Dak Shina Moorthy

8/13/2019 Dak Shina Moorthy

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Sri Dakshinamurty Jnana Prabodhini

|| shivAya guravE namaH ||

1. Who is Dakshinamurty ?

There are many etymological derivations of the name Dakshinamurty whichderive many great meanings of his name. Lets egin this article with themeaning stated in !hruti. "#anishad says$ Dakshina means uddhi %knowledge&through which !iva %who is 'rahman&can e known.

shemushhii dakshiNaa proktaa saa yasyaabhiikshaNe mukham.h

| dakshiNaabhimukhaH proktaH shivo.asau brahmavaadibhiH | (DakshinamurtyUpanishad 19)(The word )Dakshin*) means 'uddhi. 'ecause 'uddhi is the eye y which !ivacan e directly seen$ He is called Dakshinahimtikha y the 'rahma+v*dins,.

Therefore Dakshinamurty is verily the !hivagyanam - rahmagyanam whichassumes a form as our #rece#tor$ to gift himself to us. Therefore there is nodifference etween the lord and the divine knowledge Lord !hiva is the#ararahman of /edas and is essentially nirgu0a. However he is the only onewho assumes many names or forms and s#orts in this world.

Each name of that 1aheshwara is accom#anied with some #ur#ose.Dakshinamurty form is the 2uru %#rece#tor& form of lord !hiva. 3t is anindis#utale truth #ro#ounded in every scri#ture that lord !hiva is the foremostand su#reme 2uru from whom all the /idya+s issue forth.

3t is that Dakshinamurty whose grace of wisdom works silently in the ackgroundof every action that takes #lace in this world. 4or instance$ when you were orn$who taught you to cry for milk when you felt hungry5 6ho taught you to sto#crying as soon as your hunger is satiated with the mothers milk5 At least forhumans a careful mother feeds her ay at regular intervals on her own$ ut inthe case of a new orn calf$ who teaches the calf that there is his food storedetween the hind legs of the cow and that could e otained y suckling5 Thoseare the teachings which are unheard y ears$ untaught y s#eech$ ut only andonly e7#erienced through some silent teaching emanating from within. Thats mylord Dakshinamurty in action


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6hat is that #ower which teaches your eyes to see$ ears to hear$ tongue to taste$skin to feel the touch$ and nose to smell5 Don)t tell me that these organs areaccom#anied with their corres#onding actions and they receive the commandsfrom 'rain 3f that is the case$ then why can)t a dead ody see$ hear$ feel$ smelland taste des#ite having all its organs intact$ and having its rain undamagedwithin its skull5 The reason is$ there is another #ower which transcends this#hysical ody and this rain$ and that #ower o#erates this ody %machine& y#ervading within it. That e7ternal #ower is called as 8haitanya %8onsciousness&which is nothing ut the Atman %!elf&. This Atman is verily the Dakshinamurtyalone who doesn)t verally tell your organs to act. 3t is he as Atman+8haitanyaremains silent within yourself and mere his silent #resence makes your organsact. !o$ tell me now$ who on this #lanet can live or remain functional without thegrace or #resence of this great #rece#tor5 That)s the glorious nature of1ahadeva 6hether !hiva a##ears as a 2uru visile e7ternally or guides us

through our conscience o#erating from within$ the fact remains a fact that there isno life without 2uru %!hiva.& 6hether someone likes or dislikes$ there is noesca#e from that illustrious 9a#ardin$ the lord of "ma

6hen in his sutlest mode he is our teacher right from our irth till death$ then itis not a matter of astonishment if he is seen as the foremost #rece#tor of all the/idyas. Lets analy:e the secrets of the iconogra#hy$ and other matters in detail.

2. Dakshinamurty as the Guru of Lord Brahma

As discussed aove when a neworn infant himself re;uires an internal#rece#tor to cry for milk when hunger is felt$ then we can understand it fairly wellthat to create this gigantic macrocosm even lord 'rahma would have re;uiredsome knowledge$ and hence someone to #ass on that knowledge %whom we callguru&.

The very first a##earance of Dakshinamurty is visile in "#anishads itself. At theeginning of this creation$ the first entity that s#rang into e7istence was

Hiranyagraha %where 'rahma a##eared&. !vetaswatara "#anishad states that


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(He$ the omniscient

'rahma didnt know what for he emerged. He didnt have the knowledge of whatto create and how to create. Then he took the refuge of his own creator vi:.1ahadeva$ and worshi#ed him. 'eing #leased y his devotion$


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the ten means onstituted by study o4 the 6edas7 adoption o4 the domesti modeo4 i4e7 penanes7 observane o4 duties ommon to a the modes o4 i4e7sari4ies7 per4ormane o4 a suh ats as ead to pure 4ame7 meditation $hih iso4 three kinds7 and that kind o4 emanipation $hih is aed suess (#iddhi)attainabe in this i4e>. (M;H #hanti /arva hapter 0022)

Does it mean 'rahma got some #ulished ooks #rinted and ounded nicely5 Dowe have any scri#tural reference where 'rahma is shown to e creatinguniverses referring to some #age no. of /edas5 0o /edas mean (knowledge,.The word /eda is derived from the !anskrit root word vid which meansknowledge. !o$ /edas are nothing ut knowledge itself. !o$ when "#anishadsays !hiva gave /edas to 'rahma$ it im#lies that !hiva estowed him with theknowledge re;uired for his creation. And how does shiva estow knowledge5The answer is + as Dakshinamurty Therefore it is 'rahma who was the first

#erson to witness and reali:e the grace of Dakshinamurty.This is the reason why the !vetaswatara "#anishad further #rays to Dakkshinaform of lord


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a!horebhyo.atha !horebhyo !hora!horatarebhyaH | sarvataH sharva sarvebhyonamaste astu rudraruupebhyaH | (aittiriya 3ranyaka 1'.19.1)(0ow$ ? !arva$ my salutations e at all times and all #laces to Thy


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How silence is a state of 'rahman5 3t is answered in shruti as follows.

