Bronze Teaching Shiva as Dakshinamurti "South Facing Lord" 12"

May this obeisance be directed to the Blessed Dakshinamurti to Him who takes the guise of the auspicious Guru, to Him whose eight-fold Form is this entire motionless and mobile cosmos, manifesting as earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon and the soul; beyond whom, all-pervading and supreme, there exists nothing else for those who truly search!

Special Features:  Dakshinamurti is Shiva in his aspect as the universal teacher, teaching the secrets of yoga, tantras, yantras, alchemy, magic, occult knowledge, arts and sciences, ancient history or knowledge of the future to the sages and saints, gods and goddesses and his highly qualified devotees. Shiva teaches sitting on the snowy mountains of the Himalayas.  He faces south towards the Indian subcontinent. Dakshinamurti literally translated means "south Facing Lord"  The southern direction is an auspicious direction to face.  By Shiva teaching with his body pointed to the southern direction he is basically showing to everyone that he is a god and thus above any worldly traditions. 

The images of Dakshinamurti, depict Shiva in his pleasant mood, seated on a high rock seat, with one leg folded while the other rests on the Apasmarapurusha, the deluded self. Two of his arms hold a snake or drum or both in one hand and fire in the other. The snake is a symbol of tantric knowledge and the fire symbol of enlightenment. His remaining right hand  is in abhayamudra posture of assurance and the other holds a copy of scripture in gnanamudra posture of presenting knowledge