमांशाःु पमु ान ्

इत्याभाक्षि चराचरात्मकक्षमदं यस्यैव मूत्यष्टू कम ।्
नान्यक्षत्कञ्चन क्षवद्यिे क्षवमृशिां यस्मात्परस्माक्षद्वभोाः
िस्म ै श्री गरुु मूिय
ू े नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूिय
ू े ॥९॥
bhūrambhāṁsyanalo'nilo'mbaramaharnātho himāṁśuḥ pumān
ityābhāti carācarātmakamidaṁ yasyaiva mūrtyaṣṭakam|
nānyatkiñcana vidyate vimṛśatāṁ yasmātparasmādvibhoḥ
tasmai śrī gurumūrtaye nama idaṁ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||9||

Whose eight-fold manifestation is this sentient and insentient world of earth, water, fire, air, space, sun,
moon, and consciousness , being beyond whose all-pervasive nature there exists nothing else for the wise
persons – Prostrations unto Him, Shri Dakshinamurti in the form of my own Guru.

सवाूत्मत्वक्षमक्षि स्फुिीकृ िक्षमदं यस्मादमक्षु िन्स्तवे

िेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्मू ननाद्ध्यानाच्च संकीिूनाि ।्
सवाूत्मत्वमहाक्षवभूक्षिसक्षहिं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्विाः
क्षसद्ध्येत्तत्पनु रष्टधा पक्षरणिं चश्व ्
ै यूमव्याहिम॥१०॥
sarvātmatvamiti sphuṭīkṛtamidaṁ yasmādamuṣminstave
tenāsya śravaṇāttadarthamananāddhyānācca saṁkīrtanāt|
sarvātmatvamahāvibhūtisahitaṁ syādīśvaratvaṁ svataḥ
siddhyettatpunaraṣṭadhā pariṇataṁ caiśvaryamavyāhatam||10||

Because the Self's all-pervasiveness is clearly revealed in this hymn, by listening to it, reflecting upon it,
meditating on its meaning, and reciting it one can gain enlightenment, effortlessly and without
impediments, with its great glory of being the Self of all with eightfold blessings.