It appears that Dr Giridhar Madras of the University of California @ Davis submitted to the site ftp://jaguar.cs.utah.edu/private/sanskrit/sanskrit.html, on Guru poornima day in 1996, an article entitled Dakshinamurti Stotra. He had provided a transliterated text of this devotional and philosophic poem of Adi Shankara in this article along with an excellent English translation. He had also added a postscript file to enable the reader to print the stotra in Sanskrit. Taking some help from a friend, he also appended individual word to word translation which he thought would help new learners of Sanskrit to learn some more.

I stumbled on his note to soc-religion-hindu@uunet.uu.net announcing his above mentioned contribution. This was dated 31 July 1996.

I looked up the utah.edu link and drew a blank. A little persistent search led me to http://www.shaivam.org/ssdakshina.htm in which this article has been faithfully reproduced.

Leaving the transliteration aid and individual word translation and skipping other link-aids, I am reproducing below the priceless stotra and Sri Giridhar's translation.

On behalf of whoever gets to read this because of my posting it again and on my own behalf, my sincere and humble thanks go to Sri Giridhar Madras, who has left UC Davis a while ago. Perhaps he is the same person as Professor G. Madras at the Chemical Engineering Department of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Perhaps he is not.

Sri Dakshinamurti Stotra.

 

    OM tat sat

    shaa.ntipaaThaH..

    AUM yo brahmaaNaM vidadhaati puurvam.h

    yo vai vedaa.nshcha prahiNoti tasmai .

    taM ha devamaatmabuddhiprakaashaM

    mumukshurvai sharaNamahaM prapadye ..
    AUM shaa.ntiH shaa.ntiH shaa.ntiH

 

This verse is chanted before the stotraM.

    AUM. I surrender to THAT, who projected brahma at the beginning of the creation and revealed vedas. The inspiration turns my intellect towards Atman. May peace be on us for ever.

 

    vishvaM darpaNadR^ishyamaananagariitulyaM nijaantargataM

    pashyannaatmani maayayaa bahirivod.hbhuutaM yadaa nidrayaa .

    yaH saakshaatkurute prabodhasamaye svaatmaanamevaadvayaM

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 1..

 

    The universe is the reflection of a mirror. The Truth is the supreme Brahman, the one without a second. The mind, senses and intellect are all able to only discern the reflection of the Atman. The identity of the brahman and the Atman is apparent after self-illumination. I offer my profound salutations to the auspicious Guru, who is an embodiment of Dakshinamurti, and whose grace is responsible for the illumination.

 

    biijasyaantarivaaN^kuro jagadidaM praaN^nirvikalpaM punaH

    maayaakalpitadeshakaalakalanaavaichitryachitriikR^itam.h .

    maayaaviiva vijR^imbhayatyapi mahaayogiiva yaH svechchhayaa

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 2..

 

    He in whom this universe, prior to its projection was present like a tree in a seed(unmanifested), and by whose magic this was transformed(manifested) in various forms, by His own will similar to a yogi's- to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    yasyaiva sphuraNaM sadaatmakamasatkalpaarthakaM bhaasate

    saakshaattattvamasiiti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaan.h .

    yatsaakshaatkaraNaadbhavenna punaraavR^ittirbhavaambhonidhau

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 3..

 

    He, by whose light the (unreal) universe appears real, teaches the truth of brahman to those who want to know  the Atman through the vedic statement tattvamasi (thou art That) and He  Who puts an end to  the samsaric cycle - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    naanaachchhidraghaTodarasthitahaadiipaprabhaabhaasvaraM

    GYaanaM yasya tu chakshuraadikaraNadvaaraa bahiH spandate .

    jaanaamiiti tameva bhaantamanubhaatyetatsamastaM jagat.h

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 4..

 

    He whose light gleams through the senses like the light emanating from a pot with holes (in which a lamp is kept), He whose knowledge alone brings the state of knowing (I am That), He whose brightness makes everything shine - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    dehaM praaNamapiindriyaaNyapi chalaaM buddhiM cha shuunyaM viduH

    striibaalaandhajaDopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhR^ishaM  vaadinaH .

    maayaashaktivilaasakalpitamahaa vyaamohasa.nhaariNe

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 5..

