Form of Shiva · The Silent Guru
Dakshinamurtiदक्षिणामूर्ति
Shiva as the youthful teacher who imparts the highest wisdom in silence.
ॐ दक्षिणामूर्तये नमःThe Story of Dakshinamurti
As Dakshinamurti, Lord Shiva appears as a serene, youthful guru seated beneath a great banyan tree, facing south. Around him gather aged sages, seekers of the highest truth.
Yet the Lord teaches them not with words but in silence, his hand raised in the chin-mudra, the gesture of knowledge. In that silence the doubts of the sages dissolve, and they understand the Self directly.
It is the rarest of teachings: that the deepest reality cannot be spoken, only realised, and that true wisdom passes from the stillness of the master to the readiness of the disciple.
The Meaning
Dakshinamurti is Shiva as the adi-guru, the first and supreme teacher, who reveals that ultimate knowledge lies beyond words. His silent teaching points the seeker inward, to the Self that is ever-present and needs only to be recognised. He is the patron of all who seek wisdom, yoga and self-knowledge.
The Bhakti Angan app brings a new darshan each morning, simple mantras, a japa counter and the daily Panchang, now on the App Store. Using Android? Join the waitlist.
Share this katha 🙏
Sharing a katha is seva. Send it to someone who needs this blessing today.