Hymn-Dasasloki of Adi Sankara (M. Venkataraman)

Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

Dasasloki of Adi Sankara

The essence of the Advaita doctrine of Adi Sankara is contained in these ten verses. It is said that Adi Sankara composed this at the time when he approached his Guru, Sage Govindabhagawat pada.

Faced with the need of seeking a competent guru who can regularise him into the Sanyasa Ashrama, Sankara approaches Govindabhagawat Pada who was in deep meditation in a cave on the banks of the Narmada. When Sankara expressed his desire to become his disciple, Govindabhagawat Pada asked Sankara as to who he was. Then in reply, Sankara burst out these ten verses. And Govindabhagawat Pada realised that accepting Sankara as his disciple is a formality which he had to fulfil as Sankara had come to him for initiation only to conform to the normal method of entering the Sannyasa Order.

The gist of these verses is that negating so many things, Sankara says that he is the pure Atman devoid of the limiting adjuncts in the form of the body, mind and organs.

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