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DAKSHINAMURTI UPANISHADTranslated by P. R. Ramachander, Published by celextel.org

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;

May we work conjointly with great energy,

May our study be vigorous and effective;

May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).

Om ! Let there be Peace in me !

Let there be Peace in my environment !

Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

Om. In Brahma Vartha (Land of Brahma), under a banyan tree called Maha Bandira,many sages including Sounaka had assembled to perform a Sathra fire sacrifice.They approached sage Markandeya wearing samiths (dried twigs of banyan tree) asgloves and asked him, “How do you manage to be a Chiram Jeevi (One who doesnot have death) and how are you always in the happy state?” 1

He replied, “This is because of the knowledge of the most secret philosophy ofShiva. This very secret Shiva philosophy by which Shiva who is the Dakshinamurthy,becomes some thing which is not visible to others. He is that God who at the time offinal deluge, who keeps every thing else within himself and shines because of thepleasure of his own spirit. The secret mantras about him are as follows: Brahma is thesage, the meter is Gayathri and the god is Dakshinamurhy for this mantra.

First Mantra of 24 letters: After telling “om”, tell “Namo” and then “BhagavatheDakshinamurthaye”, then the fourth form of “asmad” viz “Mahyam”, then “medhamPragnam”, then the root of wind “ya”, added with “chcha”, followed by the name ofwife of fire God “swaha”. This is the mantra with 24 letters. That is “Om NamoBhagwathe Dakshinamurthaye Mahyam, Medham Pragnam Prayacha Swaha!” 2

Then Dhyanam (thinking abut the form in the mind, when mantra is chanted). Isalute him who is white like a crystal, who holds in his hands, a chain of pearl beads,the pot of nectar which is the form of knowledge, and the mudhra (symbol) of wisdom,who ties himself with a snake, who wears the moon on his head and who wearsdifferent type of ornaments. 3

2Second Mantra of nine letters: First Say “Om”, then the first vowel with the visarga

and in the end ell Panchakshari with visarga in the end, and this gives the Navaksharimantra (nine letters mantra). That is “Om Aam Aa Sivaya Nama Om!” 4

Then Dhyanam. Let the three eyed god who does only good, who has in his threehands, the sign of protection, deer and axe in three hands and fourth hand kept on hisknee, who has tied a snake on his body, who shines white like milk, who sits below abanyan tree and who is surrounded by sages like Shuka, gives us pure thoughts. 5

[Slokas 6 is not available.]

Third Mantra: Add Broom Nama, Maya Bheeja, Vagbhava Bheeja,Dakshinamurthaye and Jnanam dehi Swaha to Om. The mantra would be “Om Broom,Namo Hreem Im Dakshinamurthaye Jnanam Dehi Swaha!” 7

Then Dhyanam: Let the God Dakshinamurthy, who has a white body due toapplication of holy ash, who wears the crescent moon on his head, who holds in hishands, Jnana mudra (symbol of wisdom), beaded chain, Veena and books, whowears all ornaments, who wears the elephant hide, who resembles the meditatingRama, who sits on the throne of explanation and who is being served by great sagesprotect us always. 8

We have to see that lamp of wisdom, which burns with renunciation as oil, devotionas wick and which shines in the full vessel of wake up state. 9

In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma prayed this Dakshinamurthy, and obtainedthe capacity of creating beings and became very happy. He became blessed aftergetting what he desired. That Brahma therefore has become a devotee as well assomebody who deserves our devotion. 10

The one who reads this philosophy of Shiva with understanding, would get rid ofall his sins. The ones who know this truly will attain salvation. 11

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;May we work conjointly with great energy,May our study be vigorous and effective;May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).Om ! Let there be Peace in me !Let there be Peace in my environment !Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !Here ends the Dakshinamurti Upanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda

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DATTATREYAHindu God who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

The word Datta means “Given”, Datta is called so because the divine trinity have“given” themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is theson of Atri, hence the name “Atreya”. In the Natha tradition, Dattatreya is recognizedas an Avatar or incarnation of the Lord Shiva and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) ofthe Adi-Nath sampradaya of the Nathas. Although ...

Dattatreya is a Hindu God who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma,Vishnu and Siva. The word Datta means “Given”, Datta is called so because thedivine trinity have “given” themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri andAnasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name “Atreya”.

In the Natha tradition, Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar or incarnation of theLord Shiva and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adi-Nath sampradaya of theNathas. Although Dattatreya was at first a “Lord of Yoga” exhibiting distinctly Tantrictraits, he was adapted and assimilated into the more devotional cults; while stillworshipped by millions of Hindus, he is approached more as a benevolent God thanas a teacher of the highest essence of Indian thought.