 

    Some philosophers contend the body, senses, life-breath, intellect and non-existence (shunya) as the real `I' (Atman). Their comprehension is worse than that of women, children, blind and the dull.  He who destroys this delusion caused by maya (and makes us aware of the Truth)- to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru,  I offer my profound salutations.

 

    raahugrastadivaakarendusadR^isho maayaasamaachchhaadanaat.h

    sanmaatraH karaNopasa.nharaNato yo.abhuutsushhuptaH pumaan.h .

    praagasvaapsamiti prabodhasamaye yaH pratyabhiGYaayate

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 6..

 

    The brillance of sun exists even when intercepted by Rahu during eclipse. Similarly, the power of cognition only remains suspended during deep  sleep. The Self exists as pure being even though unrecognized due to the  veil of Maya. A person on awakening becomes aware that he was asleep  earlier (and the dream was unreal). Similarly, a person who awakens  to the consciousness of the Self recognizes his previous state of  ignorance as unreal. He by whose grace alone does one awaken to the consciousness of the Self - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    baalyaadishhvapi jaagradaadishhu tathaa

    sarvaasvavasthaasvapi

    vyaavR^ittaasvanuvartamaanamahamityantaH sphurantaM sadaa .

    svaatmaanaM prakaTiikaroti bhajataaM yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 7..

    

    He, whose existence is changeless throughout the various states of the  body (like old, young etc) and the mind (waking, dreaming etc), and who  reveals the greatest knowledge of Atman by GYaana-mudra (the joining of the thumb and the forefinger of a raised right hand) - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my
    profound salutations.

 

    vishvaM pashyati kaaryakaaraNatayaa svasvaamisaMbandhataH

    shishhyaachaaryatayaa tayaiva pitR^iputraadyaatmanaa

    bhedataH .

    svapne jaagrati vaa ya eshha purushho maayaaparibhraamitaH

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 8..

 

    He, whose power of Maya enables one to experience the world as multiform (like teacher, disciple, father, son etc) during both the waking and  dream states -  to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious  Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    bhuurambhaa.nsyanalo.anilo.ambaramaharnaatho himaa.nshuH

    pumaan.h

    ityaabhaati charaacharaatmakamidaM yasyaiva

    muurtyashhTakam.h .

    naanyatkiJNchana vidyate vimR^ishataaM

    yasmaatparasmaadvibhoH

    tasmai shriigurumuurtaye nama idaM shriidakshiNaamuurtaye .. 9..

 

    He, whose subtle and unmanifest eightfold form causes the moving and unmoving universe, and by whose grace alone does all these manifestation disappear to reveal that `All that exists is Brahman' - to that Dakshinamurti, who is embodied in the auspicious Guru, I offer my profound salutations.

 

    sarvaatmatvamiti sphuTiikR^itamidaM yasmaadamushhmin.h

    stave

    tenaasya shravaNaattadarthamananaaddhyaanaachcha

    saN^kiirtanaat.h .

    sarvaatmatvamahaavibhuutisahitaM syaadiishvaratvaM svataH

    siddhyettatpunarashhTadhaa pariNataM chaishvaryamavyaahatam.h .. 10..

 

    The verse points out to the all pervasiveness of the indwelling Spirit, Atman. By the recital, contemplation and meditation of this hymn, the disciple attains the state of oneness with Atman and realizes his unity with the universe,thus becoming the very essence of the eightfold manifestation.

 

    vaTaviTapisamiipe bhuumibhaage nishhaNNaM

    sakalamunijanaanaaM GYAnadaataaramaaraat.h .

    tribhuvanagurumiishaM dakshiNaamuurtidevaM

    jananamaraNaduHkhachchhedadakshaM namaami ..

 

This verse is usually recited at the end of the recital of the above hymn.

I offer my profound salutations to Shri maha dakshinamurti, the remover of the worldly (samasric) bonds binding us, Who is to be meditated upon as the one sitting under a banyan tree and bestowing knowledge (GYana)instantly on all the sages (and the devoted disciples).’

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