Shri Gurudev Dutta Janmotsav today

As per Markandeya Purana Chapter 17-18, there was a great war between the Devas and the Daityas, and in that war all the Devas lost the battle and Daityas drove them off from Heaven. After the defeat, Devas went to their Guru Brihaspati for counselling, their Guru said if you want to win and conquer the Triloka (3 worlds) back, go to Lord Dattatreya, cause he can give you a boon which will help you to destroy the Daityas.

When the Devas reached the abode of Lord Dattatreya, at that time he was engrossed in enjoying quality time with his consort Goddess Laxmi. (As per Markandeya Purana, Lord Dattatreya is referred as incarnation of Lord Vishnu, so his consort is Goddess Laxmi and as per Nath Sampradaya and Sthala Purana, he is referred as incarnation of Trinity i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh and a Sanyasi). The Devas then pleased him by offering various foods, garlands, singing his hymns and touching his feet, requested the Lord to help them in regaining the 3 worlds back from the Daityas. The Lord explained them his sinful acts like he is drinking liquor and engrossed with a woman, how can he (Lord Dattatreya) help you?

The Devas still requested and Lord helped them to win over the Daityas. The sinful act (leela) performed by Lord Dattatreya was a dart thrown at Devas, cause the Devas in heaven are always engrossed in drinking liquor, enjoying the damsels dance and always living in mode of ignorance. In comparison, Daityas are more passionate, more powerful and always in thoughts/ready to beat the Devas and conquer the 3 worlds. Lost by this Leela made the Devas, realised that whenever, anyone forgets their duties and gets fully engrossed in wine, Tamasic diet and women definitely makes their life hell and loses everything.

Therefore, the teaching is that don’t live your life in complete ignorance or complete passion, try adding some goodness to balance it. So in order to live a heavenly and peaceful life, try to balance everything by these 4 pillars of life: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Lord Dattatreya is considered as the most dignified incarnation since he is the manifestation of the Trinity with three Divine powers of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Mahesh. These three divine powers represent the creation, continuance and destructionof this Universe respectively.

Shri Dattatreya had descended on this earth to establish ‘Satya‘ (the Universal Truth), ‘Ruta’ (the Cosmic Order), Dharma‘, (the perennial principles), in all its entirety. He was ordained with the three energies; He came to have the concentrated wisdom of the three God-heads or symbolically three heads. The three heads signified as Brahma: ‘Tejas’ personified, Vishnu: ‘Ojas‘ personified, Shiva: ‘Tapas’ personified. Dattatreya created His consort through yogic energy.He named Her Anagha (Sinless, pure).The birth of Deity Datta, who incarnated on the full moon day (pournima) of the Hindu lunar month of Margshirsha, is celebrated as Datta Jayanti. On Datta Jayanti, Deity Datta’s principle is 1000 times more active on Earth as compared to any other day. On this day by worshipping Deity Datta with full devotion, one can derive maximum benefits of the His principle.

What is the real meaning of Datta. The One Who has been endowed with the anubhuti (spiritual experience) of the unmanifest (nirgun) is called Datta. The anubhuti of nirgun essentially means, realization that He is the soul (atma) or He has attained God-Realization. Deity Datta is also known as Dattatreya, Avadhut and Digambar. Self-education: the 24 Gurus of Dattatreya:

1. Guru - Earth Observation - Steadfastly productive, does its dharma, gets abused, heals and is steady in giving nourishment. Dattatreya's learning - Forbearance, remain undisturbed even if oppressed, keep healing even if others injure you.

2. Guru - Wind. Observation - Passes through everything and everyone, unchanged, unattached, like Truth; sometimes becomes a gale, disturbs and changes the world, like Truth. Dattatreya's learning - Be free like the wind, yet resolute true to your own force.

3. Guru - Sky. Observation - The highest has no boundaries, no limits, is unaffected even if clouds and thunderstorms come and go. Dattatreya's learning - The highest within oneself, the Atman (self, soul) has no limits, it is undifferentiated nondual no matter what, let the clouds of materiality pass, be one with your soul and the Universal Self.

4. Guru - Water. Observation - Serves all without pride, discrimination; is transparent to everyone; purifies and gives life to everyone it touches. Dattatreya's learning - A saint discriminates against no one and is never arrogant, lets other give him impurity, yet he always remains pure and cleanses.

5. Guru - Fire. Observation - Purifies and reforms everything it comes in contact with, its energy shapes things. Dattatreya's learning - Heat of knowledge reforms everything it comes in contact with, to shape oneself one needs the energy of learning

6. Guru - Moon. Observation - Waxes and wanes but its oneness doesn't changeDattatreya's learning - Birth, death, rebirth and the cycle of existence does not change the oneness of soul, like moon it is a continuous eternal reality.

