Shree Duttatrya
मालाकमंडलुरधः
करपद्मयुग्मे, मध्यस्थ पाणियुगुले डमरूत्रिशूले
यस्यस्त उर्ध्वकरयोः शुभशंखचक्रे वंदे तमत्रिवरदं भुजषटकयुक्तम
(I
bow to the son of Atri, who has six hands and whose lowest two hands have
maalaa and kamandalu, middle pair of hands hold damaru and trishool and top two
hands have holy Shankh and Chakra
Significance of Lord Dattatreya Idol
Kamandalu (water pot) and japamala (rosary)
(Representing Creator Brahmadev)
Conch and discus (Representing the Protector Lord Vishnu)
Trident and small hourglass shaped drum (damaru)
(Representing the Destroyer Lord Shiva)
·
The cow (behind the idol): The earth (kamdhenu)
·
The four dogs: The four Vedas
· The holy fig tree (oudumbar): A symbol of Datta,
worthy of worship as the Datta principle exists in it in a greater amount.
Around
1000 A. D. the idol of Lord Datta became three-faced (trimukhi). Before that it had only one face.
Some of the
sources claim that he was born in Kashmir jungles near the sacred Amarnath.
Dattatreya left home at an early age to wander naked in
search of the Absolute. He seems to have
spent most of his life wandering in the area between and including North Karnataka, through Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, and into Gujarat as far as the Narmada River. He attained
realization at a town, now known as Ganagapura in Karnataka.
The original footprints of Datta are believed to be located on the lonely peak
at Girnar.
The Tripura-rahasya refers
to the disciple Parasurama finding Dattatreya meditating on Gandhamadana mountain. Lord Dattatreya did tapas for 12,000
years in mount girnar.
Sects that originated from Lord
Dattatreya
1. Aghori Sect
Aghor
tradition believes that Jagadguru Dattatreya propounded the tradition of Aghor
later followed in the sixteenth century by the great saint Baba Kinaram.
The direct lineage of the twelve
Aghoreshwars that began with Bhagwan Dattatreya extends from the sixteenth
century until the present day.[17]
1. Baba Kalu Ram (Bhagwan Dattatreya)
2. Aghoraacharya Baba Kinaram (16th century)
3. Baba Bija Ram
4. Baba Dhouta Ram
5. Baba Gaibi Ram
6. Baba Bhavani Ram
7. Baba Jainarayan Ram
8. Baba Mathura Ram
9. Baba Saryu Ram
10. Baba Dal Singar Ram
11. Baba Rajeshwar Ram
12. Baba Bhagwan Ramji
13. Baba Siddharth Gauam Ram
2. Nath Sect
It was Gorakshanath who changed/removed the aghori traditions and made the Nath sampradaya in the acceptable civil form of today.
The Avadhut state as described in the Avadhutgita
compiled by Datta, is similar to that in Siddhasiddhant-paddhati compiled by
Gorakshanath.
Yogis belonging to the Nath sect are also referred to as Avadhuts.
They are beyond restrictions and accept food from all classes of society with
the exception of the Shudras . These yogis emulate pythons and
spend all their time in contemplation of the soul. In the Brahmanirvantantra
four types of Avadhuts have been described.
· Brahmavdhut: These worshippers of Brahman are from any stage (ashram) of life.
· Shaivavdhut: They are the ones who have ritualistically taken the vow of
celibacy. They matt their hair, observe silence (moun), and sit beside a fire place. They also
smear mud onto their bodies.
· Viravdhut: Their hair is long and unruly. They wear a necklace of bones or rudrakshas and carry a staff, an axe and a small
hourglass shaped drum (damaru).
These yogis smear their bodies with holy ash (bhasma) and wear a loin cloth (langoti).
· Kulavdhut: These yogis are initiated into the Koul sect and are householders.
Avadhut ascetics consider Sage Gorakshanath as their Guru. (Refer point ‘Avadhut’.)
The Navnath are the nine saints,
Masters or Naths on whom the Navnath Sampradaya, the lineage of the nine gurus
is based. They are worshipped collectively as
well as individually.
The nine
teachers, collectively known as Navnaths, are considered representative of
great teachers in this tradition or parampara:
The lineage starts with Rishi Dattatreya,
mythological deity-founder.
