DATTATREYA JAYANTI (15.12.2005 , Margashirsha Pournima Shalivahan Shaka 1927)
1. Definition of Datta
|| Shri Gurudev Datta ||
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Datta means one who has been bestowed with (the spiritual experience) of the unmanifest, i.e. one who has been given the experience that the Self is Brahman or that the Self is the Soul and that one is free.
2. Avadhût
Avadhût is another name for Shri Datta. Some derivations and meanings of this name are as follows :
1. A = (Meaning : One who is eternally experiencing Bliss)
va = (Meaning : One who constantly lives in the present)
dhû = (Meaning : One whose (spiritual) ignorance has been destroyed with spiritual knowledge. Thus, one who is benevolent)
ta = (Meaning : One who has destroyed all ignorance by contemplating on the Absolute Principle)
2. In the Avadhûtopaniíshad, the word Avadhût is described as follows.
A = This syllable connotes imperishableness (aksharatva)’, Avadhût also means one who has had the sâkshâtkâr (realisation) of Aksharbrahman (Akshar - lit. letter; unchanging). Aksharatva also refers to the ability to make a task successful.
va = This syllable comes from ‘Vareßyatvâ’, i.e. the highest limit of excellence or Absoluteness.
dhû = This syllable refers to one who is free from all types of restrictions, is liberated, who cannot be restricted by any rules or binding.
ta = This stands for the profound statement ''Tatvamasi'' (lit. “Thou art That”, one of the four great statements from the Upaniíhads)’.
In brief, that great being who is ever present in the Supreme Self, is known as Avadhût.
3. (That which washes away or destroys sattva, raja and tama is Avadhût), is how He is described accord-ing to the Siddhasiddhântapaddhati, a book by Gorakshanâth (6.1).
4. Is the incantation of devotees of Lord Datta. ‘Avadhût’ is a devotee. Shrî Gurudev Datta is the one who is always concerned about the welfare of His devotees. He is their benefactor.
3. Birth history
Once, Lord Brahmâ, Viíhßu and Mahesh together set out to test Anasûyâ’s (the wife of ruíhi Atri) chastity. Owing to her chastity, from the fractions of Brahmâ, Viíhßu and Mahesh, three sons were born to her. Datta was born of a fraction of Lord Viíhßu. Many know about this mythological story from the Purâß. From the spiritual stand-point, the implied meaning of ‘Atri’ is as follows.
‘A’ means absent (‘A’ is indicative of negation) and ‘tri’ means the triad. Hence, ‘Atri’ is one who is devoid of the trilogies like states of awake-dream-deep sleep, sattva-raja-tama or one who meditates-object of meditation-meditation itself. The intellect of such an ‘atri’ is without any asûyâ, i.e. without desire-anger, free from the six kinds of action (for details, refer booklets on ‘Shiva’ and ‘Shakti’) and is thus pure. That is what is called ‘anasûyâ’. Datta was born of the sankalpa (resolve) of such pure intellect.
4. Datta’s Gurus and sub-gurus
4 A. Gurus : The 11th chapter of Shrîmadbhâgvat mentions a conversation between Yadu and Avadhût. In this part, Avadhût describes the Gurus He chose and what He learnt from them. [Here, the term Guru is used to mean a ‘teacher’. What is a true Guru like, is explained in our holy text ‘Science of Spirituality : Volume 4 - Path of Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupâyoga).]
‘Everything in this Universe is a ‘Guru’; because there is something or the other to be learnt from it. A negative aspect teaches what is undesirable and should be given up and a positive aspect teaches what is to be imbibed. I created an ocean of Knowledge with a little from each of the twenty-four Gurus (examples given below) and cleansed all my sins by bathing in it.
4 A 1. Earth : One must learn from the earth, virtue such as forbearance.
4 A 2. Wind : The wind remains unconcerned whether it is blowing over a hot plate or over an ice block. It is present in heat and cold and yet is not bound by their qualities or defects. Similarly, one should be detached like the wind and not be affected by one’s surroundings. Those desirous of liberation should, in all circumstances, tread freely on the path prescribed by the Vedas, not paying attention to anyone’s virtues or defects.
4 A 3. Âkâsh (ether) : Like ether, the soul pervades all objects, yet it is steady, single and stable.
4 A 4. Water
a. Man should be loving towards all. Like water, he should impartial.
b. Just as water lets its impurity settle to the bottom and cleanses others of their impurities, so must man renounce the impurity of ego. He should acquire the treasure of spiritual knowledge and cleanse impure people of their sins.
c. Relinquishing its superior position, while flowing from a higher to a lower altitude, water uproots haughty trees and nurtures the humble vegetations; so must the liberated souls help others in uprooting the attachment to wealth and passion. They must punish the heretics and the wicked and also liberate those who surrender, of their sins.
d. Just as stagnant water develops a foul smell, but remains clean when it flows, so it is for humans. Therefore, to prevent stagnation (attachment), wise men must go and stay at various places of pilgrimage, instead of staying in one place.
