Dakshinamurti Stotram
दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्
What is the Dakshinamurti Stotram?
Dakshinamurti Stotram The Dakshinamurti Stotram is a ten-verse Sanskrit hymn composed by Adi Shankaracharya, addressed to Shiva as Dakshinamurti, the youthful silent guru who imparts the highest knowledge to sages through stillness. Each verse ends with the refrain of salutation to this guru-form and unfolds the Advaita Vedanta teaching that the entire universe is a projection appearing within the one non-dual Self.
The Dakshinamurti Stotram is one of the most philosophically dense hymns attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. Its subject is Shiva in the form of Dakshinamurti: the young teacher seated beneath a banyan tree, facing south, hand raised in the chin-mudra, who instructs aged rishis not with words but through silence. Across ten verses in the grand Shardulavikridita metre, the hymn compresses the whole of Advaita Vedanta, arguing that the world we perceive is like a city reflected in a mirror, appearing within our own consciousness through maya. Every stanza closes with the same refrain of homage to the guru who reveals the Self.
Dakshinamurti Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
The hymn opens with a meditation (dhyana) verse, followed by ten verses that each close with the refrain "tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye." The tenth verse is the phalashruti describing the fruit of reciting the hymn. Tap any verse to read a plain-English explanation of its meaning.
Dhyana
maunavyakhya prakatitaparabrahmatattvam yuvanam
varshishthantevasadrishiganairavritam brahmanishthaih
acharyendram karakalitachinmudramanandamurtim
svatmaramam muditavadanam dakshinamurtimide
मौनव्याख्या प्रकटितपरब्रह्मतत्त्वं युवानं
वर्षिष्ठान्तेवसदृषिगणैरावृतं ब्रह्मनिष्ठैः ।
आचार्येन्द्रं करकलितचिन्मुद्रमानन्दमूर्तिं
स्वात्मारामं मुदितवदनं दक्षिणामूर्तिमीडे ॥
Meaning
I bow to Dakshinamurti, who through silence itself reveals the truth of the Supreme Brahman. He appears youthful yet is surrounded by aged sages settled in Brahman; the foremost of teachers, his hand shaped in the chin-mudra, an image of pure bliss, at rest in his own Self, his face serene and glad. This meditation verse fixes the seeker's mind on the paradox at the heart of the hymn: the youngest figure is the oldest wisdom, and the deepest instruction is given without a single word.
vishvam darpanadrishyamananagaritulyam nijantargatam
pashyannatmani mayaya bahirivodbhutam yatha nidraya
yah sakshatkurute prabodhasamaye svatmanamevadvayam
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं
पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया ।
यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
This universe is like a city seen inside a mirror: it truly rests within one's own Self, yet through maya it appears to stand outside, much as dream images seem external during sleep. The one who, at the moment of awakening, directly realizes his own Self as the single non-dual reality, to that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The mirror-city is the hymn's signature image: the reflection has no independent existence apart from the mirror, and the world has none apart from consciousness.
bijasyantarivankuro jagadidam pranirvikalpam punah
mayakalpitadeshakalakalanavaichitryachitrikritam
mayaviva vijrimbhayatyapi mahayogiva yah svecchaya
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
बीजस्यान्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्निर्विकल्पं पुनः
मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलनावैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।
मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Just as the sprout lies hidden inside the seed, this world first exists in an undifferentiated state, and then is painted into endless variety by the play of space, time and causation contrived by maya. He who unfolds it all by his own free will, like a magician conjuring a show or a great yogi projecting many forms, to that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The verse answers how the formless One becomes the manifold world: not by real change, but by willed appearance.
yasyaiva sphuranam sadatmakamasatkalpharthakam bhasate
sakshattattvamasiti vedavachasa yo bodhayatyashritan
yatsakshatkaranadbhavenna punaravrittirbhavambhonidhau
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते
साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् ।
यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
It is his own consciousness alone, real and self-existent, that lends borrowed appearance to objects which are otherwise as good as unreal. Through the Vedic declaration "That thou art" (tat tvam asi) he awakens those who take refuge in him, and once that truth is directly realized there is no return to the ocean of birth and death. To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. Here the hymn names its liberating instrument: the great sentence of the Upanishads, taught by the silent guru to the ripe seeker.