>kaa.nsya!haNaaninaadastu yathaa iiyati shaantaye | o*Nkaarastu tathaayo"yaH shaantaye sarvamihhhataa | yasminviiiyate shabdastatparaM brahma!iiyate | dhiya.n hi iiyate brahma so.am:?itatvaaya kapate |> (;rahmavidyaUpanishad 1+51%)>And @ust as the sound of a metal utensil C or of a gong dies in silence C so he$who seeks the All lets the ?1 sound fade away in silence. 4or that wherein thesound fades away is the 'rahman$ the higher. ea$ the whole sound is 'rahmanand conduces to immortality,.

That su#reme state of silence i.e.$ 'rahman is nothing ut same asDakshinamurty himself$ since it is he the 1aheshwara who is the 'rahmandescried in /edas and /edanta. 3t is only Lord !hiva who transcends everythingand is the highest 'rahman$ it is he again as Dakashinamurty the highest 2uruwho teaches rahmavidya to us which reveals aout himself alone. There isnothing su#erior to !hiva. 3n this connection Taittiriya Aranyaka of a@urvedastates as follows.

>yo vedaadau svaraH prokto vedaante ha pratishhhitaH | tasyaprak:?itiiinasya yaH paraH sa maheshvaraH > (aittiriya 3ranyaka 1'.1+.%.1@)>3t is Lord 1aheshwara who transcends the syllale ?m which is uttered at thecommencement of the recital of the /edas$ which is well estalished in thevEdAnta %"#anishads& and which is dissolved in the #rimal cause duringcontem#lation>.

The aove verse states that Lord !hiva is eyond the ?mkara that is recitedefore studying /edas and also is estalished in the knowledge of "#anishads.'ut the aove verse from a@urveda is not as easy in meaning as it looks like$ so3 would like to elaorate its real meaning here.Aa"urveda (26&B&&h)states aoutLord !hiva as$ nama st3r3ya ha$ which means$ #autations to Cord :udra$ho is the /ranava Mantra EM.And same a@urvedas Taittiriya Aranyaka;uoted aove states that


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6hen !ri


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non+entity to the human ear. ?nly learned seers and ogis who have internali:edtheir vision can see and gras# the unmanifest #ortion of sound.

atvFri vFk parimitF padFni tFni vidurbrFhmaF ye manGia|!huhF trGi nihitF ne!hayanti turGya vFo manuyF vadanti | (:i! 6eda1&1-&B)(!#eech hath een measured out in four divisionsB the 'rahmans who haveunderstanding know them. Three ke#t in close concealment cause no motionB ofs#eech$ men s#eak only the fourth division,.

The Ahata+shadam %struck note or heard sound& is inferior$ while the anAhata+shadam %un+struck note or unheard sound& is limitless. The heard soundmanifests in the visile universe which is limited$ whereas the unheard orunmanifest sound indicates the infinite$ limitless state of 'rahman. This conce#t

has een nicely #resented in !hukla a@urveda as ;uoted elow.

pratirItkFyF artanJ!hKFya baJm JntFya bahuvFdLnam anantFya mkam| (#huka Aa"urveda56a"asaneyi5#amhita& %'&19)(4or Echo a revilerB for 0oise a snarlerB for End a very talkative manB for Endlessa muteB,

6hat are the four categories of vAk termed as5 Answer is given in !hruti itselfsaying that the gross form of s#eech %vi:. vaikhar3& lossoms after #assingthrough three stages as follows.

paraayaama*Nkuriibhuuya pashyantaa.n dvidaiik:?itaa | madhyamaayaaMmukuitaa vaikharyaa.n vikasiik:?itaa | puurva.n yathoditaa yaavaa!viomenaasta!aa bhavet.h | (Ao!a Oundaini Upanishad 1(b)519)(That /ak %#ower of s#eech& which s#routs in ara$ gives forth two leaves inashyantiB uds forth in 1adhyama and lossoms in /aikhari + that /ak whichhas efore een descried$ reaches the stage of the asor#tion of sound$reversing the aove order %vi:.$ eginning with /aikhari$ etc.$&,.

3n Lalita !ahasranama !totram which is a hymn to goddess Tri#urasundari andis #resent in 'rahmanda urana the verse no. FG descries her #resence in thefourfold form of s#eech as (#arA#ratyak chit3r"#A #ashyant3 #aradEvatA |madHyamA vaikHar3r"#A Hakta mAnasa hamsikA,.

The great seer Acharya hAskararAyA in his commentary on Lalita!ahasranama !totram elaorates these attriutes of vAk. The elow e7tract haseen taken from his commentary !ouhagyahaskara translated y A. 9.


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!astri$ #age IJIK where 'haskararaya e7#lains the JMth name of Lalita which is(#arA(as follows.

)ar&*

2n the mU3dh3ra in the body the air (pr3Na) 4irst appearsP that pr3Naaompanied by the e44ort o4 a person desirous to speak7 produes the a

pervadin! shabdabrahman $hih is the k3r3N3bindu7 $hen it is mani4ested7remainin! motioness (nispanda) in its o$n pae7 is aed par3 speeh>.

