Satcitananda in New England

The Principle of Existence and the Great Stone Face 2003.

The Ground of Consciousness and Hurricane Sandy 2012.

The Essence of Bliss and June 6th 2026.

Suite Consciouness Am I

Consciousness transcends the mind like the sea surrounds an island. Consciousness is pure and unadulterated. Reflected consciousness adds thought like a mixed drink.

When reflected consciousness sleeps, consciousness witnesses the absence of duality. Consciousness is never lost. Only the mind turns off, like during deep sleep. Consciousness is the seer. Not only does the seer pervade the seen, the seen is consciousness.

Materialism has been disproved by every science yet scientific materialism persists. The hard problem of consciousness for consciousness studies is it just won't go away. For Consciousness is the ground before time and the space beyond space-time. Aum.

Transcreating Dakshinamurti with Introductions, Note on Authorship, Bibliography, and Links to Selected Translations & Commentaries (a work in progress; 7 of 10 to date)

Not a translation but a transcreation. Link at number leads to page of translations and brief commentaries. Introductions, Note on Authorship, and Bibliography of English Translations follow the ten verses (shlokas).

1. The universe is wholly contained in one's own Self like a city seen in a standing sidewalk mirror.

Due to Maya, this inner universe appears to be externally manifested, like an inner world appearing to be an outer one while dreaming.

To the One who knows this at the time of awakening as one's nondual self, O to that divine teacher, the one who is facing south.

2. This universe was once a sprout inside a seed without any differentiation—until Maya

using concepts of space, time, and causation, imagines it to be a multiplicity of color and form

like a magician projecting its witchcraft, like a yogi directing its will.

3. To the one whose self-luminous light of existence shines forth

pervading this illusory material world with the Vedic affirmation of tattvamasi 

willing individuals to waken and realize and never return to an ocean of samsara.

4. Inside a vessel of many perforations is placed a great lamp, radiant and illuminating.

Awareness blazes outward via instruments of eyes and all the senses

through which it emanates forth. Thus I know, shining, that alone is illuminating the entire world.

5. Some believe in the body or the breath of life, the senses or the ever-changing intellect, or even the void of nonexistence.

There's the innocence of mother and child, the world of the blind and demented, or the philosopher's deep confusion.

Creation, energy, manifestation, projection, delusion: they're all meant for that great destroyer, Dakshinamurti.

6. As a total eclipse appears to swallow sun or moon, the power of Maya rests in its art of concealment.

As existence remains while the mind withdraws, a person goes into deep sleep.

Previously I was sleeping upon awaking one discovers.

7. In childhood, waking, and all such states of consciousness coming and going,

there persists a sense of I within shining always.

One's own Self is revealing to every devotee this auspicious sign.

Hail to that one embodied in the teacher, to that one who is facing south.

Seven Introductions as Conclusions

As a terse expression of the fundamental truths of the Vedânta, the well-known Hymn of S’ankaracharya forms a suitable text upon which the student may meditate and thereby construct the whole doctrine for himself. The reader will also be struck with the catholicity of the teaching, which is not addressed to any particular class of people nor contains any reference to distinctions of caste and religious order. While concisely stating the process by which the oneness of Self and the unreality of all else is established. ~Sastri

Of all the hymns of Śrī Śaṅkara, Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti stotra is the shortest, but at the same time, in its philosophical import, subtlety of expression and confidence of assertion, it is one of the most inspired works of the advaita philosopher. On a small canvas, Śaṅkara has, with unerring dexterity, crammed all the arguments of non-dualists against the preachers of dualism. Naturally, the stanzas are loaded with suggestions and to dive into their rich depths, special training is necessary for the students. ~Chinmayananda

The Dakshinamurti Stotram was composed by Adi Shankaracharya approximately 1,300 years ago. Within its ten verses—or shlokas—lies the entirety of Vedantic philosophy, condensed into sublime poetry that continues to illuminate seekers across centuries. Along with these core verses, numerous associated mantras and shlokas, composed by other masters and drawn from various texts, are traditionally chanted alongside the Dakshinamurti Stotram. ~Sarvapriyananda

The Hymn to Dakşiņāmürti has rightly become famous. In a short compass it gives the quintessence of Advaita. It is addressed to God as Guru, by whose grace one receives the teaching of non-duality. How the one reality appears as the many, how even the distinction of the teacher and the taught comes about one cannot explain. But the basic truth of Advaita, which is the Self, of the nature of consciousness, cannot be denied. Whether it is called God, Guru, or Self, it is the same. The realization of this truth is the goal of Advaita. And, Advaita is in opposi-tion to no school of thought or mode of spiritual life. In order to show this, Sankara employs in this Hymn some of the terms peculiar to Kashmir Saivism. ~Mahadevan

In the Indian hymnal literature, the stotras of Śri Sankara occupy a unique place. They are charmingly simple and yet, simply charming. The panegyrical material of the hymns often alternates with the moral principles or spiritual values. However in a few of the rarer pieces, he has introduced masterly condensations of the doctrines of Advaita Vedānta. And, this hymn is a masterpiece among them, combining in itself poetical elegance as well as metaphysical brilliance, a rare achievement indeed. ~Harshananda

This stotra is attributed to Śaṅkara. We don’t know whether it is from Śaṅkara but it is attributed to Śaṅkara. The stotra is very profound. It has all the things that you have to discover in the whole Vedanta śāstra along with bhāṣya. Vedanta śāstra means Upaniṣads, Bhagavadgītā and Brahmasūtras which is an analytical śāstra in the form of sūtras, all the three along with bhāṣya of Śaṅkara. These three are called prasthāna-trayī. ~Dayananda

A crown jewel amongst all of Shankara’s hymns, the hymn to Dakṣiṇāmūrti is in a class by itself. Although it is a short hymn of ten verses only, it is densely packed with the same profound wisdom that Shankara packed into his extensive commentaries on the Prasthānatraya. If we can read and absorb the wisdom contained in these short verses, we would not have to read anything else. Perhaps, that is why Shankara’s prominent disciple, Sri Sureshwarācārya, wrote an elaborate commentary (vartikā) on this hymn, called Mānasollāsam, which translates into “that which rejoices the mind.” ~Yellamraju Srinivasa Rao

Note on Authorship

Of course, the Advaitist's metric works—from erotic, tantric poems to Saivite hymns—do not contain strict philosophical terminology or logical argumentation. That is why the most reliable method of sorting out Sankara's poems from the enormous mass of religious and mystic poetry of the mediaeval period is the evidence from his disciples and followers. And the Vedantins are of the opinion that Sänkara was the author of the poetical cycles Daksinä-murti-stotra (Praise ofthe benevolent Siva), Gurvastakam (Eight poems to the teacher), Bhaja-govinda-stotra (Praise of Krsna-Govinda) and Sivänandalahari (Wave of bliss of Siva). 

Less dependable is Sankara's authorship of other cycles and single poems. However, he is usually considered the author of the cycle Bhavänyastakam (Eight verses to Bhaväni, or divine Mother), of the hymn Annapurna-stotra (Praise to the giver of food), of the cycle Visnu-sat-padl (Six verses for Visnu), the poem Gahgä- stotra (Praise to Ganga river), Devyaparadha-ksamapanastotra (Praise of the Goddess-Mother for the forgiveness of sins), Vedasära-Siva-stotra (Praise of Siva as the essence of Veda), the cycle Siuänämälyastakam (Eight lines in the name of Siva), Siväparädha-ksamäpana-stotra (Praise of Siva for the forgiveness of sins), Kaupina-pancakam (Five verses about the loin-cloth of an ascetic), Dvädaäamanjarikä-stotra (Praise in twelve garlands or stanzas), as well as the author of an often-cited but probably spurious cycle Nirväna-satkam (Six verses on liberation). ~Isayeva

My Intro

Translations of Dakshinamurti are more concerned with message than the medium. Thus these translations are mostly prose interpretations used for commentarial improvisations. And this is good. But it is my conclusion both message and medium are intertwined in this poetic masterpiece. Not being knowledgeable in Sanskrit and relying on translations and Google, I've tried to pay attention to the order of language, the meaning of words, the lines being used, the lineage of its translators, and let inspiration loose, remembering these hymns are written by god, to god, in god. Om.

Bibliography of English Translations

Hymn to Dakshinamoorthy by Swami Chinmayananda

Sri Dakshinamurti Stotram: In praise of the teacher of teachers by Swami Dayananda

Dakshinamurti and Manasollasa by John M. Denton

Dakshinamurti by Swami Gurubhaktananda (Sandeepany)

Dakshinamurti Stotra by Swami Harshananda

Hymn to Dakshinamurti (from The Hymns of Sankara) by TMP Mahadevan

The Vibrant Stillness: Commentaries on Sri Lalita Divya Nāma and Sri Dakṣiṇāmūrti Stotram By Sri Yellamraju Srinivasa Rao trans. Padma Neppalli

Dashinamoorthy Stotram by Swami Paramarthananda (unverified transcription)

Reflections on Dakshinamurti Stotram by Swami Sarvapriyananda

Dakshinamurti Stotra by Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Transcreating Upadesa Sahasri Verse Chapter 10 dṛśi-svarūpa paramārtha-darśanam

1. 

The seer itself, the sky-like supreme;

ever-shining and changeless, one alone and unborn;

stainless, all-pervading, nondual:

thus I am that eternally released. Om.

2.

I am the seer, pure and unchanging.

By my very nature, there aren't any objects to me.

Before and behind, above and below, everywhere is 

the all-pervading reality, unborn and abiding as the Self.

3.

Birthless, deathless, and accordingly ageless,

immortal, self-luminous, and all-pervasive, I am nondual—

neither cause nor effect, impeccably pure, 

and ever content in complete liberation. Om.

Introductions

In the post-war years, western and western-inspired scholarship, notably that of Paul Hacker and Sengaku Mayeda, has tended to show that the only surviving independent work that can with safety be ascribed to Śaṃkara is the Upadeśa Sāhasrī or Thousand Teachings in both its prose and verse parts—though it would be incautious to suppose that there was finality in this judgement...

The independent works other than the Upadeśa Sāhasrī are not safe guides to the doctrine of the historical Śaṃkara, while the Upadeśa Sāhasrī itself is. Hence its importance today as a relatively compact statement by Śaṃkara of his own view, eminently suitable as an introduction to the inherently more diffuse work of the commentaries...

It is, however, not certain that either the prose or the verse parts of the Upadeśa Sāhasrī originally constituted a unity. The whole work is very possibly a compilation of short pieces that originally stood on their own...

Of the verse part, Chapters I, XVII, XVIII and XIX appear from their dedicatory verses to have been separate works originally. Chapters II to XVI, also, are most probably a compilation of works that were originally separate, as it is hard to explain the fact that they stand in ascending order of length as being due to mere chance...

~Alston

The Upadesasahasri consists of two parts, one in verse and the other in prose. The verse or Metrical Part (Padyabandha) comprises nineteen chapters (prakarana). Manuscripts indicate that the two parts were regarded as independent works, as it were, and studied or commented upon separately. They also suggest the possibility that any single chapter could be selected, copied, and studied apart from the rest. This means that reading of the text may begin anywhere. 

~Mayeda

Sankara’s manner of exposition does not present us with the usual but avoidable additional difficulty which is obscurity of expression. He wrote magnificent works, both in prose and verse; and all of them are marked by depth of thought and lucidity of language. 

Among his major works are the great commentaries on what are known as the three canons of Vedanta, viz., the principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad-gita, and the Brahma-sutra, and such independent manuals as the Upadesasahasri and the Vivekachudamani. 

The quintessence of the philosophy of Sankara is stated in the following words which constitute a half-verse in Sanskrit; ‘‘The Absolute Spirit is the reality; the world of appearance is illusory; the so-called individual soul is the Absolute itself, and no other.”

~Mahadevan

Upadesa Sahasri 10.3 Translations

Translations

ajo ’maraś caiva tathā ’jaro ’mṛtaḥ svayaṃprabhaḥ sarva-gato ’ham advayaḥ na kāraṇaṃ kāryam atīva nirmalaḥ sadaika-tṛptaś ca tato vimukta om [3] 

I am without a second, unborn, deathless, not subject to old age, immortal, self-luminous, omnipresent, not a cause, not an effect, completely without taint, ever one and perfectly satisfied and so liberated. OM. ~Alston

I am non-dual, all-pervading, self-illuminating, immortal, ageless, deathless, unborn and one alone. I am neither cause nor effect, impeccably pure, contented and ever one. Therefore, I am free. Om ~Denton

I am unborn, deathless, devoid of old age, immortal, self-effulgent, all-pervading and non-dual. Perfectly pure, having neither cause nor effect and contented with the one Bliss,2 I am free. Yes. ~Jagadananda

 I am unborn, deathless, free from old age, immortal, selfeffulgent, all-pervading, non-dual; I am neither cause nor effect, altogether stainless, always satisfied and therefore [constantly] released. Om. ~Mayeda

Line 1

• ajo (ajaḥ): Unborn / without birth.
• ’maraś (amaraḥ): Undying / immortal.
• ca: And.
• eva: Indeed / certainly.
• tathā: Likewise / in the same way.
• ’jaro (ajaraḥ): Ageless / decay-less / free from old age.
• ’mṛtaḥ (amṛtaḥ): Deathless / immortal.
• svayaṃprabhaḥ: Self-luminous / self-shining / illuminating itself.
• sarva-gato (sarva-gataḥ): All-pervading / omnipresent (present everywhere).
• ’ham (aham): I am.
• advayaḥ: Non-dual / one without a second.

Line 2

• na: Not.
• kāraṇaṃ: The cause.
• kāryam: The effect.
• atīva: Exceedingly / completely / utterly.
• nirmalaḥ: Pure / free from impurities or stains.
• sadaika-tṛptaś (sadā + eka + tṛptaḥ): Always single-mindedly content / ever-satisfied in oneself alone.
• ca: And.
• tato (tataḥ): Therefore.
• vimukta: Completely liberated / free.
• om: The primordial sound representing the Absolute Reality.

~Google search

My Transcreation

Birthless, deathless, and accordingly ageless,

immortal, self-luminous, and all-pervasive, I am nondual—

neither cause nor effect, impeccably pure, 

and ever content in complete liberation. Om.

Transcreating Dakshinamurti 7

In childhood, waking, and all such states of consciousness coming and going,

there persists a sense of I within shining always.

One's own Self is revealing to every devotee this auspicious sign.

Hail to that one embodied in the teacher, to that one who is facing south.

Translations

bālyādiṣvapi jāgrad-ādiṣu tathā sarvāsvavasthāsvapi vyāvṛttāsvanuvartamānam-aham-ityantaḥ sphurantaṁ sadā, svātmānaṁ prakaṭīkaroti bhajatāṁ yo mudrayā bhadrayā tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye nama idaṁ śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye. 

(7) बाल्यादिषु – in all stages like boyhood and others; अपि – also; जाग्रदादिषु – in all states like waking and others; तथा – similarly; सर्वासु – in all; अवस्थासु - conditions; अपि – also; व्यावृत्तासु – constantly manifests; अनुवर्तमानम् – persists; अहम् – I; इति – thus; अन्तः – within; स्फुरन्तं – illumining; सदा – ever; स्वात्मानं – His own Self; प्रकटीकरोति – reveals; भजतां – to His devotees; यः – He who; मुद्रया – by the sign of Knowledge; भद्रया – by the auspicious; तस्मै – to Him; श्रीगुरुमूर्तये – the divine Teacher; नमः – prostration; इदं – this; श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये – to Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti 

7. He who, through the auspicious sign of Knowledge (jñāna-mudrā), reveals to His devotees His own Self, which persists in all stages of age (childhood, boyhood, youth and old age), in all states (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and in all other conditions and who constantly manifests Himself inwardly as ‘I’ to Him, the divine Teacher, Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti, is this prostration.

To Him who, by means of the blessed hand-pose, manifests to His devotees His own Self that, for ever, shines within as 'I', constantly, in all the inconstant states such as infancy, etc., and waking, etc., to Him, of the form of the Preceptor, the blessed Dakshina-murti, may this obeisance be! ~Mahadevan

To Him who, by means of the blessed symbol, manifests to the disciples the True Self that always shines within as the Ego, Constant in all the varying states of infancy, (manhood, and old age), of jagrat (svapna and sushupti) and so on; to Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, to Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, to Him (Siva) be this bow! ~Sastri

To him who by means of the blessed symbol manifests to the disciples the true self that always shines within as the self, constant in all the varying states of infancy, manhood and old age, of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, to him who is incarnate in the teacher, to him in the effulgent form facing the south, to him Shiva be this salutation. ~Sarvapriyananda

