Sri Daksinamurti - Introduction

Lord Daksinamurti is Lord Siva manifest as the first teacher . He is brahma-vidya sampradaya karta , the iniator of the teaching tradition of self-knowledge . According to the Puranas , Lord Brahma created four manasa-putras ( sons born out of Brahma's mind ) known as the Sanatkumaras ( Sanaka , Sanandana , Sanatana and Sanatkumara ) in the beginning of the creation . Lord Brahma asked them to join him in the task of creation . However , the Sanatkumaras being renunciates by nature , set out towards the northern direction in search of the truth and performed penance . Pleased with them , Lord Siva appeared as Lord Daksinamurti ( facing south ) and imparted brahma-vidya to them . Lord Daksinamurti also taught brahma-vidya to Nandikesvara , the bull that Lord Siva rides on  . In the Puranas , it is said that Nandi is an ardent devotee of Lord Siva . He performed great penance at a place called Uttaramayura-ksetra . The Lord , pleased , appeared before Nandi and imparted Brahma-vidya to him .

The following verse from Guru Vandanam tells us that Lord Siva as Lord Daksinamurti is the first teacher of the guru-sisya parampara :

sadasiva samarambham , sankaracaryamadhyamam 

asmadacaryparyantam , vandeguruparamparam

I salute the lineage of teachers , beginning with Lord Siva ( Lord Daksinamurti ) , linked by Sri Sankaracharya in the middle , and extending down to my own teacher .

"Daksina" means south and "murti" means south . So , Daksinmaurti means the form that faces south . The word "uttara" ( north ) , in Sanskrit , means to rise and cross over . Therefore , the word symbolizes the rising above the senses and crossing the ocean of samsara ( cycle of birth and death ) . So , northern direction is associated with knowledge , evolution and freedom . South , on the other hand , is associated with ignorance and death . Knowledge flows from north to south . So , the students face north to receive the knowledge from the teacher . The teacher faces south because he is enlightened and has conquered death .

We see that the teacher , Lord Daksinamurti is young but his disciples are all old and aged . The Lord is ever-young because the self never ages . The Lord is beyond time and therefore , He is free from the cycle of birth and death and all other modifications of time (kala ) . The Lord is of the nature , ananda , fullness . The disciples are also of this nature . But , they take themselves to be the physical body . Therefore , they are subjected to time and thus , they are also subjected to the cycle of birth and death . The old age of the disciples is also a symbol of maturity because generally , as you grow older , you are expected to be more matured .

Signing off ,
~Dhesegaan~