Story of Dattatreya: The divine power that wove together Tantra and Veda and became a great sage
Story of Dattatreya: Lord Dattatreya is also called the embodiment of the Trinity because he was created to incorporate the widely held beliefs about the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. Vaishnavites consider Dattatreya to be an incarnation of Vishnu, while Shaivites consider him to be an incarnation of Shiva. Dattatreya is also credited with founding the Navnath tradition of the Nath sect. Datta Guru also founded the Raseshwar sect. To create a unified sect, Lord Dattatreya combined Tantra and Vedic traditions.
Education and Initiation
Throughout his life, Lord Dattatreya gained knowledge from various individuals. He also gained wisdom from the lives and deeds of other beings. According to Datta Guru, he considered as his gurus those who imparted the qualities he had acquired and believed that he was the source of those qualities. As a result, he had 24 gurus. Earth, water, fire, sky, moon, sun, pigeon, python, ocean, kite, bumblebee, bee, elephant, deer, fish, Pingala, Kurar bird, kid, young girl, snake, arrow, spider, and ladybug are all examples of these elements.
The Birth of Dattatreya
The wife of a Brahmin suffering from leprosy was faithful to her husband, yet her husband fell in love with a prostitute. At midnight, she carried him on her shoulders to the prostitute’s house. On the way, the leper’s feet touched the feet of the sage Mandavya, who was performing penance. According to the sage Mandavya’s curse, anyone whose feet touched his feet would die at dawn. Hearing this, the devoted wife, determined to protect her husband and avoid widowhood, said, “Go, the sun will never rise.”
Due to the determination of that devoted wife, the sun did not rise. As a result, chaos erupted on Earth. The gods approached Brahma, who instructed them to search for Anasuya, the devoted wife of sage Atri. Only a devoted wife can lift the curse.
Anasuya came to the Brahmin’s wife and said, “Let the sun rise. Through my penance, I will not only cure your husband of leprosy, but also bring him back to life.” Upon receiving this promise, the Brahmin’s wife allowed the sun to rise, and Anasuya revived him and cured his illness. Pleased with this event, the gods requested Anasuya to ask for a boon. Anasuya asked for sons named Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh.
With the blessings of the gods, Dattatreya was born to Anasuya, the wife of sage Atri. He is Atri’s second child, while Prajapati Brahma, the first son of Manasa, is the Moon, and Mahesh is Durvasa’s third son.
In the Puranas, he is described as having six arms and three faces, symbolizing the Trinity. In the image, he is depicted with four dogs in front and a cow behind. According to legend, he resided near the Audumbar tree. Similar images of him are found in many temples, ashrams, and monasteries.
Dattatreya’s Disciples
Dattatreya had three chief disciples who later became kings. One belonged to the demon clan, while the other two were warriors. Lord Parashurama was among his disciples. He received his education in the Indian state of Tripura, a confluence of three different religions (Shakta, Shaiva, and Vaishnava). Triveni never had three faces, yet this is why he is symbolically depicted with three faces.
Dattatreya is said to have taught Parashurama the Srividya mantra. Datta Guru is also said to have taught much to Shiva’s son, Kartikeya. It is said that devotee Prahlad became a great king after receiving the teachings of renunciation from Datta Guru.
However, Kartavirya Arjuna acquired the knowledge of Tantra, Nagarjuna acquired the knowledge of Rasayana, and Sage Sankriti attained the path of Avadhuta. Through devotion to Lord Datta Guru, Guru Gorakhnath received the four paths of Yoga: Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, and Samadhi.
Japa and the Path of the Guru: Datta Guru is mentioned in the Puranas. Two texts on him, “Avatar-Charitra” and “Gurucharitra,” are considered equivalent to the Vedas. We do not know who wrote them. From Margashirsha 7 to Margashirsha 14, or Datta Jayanti, Datta devotees recite the Gurucharitra. Its 52 chapters contain a total of 7491 lines. It describes the miraculous deeds and miracles of Shripad, Shrivallabh, and Shri Narasimha Saraswati.
Datta Paduka: It is said that Datta Guru bathed in the Ganges in Kashi early in the morning. Therefore, Datta devotees hold the Datta Paduka at the Manikarnika Ghat in Kashi in high esteem. Additionally, Belgaum in Karnataka is home to a prominent Paduka. Throughout the country, people worship Lord Datta Guru and his Paduka as their Guru.