
The story of Dattatreya’s birth.
Details about Dattatreya are mentioned in the ancient texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, the Markandeya Purana, and the Brahmanda Purana and many other scriptures.
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. He attained complete realisation at a place not far from the town now known as Ganagapur near the peak at Mount Girnar. 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.
Sikh Religion Guru Gobind Singh has written life history of Dattatreya in his composition called Rudra Avtar including birth, spiritual journey, and includes 24 Gurus and Realization of Akal Purakh.
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 but according to some takes his lunch daily by taking alms at a holy place Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh
- 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. - Ekamukha Dattatreya, Ettipothala, Maacharla, Andhra Pradesh
- 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.
- Took his Samadhi after meditating for a long time in the Krishna river at Srisailam.
- Kukkuteswara temple, Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh, where he took Avatara as SRIPADA SRIVALLABHA SWAMY, the son of a devout Brahmin couple.
His Twenty-Four Gurus
Once, while Dattatreya was roaming in a forest happily, He met a king, Yadu, who on seeing Dattatreya so happy, asked Him the secretes of His happiness and also the name of His Guru. Dattatreya said that the Atman alone was His Guru, and yet, He had learned wisdom from twenty-four individuals and that they were, therefore, His Gurus.
Dattatreya then mentioned the names of His twenty-four Gurus and spoke of the wisdom that He had learnt from each:
The names of My twenty-four teachers are:
- Earth 2. Water 3. Air 4. Fire 5. Sky 6. Moon 7. Sun 8. Pigeon 9. Python 10. Ocean 11. Moth 12. Bee 13. Honey-gatherer 14. Elephant 15. Deer 16. Fish 17. Dancing-girl Pingala 18. Raven 19. Child 20. Maiden 21. Serpent 22. An arrow-maker 23. Spider 24. Beetle.
- I learnt patience and doing good to others from the EARTH, for it endures every injury man commits on its surface, and yet it does him good by producing crops, trees, etc.
- From WATER I have learnt the quality of purity. Just as the pure water cleanses others, so also the sage, who is pure and free from selfishness, lust, egoism, anger, greed etc., purifies all those who come in contact with him.
- The AIR is always moving through various objects, but it never gets attached to anyone of them; so I have learnt from the air to be without attachment, though I move with many people in this world.
- Just as FIRE burns bright, so also the sage should be glowing with the splendour of his knowledge and Tapas.
- The air, the stars, the clouds, etc., are all contained in the SKY, but the sky does not come in contact with any of them. I have learnt from the sky that the Atman or the Soul is all-pervading, and yet it has no contact with any object.
- The MOON is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atman is always perfect and changeless, and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it.
- Just as the SUN, reflected in various pots of water, appears as so many different reflections, so also Brahman appears different because of the Upadhis (bodies) caused by the reflection through the mind. This is the lesson I learnt from the sun.
- I once saw a pair of PIGEONS with their young birds. A fowler spread a net and caught the young birds. The mother pigeon was very much attached to her children. She did not care to live, so she fell into the net and was caught. The male pigeon was attached to the female pigeon, so he also fell into the net and was caught. From this I learnt that attachment is the cause of bondage.
- The PYTHON does not move about for its food. It remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place. From this I learnt to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I get to eat (Ajagara Vritti).
- Just as the OCEAN remains unmoved even though hundreds of rivers fall into it, so also the wise man should remain unmoved among all sorts of temptations, difficulties and troubles. This is the lesson I learnt from the ocean.
- Just as the MOTH, being enamoured of the brilliance of the fire, falls into it and is burnt up, so also, a passionate man who falls in love with a beautiful girl comes to grief. To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self, is the lesson I learnt from the moth.
- Just as the BLACK BEE sucks the honey from different flowers and does not suck it only from one flower, so also I take only a little food from one house and a little from another house and thus appease my hunger (Madhukari Bhiksha or Madhukari Vritti). I am not a burden on the householder.