1. Machindranath or Matsyendranath
2. Gorakshanath or Gorakhnath
3. Jalandharnath or
Jalandernath also known as Jan Peer
4. Kanifnath
5. Gahininath also known
as Gaibi Peer
6. Bhartrinath or
Bhartarinath or Raja Bhartari
7. Revananath
8. Charpatinath
9. Naganath or
Nageshnath
Twelve Nath Panthi
|
Sub Sects further
|
·
Satya natha
·
Dharam natha
·
Daria natha
·
Ayi Panthia
·
Vairaga kea
·
Rama ke
·
Kapilani
·
Ganga nathi
·
Mannathi
·
Rawal ke
·
Paava panth
·
Paglaa panthi
|
·
Machhindranath
·
Adinath
·
Minanatggg
·
Gorakhnath
·
Khaparnath
·
Satnath
·
Balaknath
·
Golaknath
·
Birupakshanath
·
Bhatriharinath
·
Ainath
·
Khecharanath
·
Ramachandranath
|
In this sect the lineage is of Dattatreya - Changdev Raul -
Gundam Raul - Chakradhar. Literature of this sect states that Datta isBrahman.
Raghav Chaitanya, the founder of this sect
undertook the spiritual practice of Dattatreya at Girnar
5. Anand Sect
Here
Datta is considered as the foremost (adi) Guru.
6. Shripad Shrivallabh & Shri Nrusinha Sarsvati sect
Shripad Shrivallabh was the first incarnation of
Lord Datta. He began worship of Datta in Maharashtra in the 15th century.
Shri Nrusinha Sarasvati was His second incarnation. The Shri Gurucharitra gives information on both these
incarnations.
·
Prominent saints from the
Datta sect: They are Eknath,
Manikprabhu, Swami Samarth of Akkalkot, Vasudevanand Sarasvati, Pantamaharaj
Balekundrikar (Balekundri is a village near Belgaum in India.)
·
Incarnations: ‘In the historical age
the three incarnations assumed were Shripad Shrivallabh, Shri Nrusinha
Sarasvati and Manikprabhu. The fourth incarnation was Shri Swami Samarth. These
four are absolute incarnations but there are several partial incarnations. Shri
Vasudevanand Sarasvati (Tembeswami) is included in Them.’
To avoid disturbance from people Shri Nrusinha Sarasvati retired
to the Kardali (the plantain tree) forest after informing His disciples. When
performing austerities there, ants covered His entire body with anthills.
Several years later when a woodcutter was cutting wood in the forest his axe
lightly struck the anthill. Seeing the blade of the axe stained with blood
frightened him and he dug up the anthill. Nrusinha Sarasvati emerged from it as
Akkalkot Swami. The Swami used to live at the present hermitage (math) below the holy fig (oudumbar) tree at
Akkalkot.
·
Incantation of the Name: ‘Digambara Digambara Shripad Vallabh
Digambara. Come quickly O Lord Shri Nrusinha Sarasvati Digambara
·
(दिगंबरा दिगंबरा श्रीपादवल्लभ दिगंबरा । धावा पावा त्वरा करा श्री नृसिंह सरस्वती दिगंबरा ।।)’ is one
of the incantations of this sect.
Others
Jains worship Dattatreya in the form of Neminath
while Muslims remain in the attire of a mendicant. A mendicant is always a
devotee of Lord Datta.
Main Holy Texts
1. Datta Puran: This Puran has the
following three parts.
·
A. Part of ritualistic worship (karmakand)
· B. Part of mental worship (upasanakand) : H.H.
Vasudevanand Sarasvati (Tembeswami) has translated this into Marathi. It is
called ‘Dattamahatmya’.
· C. Part of spiritual knowledge (dnyankand): This is
referred to as ‘Tripurasundarirahasya’.
2. Avadhutgita: This is one of the main
holy texts of the Nath sect. This Gita was preached by Dattatreya to
Kartikeya.
According to the
International Nath Order of the Nath Sampradaya, the "Avadhuta Gita is a distillation of the sublime realization sung by
Dattatreya and transcribed by two of his disciples, Swami and Kartika."