7. Guru - Sun. Observation - Source of light and gives its gift to all creatures as a sense of duty; in rain puddles it reflects and seems like distinct in each puddle, yet it is the same one sun. Dattatreya's learning - The soul may appear different in different bodies, yet everyone is connected and the soul is same in all; like Sun, one must share one's gifts as a sense of duty.

8. Guru - Pigeons. Observation - They suffer losses in the hands of violent hunters, warn against obsessive attachments to anyone or to material things in this world. Dattatreya's learning - Do not be obsessive, don't focus on transient things such as damage or personal loss, human life is a rare privilege to learn, discover one's soul and reach moksha.

9. Guru - Python. Observation - Eats whatever comes its way, makes the most from what it consumes. Dattatreya's learning - Be content with what you have, make the most from life's gifts.

10. Guru - Bumblebee. Observation - Active, works hard to build and create its reserve by directly visiting the flowers, but is selective and uses discretion, harmonious with flowers and never kills or over consumes. Dattatreya's learning - Be active, go directly to the sources of knowledge, seek wisdom from all sources but choose the nectar, be gentle, live harmoniously and leave others or other ideologies alone when you must.

11. Guru - Beekeeper. Observation - Profits from honeybees. Dattatreya's learning - Don't crave for material pleasures or in piling up treasures, neither the body nor material wealth ever lasts.

12. Guru - Hawk. Observation - Picks up a large chunk of food, but other birds harass him, when it drops its food other birds leave him alone. Dattatreya's learning - Take what you need, not more.

13. Guru - Ocean. Observation - Lucid at the surface, but deep and undisturbed within; receives numerous rivers yet remains the same. Dattatreya's learning - Lett rivers of sensory input not bother who you are deep inside, know your depths, seek self-knowledge, be unperturbed by life, equipoise.

14. Guru - Moth. Observation - Moth is deceived by its senses, it runs to the fire in misunderstanding which kills it. Dattatreya's learning - Question your senses, question what others are telling you, question what you see, know senses can deceive, seek reason.

15. Guru - Elephant. Observation - Elephant is deceived by his lust, runs after the smell of a possible mate, and falls into a pit made by mahout's then fettered and used. Dattatreya's learning - Don't lust after something or someone, don't fall into traps of others or of sensory gratification.

16. Guru - Deer. Observation - Deer is deceived by his fear, by hunters who beat drums and scare him into a waiting net. Dattatreya's learning - Fear not the noise, and do not succumb to pressure others design for you.

17. Guru - Fish. Observation - Fish is deceived by bait and so lured to its death. Dattatreya's learning - Greed not the crumbs someone places before you, there are plenty of healthy opportunities everywhere.

18. Guru - Courtesan. Observation - Exchanges transient pleasure with body, but feels dejected with meaningless life, ultimately moves on. Dattatreya's learning - Many prostitute their time, self-respect and principles for various reasons but feel dejected with their career and circumstances, seek meaning and spirituality in life, move on to doing things you love to do.

19. Guru - Child. Observation - Lives a life of innocent bliss. Dattatreya's learning - Be a child, curious, innocent, blissful.

20. Guru - Maiden. Observation - She is poor yet tries her best to feed her family and guest, as she cooks she avoids attracting attention to her kitchen and poverty, by breaking all her bangles except one on each wrist. Dattatreya's learning - Don't seek attention, a yogi accomplishes and shares more through solitude.

21. Guru - Snake. Observation - Lives in whatever hole that comes his way, willingly leaves bad skin and molts. Dattatreya's learning - A yogi can live in any place, must be ready to molt old ideas and body for rebirth of his spirit.

22. Guru - Arrowsmith. Observation - The best one was so lost in his work that he failed to notice the king's procession that passed his way. Dattatreya's learning - Concentrate on what you love to do, intense concentration is the way to self-realization.

23. Guru - Spider. Observation - Builds a beautiful web, destroys and abandons the web, then restarts again. Dattatreya's learning - Don't get entangled by your own web, be ready to abandon it, go with your Atman.

24. Guru - Caterpillar. Observation - Starts out closed in a tiny nest but ultimately becomes a wasp. Dattatreya's learning - Long journeys start small, a disciple starts out as insignificant but ultimately becomes a spiritual master.

His Teachings: Guru Dattatreya gave Ashtanga Yoga (eight fold path of Yoga) to the world thousands of years ago. Patanjali codified this knowledge in sootra forms. It comprises:

1. Yama – non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-receiving of any gifts. Moral discipline.

2. Niyama – cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study and self-surrender to God. Moral discipline Yama and Niyama are moral training and form the basis of Yoga. As these two become established, the Yogi will begin to realize the fruits of his practice.

3. Asana – posture

4. Pranayama – ‘Prana’ is the life-force, ‘yama’ is control. ‘Pranayama’ consists of breath control exercises.

5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of senses from sense objects.

6. Dharana – concentration.

7. Dhyana – meditation.

8. Samadhi – the transcendental or super conscious state of being one with God: Principle tenets of the Dattatreya tradition. Shri Gurudev Dutta