Vishvam Darpana Drishyamana (Dakshinamurti Stotram 1) — Word-by-Word Meaning
विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम् १)
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
विश्वम्
viśvam
the universe, the entire world
दर्पण-दृश्यमान-नगरी-तुल्यम्
darpaṇa-dṛśyamāna-nagarī-tulyam
like a city seen reflected within a mirror
निज-अन्तर्गतम्
nija-antargatam
existing within one's own Self
पश्यन्
paśyan
seeing, perceiving
आत्मनि
ātmani
within the Self
मायया
māyayā
by Maya, through the power of illusion
बहिः इव उद्भूतम्
bahiḥ iva udbhūtam
as though arisen / appearing outside
यथा निद्रया
yathā nidrayā
just as (a dream-world appears) through sleep
यः
yaḥ
who, the one who
साक्षात् कुरुते
sākṣāt kurute
directly realizes, makes evident
प्रबोध-समये
prabodha-samaye
at the time of awakening (to true knowledge)
स्व-आत्मानम् एव अद्वयम्
svātmānam eva advayam
one's own Self alone, the non-dual (Reality)
तस्मै श्री-गुरु-मूर्तये
tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye
to that glorious embodiment of the Guru
नमः इदम्
namaḥ idam
this salutation, this prostration
श्री-दक्षिणामूर्तये
śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye
to the revered Dakshinamurti (Shiva as the supreme silent Guru)
Complete Translation
The universe is like a city seen reflected in a mirror, existing within one's own Self, yet appearing — through Maya — as though it were outside, just as a dream-world appears through sleep. To Him who, at the moment of awakening, directly realizes this and knows His own Self alone to be the one non-dual Reality — to that glorious form of the Guru, to Sri Dakshinamurti, may this salutation be offered.
Origin & History
Source: Dakshinamurti Stotram (Dakshinamurti Ashtakam), Verse 1
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Period: c. 8th century CE
The Dakshinamurti Stotram is Adi Shankaracharya's hymn to Shiva as the silent, youthful Guru who teaches the realization of the Self. This opening verse sets forth the hymn's central vision — that the cosmos is a reflection appearing within one's own Consciousness through Maya — and offers the first of its salutations to Dakshinamurti, the embodiment of the Guru. Tradition holds that Shankara composed it after meditating on this supreme teaching form of Shiva.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dakshinamurti?▼
Dakshinamurti is Lord Shiva in his form as the supreme Guru — depicted as a youthful teacher seated under a banyan tree, instructing aged sages through silence. He represents the highest knowledge of the Self imparted not through words but through inner awakening.
Which text is this verse from?▼
It is the first verse of the Dakshinamurti Stotram (Dakshinamurti Ashtakam), composed by Adi Shankaracharya — one of the most philosophically dense and revered hymns in the Advaita Vedanta tradition.
What does the mirror-and-city metaphor mean?▼
Just as a vast city can appear within a small mirror while really being only a reflection, the entire universe appears within one's own Consciousness through the power of Maya. It seems to be outside and independent, but it has no separate reality apart from the Self in which it shines — much as a dream-world seems real until one awakens.
Why is the world compared to a dream?▼
In a dream, an entire world arises from and within the mind, appearing external and solid, yet vanishes on waking. The verse uses this to point to a higher 'awakening' (prabodha) — the realization that the waking world too appears within the Self and is, in essence, the non-dual Self alone.
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