Dakshinamurthy ashtakam of Adi Sankara

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "ramya475" <ramya475 wrote:

>

> Dear Members,

> I recently completed a simple translation of "dakshinamurthy

ashtakam

> of Adhi Sankara".Since the stothra is very complicated due to its

> philosophical import, I would like to get comments from those of you

> who can spare the time, so that I can edit my translation and put in

> my web site www.geocitites.com/ramya475.I am giving below my

> translation. Kindly send your comments to ramya475

> P.R.Ramachander

>

>

>

> Sree Dakshinamuthy Ashtakam

>

> Written by

> Adhi Sankara Bhagawat Pada.

> Translated by

> P.R.Ramachander

>

> > Viswam darpana drusyamana nagari,

> Thulyam nijandargatham,

> Pasyannathmani mayaya bahirivoth,

> Bhutham yada nidraya,

> Ya sakshath kuruthe prabodha samaye,

> Swathmanameva dwayam,

> Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,

> Sree

Dakshinamurthaye.

>

 

Namaste Sri Ramachander ji,

If i am not mistaken, this above, what you have translated, is the

SridakshinamurtiSTOTRAM and not the ASHTAKAM. An ashtakam will

contain eight verses and this stotram contains ten. The dhayana and

mangala slokas are not counted, anyway. There is a separate

DakshiNamurtyashTakam by The Acharya. My mother used to recite it

from a book; i had not paid attention to it and the ten-versed

stotram was occupying precedence in my mind. Will Sri Sunderji help

us with the rendering of the real Ashtakam on SridakshiNaamurti ?

 

Warm regards,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

<subrahmanian_v wrote:

>

> advaitin, "ramya475" <ramya475@> wrote:

> >

 

> >

> > > Viswam darpana drusyamana nagari,

> > Thulyam nijandargatham,

> > Pasyannathmani mayaya bahirivoth,

> > Bhutham yada nidraya,

> > Ya sakshath kuruthe prabodha samaye,

> > Swathmanameva dwayam,

> > Thasmai sri guru murthaye nama idham,

> > Sree

> Dakshinamurthaye.

> >

>

> Namaste Sri Ramachander ji,

> If i am not mistaken, this above, what you have translated, is the

> SridakshinamurtiSTOTRAM and not the ASHTAKAM. An ashtakam will

> contain eight verses and this stotram contains ten. The dhayana

and

> mangala slokas are not counted, anyway. There is a separate

> DakshiNamurtyashTakam by The Acharya.

 

 

Namaste,

 

The ashtakam in the Complete Works is the same as the

stotram.

 

There is another Dakshinamurty Varnamala Stotram (25 verses)

by Acharya (the first letter of each verse builds the mantra OM namo

bhagavate dakshinamurtaye mahyam medhaa-prajnAM prayachha svaha).

 

The stotram/ashtakam is at:

 

http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_shiva/dakshina.itx

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh

wrote:

>>

> The ashtakam in the Complete Works is the same as the

> stotram.

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

 

Namaste:

 

Thanks for the reply. I have information that the

Dakshinamurtyashtakam, a separate work, is published in the Volume 9 of

the 'Srijagadgurugranthamaala' series printed by Sri Vanivilas press,

Srirangam in 1964. As i do not have this particular volume, i am

unable to reproduce the ashtakam here. If any member has this volume

(with meanings in Tamil), may kindly post the verses on the List. I

shall try to acquire the work from some contacts.

 

Regards,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v" <subrahmanian_v

wrote:

>

> advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh@>

> wrote:

> >>

> > The ashtakam in the Complete Works is the same as the

> > stotram.

 

 

> I have information that the

> Dakshinamurtyashtakam, a separate work, is published in the Volume 9

of

> the 'Srijagadgurugranthamaala' series printed by Sri Vanivilas press,

> Srirangam in 1964. As i do not have this particular volume, i am

> unable to reproduce the ashtakam here. If any member has this volume

> (with meanings in Tamil), may kindly post the verses on the List.

 

 

Namaste,

 

The audio of the ashtakam/stotram can be heard at:

 

http://www.kamakoti.org/main/audio.html

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Here is another audio for the stotra mp3 in fusion style of Music.

 

http://www.bestsharing.comms00162209/07%20Track%207.mp3.html

 

Enjoy!!!

