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Mantra · Shankara's ten verses on the Self, from a mirror city to deep sleep

Dakshinamurthy Stotram

विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया । यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Also known as Dakshinamoorthy Stotram

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

What the Dakshinamurthy Stotram is

The Dakshinamurthy Stotram is addressed to Shiva as Dakshinamurti, the teacher who faces south, yet it describes him through ideas rather than through his appearance. Tradition attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya. Nine of its ten verses close on the same line, tasmai shri-gurumurtaye nama idam shri-dakshinamurtaye, which is why it is also called the Dakshinamurtyashtakam. Each verse takes up one argument of Advaita Vedanta: the world seen within oneself like a city in a mirror (verse 1), the world lying latent like a sprout in a seed (2), the Vedic sentence 'That thou art' (3), a lamp shining through a pot pierced with holes (4), mistaken ideas of what the 'I' is (5), deep sleep compared to an eclipse (6), the 'I' that stays the same through childhood, age, waking and dream (7), and the divisions of cause and effect, teacher and disciple (8). Verse 9 names the eight forms of Shiva, and verse 10 says what hearing and reflecting on the hymn leads to.

A ten-verse hymn that needed a commentary

No legend of composition is attached to this hymn the way stories are told of some of Shankara's other stotras. Its history is instead a history of explanation. Tradition holds that the text was found difficult even in Shankara's own time, and that his disciple Sureshvara wrote a commentary on it called the Manasollasa, a title usually rendered as 'that which delights the mind'. Sureshvara is remembered as the head Shankara placed over the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, and his Manasollasa is read side by side with a second classical commentary, Svayamprakasha's Tattvasudha. Teachers in the Vedanta schools have long treated the ten verses as a compact syllabus rather than as a prayer for beginners; Swami Chinmayananda described them as discussions meant for students who have already studied the scriptures. In the twentieth century Ramana Maharshi rendered the hymn into Tamil verse, and Arthur Osborne put that Tamil version into English. The Sri Ramanasramam archive prints the Sanskrit with a closing salutation to the line of teachers that begins with Dakshinamurti, has Shankara in the middle and Ramana at the end. Many reciters also prefix a set of meditation verses, such as the one beginning mauna vyakhya; these are separate from the ten verses given on this page.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiविश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया । यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Tamilவிஶ்வம் தர்பணத்ருஶ்யமாநநகரீதுல்யம் நிஜாந்தர்கதம் பஶ்யந்நாத்மநி மாயயா பஹிரிவோத்பூதம் யதா நித்ரயா । யஃ ஸாக்ஷாத்குருதே ப்ரபோதஸமயே ஸ்வாத்மாநமேவாத்வயம் தஸ்மை ஶ்ரீகுருமூர்தயே நம இதம் ஶ்ரீதக்ஷிணாமூர்தயே ॥

Teluguవిశ్వం దర్పణదృశ్యమాననగరీతుల్యం నిజాన్తర్గతం పశ్యన్నాత్మని మాయయా బహిరివోద్భూతం యథా నిద్రయా । యః సాక్షాత్కురుతే ప్రబోధసమయే స్వాత్మానమేవాద్వయం తస్మై శ్రీగురుమూర్తయే నమ ఇదం శ్రీదక్షిణామూర్తయే ॥

Kannadaವಿಶ್ವಂ ದರ್ಪಣದೃಶ್ಯಮಾನನಗರೀತುಲ್ಯಂ ನಿಜಾನ್ತರ್ಗತಂ ಪಶ್ಯನ್ನಾತ್ಮನಿ ಮಾಯಯಾ ಬಹಿರಿವೋದ್ಭೂತಂ ಯಥಾ ನಿದ್ರಯಾ । ಯಃ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾತ್ಕುರುತೇ ಪ್ರಬೋಧಸಮಯೇ ಸ್ವಾತ್ಮಾನಮೇವಾದ್ವಯಂ ತಸ್ಮೈ ಶ್ರೀಗುರುಮೂರ್ತಯೇ ನಮ ಇದಂ ಶ್ರೀದಕ್ಷಿಣಾಮೂರ್ತಯೇ ॥