4 A 5. The Fire
a. Man should be austere like the fire and get enlightened. He should partake of whatever is available, i.e. go beyond likes-dislikes. He should refrain from bad deeds and just as fire is utilised appropriately, he should make use of his virtues appropriately.
b. When on a pilgrimage, instead of accumulating food, etc. he should eat whatever is available.
c. One must always remain pure like the fire and behave equally with all.
d. When one offers oblations into the fire uttering the different names of God, the fire transports the offerings to the respective deities.
e. The flame of fire is considered a Guru so as to make us realise that our body is transient. Just as one moment is enough to kindle or extinguish a fire, our body which is made of the panchamahâbhûtas (five great cosmic elements) does not require much time to come into existence or to get destroyed.
4 A 6. The Moon :
The subtle phase of the new moon and the fifteen phases of the subsequent fortnight, together make the sixteen phases of the moon. Though the moon has phases, it is not affected by them. Similarly the soul is not affected by bodily changes.
4 A 7. The Sun :
The sun stores water in the clouds and benevolently showers it on the earth at the appropriate time. Similarly, man should store whatever is useful and make it available impartially to all living organisms, keeping the place, time and present moment in mind.
4 A 8. The Pigeon :
Just as a falcon devours the pigeon and its family, so does time destroy a man who like a pigeon, has intense attachment to his wife and children and lives his life only for worldly pleasure. Thus, a seeker desirous of liberation should be mentally detached from everything.
4 A 9. The Python :
Since the python believes in its destiny, it fearlessly lies in one place. It is content with whatever food it gets at any time and has no preferences. It is not perturbed if food is not available for sometime. Inspite of having the strength, the python does not utilise it.
Similarly, a seeker must have full faith in his destiny, eat whatever is available and not be vexed if nothing is available. He should be absorbed in the contemplation of the true self.
4 A 10. The Sea
a. The sea neither gets elated if the rivers bring a bountiful flow during the monsoons, nor does it feel aggrieved if they do not. As a result, it neither swells nor dries up. So must man remain steadfast in his duties, feeling neither elated upon experiencing worldly pleasures nor unhappy when undergoing a succession of tragedies. He should always be immersed in Bliss.
b. Just as the sea keeps secret its length, breadth, depth and the treasures in its bed, man also should not let anyone know of his inherent qualities. However, one should always utilise them for the welfare of others.
4 A 11. The moth : Enchanted by the radiance of a lit lamp, the moth pounces on it and is burnt to death. Similarly, a man who is fascinated by a woman’s beauty and youth, for the sake of sexual pleasure, finally perishes in it.
4 A 12.The Honey Bee and Honey collectors
a. The honey bee : In the face of several difficulties, the honey bee makes a hive in an inconvenient location up on a tree and stores honey in it. It neither eats that honey, nor lets others feast on it. Then, all of a sudden, honey collectors kill the bee and carry away the hive along with the honey. Similarly, a miser who accumulates wealth with incessant effort, either loses his wealth in a fire or it gets stolen by thieves or taken away by the King and so he ends up being unhappy. He is also unhappy when the wealth is wasted by an immoral progeny or if he dies without any progeny. After he dies, the wealth remains as it is or is acquired by someone else. If at the time of death, he is still attached to the wealth, then in the form of a ghost or a serpent, he harasses the one who enjoys that wealth.
Accumulating (wealth) like the honey bee, leads to sudden death. Keeping this in mind, man should not accumulate wealth.
b. The honey collector : Just as the honey collector acquires the honey effortlessly, so also a male seeker, instead of exerting himself in making a fire place, collecting utensils, firewood, etc. should partake of food cooked in the home of a householder and utilise the time saved thus in the endeavour of realising God.
Such seekers desirous of liberation, provide an opportunity to the householder’s family which feeds them, to progress spiritually.
4 A 13. Gajendra (the elephant)
a. Man tries to capture an elephant by digging a pit, covering it with grass and placing on that pit a wooden cow elephant covered with elephant skin. The infatuated elephant intent upon sexual pleasure, rushes toward that wooden cow elephant and falls into the pit. Thus, although the elephant is very powerful, it is easily captured by man. Similarly, lured by sensuous pleasure, man is immediately trapped in bondage.
b. Men allured by adulterous women, perish in the same way as elephants (when overcome with lust) die fighting amongst themselves for a cow elephant.
4 A 14. The Black Bee
a. The lotus in bloom withers once the sun sets. If a black bee is sitting on it at that time, it gets caught within. Thus, realising that attraction to object pleasure gives rise to bondage, one should refrain from such attachment.
b. The black bee savours the fragrance of several lotuses, unconcerned about their colour, type, etc. Similarly, seekers desirous of liberation should realise that it is not possible to master every science. They should grasp in a gist its purport, i.e. grasp the underlying principle.
4 A 15. The Deer :
The musk deer is as swift as the wind and cannot be captured by anyone. However, lured by melodious music, it is captured and loses its life. Keeping this in mind, do not get trapped in any infatuation.
4 A 16. The Fish :
When some bait on a hook is thrown into the water, the fish gets lured, swallows the bait along with the hook and thus loses its life. Man too, is caught up in self-gratification and thus continues to suffer in the cycle of birth and death.