- Bees collect honey with great trouble, but a HUNTER comes and takes the honey easily. Even so, people hoard up wealth and other things with great difficulty, but they have to leave them all at once and depart when the Lord of Death takes hold of them. From this I have learnt the lesson that it is useless to hoard things.
- The male ELEPHANT, blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered over with grass, even at the sight of a paper-made female elephant. It gets caught, enchained and tortured by the goad. Even so, passionate men fall in the traps of women and come to grief. Therefore, one should destroy lust. This is the lesson I have learnt from the elephant.
- The DEER is enticed and trapped by the hunter through its love of music. Even so, a man is attracted by the music of women of loose character and brought to destruction. One should never listen to lewd songs. This is the lesson I learnt from the deer.
- Just as a FISH that is covetous of food falls an easy victim to the bait, so also, the man who is greedy of food, who allows his sense of taste to overpower him, loses his independence and easily gets ruined. The greed for food must therefore be destroyed. It is the lesson that I have learnt from the fish.
- There was a DANCING GIRL named PINGALA in the town of Videha. She was tired of looking for customers one night. She became hopeless. Then she was contented with what she had, and then had sound sleep. I have learnt from that fallen woman the lesson that the abandonment of hope leads to contentment.
- A RAVEN picked up a piece of flesh. It was pursued and beaten by other birds. It dropped the piece of flesh and attained peace and rest. From this I have learnt the lesson that a man in the world undergoes all sorts of troubles and miseries when he runs after sensual pleasures, and that he becomes as happy as the bird when he abandons the sensual pleasures.
- The CHILD who sucks milk is free from all cares, worries and anxieties, and is always cheerful. I have learnt the virtue of cheerfulness from the child.
- The parents of a YOUNG GIRL had gone in search of a proper bridegroom for her. The girl was alone in the house. During the absence of the parents, a party of people came to the house to see her on a similar object in reference to an offer of marriage. She received the party herself. She went inside to husk the paddy. While she was husking, the glass bangles on both hands made tremendous jingling noise. The wise girl reflected thus: “The party will detect, by the noise of the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself, and that my family is too poor to engage others to get the work done. Let me break all my bangles except two on each hand.” Accordingly, she broke all the bangles except two on each hand. Even these two bangles created much noise. She broke one more bangle of each hand. There was no further noise though she continued husking. I have learnt from the girl’s experience the following: Living among many would create discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even among two, there might be unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic or the Sannyasin should remain alone in solitude.
- A SERPENT does not build its hole. It dwells in the holes dug out by others. Even so, an ascetic or a Sannyasin should not build a home for himself. He should live in the caves and temples built by others. This is the lesson that I have learnt from the snake.
- The mind of an ARROW-MAKER was once wholly engrossed in sharpening and straightening an arrow. While he was thus engaged, a king passed before his shop with his whole retinue. After some time, a man came to the artisan and asked him whether the king passed by his shop. The artisan replied that he did not notice anything. The fact is that the artisan’s mind was solely absorbed in his work and he did not know what was passing before his shop. I have learnt from the artisan the quality of intense concentration of mind.
- The SPIDER pours out of its mouth long threads and weaves them into cobwebs. It gets itself entangled in the net of its own making. Even so, man makes a net of his own ideas and gets entangled in it. The wise man should therefore abandon all worldly thoughts and think of Brahman only. This is the lesson I have learnt from the spider.
- The Bhringi or the BEETLE catches hold of a worm, puts it in its nest, and gives it a sting. The poor worm, always fearing the return of the beetle and sting, and thinking constantly of the beetle, becomes a beetle itself. Whatever form a man constantly thinks of, he attains in course of time that form. As a man thinks, so he becomes. I have learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into Atman by contemplating constantly on It and thus to give up all attachment to the body and attain Moksha or Liberation.”
The king was highly impressed by the teachings of Dattatreya. He abandoned the world and practiced constant meditation on the Self.
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