nanacchidraghatodarasthitamahadipaprabhabhasvaram
jnanam yasya tu chakshuradikaranadvara bahih spandate
janamiti tameva bhantamanubhatyetatsamastam jagat
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभाभास्वरं
ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा बहिः स्पन्दते ।
जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत्
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Like the light of a great lamp placed inside a pot pierced with many holes, his knowledge streams outward through the eyes and the other senses, so that awareness pulses out as "I know." It is he alone who shines, and the entire world shines only by borrowing his light. To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The image is precise: the senses are the holes, the body is the pot, and the single inner light is the Self by which every act of perception becomes possible.
deham pranamapindriyanyapi chalam buddhim cha shunyam viduh
stribalandhajadopamastvahamiti bhranta bhrisham vadinah
mayashaktivilasakalpitamahavyamohasamharine
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः
स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः ।
मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहाव्यामोहसंहारिणे
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Confused debaters, no wiser in this matter than the untutored or the perceptually blind, insist "I am this" while pointing variously to the body, the breath, the senses, the flickering intellect, or a mere void. He destroys this vast delusion, itself only a display conjured by the power of maya, and restores the seeker to the true "I." To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The verse sweeps aside every partial theory of the self and clears the ground for the Self that is pure awareness.
rahugrastadivakarendusadrisho mayasamacchadanat
sanmatrah karanopasamharanato yo’bhutsushuptah puman
pragasvapsamiti prabodhasamaye yah pratyabhijnayate
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात्
सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् ।
प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Like the sun or moon swallowed in an eclipse by Rahu, the Self is veiled by maya. In deep sleep, when the senses are drawn in, a person remains as pure existence alone, and on waking he recognizes that same continuous being by saying "until now I was asleep." That memory proves an unbroken witness present even through dreamless sleep. To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. Shankara uses ordinary sleep as evidence that consciousness never truly lapses.
balyadishvapi jagradadishu tatha sarvasvavasthasvapi
vyavrittasvanuvartamanamahamityantah sphurantam sada
svatmanam prakatikaroti bhajatam yo mudraya bhadraya
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि
व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रया भद्रया
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Through childhood, youth and age, through waking, dream and deep sleep, and through every passing state, the sense of "I" runs on unbroken, forever shining within. He makes this ever-present Self plain to his devotees by the auspicious chin-mudra of his hand. To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The point is that bodies and states keep changing while the witnessing "I" stays constant, and the guru's silent gesture is itself the teaching.
vishvam pashyati karyakaranataya svasvamisambandhatah
shishyacharyataya tathaiva pitriputradyatmana bhedatah
svapne jagrati va ya esha purusho mayaparibhramitah
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः
शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Set spinning by maya, a person sees the world only in terms of division: cause and effect, owner and owned, disciple and teacher, father and son, and countless other pairs, whether in dream or in waking. He who is the single reality behind all these apparent relations, to that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. Every relationship depends on a perceived difference, and the hymn points to the one Self in which all such differences dissolve.
bhurambhamsyanalo’nilo’mbaramaharnatho himamshuh puman
ityabhati characharatmakamidam yasyaiva murtyashtakam
nanyatkinchana vidyate vimrishatam yasmatparasmadvibho
tasmai shri gurumurtaye nama idam shri dakshinamurtaye
भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशुः पुमान्
इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम् ।
नान्यत्किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभो
तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥
Meaning
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon, and the living soul: this eightfold form (ashtamurti) is his alone, and as it the whole moving and unmoving world shines forth. For those who reflect deeply, nothing whatsoever exists apart from that supreme, all-pervading Lord. To that guru-form, this salutation to Sri Dakshinamurti. The verse gathers the entire cosmos into eight aspects of the one Shiva, leaving no second reality outside him.
Phalashruti
sarvatmatvamiti sphutikritamidam yasmadamushmin stave
tenasya shravanattadarthamananaddhyanaccha sankirtanat
sarvatmatvamahavibhutisahitam syadishvaratvam svatah
siddhyettatpunarashtadha parinatam chaishvaryamavyahatam
सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे
तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च सङ्कीर्तनात् ।
सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः
सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥
Meaning
Because this hymn makes clear the truth that the Self is the all, by hearing it, by reflecting on its meaning, by meditating upon it and by chanting it aloud, one naturally attains the lordship of being the very Self of all, endowed with great glory. From that follows the unobstructed mastery that unfolds in its eightfold forms. This closing verse (phalashruti) states the fruit: the four disciplines of hearing, reflection, meditation and recitation lead to abidance as the one Self behind everything.
Meaning & Significance
The hymn is a complete map of Advaita Vedanta set to verse. Its central claim is deceptively simple: what appears as an external world is a projection within consciousness, comparable to a city glimpsed in a mirror or a landscape seen in a dream. The mirror and the dreamer never leave their place, and neither does the Self.