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

<subrahmanian_v wrote:

>

> advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh@>

> wrote:

> >>

> > The ashtakam in the Complete Works is the same as the

> > stotram.

> >

 

> Thanks for the reply. I have information that the

> Dakshinamurtyashtakam, a separate work, is published in the Volume

9 of

> the 'Srijagadgurugranthamaala' series printed by Sri Vanivilas

press,

> Srirangam in 1964.

 

Namaste,

 

The Complete Works of Shankara has a Dakshinamurty Stotram of

19 verses beginning with: upaasakaanaaM yadupaasaniiyam..... and

ending with ante cha vedaantamahaarahasyam.........

 

The confusion may have been caused by some published books

calling the Ashtakam as Stotram (even by the same Publisher - Samata

Books!)

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh

wrote:

>

> advaitin, "subrahmanian_v"

> <subrahmanian_v@> wrote:

> >

> > advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh@>

> > wrote:

> > >>

> > > The ashtakam in the Complete Works is the same as the

> > > stotram.

> > >

>

> > Thanks for the reply. I have information that the

> > Dakshinamurtyashtakam, a separate work, is published in the

Volume

> 9 of

> > the 'Srijagadgurugranthamaala' series printed by Sri Vanivilas

> press,

> > Srirangam in 1964.

>

> Namaste,

>

> The Complete Works of Shankara has a Dakshinamurty Stotram

of

> 19 verses beginning with: upaasakaanaaM yadupaasaniiyam..... and

> ending with ante cha vedaantamahaarahasyam.........

>

> The confusion may have been caused by some published books

> calling the Ashtakam as Stotram (even by the same Publisher -

Samata

> Books!)

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

 

 

Namaste Sunder ji,

 

Let me thank you for that link to the Kamakoti audio site. I could

listen to some very nicely rendered devotional compositions.

 

Thanks again for the 'upaasakaanaaM yadupaasaniiyam..'. This is the

stotram that i have heard being recited by my mother.

 

Now, since there are three hymns on Sri Dakshinamurti by the Acharya,

i would like to make a sort of a guess:

 

The ten-versed hymn is Sridakshinamurtistotram. This has somehow

acquired the name of ashtakam. As an ashtakam essentially has eight

parts or verses only, the only explanation that i have for this

stotram to be called by some as 'ashtakam' is this:

 

In the ninth verse of this hymn there occurs the

expression: 'yasyaiva mUrtyaShTakam' meaning 'the earth, water, air,

fire, space, sun, moon and the observer who experiences these

constitute the eight-fold form of the Supreme'. Someone has taken

this 'mUrtyaShTakam' to signify the name of the hymn like

bilvAShTakam, toTakAShTakam, etc. and unwittingly popularised that

name, 'DakShiNAmUrtyaShTakam', for the ten-versed hymn. Otherwise, i

do not find this name occurring even once in that huge two-volume

book that i am currently studying. The commentaries Maanasollaasa

and Tattvasudha, i presume, do not use this name of ashtakam to refer

to the ten-versed hymn.

 

The 19-versed hymn is also styled Dakshinamurtistotram. It is

possible that the prefix 'sri' which is used for the ten-versed hymn

distinguishes it from the 19-versed hymn.

 

Regards,

subbu

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

 

i never bothered to really know whether this wonderful hymn om SRI

DAKSHINAMURTHY was an 'ashtakam' ot 'stotram' ... i simply used to

enjoy reading each verse in the hymn - and also contemplate on the

divine message of Advaita PHILOSOPHY contained in each of the verses.

Sometimes, i have even read people questioning the 'authorship' of

these verses ... even that did not bother me ! After all , anyone who

has read this hymn knows it is a masterpiece on Advaita shastra and

contains the CHANDOGYA upanishadic Mahavakya of 'Tatwamasi' (THAT

THOU ART)!

 

On a merely technical level , subbuji is right. This stotram has more

than eight verses - so how can it be called an 'ashtakam' ? ( octad

of eight verses) !

 

But , i have great faith in our beloved Professorji - if he calls

this 'stotra' Ashtakam , then he has good reason to do so!

 

please visit his wonderful translation of this great hymn at his web

site

 

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/63.html

 

Professorji's explanation of these verses are Lucid and profound and

are worth reading.