Dattatreya - Dattatreya as an Historical FigureThough the Dattatreya of the Natha tradition coexisted and intermingled with the

Puranic, Brahmanical tradition of the Datta sampradaya, here we shall focus almostexclusively on the earlier Tantric manifestation of Datta. Shri Gurudev Mahendranathhad no doubt that Dattatreya was an historical figure. He stated that Datta was bornon Wednesday, the fourteenth day of the full moon in the month of Margasirsa, thoughhe does not mention the year.

Dattatreya left home at an early age to wander naked in search of the Absolute.He seems to have spent most of his life wandering in the area between and includingNorth Mysore, through the Maharashtra, and into Gujarat as far as the NarmadaRiver. He attained realization at a place not far from the town now known as Ganagapur.The original footprints of Datta are believed to be located on the lonely peak atMount Girnar. The Tripura-rahasya refers to the disciple Parasurama finding Dattameditating on Gandhamadana mountain.

4The Tripura-rahasya (The Secret of [the Goddess] Tripura) is believed to be an

abbreviated version of the original Datta Samhita or Dakshinamurti Samhita traditionallyascribed to Dattatreya. This more lengthy work was summarized by Dattatreya’sdisciple Paramasura, whose disciple, Sumedha Haritayana, scribed the text. Thus,this text is sometimes referred to as the Haritayana Samhita.

The Tripura-rahasya is divided into three parts. The first part, the Mahatmya Khandaor section on the goddess is concerned with the origin, mantra and yantra of theGoddess Tripura, also known as Lalita or Lalita Tripurasundari. The Jnana Khandaor section on knowledge elaborates on the themes of consciousness, manifestation,and liberation. Unfortunately, the last part, Charya Khanda or section on conduct,has been lost and some believe destroyed.

Another work, the Avadhuta Gita (Song of the Free) is a wonderful, competecompilation of the highest thought given to and recorded by two of Dattatreya’sdisciples, Swami and Kartika. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) held it in high esteem.Originally a work of seven chapters, a spurious and misogynistic eighth chapter maybe a later attempt to append sexual morality to the Natha tradition by a conservativeascetic. Some of the ideas in this Gita are however common to both Shaivite andBuddhist Tantras.

The Markandeya Purana reports that Dattatreya, to free himself of all attachments,dove into a lake where he stayed for many years. By doing so, he also hoped toevade an assembly of Munis who remained on the banks of the lake awaiting hisreturn. Datta emerged from the water naked in the company of a beautiful woman.The text relates that he made love with her (maithuna), drank liquor, and enjoyedsinging and music. In spite of this, the Munis did not abandon him, and Dattatraya,accompanied by his shakti, continued to engage in these practices and was meditatedon by those longing for moksha.

In the Bhagavata Purana Dattatreya enumerates a list of his twenty-four gurus:earth, air, sky / ether, water, fire, sun, moon, python, pigeons, sea, moth, bee, bullelephant, bear, deer, fish, osprey, a child, a maiden, a courtesan, a blacksmith, serpent,spider, and wasp. The image of the Natha ranged from that of a siddha living in thewoods with animals, to that of a frightening, even demonic, being.

5In The Pathless Path to Immortality, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath writes:

“Shri Dattatreya was a dropout of an earlier age than the period when Veda andTantra merged to become one simple cult. It was men like Dattatreya who helped tomake this possible. Three of his close disciples were kings, one an Asura and theother two both belonging to the warrior caste. Dattatreya himself was regarded as anavatar of Maheshwara (Shiva) but later was claimed by Vaishnavites as the avatar ofVishnu. Not such a sectarian claim as it appears; Hindus regard Shiva and Vishnu asthe same or as manifestations of the Absolute taking form.”

Indeed, the Dattatreya Upanisad, which opens proclaiming Dattatreya’s identitywith Vishnu, ends with the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, identifying Datta with Shiva.In the last portion of the third chapter, Mahesvara (Shiva) alone is said to pervadereality and shine in every heart of man. He alone is in front, behind, to the left, to theright, below, above, everywhere the center. Finally, Mahesvara is identified withDattatreya, depicting the latter as an Avatara of Shiva.

Dattatreya - Dattatreya as a Devotional DeityDattatreya is usually depicted with three heads, symbolising Brahma, Vishnu, and

Shiva; past, present, and future; and the three states of consciousness: waking,dreaming, and dreamless sleep. He is portrayed sitting in meditation with his shaktibeneath the audumbara (wish-fulfilling) tree. In front of him is a fire pit, and aroundhim are four dogs. These are sometimes said to symbolise the four Vedas.

(Ramana Maharshi in: Collected Works)Dakshinamurti (the god facing the south) is the Guru of all Gurus who teached

only through silence. His image is found in every South Indian Siva temple. The storyof Dakshinamurti is as follows (according to Chadwick: A Sadhu’s Reminiscences):

“Brahma was tired of creating and wanted to retire, so he created the four Kumarasto take his place. But these did not in the least wish to take over but demandedinstead initiation from him into the secret to how to gain liberation. This their fatherrefused. So they left him and went in search of this somewhere else. They eventuallyencountered an awe-inspiring figure seated under a banyan tree. Here they remainedand received the instruction they were seeking, which was given in silence. In silence,because no word can express that which is beyond all words and no mind can graspthat which is beyond mind. Silence is the most perfect teaching of all.”

6Sri Ramana teaching is often compared to that of Dakshinamurti and he himself

quite often refered to the Guru of all Gurus. “On one Maha Sivarathri night devoteesrequested Bhagavan to explain the meaning of Dakshinamurti Ashtakam. The devoteeswaited for Bhagavan to commence His explanations. Bhagavan remained silent. Therewas no movement whatever. The entire atmosphere was surcharged with the Powerand Peace of Bhagavan’s presence. No one noticed the passage of time. SuddenlyBhagavan got up.Then only every one was aware that the night had elapsed andBhagavan was going out for His morning walk on the Hill! They understood not onlythat silence alone was the true meaning of those verses but also that Bhagavan was allthe night giving a silent commentary on them. The next day when He was askedBhagavan replied; ‘True Silence means abiding in the Self.’

Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram by Adi ShankaracharyaShruti-smrti-puraanaanaam Aalayam Karunaalayam |

Namaami Bhagavatpada-Shankaram Lokashankaram ||

— The Stotram —Vishwam Darpana-drshyamaana-nagarii-tulyam nijaantargatam

Pashyan aatmani maayayaa bahiriva udbhuutam yathaa nidrayaa |

Ya: saakshaat kurute prabodha-samaye svaatmaanameva advayam

Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 1 ||

Biijasyaantariva-ankuro jagadidam praang-nirvikalpam punar-

Maya-kalpita-desa-kaala-kalanaa-vaichitrya-chitrii-krtam |

Mayaviiva vijrmbhayatyapi maha-yogiva yas svecchayaa

Tasmai Sriguru-murtaye nama idam Sridakshinaamurtaye || 2 ||

Yasyaiva sphuranam sadaatmakam asatkalpaarthagam bhaasate

Saakshaat Tat-tvam-asi-iti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaan |

Yat-saakshaat-karanaad bhaven-na punaraavrttir-bhavaambho-nidhau

Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 3 ||

Naanaa-cchidra-ghatodarasthita-mahaa-dipa-prabha-bhasvaram

Jnanam yasya tu chakshuraadi-karana-dvaara bahiH spandate |

Jaanaami-iti tameva bhaantam anu-bhaatyetat samastam jagat

7Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 4 ||

Deham praanamapi indriyaanyapi chalaam buddhim cha shunyam viduH

Stri-baala-andha-jadopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhrsham vaadinaH |

Maayaa-shakti-vilaasa-kalpita-mahaa-vyaamoha-samhaarine

Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 5 ||

Rahu-grasta-divakarendu-sadrsho maya-samaacchaadanaat

SanmaatraH karanopasamharanato yo’bhut-sushuptaH pumaan |

Praagasvaasamiti prabodha-samaye yaH pratyabhijnaayate

Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 6 ||

bAlyaadhiShvapi jAgradaadiShu tathA sarvAsvavasthAsvapi

vyAvR^ittaasvanuvartamaanamahamityantaH-sphurantam sadaa |

svAtmaanam prakaTIkaroti bhajatAm yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa

tasmai shrIgurumurtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNAmUrtaye || 7 ||

Vishvam pashyati kArya-kAraNatayA sva-svAmi-sambandhataH

ShiShyAchAryatayA tathaiva pitRR^I-putrAdyAtmanA bhedataH |

Svapne jAgrati vA ya eSha puruSho mAyAparibhrAmitaH

Tasmai ShrIgurumUrtaye nama idam shrIdakshiNaamUrtaye || 8 ||

bhUrambhAmsyanalo-‘nilo-‘mbaramahar-naatho himAmshuH pumAn-

ityAbhAti charAcharAtmakamidam yasyaiva mUrtyaShTakam |

nAnyat-kinchana vidyate vimRRishatAm yasmAt-parasmAd-vibhO-

stasmai shrIguru-mUrtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNaa-mUrtaye || 9 ||

Phala Sruti —

sarvAtmatvamiti sphuTIkRRitamidam yasmAdamuShmin-stave

tEnAsya shravaNAt tadartha-mananAt dhyAnAccha sankIrtanAt |

sarvAtmatva-mahA-vibhUti-sahitam syAdIshvaratvam svataH

siddhyEt tat punaraShTadhA pariNatam chaishvaryam-avyAhatam || 10 ||

Gurave sarva-lokaanaam bhishaje bhava-roginaam |

Nidhaye sarva-vidyaanaam Dakshinaamurtaye namaH ||