Dakshinamurthy stotram, a famous ode, is full of gems of Advaitic principles. Each verse is a glittering gem.

I was very fascinated by this stotram the very first time I heard the commentary on this stotram about three years ago. The tenth shloka is the climax. It is the phala shruti – talks of the benefits of chanting this stotram which is simply incredible!

Bhajagovindam is another popular stotram that Sri Adi Shankaracharya wrote. Through the Bhajagovindam stotram, Sri Adi Shankaracharya exhorted us to go beyond the glamour of this world and get over our worldly attachments as this world is not permanent and everything here is constantly changing and that in itself is the basis for calling it unreal.  To do this, he is advocating “atma vicharana”, reflecting on the atman. It is this sadhana of atma vicharana, a spiritual exercise on the reflection on the soul, that is expounded in Dakshinamurthy stotram. It is the Stotra Raja, the King of  Stotras.

The first three shlokas talk about this world being an illusion.

The fourth through sixth shlokas talk about the jiva, the embodied being and Ishwara, the supreme Lord, being same.

Seventh shloka talks about the atman, the soul being nityam, eternal. The world that is anatman, that is not the soul, is anityam, impermanent and ephemeral.

Eighth shloka talks about how this atman got associated with the anatman which is the real cause of this disease of attachment and delusion.

Ninth shloka gives the remedy for this disease.

Tenth shloka is the phala shruti – talks about the results you get from chanting this stotram. It gives the experience of self-realization and the sarvaatma bhavam, realizing the presence of the atman, one’s Self, everywhere. This is attained through bhumikas, in stages.

The process involved in this atma vicharana is

1. Shravanam – listening to the scriptures

2. Mananam – Reflecting on that which is heard.

3. Nididhyasanam – Reflecting more and getting rid of any doubts and getting established in the understanding of what is heard.

4. Atma saakshaatkaaram – experiencing the truth of what was heard through Self-realization.

Sri Shankaracharya’s works are divided into three categories according to the three types of listeners:

1. The prasthana trayam, consisting of the commentaries on the triple cannon of our scriptures – Brahma Sutras, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita – is most suitable for the uttamadhikaris, the most competent, who are the best type of listeners. They grasp the concepts at the very first hearing.

2. Prakarana bhashyas or commentaries such as Upadesha Sahasri for madhyamaadhikaris who are of average competence.. The madhyamaadhikaaris need to reflect a few times more than the uttamaadhikaaris to grasp the concept.

3. Stotras for the mandhaadhikaaris, the dull witted, who need to hear the teachings repeatedly, over and over and reflect on it many times to understand it.

His stotras range from ekashloki – meaning one shloka or verse – to sahasra shloki, a hundred shlokas. Dakshinamurthy shloka is also called dasha shloki, a stotram of ten verses. It is the crown jewel of all stotras. It has the potency of 10,000 homeopathy pills. All the principles of Advaita that he discussed in his commentaries are included in this stotra. Sureshwaracharya, his close and dear disciple wrote a commentary on his commentary which is called “kartika”. He also wrote a book called “Manasollaasam”, which means that which pleases the heart, based on this Dakshina murthy stotram. This tells you how important this stotram is.

Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s purpose in writing this stotram is to bring out the experience of sarvaatma bhavam, seeing everywhere, everything as the atman .

Vishwam darpana drsyamaana nagari tulyam nijaantargatam

Pashyannatmani maayayaa bahirivodbhutam yatha nidrayayaa

Yah saakshaat kurute prabodha samaye svaatmaaneva adwayam

Tasmai Sri Guru murtaye nama idam Sri Dakshina murthaye

The meaning of the above verse is that the world is reflected in the mirror of the Self like a whole town is reflected in a mirror. On taking a glance into the Self, the world is really found within. It appears outside just as a whole world appears in your dream by the power of maya shakti, a magical power . However on awakening from the dream, it is found that the Self alone remains – one without a second. Similarly on self realization, it is found that this world is but an illusion and the Self alone is real. Salutations to you, that Guru who is also this Sri Dakshina murthy!

