Dakshinamoorthy Stotram-1


interpretations exist, this translation aligns as closely as possible

to Ramana Maharshi’s Tamil translation of the original Sanskrit.
Recordings of Sankara’s hymn and poems by Ramana Maharshi can
be found on Sri Ramanasramam’s website. Let the perfume and power
of poetry come through to you as you read and chant the verses of
these two mystical giants.
Verse One




: the universe; : like a

: existing inside; :
perceiving; : in the self; : by ; :
as though produced outside; : as in a dream; :
who; : experiences directly; : at the
time of awakening; : his Self alone; : non-
dual, without a second; : to Him; ; the blessed
; : may this obeisance be; : (to)
Sri Dakshinamurti.
guru
( )
( ) m y ( )
 October - December
 

Commentary
It is not uncommon for the breadth and depth of a sacred hymn to
of the poem is given at the outset, making all subsequent stanzas

commentary upon it.
be simply stated in terms of the snake and the rope. All that exists is
the Self, the rope, upon which is superimposed the idea of a terrifying
disappears, and with
it the imaginary snake. Otherwise stated, there is only One and you
There are two especially noteworthy concepts in this verse. One

is the mirror, and the other the dream.
In Sankaracharya’s
immovable Self, and That Thou Art (‘I am that conscious Self’) is
emphatically asserted in the beautiful refrain.
/
/ / sa
/
/ / sa
in ,
He gives the meaning of the mirror as mind.
1
Translation from
verses 5 and 6, pp. 246-247.
 October - December

darpana ( )
Mahatattva
vasanas ( )
2
was twenty-one years old, Bhagavan also uses a mirror to represent
relationship between the Self and the three states of mind (waking,
dreaming and deep sleep) with their corresponding bodies (gross,
subtle and causal). Between the inner chamber, where the Self is
positioned, and the middle chamber and outer court is a door leading
principle as conditioned by time,
sense-organs of the middle chamber are involved, the waking state.

The Self is unmovable and shines of its own accord.3
Bhagavan often referred to a lens through which an image is projected
That is the case in verse six of the (Eight
verse of the It contains many of the same

themes , projection outside,
and the Oneness of the Atman. In addition, as in the diagram of His
youth, it includes the whirl of . Underlying the same ideas,
there is a devotion and passion that shines through and grips the
soul, especially when singing it in the original version in Tamil with
alliterations and rhythm intact.
2
Venkataramiah, M. (compl.), Talk§569.
3
, Translated
by Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan, 2008, pp.14-16. The diagram in question 18 is a very
helpful visual depiction of profound philosophical concepts.
 

prarabdha
)4
’. Commonly ‘like a dream’ is interpreted as a comparison

between the dream state, when the dreamer sees a world that appears
outside of the dream body, although clearly it is coming from the
inside or the mind, and the waking state, when what is inside also
appears as outside.
A far deeper meaning of the concept, however, is signaled by the
words ‘ ’, meaning ‘at the time of awakening’. In
this case, attaining enlightenment is compared to waking up from a
dream. T.R. Kanakammal seizes that parallel and gives it prominence
in her paraphrase of Bhagavan’s Tamil translation.
guru
Translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan, p.123.

5
Kanakammal, Smt.T.R., , Volume II, p.185.
 October - December

The world of the waking state is as much a dream as the world of
by Bhagavan in His responses to questions from devotees over the

(Five Verses
on the Self), a masterpiece of inspired mystical poetry.
.)6
overcome, that we are in the world and not that the world is within
us (as Self), projected outside by .
So, we have seen that many of Bhagavan’s verses echo the

opening stanza of Sankaracharya’s Its
import can also be found stated with great simplicity and elegance
in verse 25 of (The Essence of Instruction). The
6
,
7
Ibid., p.129.
 

upadis
)8
The opening verse of (Self-Knowledge) expresses
the ideas of verse one in a more elaborate fashion, like verse six of
the . The beauty and majesty of this stanza
is undeniable. It’s power, too, to take one directly to the Self, on
gossamer wings, when chanted with love and devotion.
)9
Verse Two




8
Kanakammal, Smt. T.R.,
, p.341.
9
 October - December

: like the sprout inside of a seed; :
this universe; : previously; : unmanifest; :
later; : due
to the play of time and space created by , projected out as
a world of endless variety; : like a magician;
: unrolls; : or even like a great ; :
who; : out of His own will; : to Him;
; the blessed ; : may this obeisance be;
: (to) Sri Dakshinamurti.
guru
yogi
( ) ( )
m y ,
Commentary
T.M.P.Mahadevan’s commentary on the
gives a detailed explanation of the various schools of thought
that attempted to explain creation during Sankaracharya’s time and
that generally opposed
( )
 

Prak iti
ma)
After giving reasons for disproving each of the various schools,
he states:
(vivarta) m y
Yogin.
1
Kanakammal, in her commentary on the ,

includes a discussion of , which Muruganar claims is the Master’s
true teaching, based on His own experience.
According to Kanakammal, Bhagavan used to often quote

the with regard to creation.
A. Devaraja Mudaliar, a close devotee and important chronicler of

life with the Master, recorded this simple but very profound exchange
between Bhagavan and a devotee.
1
Mahadevan, T.M.P., , pp.6-7.
2
Grimes, John,
p.22.
3
Chapter II, verse 32.
 October - December

srishti ( )
lila
In Bhagavan discusses creation at great length, again bringing

the discussion to self-enquiry.
4
Mudaliar, Devaraja, , 17-2-46.
 

Bhagavan adds to ‘the play of time and space created

by in His Tamil translation of verse two, as an elaboration on
the Sanskrit text. cannot lead to Liberation, and that He states
nirodhakam (
)6
Finally, the unmanifest universe, ‘like the sprout inside of a seed ’,
is none other than Arunachala. This the Master proclaims triumphantly
(The Necklet
of Nine Gems).
( )
)7
5
Talk§455.
6
p.13.
7
,
 October - December

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

interpretations exist, this translation aligns as closely as possible

: the universe; : like a

of the poem is given at the outset, making all subsequent stanzas

There are two especially noteworthy concepts in this verse. One

was twenty-one years old, Bhagavan also uses a mirror to represent

principle as conditioned by time,

sense-organs of the middle chamber are involved, the waking state.

Bhagavan often referred to a lens through which an image is projected

That is the case in verse six of the (Eight

verse of the It contains many of the same

’. Commonly ‘like a dream’ is interpreted as a comparison

Translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan, p.123.

by Bhagavan in His responses to questions from devotees over the

So, we have seen that many of Bhagavan’s verses echo the

Translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan, p.133.

Kanakammal, in her commentary on the ,

According to Kanakammal, Bhagavan used to often quote

A. Devaraja Mudaliar, a close devotee and important chronicler of

In Bhagavan discusses creation at great length, again bringing

Bhagavan adds to ‘the play of time and space created

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