Shankara builds the argument step by step. The world unfolds from an unmanifest state through the play of space, time and causation (verse 2). Objects borrow their apparent reality from the light of awareness (verses 3 and 4). Partial notions of the self, whether the body, the breath, the senses or a blank void, are all cleared away (verse 5). Deep sleep and daily waking prove a continuous witness (verses 6 and 7). Every relationship we live by rests on a perceived difference that finally dissolves (verse 8), and the whole cosmos is gathered into the eightfold form of the one Lord (verse 9). The closing verse promises that hearing, reflecting on, meditating upon and reciting the hymn ripens into the direct knowledge it describes.
What makes the teaching striking is its teacher. Dakshinamurti instructs through silence, and the youthful form speaking to elderly sages signals that the highest wisdom is timeless rather than earned by age alone.
How to Chant the Dakshinamurti Stotram
- Settle and face the light – Sit in a quiet place facing south or east, take a few slow breaths, and let the attention settle inward before you begin
- Begin with the dhyana verse – Recite the opening meditation verse (maunavyakhya) first to bring the image of the silent guru clearly to mind
- Chant the ten verses in order – Move through the verses steadily, keeping an even rhythm suited to the long Shardulavikridita metre and resting a moment at each refrain
- Reflect on the meaning – Since the hymn is a teaching, pause after a verse or two to consider its sense rather than reciting on autopilot
- Close with the phalashruti – End with the tenth verse and a few moments of silence, allowing the central idea of the one Self to stay with you
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Traditionally the Dakshinamurti Stotram is valued less as a request for boons and more as a contemplative practice. Its rewards are chiefly inner:
- Clarity of understanding: The hymn lays out Advaita Vedanta in a compact, memorable form, making it a favourite study aid for seekers of self-knowledge
- A calmer, steadier mind: Its measured chanting and reflective pauses encourage the quiet, inward attention the verses describe
- Devotion joined to reason: It unites heartfelt worship of Shiva with rigorous philosophical inquiry, so feeling and thought move together
- A guide for meditation: The image of the silent guru in chin-mudra gives the mind a clear focus for stillness and self-enquiry
- Connection to the guru principle: Reciting it on Guru Purnima honours the inner teacher, the source of true knowledge celebrated throughout the hymn
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Dakshinamurti Stotram is traditionally ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya, the eighth-century teacher who systematised Advaita Vedanta and composed a wide range of devotional and philosophical works. The hymn belongs to his devotional compositions that carry serious philosophy, and it is often studied alongside a longer prose commentary known as the Manasollasa, attributed to his disciple Sureshvara.
Its subject, Dakshinamurti, is Shiva as the supreme guru: seated beneath a banyan tree, facing south (dakshina), teaching the assembled sages in silence with his right hand raised in the chin-mudra, where the thumb and forefinger meet to signify the union of the individual self with the absolute. The southward-facing posture and the wordless instruction are the two images the hymn returns to again and again. Because it fuses worship with a full statement of non-dual philosophy, the stotram has long held a special place in the study and recitation of Advaita Vedanta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Dakshinamurti Stotram?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the teacher who systematised Advaita Vedanta. A prose commentary called the Manasollasa, ascribed to his disciple Sureshvara, is often studied together with the hymn.
Who is Dakshinamurti?
Dakshinamurti is a form of Shiva as the supreme guru. He is depicted young, seated beneath a banyan tree, facing south, teaching aged sages through silence, with his right hand in the chin-mudra that symbolises the union of the individual self with the absolute.
What is the main teaching of the Dakshinamurti Stotram?
Its core teaching is Advaita, non-duality. The hymn argues that the world we perceive is a projection appearing within our own consciousness, like a city seen in a mirror, and that the seeker's true Self is one with the supreme reality.
Why is Dakshinamurti shown teaching in silence?
Silence expresses the idea that the highest truth is beyond words and is realized directly rather than argued into being. The youthful guru instructing elderly sages without speaking dramatises that the deepest knowledge is timeless and inward.
How many verses are in the hymn and what is the last verse?
The hymn has ten main verses, usually preceded by a meditation (dhyana) verse. The tenth verse is the phalashruti, which describes the fruit of hearing, reflecting on, meditating upon and reciting the stotram: abidance as the one Self of all.
When is the best time to recite the Dakshinamurti Stotram?
It is often chanted in the early morning after bathing, and is considered especially fitting on Thursdays, on Guru Purnima, and on Maha Shivaratri. Because it is a teaching hymn, unhurried recitation with reflection is more valued than speed.
॥ ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