The ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' () is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
religious hymn (''
stotra
''Stotra'' (Sanskrit: स्तोत्र) is a Sanskrit word that means "ode, eulogy or a hymn of praise."Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'Stotra'' It is a literary genre of In ...
'') to Shiva attributed to
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
. It explains the metaphysics of the universe in the frame of the tradition of
Advaita Vedanta.
Description
In the
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...
,
Dakshinamurti is an incarnation of
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, the supreme god of knowledge. Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Shiva as a
guru
Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
of all types of knowledge, and bestower of ''
jñāna
In Indian philosophy and religions, ' (, ) is "knowledge".
The idea of ''jñāna'' centers on a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced. It is knowledge inseparable from the total experience of reality, especially the total or divin ...
''. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding, and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as the progenitor of
yoga
Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
(
Adiyogi: the first Yogi), music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras.
Unlike most of the stotras of
Hindu gods
Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Deities in Hinduism are as diverse as its traditions, and a Hindu can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, even agnostic, atheistic, or humanist.Julius J. Lipne ...
, which are in the form of description of anthropomorphic forms, or mythological deeds of those gods, the ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' takes the form of conceptual and philosophical statements. Its verses offer a description of the unity of the ''
atma'' in the midst of the multiplicity of the senses.
See also
* ''
Shiva Mahimna Stotra''
* ''
Shiva Tandava Stotra
The ''Shiva Tandava Stotra(m)'' () is a Sanskrit religious hymn (''stotra'') dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, one of the principal gods in Hinduism and the supreme god in Shaivism. Its authorship is traditionally attributed to Ravana, the r ...
''
* ''
Lingashtaka The ''Lingashtaka'' () is a Hinduism, Hindu hymn attributed to the 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara. An ''Ashtakam, ashtaka'', it comprises 8 stanzas, extolling the lingam, an aniconic form of the deity Shiva.
Legend
According to the ''Shiva ...
''
References
{{reflist
Hindu texts
Sanskrit texts
Adi Shankara
Advaita Vedanta
Shaiva texts
Advaita Vedanta texts
Ramana Maharshi