Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 725: Shri Dakshina murti rupini (ōṃ dakṣiṇāmūrtirūpiṇyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother are discussed.

The Divine Mother is in Dakshinamurti (Shiva) form. Shiva is sitting and facing south and teaching Supreme Knowledge to four great sages (please look at following names). Dakshina means south, kindness and or compassion.

Dakshinamurti is said to have taught the Supreme knowledge silently. When our mind starts looking inward, our words will be reduced. Shiva form is beyond our words. We cannot easily reach Shiva as Dakshinamurti.  Through silence, Shiva attracts many millions of devotees, who can absorb His teachings and become part of the Supreme Para-Brahman. What they may achieve in many births, they can enjoy such bliss by merging with the Para-Brahman in current birth itself. The time and life issues do not affect Shiva. As the Divine Mother is left half of Shiva in Ardhanarieeshvara, She is considered as Dakshinamurti; She teaches Her devotees the same concepts as being silent. As such She gets the name ‘Dakshinamurti’. (Please see the nama 870: Anthar mukha samaradhya)

She or Shiva are in the south facing Dakshinamurti form, who teaches in simple way highly rare concepts. South is considered as direction of destruction. North is considered as auspicious life form. By facing south, the Dakshinamurti has the devotees facing north to get the Liberation or reach the Para-Brahman.  Depending upon the concepts taught, the teaching methods also vary. He is beyond our mind and words. So, He is silent to express His auspicious grace and to spread such bliss in His devotees. His teaching can be received by people with special understanding skills accumulated through their many previous births. She has Dakshinamurti Rupa by unison with Shiva.

Shiva and the Divine Mother give darshan in three ways, namely:

1.      Separate Shiva and the Divine Mother

2.     As Ardhanarieeshvara, where Shiva and the Divine Mother are joined in halves.

3. 3.     One is absorbed in another; like Shiva is absorbed in the Divine Mother rupam as in ‘Kamakshi’ form and the Divine Mother is absorbed in Shiva as in Dakshinamurti rupam, which is without revealing actionable Shakti and having a silent form. Also to absorb the wisdom from the Divine Mother, Shiva is Sat-Chith-Anada form, which does not displace the bliss; this requires a lot of skills for the humans, She is such a Dakshinamurti rupam.

Shiva is the original Guru as he taught even the gods. This Namam means that the Divine Mother Herself assumed the Dakshinamurti form (due to her unison with Shiva).

Shiva did penance in the Himalaya mountains at the loss of His spouse Sati. That form of Shiva is also known as Dakshinamurti.

The Divine Mother is in Dakshinamurti form.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 19 January 2022; updated 26 March 2025.

References:

1.      The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.      Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.      The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar