Dakshina Murthy Stotram
Dakshina Murthy Stotram
Dakshina Murthy Stotram
dakShiNA mUrti stotram
shAntipAThaH
OM yo brahmANaM vidadhAti pUrvaM
yo vai vedAMshcha prahiNoti tasmai |
taM ha devamAtmabuddhiprakAshaM
mumukShurvai sharaNamahaM prapadye ||
dhyAnam
OM maunavyAkhyA prakaTita parabrahmatattvaM yuvAnaM
varShiShThAnte vasadRRiShigaNairAvRRitaM brahmaniShThaiH |
AchAryendraM karakalita chinmudramAnandamUrtiM
svAtmArAmaM muditavadanaM dakShiNAmUrtimIDe || 1 ||
vaTaviTapisamIpebhUmibhAge niShaNNaM
sakalamunijanAnAM j~nAnadAtAramArAt |
tribhuvanagurumIshaM dakShiNAmUrtidevaM
jananamaraNaduHkhachChedadakShaM namAmi || 2 ||
chitraM vaTatarormUle vRRiddhAH shiShyA gururyuvA |
gurostu maunaM vyAkhyAnaM shiShyAstuchChinnasaMshayAH || 3 ||
nidhaye sarvavidyAnAM bhiShaje bhavarogiNAm |
gurave sarvalokAnAM dakShiNAmUrtaye namaH || 4 ||
OM namaH praNavArthAya shuddhaj~nAnaikamUrtaye |
nirmalAya prashAntAya dakShiNAmUrtaye namaH || 5 ||
chidghanAya maheshAya vaTamUlanivAsine |
sachchidAnandarUpAya dakShiNAmUrtaye namaH || 6 ||
Ishvaro gururAtmeti mUrtibhedavibhAgine |
vyomavadvyAptadehAya dakShiNAmUrtaye namaH || 7 ||
a~NguShThatarjanI yogamudrA vyAjenayoginAm |
shRRityarthaM brahmajIvaikyaM darshayanyogatA shivaH || 8 ||
OM shAntiH shAntiH shAntiH ||
stotram
vishvaM darpaNa-dRRishyamAna-nagarI tulyaM nijAntargataM
pashyannAtmani mAyayA bahirivodbhUtaM yathA nidrayA |
yassAkShAtkurute prabodhasamaye svAtmAname vAdvayaM
tasmai shrIgurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 1 ||
bIjasyAntari-vANkuro jagaditaM prANnirvikalpaM punaH
mAyAkalpita deshakAlakalanA vaichitryachitrIkRRitam |
mAyAvIva vijRRimbhayatyapi mahAyogIva yaH svechChayA
tasmai shrIgurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 2 ||
yasyaiva sphuraNaM sadAtmakamasatkalpArthakaM bhAsate
sAkShAttatvamasIti vedavachasA yo bodhayatyAshritAn |
yassAkShAtkaraNAdbhavenna punarAvRRittirbhavAmbhonidhau
tasmai shrIgurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 3 ||
nAnAchChidra ghaTodara sthita mahAdIpa prabhAbhAsvaraM
j~nAnaM yasya tu chakShurAdikaraNa dvArA bahiH spandate |
jAnAmIti tameva bhAntamanubhAtyetatsamastaM jagat
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 4 ||
dehaM prANamapIndriyANyapi chalAM buddhiM cha shUnyaM viduH
strI bAlAndha jaDopamAstvahamiti bhrAntAbhRRishaM vAdinaH |
mAyAshakti vilAsakalpita mahAvyAmoha saMhAriNe
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 5 ||
rAhugrasta divAkarendu sadRRisho mAyA samAchChAdanAt
sanmAtraH karaNopa saMharaNato yo.abhUtsuShuptaH pumAn |
prAgasvApsamiti prabhodasamaye yaH pratyabhij~nAyate
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 6 ||
bAlyAdiShvapi jAgradAdiShu tathA sarvAsvavasthAsvapi
vyAvRRittA svanu vartamAna mahamityantaH sphurantaM sadA |
svAtmAnaM prakaTIkaroti bhajatAM yo mudrayA bhadrayA
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 7 ||
vishvaM pashyati kAryakAraNatayA svasvAmisambandhataH
shiShyachAryatayA tathaiva pitRRi putrAdyAtmanA bhedataH |
svapne jAgrati vA ya eSha puruSho mAyA paribhrAmitaH
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 8 ||
bhUrambhAMsyanalo.anilombara maharnAtho himAMshuH pumAn
ityAbhAti charAcharAtmakamidaM yasyaiva mUrtyaShTakam |
nAnyatki~nchana vidyate vimRRishatAM yasmAtparasmAdvibho
tasmai shrI gurumUrtaye nama idaM shrI dakShiNAmUrtaye || 9 ||
sarvAtmatvamiti sphuTIkRRitamidaM yasmAdamuShmin stave
tenAsva shravaNAttadartha mananAddhyAnAchcha sa~NkIrtanAt |
sarvAtmatva mahAvibhUtisahitaM syAdIshvaratvaM svataH
siddhyettatpunaraShTadhA pariNataM chaishvarya-mavyAhatam || 10 ||
|| iti shrImachCha~NkarAchAryavirachitaM dakShiNAmUrtistotraM sampUrNam ||
About This Stotram
Overview
The Dakshinamurti Stotram is an 18-verse Sanskrit hymn attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, dedicated to Dakshinamurti, the southward-facing form of Lord Shiva who embodies the teacher of teachers. The text expounds Advaita Vedanta philosophy, presenting the non-dual nature of reality and the identity of the individual self (Atman) with the universal consciousness (Brahman).
What are the benefits of chanting Dakshinamurti Stotram?
- Supports intellectual clarity and the understanding of Advaitic philosophy.
- Recitation is associated with the removal of ignorance and mental confusion.
- The text is used as a guide for those pursuing the path of self-inquiry and jnana.
- Chanting is considered helpful for attaining inner stillness during meditation.
- The hymn fosters the attitude of the student toward the inner guru.
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning recitation during or after meditation is most commonly recommended. The stotram is appropriate for recitation at any time one seeks clarity of understanding or contemplation on the nature of the self. There is no specific festival occasion prescribed, though Shivaratri and Guru Purnima are natural occasions.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Dakshinamurti Stotram is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (approximately 8th century CE), the philosopher who systematized Advaita Vedanta. Shankaracharya composed numerous hymns and philosophical treatises as part of his efforts to clarify the teachings of the Upanishads. This stotram is not extracted from a larger Puranic text but stands as an independent philosophical-devotional composition. It draws directly on Upanishadic concepts and is studied and recited within the Advaita Vedanta tradition to this day.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Vivekachudamani — another work attributed to Shankaracharya that addresses the discrimination between the self and the non-self in Advaita Vedanta.
- Shiva Tandava Stotram — a well-known hymn to Lord Shiva from the Shaiva tradition, sharing the same deity but a different philosophical emphasis.
- Guru Ashtakam — an eight-verse hymn on the importance of the teacher, related to the guru-centric theme of Dakshinamurti.