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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"
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