 

Subbuji , you may be comforted to know that Professorji agrees with

what you have to say on why this hymn is called ashtakam ! please

read !

 

Verse No.9

 

bhUr-ambhamsy-anilo'nalombaramahar-nAtho himAmSuh-pumAn

ityAbhAti carAcarAtmakam-idam yasyaiva mUrtyashTakaM /

nAnyat-kimcana vidyate vimRSatAM yasmAt-parasmAd-vibhoH

tasmai SrI-guru-mUrtaye nama idaM SrI-dakshiNA-mUrtaye //

 

MANPUNAL-ANAL-KAL VANA MADI-KADIRON PUMANUM-

ENROLIR CARACARAN-CER-IDUVEVAN-ETTU MURTTAM

ENNUVARK-KIRAI-NIRAINDON-EVANIN-ANNIYAN-CARRINRAR

TANNARUT-KURUVAM-ANDAD-DAKSHINA-MURTTI PORRI

 

 

 

To Him who appears as the moving and unmoving universe consisting of

Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space, the Sun, the Moon and the Individual

Person, to Him beyond whom, supreme and all-pervading, there is

nothing else how much you may search, to Him of the form of the

Guru, ( full of Grace and Peace) the blessed Dakshinamurti, is this

prostration.

 

The delusion caused by mAyA can be removed only by the Grace of the

Lord. The Realization of the Absolute can be obtained only by the

Grace of the Lord who appears in the form of the Guru. In the Saiva

Agamas there are 36 fundamental principles, have been enunciated. Of

them the only ones which are understood by a direct experience are

the five elements, Sun, Moon and the Self.

 

(Note that 'Space' the most subtle of the five elements

is also included here as subject to direct experience;

because, every time you open your eyes

you know that space is enveloping you).

 

That is why the Lord is said to be of the eight-fold form (mUrty-

ashTakaM) consisting of these eight. Probably this is the reason

why this hymn is called dakshiNA-mUrti-ashTakaM even though it

contains a total of ten verses. (ashTakam - means a hymn of eight

verses). "

 

**********************************************************************

 

Professorji, in the Tamil translation following the sanskrit sloka ,

tyou have used the word 'Porri' at the end in all the verses ... Did

you mean to use the word 'Potri' ? - just wondering !

 

Subbuji and sri ramachanderji , please visit this web site of

professorji , it has many Pearls of wisdom from the Oocean of

advaita! Dive deep !

 

 

Aum Sri Gurave namaha!

 

PS BTW THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL DAKSHINAMURTHY NAVARANAMALA ?(AUTHORSHIP

UNKNOWN) transiteration done by none other than our Subderji - now ,

can anyone provide the English translation so we can enoy this

stotra ! The reason why i am so obseesed with Sri Dakshinamurthy is -

not only he is the Guru of all gurus - he is a great ego buster -

that is what we all need to first get rid of if we want to progress

in the quest for the Truth!

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sunderji,

 

That was really a wonderful rendering of Sri Dhakshinamurthy Stotram. The

website says,

 

"These are songs from Volume II of Bhajanamurham"

 

Are you aware if cassette or CD versions of these volumes are available

anywhere? Many thanks and praNAms,

 

Venkat

 

 

 

On 6/9/06, Sunder Hattangadi <sunderh > wrote:

>

> advaitin <advaitin%40>,

> "subrahmanian_v" <subrahmanian_v The audio of the ashtakam/stotram

> can be heard at:

>

> http://www.kamakoti.org/main/audio.html

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

advaitin, "S Venkatraman" <svenkat52

wrote:

>

> Namaste Sunderji,

>

> That was really a wonderful rendering of Sri Dhakshinamurthy

Stotram. The

> website says,

>

> "These are songs from Volume II of Bhajanamurham"

>

> Are you aware if cassette or CD versions of these volumes are

available

> anywhere?

 

Namaste,

 

On Google search, this is the only info. I could get.

 

 

SANKARA VAKYAM Volume 9 Issue 4Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal

released a devotional cassette, entitled Bhajanamrutham-Vol II,

which was produced by the Kanchi devotees from Atlanta. ...

www.kanchikamakoticenter.org/page21200.html - 10k

 

The domain name has expired, and there is no new link as yet.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder