The figure of Dattatreya is one of Hinduism's characteristic endeavors at syncretic assimilation of multiple deities so that everybody feels included within the parameters of a new spiritual impulse, instead of being excluded as is too often the case. The Dattatreya cult is primarily centered within the state of Maharashtra in India but it has spillovers into the neighboring states. Dattatreya is commonly understood to be a form of God that encompasses within himself the attributes of Hinduism's trinity, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Amongst the Nath-Panthi cult he is regarded as the Primordial Guru of both men and gods. For the common folk he is an endearingly earthy divinity, with habits that are a far cry from the austere restrictions of the brahminical authority structure. He is commonly worshipped in temples as a great healer of the ill. Clearly Datta, as he is commonly called, is what you wish to see in him.

His origins were not grand and ancient as is common with other popular gods of India. The first references to Datta come only in the Pauranic age - 3rd - 4th century AD - which by Hindu standards is very Johnny-come-lately indeed. As is also typical with the Puranas, the origins mentioned are many and confusing. The commonly accepted version is that Dattatreya was the spiritually resplendent son of the sage Atri, borne by his equally great wife Anasuya. The Datta cult spread by means of the oral tradition, instead of relying upon scriptural veracity and there is an interesting popular origin story that illustrates this process.

Anasuya was famed in the universe for her chastity and virtue until it evoked jealousy amongst the very gods. The trinity decided to test these claims to supernatural virtue and turned up at the hermitage when they knew Atri would not be present. Service of the guests is an unshakable rule, the host patiently putting up with the idiosyncrasies of guests. The cunning gods wanted Anasuya to serve them food while she was naked! This would have meant a violation of virtue as a chaste woman allows only her husband to see her naked. Not to comply would have meant breaking the rules about hospitality so it was an impossible dilemma - or so they thought. Anasuya used her miraculous powers to transform them into babies and suckled them in her nude condition! That was within the rules, so the gods were hopelessly routed. As a reward the trinity agreed to be born to Anasuya as a divine son who would combine all their powers and qualities, who was Datta. This is a very popular story but there is not a single textual reference to it. In the popular mindset, having sharp wits is one of the great qualities of spirituality and one is rewarded enormously for being sharp as well as virtuous.

The next appearance of Datta happens in the great epic, the Mahabharatha. This is significant for it is the first time he is described as an Immortal Guru, the role he would never relinquish in all the multifaceted changes that would occur to him over the years. The great king, Kartivirarjuna was born without arms and deemed unfit to rule. He was the only heir to the throne, so it was an impasse. The sage Garga advised the unfortunate prince to win the favor of the immortal sage Dattatreya. The prince is supposed to have worshipped the immortal with a clump of burning camphor held between his stumps. The sage was appalled and impressed and scattered boons upon the prince. He was thenceforth capable of overcoming all foes unless he sinned. Even then death would only come to him from a superior being. He would become a great emperor whose rule would become legendary and best of all he was granted a thousand arms, though how his shoulders and back bore this unexpected bounty is never elucidated. Kartivirarjuna became a great and mighty king, once actually soundly thrashing Hinduism's Uber-villain, Ravana. Power however went to his head and he made the fatal mistake of angering Parashurama, the angry Avatar of Vishnu who slew him and his entire clan to boot. Datta is credited with foresight in the boons he gave the king as it all played out according to plan.

The Markandeya Purana suddenly branches out into a new and peculiar aspect of the Datta cult. The immortal guru is now described as having spent many years immersed in a lake, determined to free himself of all attachments. When he emerged from the waters he was accompanied by a beautiful woman. To the consternation of his patient disciples, he forthwith began a course of wine, song, playing of musical instruments and regular public fornication. They interpreted this bizarre behavior as the great guru displaying his supreme dispassion and absolute non-attachment to actions. When the disciples had this realization Datta changed his behavior to more orthodox forms of austerity - to the great relief not only of his attendant faithful, but also countless generations of harrowed readers! The tantric sects of course love this story even today. Within this story is contained the future public demeanor of Datta - appearing in strange and bizarre forms, indulging in the ritually impure and improper, like meat and liquor and sex with strange women. One of his favorite tricks is to manifest as an outcaste, carrying meat that is still dripping blood, wearing smelly rags and using foul language. A spiritually evolved person should be able to see beyond superficial external appearances. If not, then you are not as evolved as you thought you were!

Certain minor Upanishads then took up the Datta figure as ideal for propagating their viewpoint. There is actually a Dattatreya Upanishad in which his most popular mantra is first articulated.

