Dakshinamurthy Stotram - Post 28

With the previous post, Dakshinamurthy stotram or Ashtakam (8 verses) actually ends.

The remaining two verses are ancillary to the text. The first aims to assist the Sadhaka to raise his level of eligibility for the Ashtakam; and the second tells us about the fruit of studying the Ashtakam. 

 

Verse 9

 

Earth, water, fire, air, space, sun, moon and man, (the individual soul),

Thus, shining everywhere are the movable and immovable (sentient and inert) objects of His Eightfold Manifestation,

Other than this, there exists nothing else, to those who reflect well. From that One Supreme Cause arise all manifestations,

To that “Supreme Cause”, the Revered Form of the Guru, do I offer my salutation. He is the Revered Form of Sri Dakshinamurti!

The usual technique of Upasana is prescribed for those diligent students who, even after a deep and careful study of the Ashtakam (verses 1-8), are not able to appreciate the import of them all. 

Lack of integration within will make students unfit for such subtle flights to the lofty heights of Vedanta when it discusses the ultimate theme. To help them gain the necessary integration, this stanza prescribes an Upasana.”

The “Ashta Murti” Upasana to Develop Bhakti

The 5 elements of the universe are also the constituents of the body.

The sun and the moon are the two eyes.

As Eswara rules the external world, so too, the Jiva rules the inner world. Thus, all the eight components listed in the verse are seen within the body.

The Upasaka feels that whatever is done by the body is worship of Eswara.

A saint says, “A saint who used to feel that when he slept, he was prostrating to the Lord; when he bathed, he was bathing the Lord; when he ate, he was feeding the Lord. In this way, he took his whole body to be the temple of God. Such practices enrich Indian culture and spirituality. 

They take the practice of religion to the highest pedestal. There is no superstition in such practices. They arise from a sincere love for the Lord, and a strong desire to please Him and serve Him in every way possible.”

We have come across this eightfold manifestation of the Lord’s material nature in Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Upadesa Saram, where it is used for the same purpose – as an Upasana to broaden the devotion of the Bhakta. 

The same is enumerated here as the five elements, sun, moon and the Jiva (man/individual soul).

Aharnaatha: This means “God of the Day”; it stands here for the sun. 

Himaanshu: This means “having cool rays”; it stands here for the moon.

Pumaan: is the individual soul or Jeeva, the living being, that is bound in Samsara.

All movable and immovable objects are covered by these 8 items. 

A verse in Ganapati Atharva Upanishad says,

You (Eswara) are earth, water, fire, air and space.

Typically, five elements are enough to represent God of the Cosmos. However, poetic representations usually include the Sun and the Moon. 

There are many hymns in the Vedas that commonly expresses Eswara as the one who has the Sun as his right eye and the Moon as his left eye. 

So this representation gives you that vision of Eswara having not just five elements but the Sun and the Moon. It poetically represents the cosmic perspective. 

The universe is also a conscious, intelligent living thing. So, the Consciousness is the eight element presented here with the word Puman, which is the man or individual soul or consciousness.

The 8-fold manifestation is a simplification of 36 components given below.

5 elements,

5 Pranas,

5 Karma Indriyas,

5 Jnana Indriyas,

4-fold Antahkarana,

Jeeva,

Time,

Prakriti,

Maya,

Vidya,

Purusha,

Bindu,

Nada,

Shakti,

Shiva,

Shanta and

Ateet.

Everything in this Cosmos is included in the eight-fold representation. There is nothing left out. So, this is absolute, fully encompassing expression.

Brahman 

All that exists is Brahman, is the reality because of which material things exists.

Brahman is also the reality because of which Consciousness itself exists. 

Even experience exists due to Brahman. So, Brahman manifests not only as material inert things, but manifests as sentient things and sentiency itself, Consciousness itself, experience itself. Other than that Brahman, supreme all pervasive being, nothing else  exists.

This is a poetic way stating the same fact that ancient rishis declared,

 

Continued…

 

Love.