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. I am leaving out his transliteration and word by word translation and am giving below only his introductory remarks and free English translation.
‘Offered on this holy day of guru puurnima, this poem is
transliterated and translated as a humble dedication to my various
spiritual teachers including my Guru, Yogiraj Vethathiri, and paramaguru,Adi Shankaracharya, and the Guru of all, Shrii Dakshinaamuurti.
They took pity on this unworthy disciple enslaved, enticed and
ensnared by Maya and taught me to respect reason, aspire for Truth,
discriminate between the real and the unreal and remain dedicated,
disciplined and devoted to Shakti, residing with us all. Just as a beggar, for his own satisfaction, offers copper coins to a king, I, while remaining indebted, humbly offer this compilation at their Lotus feet as a small token.
shriidakshiNaamuurtii stotraM was written by Jagadguru Adi
Shankaracharya. shriidakshiNaamuurti stotraM is one of the minor compositions of the spiritual giant and exquisite philosopher, Adi Shankaracharya. The popularity of this hymn is not just due to the poetic masterpiece but also because it encompasses the fundamental teachings of Vedanta succinctly and briefly. Dakshninamurti (Shiva) manifests in three different forms, as God, Preceptor and the Self (Atman). The all-pervasiveness of the Atman is clearly expounded in the
tenth verse of the hymn.
The practice of vedanta is to get rid of avidya (ignorance) by
exercising the will over attachment to the unreal, and by overcoming
fear and anxiety by finding the bliss in the eternal. The sadhaka
(aspirant) is often aided by a teacher who is self-realized, and the
aspirant follows the teachings of this Guru, whom he/she considers to be an embodiment of God. The embodiment of Dakshinamurti in the Guru, by whose grace and grace alone, the illumination becomes apparent is saluted in the fourth line of each sloka in the hymn. The final understanding that there is no duality between Guru and God is the essence of religious life, according to Advaita Vedanta
The stotraM aids in the comprehension of the fact that Jiva, Ishvara and Brahman are all the same on the plane of Reality. The recital of this hymn, accompanied with contemplation of the meaning, is said to enable one to reach the plentitude of realization and become one with the Brahman. (Actually, it is the realization that you are already and always Brahman).
An excellent commentary on the dakshinamurthi stotra was written by
His immediate disciple, Sureshvara, and it is called maanasollaasa.
Another beautiful commentary on the work is tattvasudhaa by
svayamprakaashayatinindra. Both of the works, along with a lucid commentary of the dakshinamurti stotra, has been published by the Sringeri Math. The book is called 'Sridakshinamurtistotram' and translated by Dr. D.S. Subbramaiya. The book has two volumes and over 1200 pages. The fact that one requires over 1200 pages to explain the sridakshinamurti stotra provides an idea of the depth required to understand the stotra.
May shri daksinamurti lead us from ignorance to Truth.
Sri Dakshinamurti Stotra.
OM tat sat
shaa.ntipaaThaH..
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.
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. 1
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. 2
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. 3
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. 4
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. 5
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. 6
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. 7
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. 8
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.
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. 9
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).’ 10