Sri Dakshinamoorty is revered as the Divine and Universal Guru by Saivites. He is also reckoned as the chief of astrologers, who are bestowed with the power of the word.

He is depicted under His traditional ‘Marri Chettu’  the Banyan without hanging roots, with two parrots and three snakes on the tree. The three snakes represent the distractions of the mind namely: Kama, Krodha, Moham i.e. lust, anger and illusion. Symbolically, this implies that the venomous distractions of kama, krodha and moham are under control at the feet of the Guru.