The last line is the refrain “Tasmai Sri Guru murtaye nama idam Sri Dakshina murthaye”.

Who is this Dakshinamurthi? People usually say Dakshinamurthy is another form of Lord Shiva. It is okay to say that, if you simply want to view it from the dvaitic point of view, but when you consider it from the advaitic point of view, you have to understand it from the ardhanairshwara tattva point of view.

Shiva is really consciousness. Consciousness divided itself into the dakshina bhaga, the right part and the vama bhaga, the left part.

In spiritual analysis things are understood in two ways.

1. Vaachyaartham – literal meaning of the sentence.

2. Laakshaanikaartham – the indicative meaning.

So in this case vaachyaartham or literal meaning is dakshina or right. The indicative meaning is that the right side is capable or competent, independent” and therefore, it is male form. It is also of the nature of knowledge. That is the true nature of atman. It is self made and self-evident.

Consciousness divided itself into the vama bhaga, left side. Vamatiti vaama means that which is pushed out. This is how the Tantrics define this word.

That creative power which flows out of knowledge is kriya shakti and is called vaama. This creation resulting from the flow of this creative power is called vibhuti. This vibhuti is not swatah siddham, self established but is present within knowledge which is the true nature of consciousness or Shiva. So when we talk of this innate knowledge we are also including its creative power. That is why it is sufficient to simply say Dakshinamurti stotram. What is important to remember here is that the right half is knowledge and his left half is kriya shakti, power of creation. This is the indicative or laakshaanaardhika meaning for Dakshina murthy.

We said atman is consciousness. The one who understands this atma jnanam, knlowledge of the Self and also experiences it in his own life is equal to a Guru. And so, that Dakshina murthy is also a Guru. And the disciple who does shravanam, mananam and nididhyasanam also reaches the stature of the Guru. So here that embodiment of Guru is also the disciple as indicated by the word “tasmai” in tasmai Sri Guru murtaye. In terms of their chaitanya rupam, their consciousness, the disciple, Guru and Ishwara are all one and the same essence or tattva and this is what is meant by sarvatma bhavam, the feeling of oneness. Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s intention is for us to appreciate and experience this sarvatma bhavam which is the phala shruti, the fruit of chanting this stotra.

The shloka starts with the word, Vishwam. What is this vishwam, Universe? It is this world consisting of the moving and unmoving beings, animate and inanimate beings and consists of the whole universe including the various galaxies, black holes and this external world of things which is of vastu rupam- in the form of a thing, as well as the internal world of thoughts and feelings which is of bhava rupam – in the form of feeling.

Question arises as to why Adi Shankaracharya is talking about this universe when we have come to talk about moksha or liberation.

There are only three things that concern man philosophically speaking: Jagat, Jiva and Ishwara which are explained below.

1. This external world that we see daily is the Jagat.

2. Ishwara the supreme Lord is one of whom we think of as existing beyond and above this external world.

3. And Jiva or beings like ourselves who seem to be struggling between these two material and immaterial existence, Jagat and Ishwara.

We can only explore into the unknown through the known and it is this world that we see concretely that is the known. So we take up the subject of this world first.

When we are solving a problem of the unknown we have to take the known factor into the equation and for that we are taking the world into consideration here. What is this world is the question.

In this verse, he is saying that this vishwam, Universe is like the image of a town in a mirror. “Pashyannatmani” – when you look into the mirror of your atman, nijantargatam – it is really hidden there. Bahihi iva udbhutam, it appears outside, maayayaa – by the power of maya, yathaa nidrayaa- just like the world appears in the dream.

So here we have the example of an image in the mirror which we need to understand and the second example is the dream state.

Bimbam is the image outside the mirror that is reflected in the mirror.

Pratibimbam is the reflection of that image.

A mirror can reflect all the objects that come into its range but the objects that exist out of this range can exist and not be reflected in the mirror but not so with the mirror of the atman. If it is not reflected then it does not exist because it cannot by itself say it exists. It is only prameyam – atman is the pramanam, proof. Atman is jnanam – everything else is jneyam that which is perceived by atman – without pramanam there is no jneyam. So ultimately both jnanam and jneyam are one and the same. To know that, is ‘jnana gamyam’, the goal of knowledge.

