Sunday, January 08, 2006

Aapar prem


Dakshinamurthy is perhaps the only Hindu deity that sits facing the southern direction. This fact is implicit in the name itself. The great seer Ramana Maharshi, has interpreted the name as "Dakshina amurty", meaning one who is capable but without form. Both names refer to Lord Siva and represent Him as the Supreme Teacher. Dakshinamurthy's uniqueness as a teacher lies in the fact that he teaches through silence, through his all-pervasive Consciouness. The traditional image that portray Him thus is described by Sankara with a poetic play of words in the seventh verse of this work as "mudraya bhadraya". None can equal Sankara when it comes to the combination of the highest philosophical truths with brevity, simplicity and beauty of Sanskrit verse. In a short compass of ten verses he leads us to understand the oneness of the individual self and Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. Deep devotion to a personal God provides the way to seeing and attaining that Reality despite the limitations and illusory perceptions of the psycho-physical organism, that cloud that reality.

There came a time after creation when the Rishis, whose task it was to guide the people as gurus, needed further guidance themselves. So Lord Shiva came as theit guru to guide them. This incarnation of of Shiva is known as Dakshinamurti as He sat facing the "Dakshina", i.e., south.

Vandana Verses

Maunavyakhyaprakatitaparabrahmatattvam yuvanam

Varshishtante vasadrishiganairavritam brahmanishthaih

Acharyendram karakalitachinmudramanandarupam

Svatmaramam muditavadanam daxinamurtimide

Vatavitapisamipe bhumibhage nishannam

Sakalamunijananam gyanadataramarat

Tribhuvanagurumisham daxinamurtidevam

Jananamaranaduhkhachchhedadaxam namami

Chitram vatatarormule vriddah shishya gururyuva

Gurostu maunam vyakhyanam shishyastu chhinnasamshayah

Nidhaye sarvavidyanam bhishaje bhavaroginam

Gurave sarvalokanam daxinamurtaye namah

Om namah pranavarthaya shuddagyanaikamurtaye

Nirmalaya prashantaya daxinamurtaye namah

Dakshinamurti Stotram

Vishvam darpanadrishyamaananagariitulyam nijaantargatam

Pashyannaatmani maayayaa bahirivodhbhuutam yadaa nidrayaa

Yah saakshaatkurute prabodhasamaye svaatmaanamevaadvayam

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 1

The universe is the reflection of a mirror the truth is the supreme Brahman, the one without a second the mind, senses and intellect are all able to only discern the reflection of the atman the identity of the brahman and the atman is apparent after self-illumination I offer my profound salutations to the auspicious guru, who is an embodiment of Dakshinamurti, and whose grace is responsible for the illumination

Biijasyaantarivaankuro jagadidam praannirvikalpam punah

Maayaakalpita deshakaalakalanaa vaichitryachitriikritamh

Maayaaviiva vijrimbhayatyapi mahaayogiiva yah svechchhayaa

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 2

He in whom this universe, prior to its projection was present like a tree in a seed (unmanifested), and by whose magic this was transformed (manifested) in various forms, by his own will similar to a yogi's- to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations.


Yasyaiva sphuranam sadaatmakamasatkalpaarthakam bhaasate

Saakshaattattvamasiiti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaanh

Yatsaakshaatkaranaadbhavenna punaraavrittirbhavaambhonidhau

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 3

He, by whose light the (unreal) universe appears real, teaches the truth of brahman to those who want to know the atman through the Vedic statement tattvamasi (thou art that) and he who puts an end to the samsaric cycle - to that dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations.

Naanaachchhidraghatodarasthitahaadiipaprabhaabhaasvaram

Gyaanam yasya tu chakshuraadikaranadvaaraa bahih spandate

Jaanaamiiti tameva bhaantamanubhaatyetatsamastam jagath

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 4

He whose light gleams through the senses like the light emanating from a pot with holes (in which a lamp is kept), he whose knowledge alone brings the state of knowing (I am that), he whose brightness makes everything shine - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations


Deham praanamapiindriyaanyapi chalaam buddhim cha shuunyam viduh

Striibaalaandhaja dopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhrisham vaadinah

Maayaashaktivilaasakalpitamahaa vyaamohasanhaarine

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 5

Some philosophers contend the body, senses, life-breath, intellect and non-existence (shunya) as the real `I' (atman) their comprehension is worse than that of women, children, blind and the dull. He who destroys this delusion caused by maya (and makes us aware of the truth)- to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations

Raahugrastadivaakarendusadrisho maayaasamaachchhaadanaath

Sanmaatrah karanopasanharanato yoabhuutsushhuptah pumaanh

Praagasvaapsamiti prabodhasamaye yah pratyabhigyaayate

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 6

The brillance of sun exists even when intercepted by rahu during eclipse similarly, the power of cognition only remains suspended during deep sleep the self exists as pure being even though unrecognized due to the veil of maya a person on awakening becomes aware that he was asleep earlier (and the dream was unreal) similarly, a person who awakens to the consciousness of the self recognizes his previous state of ignorance as unreal he by whose grace alone does one awaken to the consciousness of the self - to that dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations

Baalyaadishhvapi jaagradaadishhu tathaa sarvaasvavasthaasvapi

Vyaavrittaasvanuvartamaanamahamityantah sphurantam sadaa

Svaatmaanam prakatiikaroti bhajataam yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 7

He, whose existence is changeless throughout the various states of the body (like old, young etc) and the mind (waking, dreaming etc), and who reveals the greatest knowledge of atman by gyaana-mudra (the joining of the thumb and the forefinger of a raised right hand) - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my Profound salutations

Vishvam pashyati kaaryakaaranatayaa svasvaamisambandhatah

Shishhyaachaaryatayaa tayaiva pitriputraadyaatmanaa bhedatah

Svapne jaagrati vaa ya eshha purushho maayaaparibhraamitah

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 8

He, whose power of maya enables one to experience the world as multiform, (like teacher, disciple, father, son etc) during both the waking and dream states - to that dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations


Bhuurambhaansyanaloaniloambaramaharnaatho himaanshuh pumaanh

Ityaabhaati charaacharaatmakamidam yasyaiva muurtyashhtakamh

Naanyatkijnchana vidyate vimrishataam yasmaatparasmaadvibhoh

Tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idam shriidakshinaamuurtaye 9

He, whose subtle and unmanifest eightfold form causes the moving and unmoving universe, and by whose grace alone does all these manifestation disappear to reveal that `all that exists is brahman' - to that dakshinamurti, Who is embodied in the auspicious guru, I offer my profound salutations.


Sarvaatmatvamiti sphutiikritamidam yasmaadamushhminh stave

Tenaasya shravanaattadarthamananaaddhyaanaachcha sankiirtanaath

Sarvaatmatvamahaavibhuutisahitam syaadiishvaratvam svatah

Siddhyettatpunarashhtadhaa parinatam chaishvaryamavyaahatamh 10

The verse points out to the all pervasiveness of the indwelling spirit, atman by the recital, contemplation and meditation of this hymn, the disciple attains the state of oneness with atman and realizes his unity with the universe, thus becoming the very essence of the eightfold manifestation.


Vatavitapisamiipe bhuumibhaage nishhannam

Sakalamunijanaanaam gyanadaataaramaaraath

Tribhuvanagurumiisham dakshinaamuurtidevam

Jananamaranaduhkhachchhedadaksham namaami

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