The Story of Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurti

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This story explains how Shiva became known as Dakshinamurti. It follows a debate between Shiva and the Sanat Kumaras, revealing ancient wisdom and spiritual insights, and ultimately recognizing Shiva as the true guru.

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Characters in the story:

Lord Shiva: Lord Shiva holds significant prominence in Hinduism as a prominent deity, revered for his role as the vanquisher of malevolence and the catalyst of universal change. Depicted in various forms, he is often portrayed as a tranquil ascetic engaged in deep meditation or as the divine dancer, adorned with a third eye, an entwined serpent around his neck, and a trident grasped firmly in his hand.

Rishi Atharva: Rishi Atharva, also called Atharvan, is a legendary Vedic sage (rishi) who along with Angiras authored the Atharvaveda. He is also said to have first instituted the fire-sacrifice or yajña.

Sanat Kumaras: The Sanat Kumaras are four sages (rishis) from the Puranic texts who roam the universe as children, generally named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara. They are described as the first mind-born creations and sons of the creator-god Brahma.

The story begins with the marriage of Shiva and Sati. After their wedding, Rishi Dadhichi invited Shiva and Sati to his ashram. While they were seated among many rishis, Shiva noticed Rishi Atharva and asked why he seemed hesitant to speak with him.

Rishi Atharva explained that he had composed a remarkable doctrine of Knowledge and wanted it to be validated by a wise person, and no one was wiser than Shiva. Shiva blessed Rishi Atharva and began reviewing his thesis.

The doctrine covered everyday matters, material needs, health, and medicine. After reading it, Shiva declared that the book was so essential and well-written that it should be recognized as the fourth Veda. Before this, there were only three Vedas: Rig, Yajur, and Sama.

Although everyone praised the Atharva Veda, the four mind-born sons of Brahma, known as the Sanat Kumaras (Sanak, Sanatan, Sanandan, and Sanat Kumar), disagreed. They didn’t believe Shiva, a hermit, had the authority to introduce a fourth Veda alongside those created by their father.

The Sanat Kumaras approached Prajapati Daksha, Sati’s father, who suggested they debate Shiva according to the scriptures. They went to Dadhichi’s ashram and challenged Shiva to a debate. Shiva happily accepted.

Dadhichi arranged the seating so that Shiva faced north and the Sanat Kumaras faced south. This arrangement offended the Sanat Kumaras, who argued that their immense knowledge deserved the respect of facing north. Shiva agreed and switched his position to face south.

Devi Saraswati, the mother of the Vedas, was appointed as the judge for the debate. As the debate began, the Sanat Kumaras quoted numerous Vedic verses, but Shiva, the great yogi, countered each one with rational arguments supported by the original three Vedas.

As the Sanat Kumaras were humbled, Saraswati declared Shiva the winner. They remained confused about how a fourth Veda could exist when Brahma had only created three, and how Rishi Atharva possessed such profound knowledge.

Shiva explained that when Lord Matsya (an incarnation of Vishnu) was battling the demon Hayagreeva to retrieve the stolen Vedas, Hayagreeva, after spitting out the three Vedas, fled to Shiva for protection. Shiva told Hayagreeva that no one could save him from Vishnu but blessed him to retain the knowledge of the fourth Veda in his next life. Atharva was the reincarnation of Hayagreeva. Brahma had four heads, indicating there were always four Vedas, but the fourth had remained hidden from humans until now.

The Sanat Kumaras praised Shiva for his wisdom and honored him by naming him Dakshinamurti, the lord facing south.

In the end, the Sanat Kumaras praised Shiva for his profound wisdom and humbly apologized, honoring him as Dakshinamurti, the lord facing south. This marked Shiva’s recognition as the ultimate guru and guardian of spiritual knowledge.

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