Malayalamവിശ്വം ദര്പണദൃശ്യമാനനഗരീതുല്യം നിജാന്തര്ഗതം പശ്യന്നാത്മനി മായയാ ബഹിരിവോദ്ഭൂതം യഥാ നിദ്രയാ । യഃ സാക്ഷാത്കുരുതേ പ്രബോധസമയേ സ്വാത്മാനമേവാദ്വയം തസ്മൈ ശ്രീഗുരുമൂര്തയേ നമ ഇദം ശ്രീദക്ഷിണാമൂര്തയേ ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationviśvaṃ darpaṇadṛśyamānanagarītulyaṃ nijāntargataṃ paśyannātmani māyayā bahirivodbhūtaṃ yathā nidrayā | yaḥ sākṣātkurute prabodhasamaye svātmānamevādvayaṃ tasmai śrīgurumūrtaye nama idaṃ śrīdakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||

“He who, through maya, sees the universe lying within himself as if it had arisen outside, like a city seen in a mirror, as one sees things in a dream, and who on waking directly knows his own Self as one without a second: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.”

विश्वं: viśvaṃ — the universe
दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं: darpaṇadṛśyamānanagarītulyaṃ — like a city seen in a mirror
निजान्तर्गतं: nijāntargataṃ — lying within oneself
पश्यन्नात्मनि: paśyannātmani — seeing, in the Self
मायया: māyayā — through maya
बहिरिवोद्भूतं: bahirivodbhūtaṃ — as if arisen outside
यथा: yathā — just as
निद्रया: nidrayā — in sleep (dream)

Dakshinamurthy Stotram lyrics in full

All 10 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Dakshinamurthy Stotram PDFAll 10 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

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Verse 1

विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमाननगरीतुल्यं निजान्तर्गतं पश्यन्नात्मनि मायया बहिरिवोद्भूतं यथा निद्रया ।
यः साक्षात्कुरुते प्रबोधसमये स्वात्मानमेवाद्वयं तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

He who, through maya, sees the universe lying within himself as if it had arisen outside, like a city seen in a mirror, as one sees things in a dream, and who on waking directly knows his own Self as one without a second: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 2

बीजस्यान्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्निर्विकल्पं पुनः मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलनावैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।
मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

This world at first lies undivided, like the sprout within a seed, and is then made manifold by the space, time and variety that maya projects. He who unfolds it by his own will, like a magician or a great yogi: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 3

यस्यैव स्फुरणं सदात्मकमसत्कल्पार्थकं भासते साक्षात्तत्त्वमसीति वेदवचसा यो बोधयत्याश्रितान् ।
यत्साक्षात्करणाद्भवेन्न पुनरावृत्तिर्भवाम्भोनिधौ तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

His shining alone, which is pure existence, appears as the world of objects that are next to unreal. He teaches those who come to him through the Vedic words 'That thou art', and once he is directly realised there is no return to the ocean of birth and death: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 4

नानाच्छिद्रघटोदरस्थितमहादीपप्रभाभास्वरं ज्ञानं यस्य तु चक्षुरादिकरणद्वारा बहिः स्पन्दते ।
जानामीति तमेव भान्तमनुभात्येतत्समस्तं जगत् तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Like the light of a great lamp set inside a pot pierced with many holes, his knowledge streams outward through the eyes and the other senses. Only as he shines as 'I know' does this whole world shine after him: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 5

देहं प्राणमपीन्द्रियाण्यपि चलां बुद्धिं च शून्यं विदुः स्त्रीबालान्धजडोपमास्त्वहमिति भ्रान्ता भृशं वादिनः ।
मायाशक्तिविलासकल्पितमहाव्यामोहसंहारिणे तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Some take the body, the breath, the senses, the restless intellect or the void to be the 'I'; such disputers are deeply confused, like the young, the blind and the dull. To him who destroys this great delusion raised by the play of maya's power, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 6

राहुग्रस्तदिवाकरेन्दुसदृशो मायासमाच्छादनात् सन्मात्रः करणोपसंहरणतो योऽभूत्सुषुप्तः पुमान् ।
प्रागस्वाप्समिति प्रबोधसमये यः प्रत्यभिज्ञायते तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

In deep sleep, with the senses withdrawn and covered by maya like the sun or moon seized in eclipse, the person remains as pure existence alone; on waking he recognises himself, thinking 'I was asleep'. To him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 7