Originally a work of seven chapters, some of the ideas in this Gita are however
common to both Shaivite and BuddhistTantras,
and Vaishnava Agamas.
3. ‘Shri Dattaprabodh’ by Viththal Anantsut Kavadibova
4. Shri Gurucharitra: This tradition follows from Shripad Shrivallabha and Shri Narasimha Saraswati.
Several very famous Datta-avatars are from this tradition. Such traditionally
include Shri Janardanswami, Eknath,
Dasopant, Niranjan Raghunath, Narayan Maharaj Jalwankar, Manik Prabhu, Swami Samarth, Sai
Baba of Shirdi, Gajanan Maharaj of Shegoan, Shri Vasudevananda
Saraswati et al. The disciples of Shri Narasimha Saraswati were Trivikrambharati from Kumasi, Sayamdev, Nagnath, Devrao
Gangadhar and Saraswati Gangadhar from Kadaganchi. There are two
major traditions started by Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Shri Vasudevananda
Saraswati alias Tembe Swami, and they are
described in their respective articles.
Incarnations of Lord
Dattatreya
Name of the
incarnation |
Name of
the father |
Name of
the mother |
Period of
birth |
Native
Village |
Site of
the mission |
Total
surrender |
Renunciation
of the body |
1. Shripad
Shrivallabh |
Apalraj
|
Sumatibai
|
Shake
1245 |
Pithapur
(Andhra Pradesh) |
Andhra
Pradesh |
At 7
years |
Twelfth day
of the dark fortnight of Ashwin Shake 1275 |
2. Shri
Nrusinha Sarasvati |
Madhavrao
|
Ambasati
|
Shake
1339 |
Karanja
(Vidarbha) |
Gangapur
(Karnataka) |
At 12
years |
Third day of
the bright fortnight of Magh Shake 1380 |
3. Shri
Manik- Prabhu |
Manohar-
pant |
Bayamma
|
Shake
1739 |
Ladvanti
(Karnataka) |
Maniknagar
|
In child-
hood |
Tenth day of
the bright fortnight of Margashirsha Shake 1787 |
4. Shri
Swami Samarth (Akkalkot) |
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Akkalkot
(district Solapur) |
Unknown
|
Thirteenth day
of the dark fortnight of Chaitra Shake 1800 |
5. Shri
Saibaba |
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Unknown
|
Pathari
|
Shirdi
|
Unknown
|
Tenth day of
the bright fortnight of Ashvin Shake 1839 |
6. Shri
Bhalchandra Maharaj |
Parshuram
|
Anandibai
|
Shake
1825 |
Mhapan
|
Kankavli
(district Sindhudurga) |
At 22
years |
Seventh day
of the bright fortnight of Margashirsha Shake 1899 |
According to the book "Shridattareya
Shodashavatar Charitanee" by Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati, Dattatreya is
supposed to have taken 16 Avatars. The names and their birthdate (as per the Lunar
calendar) are given in brackets.
1. Yogiraaj (Kaartik
Shu.15)
2. Atrivarad (Kaartik
Kru.1)
3. Dattatreya (Kaartik
Kru.2)
4. Kaalaagnishaman
(Maargashirsha Shu.14)
5. Yogijanvallabh
(Maargashirsha Shu.15)
6. Lilaavishambhar
(Paush Shu.15)
7. Siddharaaj (Maagh
Shu.15)
8. Dnyaasaagar (Faalgun
Shu.10)
9. Vishambhar (Chaitra
Shu.15)
10. Maayaamukta
(Vaishaakh Shu.15)
11. Maayaamukta (Jyeshtha
Shu.13)
12. Aadiguru (Aashaadh
Shu.15)
13. Shivarup (Shraavan
Shu.8)
14. Devdev (Bhaadrapad
Shu.14)
15. Digambar (Aashwin
Shu.15)
16. Krishnashyaamkamalnayan
(Kaartik Shu.12)
In the Dasopanta tradition, all 16 are worshipped and Dasopanta is considered as the 17th avatara.
Dattatreya must have been a
very powerful sage existing before this time and over the centuries.
OM SHREE GURUDEVA DATTA
Shree gurudeva Datta is GURU Ascept hence should be worshipped as a GURU
Shree gurudeva Datta is GURU Ascept hence should be worshipped as a GURU
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