The ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

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 ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

. It explains the metaphysics of the universe in the frame of the tradition of

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ( ...

. In the Hindu mythology,

Dakshinamurti Dakshinamurthy () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge. This aspect of Shiva, as the original guru, is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. Thi ...

is an incarnation of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, the supreme god of knowledge. Dakshinamurti is an aspect of Shiva as a

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

of all types of knowledge, and bestower of ''

jñāna In Indian philosophy and religions, ' ( sa, ज्ञान}, ) 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, especial ...

''. 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 a teacher of

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

, 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. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...

, 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. Repeated chanting and/or meditating on the meaning of these verses is expected to help a spiritual practitioner of Advaita Vedanta get thoroughly established in an Advaitic experience. The ''Dakshinamurti Stotra'' is arguably the most important small verse to be attributed to Adi Shankara. In a compilation of ten stanzas there is a concise and vivid description of the philosophical significance of the form of Shiva, giving the very essence of the Indian idea of

epistemology Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Epis ...

. It differs from every other attempt in a very basic sense, in that it is holistic rather than purely reductionist.

References

{{reflist Hindu texts Sanskrit texts Adi Shankara Advaita Vedanta Shaiva texts Advaita Vedanta texts