)as+yant'*

#ri bh3skarar3y3 e,pains7 he same sabdabrahman7 produed by the samepr3Na proeedin! as 4ar as the nave (near sv3dhishth3na hakra)7 "oined $iththe reasonin!7 inteet (manas) possessin! the nature o4 the mani4ested

k3ryabindu $ith simpe motion (s3m3nyaspanda) is named pasHyant2 speeh.mad+yam&*

#ri bh3skarar3y3 e,pains7 Ne,t the same shabdabrahman7 produed by thesame air proeedin! as 4ar as the heart (an3hata hakra)7 "oined $ith thedeterminin! understandin! (buddhi) in the mani4ested n3d37 endo$ed $ithspeia (visHesHaspanda) is aed madHyam3 speeh.

%aik+ar'*

#ri bh3skarar3y3 e,pains7 Ne,t the same shabdabrahman produed by thesame air proeedin! as 4ar as the mouth7 deveoped in the throat (vishuddhihakra)7 possessin! the nature o4 the mani4ested b2"a $ith the universa motion(spasHtatara) is aed vaikHar2 speeh.

!ri !ayanacharya in his commentary on chatvAr3 vAk from


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Can!ua!e is di44erent7 but thou!ht is one. Menta ima!e is the same in a.#ound has !ot 4our 4orms7 viQ.7 /ara7 /asyanti7 Madhyama and 6aikhari. 6aikhariis the ordinary speeh. 2t di44ers in di44erent ountries. ;ut /ara7 /asyanti andMadhyama are one and the same. /ara is undi44erentiated sound that iesdormant in ;rahman.

!o$ from all these details we can draw the following understanding of the fourfolds#eech. !#eech originates from m"lAdhAra chakra ut remains unheard till itissues out of the throat %/ishuddha chakra&. The s#eech which is heard vi:./aikhari may differ from language to language and country to countryB howeverthe thoughts which take irth within us efore they are #ut into s#eech$ thosethoughts remain always same for every human eing. 4or instance$ when 3 seewater$ 3 would call it in Telugu as (neeLLu - neeru,B a Hindi s#eaking friend ofmine would call it as (#aani - @al,$ a !anskrit scholar would call it as (@alam -aa#ah,$ an English man would call it as (water,$ and an Araic man would call itas (aa,. The /aikhari as#ect differs from one language to another$ ut themental images what we all #eo#le would have aout water in our mind andconscience would remain same without any differentiation. Therefore the threeinternal states of s#eech vi:. #arA$ #ashyant3$ and madhyamA are one and thesame and are differentiated only ased on their location within our ody and theirassociation with the attriutes of mindB where the #urest form vi:. #arA isunassociated with any attriutes of mind and hence it is identical with 'rahman.

Therefore$ finally we can consider only two #ure states of s#eech. #arA which isidentical with 'rahman or 9undalini !hakti in m"lAdharA$ and the vaikhar3 which

is the final transformed gross audile form. ?f course we have analy:ed theforms of vAk %s#eech&$ and again we have reached a #oint where we can #ut anend to this discussion. However$ 3 am not ready to end it here since it would leadus to end this analysis in duality. 3 would end this analysis at that @uncture whereone would e ale to clearly see the non+duality %Advaitam& etween vAk and itsforms and


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survive. 6hatever conclusion we have drawn with this e7ercise$ same has eentheoretically e7#lained in the following "#anishad verses.

"#anishad states the su#eriority of rana %life reaths& over vAk %!#eech& andother senses in a story kind of narration. 3t says there was a com#etition among

the senses on the matter of su#eriority. ra@a#ati #ut them to Test and as #er therules first vAk %s#eech& left the ody and went out and returned ack to askwhether the other senses were ale to survive$ they all survived. 'ut when at lastrana %life+reath& was aout to de#art$ all other senses started getting u#rootedand then all senses including vAk acce#ted rana as their lord.

te ha pr3N3H pra"3patiM pitarametyohurbha!avanko naH | shre#hha itit3nhov3ha yasminva utkr3nte shar2raM | p3pi#hhataramiva d:?ishyeta savaH shre#hha iti | (0hando!ya Upanishad 65i5@)(Those senses a##roached the father ra@a#ati and said to him$ )


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Here #ra0a is @ust a name to Atman %'hagawan


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sarv3Ni ha v3 im3ni bhUt3ni pr3Namev3bhisaMvishanti pr3Namabhyu""ihatesai#h3 devat3 prast3vamanv3yatt3 | (0hando!ya Upanishad 25,i5)(4or all the eings merge in rana %


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This #roves that Dakshinamurty himself is the 2uru who teaches the disci#lesaout himself alone %since he is the 'rahman& through silence ecause !ilenceis the state of 'rahman when measured in terms of vAk %!#eech&.

,. '$onora)hy of Dakshinamurty and$orres)ondin symbo#ism

!ri Dakshinamurty is de#icted as a young si7teen years old god sitting at the rootof a huge anyan tree on a rock or an elevated #lace$ having four hands. He isde#icted as sitting surrounded y grey haired sages. Dakshinamurtysa##earance remains very serene with a eautiful smile on his face. He is

de#icted wearing a crown or a hair+and on his nicely raided locks of hair. Hisright leg is shown crushing %not killing& an infant with a demon face who is calleda#asmara+#urusha$ and his left leg rests on his right thigh. His lower right handis shown usually #ostured in chinmudra %inde7 and thum finger @oined andother fingers standing erect&B and otherwise it is also shown in ahava+mudrasometimes. 3n his u##er right hand he is shown holding a handheld drum%damarukam& which remains coiled with a ser#entB and also in the same hand
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HB6FqvyI7hk/UOCAL7BMOQI/AAAAAAAABdc/fVccO12zC_A/s1600/Sri+Dakshinamurty.JPG


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he is shown holding an akshamala %rosary&. 3n his u##er left hand he is shownholding a torch of flames$ and with his lower left hand he holds kusa grass orvEdas. He is also shown wearing a waist ank around his waist. His raidedhair holds 2anga and on his lefta dn right sides of his head sun and moon areshown. 3n some iconogra#hies ehind or neary his vehicle 0andi the ull is alsoseen.

Lets see few dhyAna shl?kas from shruti which descrie the a##earance of lord!ri Dakshinamurty.

sphaikara"atavarNaM mauktikiimakshamaaaaS5mam:?itakaashavidyaa.n "*naanamudraa.n karaa!re |dadhatamura!akakshya.n handrahuuDa.n trinetraMvidh:?itavividhabhuushha.n dakshiNaamuurtimiiDe | (Dakshinamurty

Upanishad %)(3 adore the three+eyed$ moon+crested Dakshin*mQrti who is of #ele and silvercolour$ holding in the hands a rosary of #earls$ a vessel of nectar$ a ook and thesymol of wisdomB having a ser#ent for his girdle$ and #utting on variousornaments,.

aadau vedaadimuhhaarya svaraadya.n savisar!akam.h |pa*nhaarNa.n tata uddh:?itya antara.n savisar!akam.h |ante samuddharettaaraM manureshha navaaksharaH | (DakshinamurtyUpanishad )

(1ay the milk+white three+eyed rimal 'eing %'hava& grant us #urity of thought$He who$ seated at the foot of a fig tree$ surrounded y !uka and other sages$holding in the hands the symol of the lessed wisdom$ with a7e and deer$=oneof the hands resting on the knees$ the loins girdled round y a mighty ser#ent$ adigit of the moon enclosed in His clotted hair,

The crystal color of Dakshinamurty has a great significance. Having a colormeans it is an "#adhi with which the o@ect is associated with$ hence it has a2una. However$ crystal symoli:es no color. Hence it re#resents the nirgu0a+'rahman. 6hite color also signifies !huddha+!atvika tatwam$ which also de#icts

the #urity of the lord.

De#iction of the iconogra#hy of !ri Dakshinamurty in various tem#le statues oridols slightly differs ased on the Agama eing followed. 0ow$ let us understandwhat all these icons symoli:e.

,.1 Dakshinamurty is -%erythin in this ni%erse


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Ashtamurty form of lord !hiva are nothing ut the ancha+huta+s %five divineelements& and 1anas$ 'uddhi$ and Ahamkara. These eight elements are theframework re;uired for any cosmic creation.

The #ancha+hutas are vi:. Agni %fire&$ alam %water&$ 'humi %Earth&$ /ayu %Air&and Akasa %sky&B and the remaining three elements are mind %manas&$ intellect%uddhi& and Ego %ahamkara&. The entire universe is com#osed of theseelements of #rakriti %nature& alone. Each element among the #ancha hutas areaoom#anied y its corres#onding sense of #erce#tion which are collectivelycalled as tanmAtrAs$ they are !hada %!ound&$ !#arsha %touch&$


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ar@anya %the cloud which re#resents !ky& ecame such like ecause of Lord'havaN

tamabravGdbhavo


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(He said to him$ )Thou art !arva.) And ecause he gave him that name$ thewaters ecame suchlike$ for !arva is the waters$ inasmuch as from the watereverything %sarva& here is #roduced. He said$ )!urely$ 3 am mightier than thatNgive me yet a name),

,.1.3 /he Left ))er +and ** 0e)resents Destru$tion samh&ra **Manifestation of &ni

3n his u##er left hand$ !ri Dakshinamurty holds a torch of fire. 3t symoli:es thedestruction %!amhArA& as#ect among #anchakrutya1+s. This means it is againlord !hiva who dissolves entire creation into himself at the end of the time asevident from elow shruti vAkya.

"namah sharvaya ha | (Aa"urveda iv&B&B&b)(!alutations to the destroyer of everything %sharva& at the end of the time,.

This torch of flame also re#resents the divine internal fire of consciousnessknown as @AtAvEda+agni which #ervades as the consciousness within us which isagain lord


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3f we notice carefully$ the lower left hand of the lord is #laced on that knee of thatleg$ which remains folded and ke#t on the right thigh. The inner meaning is C theleft leg what he kee#s folded is untouched y !amsaara. Hence the lower lefthand which carries vEdas$ symoli:es that divine knowledge which whenotained y the grace of Dakshinamurty$ makes the receiver$ attain the su#remewisdom wherey he ecomes untouched y !amsaara even if he lives amidstthis world.

/edas manifested from


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That is the enevolence of lord !hiva 6ho on this earth can attain knowledge ymoving away from Lord !hiva5 3ts all the foolishness of those who attem#t todeny themselves from worshi#ing this greatest enevolent Lord. He himself is thedestination %1oksha&$ he himself is the lord$ he himself is the means to attain him%knowledge&$ it is he who is the #rece#tor %as Dakshinamurty& who confers theknowledge$ it is he who #rotects the knowledge and it is again he himself who isin the form of the source of knowledge %as /edas&. !uch is my divine father$ mylord$ my self C the illustrious 1ahadeva

,.1.6 /he Left Le ** 0e)resents the Su)reme state beyond Samsaara &7a8-ka)&da

The goal of attaining knowledge is to raise ourselves from the level of ignorance

to the reali:ation of tat twam asi #rinci#le as e7#ounded in the "#anishads. Thisleg of !ri Dakshinamurty symoli:es the su#reme state of 9aivalya which isuntouched y !amsaara. This foot is the o@ect which one needs to long for.This is a su#erficial understanding. There is a dee#er meaning surrounding thisraised u# leg of 'hagawan !hiva. 0ot only in the iconogra#hy of Dakshinamurty$ut in every form of !hiva$ the lord mostly sits or stands with one leg raisedu#wards. Take for instance 0atara@a form. This form of !hiva where he stands orsits su##orting one leg on ground and one leg on thigh or raised u#wardsteaches us aout the (A@a+Eka#Ada, #rinci#le. Lord !hiva is A@a+Eka#Ada$ where(A@a, means (unorn,$ and (Eka#Ada, means (one footed,.Lord !hiva is the unorn su#reme god as evident from elow shruti verse.

>a@aata ityeva.n kashchidhiiruH #ra#adyate |

rudra yatte da7i0a1 mukha.n tena maa1 #aahi nityam.h |> %!vetaswatara "#anishad ONIG&

>)Thou art unorn %A@a&$) with these words some one comes near to thee$ tremling. ?

Lord !hiva who created this universe from one #ortion of his infinite form called!kamha %linga& and his rest of the form is still eyond all this universe.Therefore he stands on one foot as !kamha and #ervades with one #ortion%#Ada& into the universe while kee#ing his rest of the #ortion as un+manifest tothe universe. This is evident from the elow shruti verse.

>Ukacakravartata Ukanemi sahVsrRkara#rV #urW nX #aYcRardhUna vXYvahZvana@a@R[na yVd asyRrdhVkv\ tVd ahSva |> %Atharva/eda ]NFN^&>"#$ eastward downward in the west$ )it rolleth$ with countless elements$ one+wheeled$ single+fellied. 6ith half it hath egotten all creation. 6here hath theother half ecome unnoticed5>


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This is the reason$ why lord !hiva always rests one foot on the ground or onA#asmAra demon which all re#resent the mundane world$ and kee#s one of hisfoot aove all the mundane e7istence. This teaches us the infinite nature of Lord


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0ow$ lets see some more internal secrets related to this. 6e havedashEndriyAs %ten sense organs&$ vi:. five sense organs$ and five motor organs.Each of these sense organs are associated with their corres#onding #ower. 6ee7#erience and en@oy this universe with the hel# of these senses alone whoseinter#reter is manas %mind&. Eye sees$ ut it is the mind which makes the sight

interesting or re#ulsive to see. 3t is not fault of eyes to look at a eautiful womanBthe sight ecomes faulty only due to the inter#retation made y the mind whichattaches lust with the #icture under the vision. Therefore su@ugation of senses ishighly im#ortant for ones u#liftment in s#iritual @ourney.

3ndra is the lord of indriyas %senses&$ all indriyas elong to his dominion. 3t is hewho makes the 3ndriyas unrestrained for a #erson who desires en@oymentsB andalso it is he again who kee#s them su@ugated for the sake of a seeker oflieration.


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,.1.; /he Lo4er 0iht +and ** &nuraha :rutyam ** 7'%a8brahma8&ikyam

The lower right hand of !ri Dakshinamurty remains #ositioned in a lessing#osture with its fingers showing chinmudra %3nde7 and thum fingers remain

@oined and other fingers stand erect&. This chinmudra is symolic of oneness of@3va with the eshwara. This hand also symoli:es the anugraham task whichmeans grace. Anugraham is the final task which succeeds the task of tirodhAna.This task of grace is nothing ut the conferring of lieration to the iva.

This final stage of lieration de#ends on the #receding stages vi:. ac;uiring therahma+@nana y following /edas %as estowed y his lower left hand&$ desire totranscend the material world as symoli:ed y the raised left leg which remainsuntouched with the world$ then one needs to seek Dakshinamurtys hel# toovercome his #ower of illusion %tirodhana& and for self+restraint. 4inally one getsu#lifted to a stage where he identifies himself as one with the su#reme 'rahman%anugraha&.

,.1.< /he Sun on the head ** Symbo#i=es 'nte##ien$e

3n the iconogra#hy of !ri Dakshinamurty there is always a #icture of sun %s"rya&shown attached to his crown. !un is symolic to intelligence. Among the eightfoldforms of 'hagawan


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mahFndevaso


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(He said to him$ )Thou art asu#ati.) And ecause he gave him that name$ the#lants ecame suchlike$ for asu#ati is the #lantsN hence when cattle %#asu& get#lants$ then they #lay the master %#at`y&. He said$ )!urely$ 3 am mightier than thatNgive me yet a name),

Among the tanmAtras associated with the Earth element$ the lord Dakshinamurty

is #resent in the form of knowledge of sensation of touch s#arsha %touch&.

,.1.12 /he Banyan /ree ** Sams&ra 5ruksham ** 0oot Symbo#i=es Brahman Shi%a

3n the iconogra#hy of !ri Dakshinamurty$ the lord is shown seated underneath ahuge /atavruksha %anyan tree& and the same ahs een stated inDakshinamurty "#anishad as follows.

viiNaa.n karaiH pustakamakshamaaaaM bibhraaNamabhraabha!aa.nvaraaDhyam.h | phaNiindrakakshyaM munibhiH shukaadyaiH sevya.n

vaaadhaH k:?itaniiDamiiDe | (Dakshinamurty Upanishad 1&1')(3 adore Him who in His hands holds a veena$ a ook and a rosary$ with acloudlike throat$ who is rich in gifts$ girdled y a mighty ser#ent$ resorted to y!uka and other sagesB who has made the foot of a fig tree His aode,.

A dout may arise in the minds of the readers C 6hy does Dakshinamurty situnder a anyan tree$ why not a mango tree or a coconut tree5 6ell$ it is neitherrelated to the vast s#ace this tree covers nor is related to the amount of shadewhat it gives. Lets me e7#lain the internal meaning of this tree.

This anyan tree is not any ordinary tree. 'anyan tree has a great /edantic andogic significance. 'anyan tree has a s#ecial ;uality of having secondary rootshanging from the ranches. These secondary roots grow downwards and ontouching the ground they give irth to another of their kind. This re#resents aneternal cycle of creation. This tree is called samsAra vruksham %the world tree&as de#icted in 'hagawad 2ita and is stated to e #resent vertically inverted. 3t isfurther stated that the roots of this tree remains hidden and originates from'rahman. Dakshinamurty who sits at the feet of the anyan tree is the 'rahmanfrom whom the tree of samsaara originates.

This tree in reality doesnt e7ist anywhere outward in this universe. 3t is aninternal #henomenon$ a tree which e7ists within the microcosm %our ody&. Thevarious nerves %nAd3s& of our ody are the ranches$ and the one central nervewhich #asses through the s#ine and is called sushumna is the stem of that tree.

3ts roots are in !ahasrara and originate from 'rahman. This is clarified in elowverses from "ttara 2ita.

n3n3n3D2prasavakaM sarvabhUt3ntar3tmani | UrdhvamUamadhaH sh3khaMv3yum3r!eNa sarva!am.h | (Uttara ita 1)(As various 0dis have s#rung u# from the !usumn$ the rece#tacle of the 3nnersoul of all `vas + and are stretched out in all directions of the #hysical ody$


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therefore it is considered like a huge tree reversed. The Tattva+nnins alone areale to walk on every ranch of this tree y the hel# of rna+/yu,.

dvisaptatisahasr3Ni n3DyaH syurv3yu!ohar3H | karmam3r!eNasu#hir3stirya*nhaH su#hir3tmak3H | (Uttara ita 19)(3n this human ody there e7ist seventy+two thousand 0dis which admit of

sufficient s#ace for entrance into them through /yuB the ogins alone ecomeac;uainted with the true nature of these 0dis y the virtue of their oga+9arma,.

!o$ the Dakshinamurty sitting at the ottom of the vatavruksha %anyan tree&teaches us that it is he %!hiva& who is the #ararahman$ knowing or reachingwhom one never comes ack to this world again.

,.1.13 /he Saes seated be#o4 ** so symbo#i=e 0udra a#one

3n the iconogra#hy of !ri Dakshinamurty$ divine sages like 9umaras$ !uka$ and

!a#tarishis are shown seated as disci#les on the ground and !hiva as the leaderof that s#iritual conference. This entire arrangement is a sahA %conference orgrou#& for s#iritual discourses where the s#eaker %sahA+#ati& s#eaks throughsilence and the audience gras#s the su#reme knowledge of divine through thatsilence which is the mode em#loyed y the s#eaker to discourse his teachings.

'ut in any case the listeners are not different from the s#eaker$ ecauseeverything is


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makarakunDala is an ear ring which is always worn y males$ whereastATanka is the ear ring worn y females. Dakshina1urty wears oth ecause heand his consort 'havani are never different. He teaches us the Ardhanarishwara#rinci#le of his form. 3t is he who is the father and it is again he who is the mother%as "ma&. His left side eing female he wears tATanka on the left ear ring.

However this is not the end of the secret teaching what he #asses on to us. Thisform of him #reaches us that he himself is the #ararahman of /edas and/edanta. Ardhanarishwara is the 'rahman of /edas as descried clearly inTaittiriya Aranyaka of a@urveda as follows.

>:?itam satyaM paraM brahma purushha.n k:?ishhNapi*N!aam.h| uurdhvareta.n viruupaaksha.n vishvaruupaaya vai namo namaH |> (aittiriya

3ranyaka 1'.+%.1)>!u#reme 'rahman$ the Asolute .

The same fact has een stated in !ri /idya tradition in Lalita+!ahasranama!totram which is #resent in 'rahmanda urana$ where Lalita %"ma& who isstated to e the 'rahman is stated to e of the androgynous form %half+male+half+female& ecause !hiva and !hakti are always one and the same.

shrishiva shivashaktyaikya rupini aitambika | (C# verse 1%)(6ho is the lessed shivA %who is identical with shiva&. 6ho is the unity of !hivaand !haktiB 3s Lalitamika,.

!o$ whether you are a !hakta and call Lalita as 'rahman or you are a !haivaand call !hiva as 'rahman$ oth mean one and the sameB difference is only inthe direction of your visionB where$ leftists are !haktas and rightists are !haivas.

6e have seen the oneness of Dakshinamurty and Lalitamika. Lets see the oneness of theirdoctrines as well. Dakshinamurty is the foremost #rece#tor of Atma+/idya %Advaita /edanta&which is the doctrine for reali:ation fo the self. 3nterestingly$ it is the same Dakshinamurty whoha##ens to e the foremost #rece#tor and origin of !hri+/idya tradition also. How can one god#reach two different traditions5 Answer is C those two traditions are not two$ they are one and thesame. !hri+/idya is verily the Atma+/idya alone as also detailed in teh elow verse from Lalita!ahasranama !totram.

3tmavidya mahavidya shrividya kamasevita | #hrishoda shakshari vidya | (C# verse 11)

AtmavidyaN 6ho is Atma C vidya$ the doctrine of the !elf.1ahavidyaN 6ho is 1aha C vidya$ the great doctrine %also a deity&.!hrividyaN 6ho is !rhi C vidya %the fifteen lettered 1antra of the Devi&.9amasevitaN 6ho is meditated u#on y 9amadeva$ the god of love.!hrishoda shakshari vidyaN6ho is the !hodashakshari C vidya$ the si7teen lettered 1antra of theDevi.

