This hymn is addressed to Dakshinamurthy, a manifestation of Shiva as a teacher. It describes Dakshinamurthy as the supreme self and teacher who: 1) Perceives the universe as existing within himself through the illusion of self, and sees only himself upon awakening. 2) Manifests the differentiated universe through his will, like a magician or yogi. 3) Is the source of all reality and illumination, directly awakening devotees through the Vedic saying "That thou art". 4) Flows through the senses like a lamp illuminating a jar, making the whole universe shine through the consciousness "I know".

1. Hymn to
Dakshinamurthy
By Sri Sankaracharya
(from his book, Select Works of Sri Sankaracharya)
Copyright © 2011 iBooks Publishing , division of Healing Art & Design INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2. Who, by virtue of the illusion residing in
the self, sees, as in a dream, the universe
as existing outside Himself although (more
truly) it exists within Himself like the
reflection of a city in a mirror, but Who, at
the time of the awakening, sees naught but
His own second-less self- to that Teacher
incarnate, the Lord facing the south, be
this bow.

3. Who, like a magician or like a yogi,
manifests, by His own will, this universe
which at the beginning was
undifferentiated like the sprout latent in
the seed but which subsequently became
differentiated under the various conditions
of space and time induced by illusion,—to
that Teacher incarnate, the Lord facing the
south, be this bow.

4. Whose light alone that is the reality shines
in things that resemble non-entities ; Who
directly awakens His devotees by means of
the Vedic sentence "That thou art"; and
Who being realised, there is no more
coming hack in this ocean of Samsâra,—to
that Teacher incarnate, the Lord facing the
south, be this bow.

5. Whose consciousness flows out through
the eye and other senses like the light of a
big lamp placed inside a jar with many
holes, and (thus) this whole universe
shines solely because He shines, namely,
by the consciousness "I know”- to that
Teacher incarnate, the Lord facing the
south, be this bow.

6. Deluded persons who talk much, but who
are as ignorant as women and children, the
blind and the stupid, understand, as the "I"
the body, or the breath, or the senses, or
the ever-newly-springing knowledge , or
non-entity. To Him who dispels this great
ignorance induced by the expansive power
of illusion- to that Teacher incarnate, the
Lord facing the south, be this bow.

7. Who is the inner self which, under the veil
of illusion, like the sun or the moon
eclipsed, merely exists in deep sleep owing
to the withdrawal of the senses, but which
when He wakes, is recognised by Him as "I
have slept“- to that Teacher incarnate, the
Lord facing the south, be this bow.

8. Who reveals to His devotees, by means of
the blessed symbol, his own self which,
for ever, shines within as the "I"
unchanging through all the changing states
of childhood, youth and old age, waking,
dream and sleep, etc.- to that Teacher
incarnate, the Lord facing the south, be
this bow.

9. Who is the supreme self that, dreaming or
waking, under the sway of illusion, sees
the universe under various distinctions
such as that of cause and effect, owner and
owned, pupil and teacher, father and son-
to that Teacher incarnate, the Lord facing
the south, be this bow.

10. Whose eightfold form alone, namely, earth,
water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon and soul,
manifests itself as this sentient and non-
sentient universe; than Whom, supreme
and infinite, naught else is perceived by
the seekers of reality- to that Teacher
incarnate, the Lord facing the south, be
this bow.

11. Since, in this hymn, the identity of the self
with the universe has been made clear, by
listening to it, by understanding its
meaning, by meditating on it, and by
teaching it to others, one will acquire the
supreme faculty of identity with the
universe, together with the overlordship of
nature and the eightfold divine faculty.
|| Thus ends the Hymn to Dakshinamurthy ||

12. Hymn to
Dakshinamurthy
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Vedic Ways
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Copyright © 2011 iBooks Publishing , division of Healing Art & Design INC.
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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