Dattatreya hare krishna unmatta ananda dayaka
Digambara mune bala pishcha jnana-sagara

"Oh Dattatreya, who is Shiva and Krishna and the crazy bestower of bliss You are the naked ascetic, the sage of the vow of silence, the child, the demon, the ocean of knowledge"

As can be seen this is a pretty comprehensive set of attributes and people can find in Datta whatever resonates with them at that particular stage of their spiritual evolution. The stories and sacred verses associated with Datta are difficult to compile because they are very region specific and are sometimes completely unknown outside the area it is practiced. One is constantly coming up against yet another set of attributes of Datta and consistency is not a serious parameter if one chooses to learn about Datta. In his role as a guru and yogi, he is held in high regard by the Dasanami order of Sannyasis. The Nathpanthis, a very influential though unorthodox set of ascetics, also hold him to be of primary importance, identifying him with Adi-Nath the first guru of creation.

Interestingly for a figure that is famous for being a guru, Datta is supposed to have had 24 gurus who led him to various realizations that contributed to final enlightenment. These are the five Elements, the sun and moon, the sea, twelve forms of animal life - seven comprising birds and insects, two reptiles, two mammals and one fish - a prostitute, a child a maiden and a blacksmith. Fire, for example taught him to be austere and maintain the flame of self knowledge; the python taught him to give up action and trust in god to provide him with nourishment; a prostitute, who took to self-inquiry and the spiritual path out of dejection; a small child who is always cheerful and without material cares and so on. What is somewhat strange is that neither the cow nor the dog, so prominent in all representations of Dattatreya, figure in this list.

Interestingly for a figure that is famous for being a guru, Datta is supposed to have had 24 gurus who led him to various realizations that contributed to final enlightenment. These are the five Elements, the sun and moon, the sea, twelve forms of animal life - seven comprising birds and insects, two reptiles, two mammals and one fish - a prostitute, a child a maiden and a blacksmith. Fire, for example taught him to be austere and maintain the flame of self knowledge; the python taught him to give up action and trust in god to provide him with nourishment; a prostitute, who took to self-inquiry and the spiritual path out of dejection; a small child who is always cheerful and without material cares and so on. What is somewhat strange is that neither the cow nor the dog, so prominent in all representations of Dattatreya, figure in this list.

The normal representations of Dattatreya today show a three-headed six-armed figure holding the emblems of the trinity. This is not so common as might be supposed, as older representations were content with one head and four arms. The trident and drum represent Shiva, the water pot and rosary, Brahma and the conch and discus Vishnu. Sometimes, a club replaces one of the emblems of Vishnu. Normally Dattatreya is shown with dogs cavorting around him, an ancient archetypal image that recalls the Vedic Rudra. There is also a cow, symbol of purity and abundance in Hindu culture, which he sometimes uses as a backrest. The iconography of Datta is as variable as the god and as usual consistency is not a virtue. In fact it is in the early 20th century that Datta made a remarkable comeback into the consciousness of the people and now his temples proliferate, vigorously mainstream as opposed to its previous yogic specialization.

The darshana or vision of Dattatreya is supposed to be the most difficult to obtain of all the gods. The full form vision is practically impossible. Normally he is reported to appear either in his disgusting form, already described, or as a shepherd. Disguise and difficulty in recognizing that Datta has manifested seems to be a characteristic of his impish sense of humor. The many temples scattered all over the country are rarely solely Dattatreya temples, they seem to share space with other deities, or occupy a separate niche, within a larger temple. A good example is the Datta shrine at the Paangal Shiva temple in Andhra Pradesh. (See our article on the shrine in Indiayogi's Temples section) Sometimes certain cults proclaim that their founding guru was an avatar of Dattatreya, a process that is still ongoing. Dattatreya is so polymorphous that any claim can be made with validity, and for the devout, it is all one anyway, so why waste time in disputes? As the Datta- Lahiri sings

Vibhur-nityananda sruti-gana-sirovedya-mahima
Yato janmadyasya prabhabhavti sa maya-gunavatah
Sada-dharah satyo jayati purusarthaika-phala-dah
Sada Dattatreyo viharati muda jnana-laharih

"He is the Eternal joy that pervades, the supreme glory amongst all sacred texts
He manifests his attributes through the power of creative action
He supports all, the One, the true, the one granting the supreme fruit of human life
Dattatreya, the Roamer with Joy intoxicated, the flood of spiritual knowledge"