This is why the great Adi !hankaracharya who re+estalished Advaita /edanta in this country$ he


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has also estalished the !amayachara - Dakshinachara #ath of !hri+/idya as well. 'oth these#aths lead to the reali:ation of the self and are identical. ?n one #ath one goes uttering (nEti nEtinEti,$ in another #ath one goes uttering (mAtA mAtA mAtA,$ and outwardly even if these #athsa##ear different$ in reality they are identical and lead to the same destination. This is ecauseLalitamika is Dakshinamurty alone as confirmed in the elow verses from Lalita !ahasranama!totram.

#vatantra sarvatantreshi dakshinamurti rupini | #anakadi samaradhya shiva!yana pradayini |(C# verse 1')

!vatantraN 6ho is the only 3nde#endent 'eing ?< whose Tantra %!ri /idya& is the inde#endentadn su#reme doctrine!arvatantreshiN 6ho is the #residing deity of all the Tantras.Dakshinamurti ru#iniN6ho is one with the form of Dakshinamurti.!anakadi samaradhyaN6ho is worshi##ed y !anaka and other great ascetics.!hivagyana #radayiniN6ho im#arts the knowledge of the !u#reme 'eing %!hiva&.

3n aove verse we see that Lalita is called as Dakshinamurty whom !anaka and otehr sagesworshi##ed and she %as Dakshinamurty& conferred Atma+2yanam to them. 3snt this enough to

understand that Lalita and Dakshinamurty are one and the same and their doctrines vi:. !ri+/idyaand Atma+/idya are one and the same.

6. Lord Dakshinamurty the #ord of :ashi5aranasi

Lord !hiva in 9ashi is known as /ishwanatha or /ishweswara and that linga isa @yotirlinga. 3t is not #o#ularly known y any other name. However if we studythe Linga carefully we would understand a divine secret.

A linga has its faces turned in all directions ecause Lord !hiva issarvatomukha %one whose face is turned in all directions&. However$ every !hivatem#le has its linga installed in some #articular direction. 3t is difficult to identifywhich direction a Linga looks at y looking at the linga itself. There is a sim#lestway to know that which is C look at the direction the ull 0andi is turned towards.Then the very o##osite direction Lord !hiva is su##osed to e looking atecause nandi always remains facing the lord.

6ith this logic if we study the /ishwanatha Linga$ the ull 0andi remains turnedtowards the 0orthern direction. 6hat does it im#ly5 3t reveals us the greatest

ecret that Lord /ishwanathas Linga in 9ashi is turned towards !outh. Thismeans$ 9ashi+/ishwanatha Linga is Dakshinamurty linga alone ecause$Dakshinamurty is the lord whose face is turned southwards.

This is #roaly the reason why 9ashi is called 1oksha+'hoomi and it is saidthat one who dies at 9ashi never returns to this world again. 6henDakshinamurty himself$ who is the lord who confers 'rahmagyanam on thedevotees and #uts an end to his cycle of irths and reirthsB #ronounces the


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ranava %?1& as the taraka in the ears of the dying #eo#le in kasha$ where doesthe ;uestion of his irth arise5

Thats the grandeur of my lord Dakshinamurty who is the /ishwanatha in 9ashi.Therefore$ 9ashi can e considered as the iggest shrine - tem#le of !ri

Dakshinamurty.

9. Dakshinamurty or Sharada @ Whom shou#d you4orshi)?

6ell$ some scri#tures say resort to Dakshinamurty for gaining knowledgeB andmany other scri#tures #ortray goddess !araswati as the goddess of learning.6hy two deities for same #ur#ose5 6hom should we a##roach5These kinds of

;uestions are not uncommon in the minds of the amateur s#iritual seekers. Letssee what they are.

The dhyAna shl?ka from shruti which descrie the a##earance of lord !riDakshinamurty states the following aout him. He holds a ook$ a vessel ofnectar$ a rosary of letters %akshamala&$ and chinmudra. His a##earance is #urewhite - crystal color$ and adorns a crescent moon on his head.

sphaikara"atavarNaM mauktikiimakshamaaaaS5 mam:?itakaashavidyaa.n"*naanamudraa.n karaa!re |dadhatamura!akakshya.n handrahuuDa.ntrinetraM vidh:?itavividhabhuushha.n dakshiNaamuurtimiiDe | (DakshinamurtyUpanishad %)(3 adore the three+eyed$ moon+crested Dakshin*mQrti who is of #ele and silvercolour$ holding in the hands a rosary of #earls$ a vessel of nectar$ a ook and thesymol of wisdomB having a ser#ent for his girdle$ and #utting on variousornaments,.


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0ow$ this is what is e7actly de#icted in the form of !haradama of !ringeri!harada eetham$ where the !haradamika holds a rosary$ a ook$ a vessel ofnectar$ and dis#lays chinmudra. !he has crystal - white com#le7ion and wears acrescent moon on her crown.

3n another de#iction of !araswati also$ she is shown holding a /eena in #lace of

chinmudra and vessel of nectarB rest other things remain same. !o$ what$ evenDakshinamurty has a form 1edha Dakshinamurty who holds e7actly the same/eena and has an identical form.

This should erase all dualities from the minds of the readers. The same lordDakshinamurty when visuali:ed as a goddess$ he is #ortrayed as !haradama. 3tis u# to the devotion and inclination of the devotee to choose either of the formsfor seeking knowledge. 1eans are two$ ut destination is same.