बाल्यादिष्वपि जाग्रदादिषु तथा सर्वास्ववस्थास्वपि व्यावृत्तास्वनुवर्तमानमहमित्यन्तः स्फुरन्तं सदा ।
स्वात्मानं प्रकटीकरोति भजतां यो मुद्रया भद्रया तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Through childhood and the other ages, and through waking and the other states, all of which come and go, the Self continues, always shining within as 'I'. He who reveals this Self to his worshippers by the auspicious hand gesture: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 8

विश्वं पश्यति कार्यकारणतया स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः शिष्याचार्यतया तथैव पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना भेदतः ।
स्वप्ने जाग्रति वा य एष पुरुषो मायापरिभ्रामितः तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Whirled about by maya, in dream or in waking, the person sees the world in divisions: cause and effect, owner and owned, disciple and teacher, father and son. To him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 9

भूरम्भांस्यनलोऽनिलोऽम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमांशुः पुमान् इत्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदं यस्यैव मूर्त्यष्टकम् ।
नान्यत्किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशतां यस्मात्परस्माद्विभोः तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदं श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये ॥

Earth, water, fire, air, space, the sun, the moon and the individual soul: this moving and unmoving world appears as his eightfold form. For those who enquire, nothing exists apart from him, the supreme, all-pervading Lord: to him, Sri Dakshinamurti in the form of the Guru, is this salutation.

Verse 10

सर्वात्मत्वमिति स्फुटीकृतमिदं यस्मादमुष्मिन् स्तवे तेनास्य श्रवणात्तदर्थमननाद्ध्यानाच्च सङ्कीर्तनात् ।
सर्वात्मत्वमहाविभूतिसहितं स्यादीश्वरत्वं स्वतः सिद्ध्येत्तत्पुनरष्टधा परिणतं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ॥

Because this hymn makes plain that the Self is all, the verse says that by hearing it, reflecting on its meaning, meditating on it and chanting it, lordship comes of itself, together with the great glory of being the Self of all, and also unobstructed power in its eightfold form.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 6 the sleeper's waking thought prāgasvāpsam ('earlier I slept') is two words, prāk + asvāpsam, so it is said praa-gas-VAAP-sam with the g running into the a; splitting it as 'praga-swapsam' or dropping the long ā of svāp hides the verb the whole verse depends on.

When the Dakshinamurthy Stotram is chanted

Weekday. Monday

Festival. Guru Purnima, the full moon on which teachers are honoured

Questions

It means 'to him, Sri Dakshinamurti, who is the Guru in visible form, this salutation is offered'. The word tasmai, 'to him', answers the relative pronoun yah, 'he who', that opens or runs through each verse, so every verse is grammatically one long sentence: the first three lines describe what he does or reveals, and this refrain completes the sentence by bowing to him. It closes verses 1 to 9; verse 10 drops it.

Verse 5 lists five things that various disputers take to be the real 'I': the body, the breath (prana), the senses, the shifting intellect and the void. The verse calls such people deeply confused and compares them to the young, the blind and the dull. Commentators read the 'void' as the Buddhist view that nothing remains in deep sleep, and the next verse answers it: on waking a person recalls 'I was asleep', so someone was there.

Yes. The best known is the Manasollasa, attributed to Shankara's disciple Sureshvara, the first head of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. A second classical commentary is the Tattvasudha of Svayamprakasha. Modern English studies draw on both; Swami Harshananda's translation interleaves the ten verses with the Manasollasa and its gloss.

Yes. Ramana Maharshi translated Shankara's ten verses into Tamil verse, and that rendering is included in The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi published by Sri Ramanasramam, with an English version by Arthur Osborne. It is a translation made by a teacher, so it follows the sense of each verse rather than reproducing the Sanskrit word for word. Many readers use it alongside the Sanskrit text given here.

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Dakshinamurthy Stotram

What the Dakshinamurthy Stotram is

A ten-verse hymn that needed a commentary

The mantra, in six scripts

Dakshinamurthy Stotram lyrics in full

The syllable people get wrong

When the Dakshinamurthy Stotram is chanted

Questions

Have your chart read before you decide

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