The story of Dattatreya’s birth.
Anusuya , the wife of Atri Maharishi, a great sage and one of the seven foremost seers and sages, is quoted as the model of chastity and purity . She was well established in the Pativrata Dharma, the main elements of which are devotion to husband and regard of him as God Himself. She did severe austerities for a very long time in order to beget sons equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Hindu Trinity.
Once, Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati requested their husbands (the Trimurtis) to test the Pativrata Dharma of Anusuya, by asking her to give them alms with an unclothed body.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came to know of the austerity and desire of Anusuya. So, they agreed to their wives’ request, as they knew that by agreeing to it, they would also be fulfilling Anusuya’s wish. They put on the garb of Sannyasins and appeared before Anusuya, asking her to give them alms as specified by their wives. Anusuya was in a great dilemma. She could not say “No” to the Sannyasins. And she had to maintain her Pativrata Dharma also, which she would be violating if she appeared naked before men other than her own husband. She meditated on the form of her husband, took refuge at his feet and sprinkled over the three Sannyasins a few drops of water used for washing the feet of her husband. Immediately the Trimurtis were transformed into three babies on account of the glory of her chastity.
At the same time, there was accumulation of milk in her breast. She thought that these children were her own and fed them with the milk, in a nude state and cradled them. She was eagerly expecting the arrival of her husband who had gone to have a bath. As soon as Atri Rishi returned home, Anusuya related all that had happened during his absence, placed the three children at his feet and worshipped him. But, Atri knew all this already through his divine vision. He embraced all the three children. They became one child, with two feet, one trunk, three heads and six hands. Atri Rishi blessed his wife and informed her that the Trimurtis themselves had assumed the forms of the three children to gratify her wish.
In the meantime, Narada went to Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati and informed them that their husbands had been turned into children through the power of the Pativrata Dharma of Anusuya and that they would not return unless they asked for their husbands as alms from Rishi Atri. Thus Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati assumed the form of ordinary women, appeared before Atri and asked for their own husbands as alms. Atri duly honoured the three ladies and, with folded palms, prayed to them that his wish and the wish of Anusuya should be fulfilled.
Then, the Trimurtis appeared in their true form before Atri and said, “This child will be a great sage according to your word and will be equal to us, according to the wish of Anusuya. The child will bear the name of Dattatreya.” Saying this they disappeared.
Hence Dattatreya is an incarnetion of the combined Trinity the Trinity.
The child Dattatreya soon attained manhood. As he had the rays of the Trimurtis and as he was a great man of the highest wisdom, all the Rishis and ascetics worshipped him. He was gentle, peaceful and amiable. He was an Avadhuta—an ascetic who always remains naked. He preached the Truth of Vedanta.
Dattatreya taught his Avadhuta Gita to Lord Subramanya. This is a wonderful book which contains the truths and secrets of Vedanta and the experiences of Self-realisation.
Lord Parashurama was a disciple of Dattatreya and was taught the famous Parashurama Kalpa Sooktam, the first ever teaching of the great Sri Yantra worship, also known as Srividya of Devi. It is known as Tantra Raj meaning the king of Tantras. The Sri Yantra, which is worshipped is known as Yantra Raj or King of Yantras and the Shodasi mantra with which it is worshipped is called Mantra Raj or King of Mantras.
Following are some of the famous Dattatreya Temples.
According to scriptures:
- Sri Dattatreya sleeps in Mahura or Mahurgad in Maharashtra
- Resides on Sahyadri Hills
- Takes bath in Ganges in Varanasi
- Performs Achamana in Kurukshetra
- Applies Bhasma in Dhoot Papeshwar in Maharashtra
- Performs Sandhya in Karnataka
- Performs MadhyAdhyAhnika in Ganigapur, Karnataka
- Bhiksha in Kolhapur
- Wears Tilaka in Pandarapur
- Eats the Bhiksha in Panchaleshwar, near Pune,
- Drinks water from river Tungabhadra
- Rests in Girnar, Gujarat
- Listens to sacred chants and praises in Badarinath Uttarakhand
- Performs Sayam Sandhya on the West Coast.
These fourteen places are Datta Kshetras. - Dattatreya temple at Narasimhawad is where he spent 12 years as an incarnation as Narasimha Swami.
- Narasimha Swami, an avatara of Dattatreya took Mahasamadhi at Srisailam.
Kukkuteswara temple, Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh, where he took avatara as the son of a devout Brahmin couple.
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