He who in childhood and the other stages of life, in the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states, as in all temporary states or conditions, and even after these conditions disappears, is ever the eternal ‘I’ illuminating the manifestation of his own Self for worshippers, with the auspicious symbol of wisdom (the raised right hand with the thumb and forefinger joined to form a circle). To that Self in the blessed guru and in the representation of wisdom facing south, humility and adoration. ~Denton

Line 1

bālyādiṣvapi jāgrad-ādiṣu tathā sarvāsvavasthāsvapi

• bālyādiṣu api: Even in childhood, etc.
• jāgrat-ādiṣu: In the waking state, etc. (and dreaming, deep sleep)
• tathā: And, in the same way
• sarvāsu avasthāsu api: In all states of consciousness (without exception).

Line 2

vyāvṛttāsvanuvartamānam-aham-ityantaḥ sphurantaṁ sadā,

• vyāvṛttāsu: In those states that come and go (are transient/changing)
• anuvartamānam: That which persists/runs through them all
• aham iti: As the feeling of "I"
• antaḥ: Within (the heart/mind)
• sphurantam: Shining/throbbing
• sadā: Always.

Line 3

svātmānaṁ prakaṭīkaroti bhajatāṁ yo mudrayā bhadrayā

• svātmānam: His own Self (the supreme, inner truth)
• prakaṭīkaroti: Manifests/reveals
• bhajatām: To those who seek/worship (or surrender to Him)
• yaḥ: He who (refers to the Guru/Lord Dakshinamurti)
• mudrayā: Through the gesture (of knowledge)
• bhadrayā: The auspicious/gracious.

Line 4

tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye nama idaṁ śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye

• tasmai: To Him
• śrī-guru-mūrtaye: The embodiment of the Guru
• namaḥ: Salutations/bows
• idam: This (is)
• śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye: To the auspicious Lord Dakshinamurti.

Upadesa Sahasri 10.2 Translations

Translations

dṛśis tu śuddho ’ham avikriyātmako na me ’sti kaścid viṣayaḥ svabhāvataḥ puras tiraś cordhvam adhaś ca sarvataḥ sampūrṇa-bhūmā tv aja ātmani sthitaḥ

I am pure consciousness, not subject to modification. In my true nature I have no relation with any object. Established in my own Self, I am unborn perfect Infinity, extending to the front, to the sides, below, above, everywhere. ~Alston

Pure and changeless consciousness I am by nature, devoid of objects (to illumine). Unborn and established in the Self, I am all-pervading Brahman in the front, oblique, upward, downward and all other directions. ~Jagadananda

I am Seeing, pure and by nature changeless. There is by nature no object for me. Being the Infinite, completely filled in front, across, up, down, and in every direction, I am unborn, abiding in Myself.  ~Mayeda

I am the seer. I am pure and unchangeable. I am naturally without any objects in front, oblique, above, below or in any direction. I am the almighty infinite Lord, unborn, abiding in the Self. ~Denton

Word-by-Word & Line-by-Line Meaning

Line 1:
dṛśis tu śuddho ’ham avikriyātmako na me ’sti kaścid viṣayaḥ svabhāvataḥ

• dṛśiḥ = Pure Consciousness / the Witness
• tu = indeed / but
• śuddhaḥ = pure
• aham = I am
• avikriyātmakaḥ = of a changeless / immutable nature
• na = not
• me = to me
• asti = is
• kaścid = any
• viṣayaḥ = object of experience
• svabhāvataḥ = by nature 

Line 2:
puras tiraś cordhvam adhaś ca sarvataḥ sampūrṇa-bhūmā tv aja ātmani sthitaḥ

• puraḥ = in front / before
• tiraḥ = behind (or across/transverse)
• ca = and
• ūrdhvam = above
• adhaḥ = below
• ca = and
• sarvataḥ = everywhere
• sampūrṇa-bhūmā = completely full / the supreme, all-encompassing reality (the absolute whole)
• tu = and
• ajaḥ = unborn
• ātmani = in the Self
• sthitaḥ = established

~Google search

My Transcreation

I am the seer, pure and unchanging.

By my very nature, there aren't any objects to me.

Before and behind, above and below, everywhere is 

the all-pervading reality, unborn and abiding as the Self.