Dakshinamurti Stotra
(Introduction by Sri Bhagavan)Brahma (the four-faced god) brought by his power of
thought four sons, named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatsujata
and Sanatkumara. He asked them to attend to the work of
creating the world, preserving it, etc., but they were not
interested in it, being completely detached. They wandered
about in search of peace and tranquillity. As they were
extremely dispassionate and fit (to receive spiritual
instruction), Siva, the great God of compassion, manifested
himself before them in human form as Dakshinamurti (god
facing south) under a banyan tree. He sat silently absorbed
in himself, his right hand showing the gesture known as
chinmudra.1 The four seekers were drawn to him even as
iron is drawn to a magnet. They sat before him and, like
him, were absorbed in the Self. Even advanced spiritual
aspirants cannot easily understand this state of silence. The
world, the seer and the awareness which enables it to be
cognized stand as obstacles in their way. But since it is the
single power (Sakti) which manifests itself as these three
and again withdraws them into itself, everything is that power
which is the Self. Shankaracharya has expounded this truth
in the following hymn.