The est evidence is /edas itself to understand that all forms are the forms of'hagawan


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ceaseB hence !araswati is Lord


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** Sri Dakshinamurty Stotram **

om)osed by*!ri Adi !HankaracharyaK/rans#ated into -n#ish by* !antosh 9umar Ayalasomaya@ulaK

ommityetadyasya budhairnFma !hGtayadbhFsedabhFti samastaviyadFdi |yasyF"VFtasvasvapadasthF vidhimukhyF5stapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || 1||>3t is ?1> + this is how the wise seersK have strived and understood himK'y whose effulgence everything else shines'y whose command 'rahma and other main gods stand in their res#ective #ostsThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to.

namrF!FFbhaktimatFyapuruFrthF5ndatvF kiprahanti a tatsarvavipattG|

pFdFmbho"FdhastanitFpasmtimGatapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || +||6hosoever #rostrates efore himK and attaches himself with devotion for thehuman #ursuitsHaving fulfilled the desired fruitition$ HeK immediately destroys every misfortuneor calamity of the devotee)s lifeKHe the Lord$ who #ressesK the demon A#asmriti %forgetfulness& under his lotuslike footThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

mohadhvastyai vaiikavaiyFsikimukhyF

savinmudrFpustakavGFka!uFnyam |hastFmbho"airbibhratamFrFdhitavanta5stapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || %||4or the destruction of delusion the /eena #layer %0arada&$ the son of /yasa%!uka& and other #rimary ones worshi# himK6ho dis#lays the gesture of knowledge with his fingersK$ and su##orts the 'ook%/edas&$ the /eena$ and the Akshamala$ 'y his lotus like handsThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

bhadrFrhabhadradamFrFdhayitFbhaktiraddhFprvakamGapraamanti |FdityF yavFVhitasiddhyai karuFbdhitapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || ||The lord who is graciously seated who grants aus#iciousnessTo whom they #ay oeisances with devotion and eliefHe who is an ocean of com#assion and who readily fulfills the cherished desiresof #rogeny of Aditi %Aditya&That lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

garbhFntasthFprFina ete bhavapFa5


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The fire of the third eye which e7ists on the forehead$urst forth into a lament flame and destroyed him god of loveK who was e7citedwith #assion and #rideK y incinerating his ody into ashes

And thus those ashes ecame a garment of e7cellent kind for the LordThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

hyambhorFau sastirpe uhatFta5tpFra!antuyatpadabhaktirdhanaukF |sarvFrFdhyasarva!amFnandapayonidhitapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || 1B||eo#le drowningK in the ocean of transmigration %samsaara& lowing with #ain3n order to reach the other side of the shore %which denotes lieration& mountKwith devotion$ on that rigid oat6ho is the all #ervading lord$ who is an ocean of liss$ who is worthy of eingworshi##ed y allThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

medhFvG syFdinduvatasadhtavGakarprFbhapustakahastakamaFkam |itte dhyFyanyasya vapurdrFnimiFrdhatapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || 1-||?ne would ecome erudite man who$ on that lord who wears a ring sha#edmoon as ornament$ who holds a /eena6ho is res#lendant like cam#hor$ who holds a ook$ and is lotus eyed 2od1editates in the mind even for half the time which is taken in twinkling one)s eyeThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

dhmnFdhFma prauharuGnFparamaya5tsryFdGnFyasya sa hetur"a!adFde|

etFvFnyo yasya na sarvevaramGyatapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || 1@||The aode of aodes %or radiance of all radiances or glory of all glories&$ who hasa full grown s#lendor$ who is !u#reme6ho is the cause of !un and others %gods&$ who is the cause of the universe andothers %creatures& in the eginning$There doesn)t e7ist another one who is so great %as great as& as this lord of allThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

pratyFhFraprFanirodhFdisamarthai5rbhaktairdFntaisayataittairyatamFnai|svFtmatvena "VFyata eva tvarayF ya5stapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || 1||4or yogis who are ca#ale of withdrawal of their senses$ control of the reath4or devotees who are of restrained senses$ and controlled mind with the #ur#oseof knowing the lordK6ho reveals himself to them swiftly$ as eing their very own selfThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

jGbhtFnprFina etFnphaadFtF


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ittFntasthaprerayati sve sakae


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6here the states of$ slee# %sushu#ti&$ dream %swa#na& and wakeful %@agrut& alsodo not e7ist6ho #ervades all the #rAna and mind$ who is the self %Atman& of allThat !u#reme !oul$ who alone is of the nature of eing$ conciousness and lissThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

hhetyevavismayamGyurmunimukhyF"VFte yasminsvFtmatayFnFtmavimoha|pratya!bhte brahmai yFtakathamitthatapratyaVadakiavaktrakaayFmi || +||?h ?h Thus$ indeed$ the est of the sages s#oke in wonder?n knowing whom as their own self$ they got disillusioned aout the non+selfHow is that 'rahman entered into every eing5 They thought aout that lordwho is suchKThat lord whose face is turned southwards 3 resort to

yaiF ramyairmattamayrFbhidhavttai5rFdau kptF yanmanuvarairmunibha!G |tFmevaitFdakiavaktrakpayFsF5vrGkuryFddeikasamrFparamFtmF || +B||6ho y his enchanting meter )matta+mayura %into7icated #eacock&)$roduced all these in the eginning$ with the al#haets %var0a&$ in the form of asageLet indeed all these$ e estowed$ y his grace$ y the southward facing 2od6ho is the crown or sovereign 2od$ the su#reme #rece#tor$ the su#reme self

Here ends the hymn com#osed y Adi !hankara on DakshinamurtyK

Dak Shina Moorthy

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