dakṣiṇā mūrti stotram

Just as a city reflected in a mirror is seen within oneself, yet appears to be outside due to the delusion of a dream, so does one who perceives his own non-dual Self at the time of awakening realize the truth. To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

Just as a sprout exists potentially within a seed, the entire universe, before creation, exists in a potential state. By the power of Maya, it appears in various forms of time and space, just as a magician creates illusions or a great Yogi manifests things at will. To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

To the one whose effulgence represents the true Self, though the world appears real due to ignorance, and who instructs his disciples with the Vedic teaching "Thou Art That," the realization of which prevents any return to the ocean of worldly existence; to that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

Just as the light of a great lamp kept inside a jar with many holes shines through those openings, so does the knowledge of the Self shine through the senses like sight. The entire universe shines only because it borrows its light from this inner radiance. To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

Those who are deluded—like children, the blind, or the dull-witted—mistakenly identify the body, the vital breath, the senses, the shifting mind, or the void with the "I." To the destroyer of this great delusion caused by the play of Maya, I offer my salutations to that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti.

Just as the sun or moon is hidden by Rahu during an eclipse, the Self is hidden by Maya. Yet, when the senses are withdrawn, the Self remains in the state of deep sleep, and upon waking, one recognizes, "I slept." To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

Through the gracious mudra, the Guru reveals to his devotees the Self, which exists and shines within at all times, persisting through childhood and other stages of life, and through the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.

Whether in waking or dreaming, the person, deluded by Maya, perceives the world in terms of cause and effect, master and servant, teacher and student, or father and son, based on worldly relationships. To that Guru who is the embodiment of Dakshinamurti, I offer my salutations.