Bahirivodbhutam – In the dream the world appears as if from somewhere. Where did it appear from? It appeared from within your own mind. This prapancham, world,  is antargata, hidden, in the atman, the Self. The image we see out in the world is reflected in the mirror of the atman. In this case we are saying that the image of the outside world, bimbam that is reflected in the atman is not real but the reflected image in the atman, pratibimbam is real. If the image of the world outside is not real then where is it? We are saying that the actual world, the bimbam is antargatam in the atman. It is hidden inside the atman. So both the bimbam, image and the pratibimbam, the reflected image is in the atman and the world we see outside is only apparent and is an illusion. Therefore, both the real and unreal images are antargatam in the atman.

What is antargatam is in vasana rupam as an unmanifest impression. This esoteric meaning is further elaborated taking the example of sleep and the dream state. In the dream state we witness a whole panaromic view of a city, experience both joy and sorrow, etc. and when we wake up it is all gone and then we realize that all that we saw in the dream was unreal and we alone remain and that is what is meant by swaatmaaneva adwayam. Atman alone is and the dream world never was but was only apparent for that short period of time. The waking state is similar but only a longer dream. When we awaken to this dawn of knowledge, we realize that atman alone is and there is no other – adwayam, no two. The whole world of the universe including the moon, stars, city and various things we see in the backdrop of the inner sky, is seen in the ‘mirror’ of our atman. On awakening the witness alone remains.

In conclusion, this stotra begins with the word ‘vishwam’ meaning the world. In Vishnu Sahasranama also the stotra starts with the word Vishwam. The import being that we should look at this vishwam as Vishnu and not Vishnu as Vishwam.

When you analyze this stotram beginning with the word Vishwam, and reflect on it, you should be able to have a glimpse into that vishwa rupam which is nirakara, formless and infinite, that Arjuna had in Chapter 11 of the Bh. Gita. What is this Vishwa rupam? It is his manifestation of the Universe that is his own body. It is his karyam, work and he is the ‘karana’, cause. So this vishwam is his karya karanam, cause and effect. He is the karya as well as the karanam and yet beyond it and not subject to cause and effect.

That is what is stated in the Lalita Sahasranama in the 862nd mantra:

Kaarya kaarana nirmuktaayai namaha!

In order to have this vishwa rupa darshanam, we need the jnana chakshu, the inner eye of understanding, right attitude, humility and thirst to see it. I am not saying, “God give me that vishwa rupa darshanam.” Just empty your heart so that he can come and sit in your heart lotus and grant you that jnana chakshu.

We are so used to seeing God in a limited form of an idol and never think of Him in His infinite form. We are busy worshipping Him in a limited form of an idol and distracted by the ritualistic actions that we do so mechanically that we do not give attention to anything else.

When Arjuna saw Lord Krishna in his Vishwa rupam, Universal form in his mind, he started trembling. Why? Although he was overjoyed, he was also scared by His infinity and the mystery of it all. And that mystery will always exist. So all we can do is develop an attitude of devotion and surrender ourselves to the greater power. As we keep dwelling on that Vishwarupam we should experience this joy continuously as stated in Lalita Sahasranama (365th mantra),

“Swaatmaananda lavibhuta Brahmadyaananda santatihi”.

Only a fraction of the bliss of Devi’s atman, the Supreme Consciousness, is experienced by Brahma and others successively.

It is only aparokshaanubhuti, personal experience that will give us the ability to appreciate the Brahmaatmaikya bhavam, oneness of the atman and Brahman; drishti of sarvaatma bhaavam,  the view that atman is everywhere in everyone and everything.

Yathaa bhaavas tathaa bhavati! As you think so shall you become!

When we expand our awareness of our limited consciousness that identifies only with our body, to include the whole universe, we become Brahman – Supreme Divine Consciousness!

Hari Om Tat Sat!

Jill Bolte Taylor describes her experience of Nirvana in this video, which correlates very well with the right and left half of the consciousness described in this article: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/22