dakshinamurtiadvaitavedantashankaracharya

Vishvam Darpana Drishyamana (Dakshinamurti Stotram 1)

विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम् १) in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Thursday (Guru's day) and Mondays, early morning, or before study and meditation·📜 Dakshinamurti Stotram (Dakshinamurti Ashtakam), Verse 1

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is the famous opening verse of Adi Shankaracharya's Dakshinamurti Stotram, a hymn to Shiva in His aspect as Dakshinamurti, the supreme silent teacher of Self-knowledge. With the unforgettable image of the world as a city reflected in a mirror, it teaches that the entire universe appears within Consciousness through Maya, like a dream within sleep, and that on awakening the sage recognizes only his own non-dual Self. The verse closes with a reverent bow to the Guru-form of Shiva.

Origin & Story

Dakshinamurti Stotram (Dakshinamurti Ashtakam), Verse 1 · Adi Shankaracharya · 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.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally said that Dakshinamurti taught the four eternal sages (the Sanatkumaras) the highest truth in perfect silence, his very stillness dispelling their doubts. Devotees believe that meditating on this verse and form awakens the inner Guru, granting clarity of understanding to sincere students of Vedanta.

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The Mantra

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viśvaṃ darpaṇa-dṛśyamāna-nagarī-tulyaṃ nijāntargataṃ paśyann ātmani māyayā bahir ivodbhūtaṃ yathā nidrayā | yaḥ sākṣāt kurute prabodha-samaye svātmānam evādvayaṃ tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye nama idaṃ śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye ||

Meaning: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.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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viśvam🔊the universe, the entire world

darpaṇa-dṛśyamāna-nagarī-tulyam🔊like a city seen reflected within a mirror

nija-antargatam🔊existing within one's own Self

paśyan🔊seeing, perceiving

ātmani🔊within the Self

māyayā🔊by Maya, through the power of illusion

bahiḥ iva udbhūtam🔊as though arisen / appearing outside

yathā nidrayā🔊just as (a dream-world appears) through sleep

yaḥ🔊who, the one who

sākṣāt kurute🔊directly realizes, makes evident

prabodha-samaye🔊at the time of awakening (to true knowledge)

svātmānam eva advayam🔊one's own Self alone, the non-dual (Reality)

tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye🔊to that glorious embodiment of the Guru

namaḥ idam🔊this salutation, this prostration

śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye🔊to the revered Dakshinamurti (Shiva as the supreme silent Guru)

Benefits of Chanting विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम् १)

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Conveys the profound Advaitic teaching that the world appears within the Self, like a reflection

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Deepens devotion to the Guru and to Shiva as Dakshinamurti, the master of wisdom

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Aids contemplation on the dream-like, Maya-born nature of the universe

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Cultivates the insight that one's own Self is the sole non-dual Reality

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A revered invocation for students beginning the study of Vedanta and the scriptures

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Brings peace and inner stillness through reflection on the silent teacher

How to Chant विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम् १)

Repetitions11times

Best TimeThursday (Guru's day) and Mondays, early morning, or before study and meditation

Recite the verse slowly, dwelling on the mirror-and-city image and the recognition of the Self as the one non-dual Reality. It is especially fitting to chant before beginning scriptural study, invoking Dakshinamurti as the inner Guru. As a contemplative stotra verse, ponder its meaning deeply; reciting it 11 or 21 times helps fix the teaching and the salutation in the heart.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete विश्वं दर्पणदृश्यमान (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम् १) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

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.

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.

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.

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.