4 A 17. The prostitute Pingalâ : One night, despite a long wait, no man came to the prostitute Pingalâ. Expectantly, she paced about; in the end she became weary and disgusted. She lost interest in worldly pleasures and developed detachment.
As long as man has intense desire, he cannot sleep peacefully. One who renounces desire, is not affected by any worldly happiness and unhappiness.
4 A 18. Titavî (a lapwing) :
A titavî was flying with a fish in her beak. Seeing this, hundreds of crows and kites followed her and pecking at her, tried to snatch the fish. They followed her wherever she went. Overcome by exhaustion, she threw away the fish. Immediately it was caught by a kite. Now the crows and other kites followed this kite for the fish. The titavî settled assuredly on a branch of a tree. In this world, one finds peace when one renounces all attachments, otherwise one may have to face great difficulties.
4 A 19. Child :
Be beyond all respect-disrespect; know that the whole world is governed by destiny. Live like a child by giving up all worries and enjoy Bliss.
4 A 20. Bangles :
When two bangles strike, they make a noise. The more their number, more is the noise. Similarly, when two people stay together, there is dialogue. When many live together, there is strife. Both situations do not favour peace of mind. Hence, one who wants to practice yoga, meditation, etc. should find a secluded place and stay alone.
4 A 21. Artisan :
One day an artisan was sharpening arrowheads with great concentration. A king’s pompous and noisy procession passed by. Sometime later a man came and inquired, “Did you see the king’s procession passing by this side ?” The artisan replied, “I was too engrossed in my work to notice anything.” Like the artisan, a seeker should surrender all senses at the altar of God and engage himself in contemplation.
4 A 22. Serpent :
Two serpents never live together, nor do they move around together. They move very quietly and cautiously, dwell in any house they like, as they do not make one for themselves. They do not move openly, they do not despise anyone unless offended and do not get angry unless they are injured by someone. In the same way, two intellectuals should not roam together, should talk in moderation, should not quarrel with anyone, should behave wisely, should never gather people and deliver speeches. Instead of building a house for themselves, they should live and lead their lives wherever they please. Owning a house makes one proud and attachment sets in.
4 A 23. Spider :
A spider builds its web by secreting a sticky thread from its navel and amuses itself day and night. When it wants to free itself, it just swallows the web. God does the same. He creates the world merely because of His wish, conducts the (divine) play in it, dissolves it within Himself and re-creates it as before. So do not give importance to the events of this world.
4 A 24. Wasp :
If one meditates constantly upon something, one is transformed into the object of one’s meditation. A wasp builds its home with mud and placing a worm in it, keeps blowing on that worm. Thus the worm constantly thinks of the wasp and finally becomes a wasp itself. So must a seeker meditate upon God as per the instructions of a Guru and ultimately become like God Himself.
4 B. Sub-gurus
4 B 1. The tree :
A man who, under the influence of tama, is unrighteous, becomes a tree in his next birth and because of his vanity has to keep standing all his life. These trees cleanse themselves of their previous sins by surrendering themselves to the will of others. They happily offer shelter to birds and other creatures; besides, they protect travellers by taking the brunt of the cold, wind, heat, etc. onto themselves and also provide leaves, flowers and fruits for their subsistence. Humans uproot, break, cut, peel and burn them or remove their flowers, fruits, leaves and even their gum for household purposes. Suffering is inflicted on the trees and whatever purpose they can serve, is extracted from them. The trees endure all this pain and yet continue to serve as long as they exist. So also seekers desirous of liberation should endure all suffering and continue to serve others graciously till their body exists. Just as trees give shelter to travellers, householders should offer food and shelter to guests.
If by God’s grace one acquires wealth, one should not become arrogant. Trees blooming with flowers and fruits bow more and give others more; so also must a wealthy man serve others by being humble.
4 B 2. The mountains :
The mountains and the Earth store mines of precious stones within. Thus, they bestow endless favours on man. So should every man acquire and accumulate knowledge for the benefit of others. Just as in summer, the mountains provide brooks to soothe the people suffering from heat, so must one develop the habit of speaking sweetly and giving happiness to everyone.
Thus, Datta had sub-gurus of all kinds as described above. [Based on ‘The Biography of Brahmîbhût Shrîmat H.H. Vâsudevânand Sarasvatî (ñembe) Swâmî]
5. Attributes and functions
a. He ensures that people live according to the laws of the four varßas (classes) and the four âshrams (stages of life).
b. The ideal (of the) Guru (principle) and instructor of Yoga (ShânÅilyopaniíhad). Well-known disciples of Datta include Sahasrârjun, Parshurâm, etc.
c. The teacher of Tantrashâstra - the philosophy of tantras (Tripurâsundarîrahasya).
d. With behaviour like that of the evolved (like Shrîkruíhßa), one who is free from the bondage of religious ordinances and appointments (MârkanÅeya Purâß).
e. One who lives according to His wish and is readily available (ever present for those who remember Him).
f. Bestower of detachment (other deities bestow everything, except detachment).
g. Avadhût (Refer point ‘2’.)
h. A symbol of harmony
1. Shaiva and Vaiíhßav : Both these sects feel close to Datta because of His nature (of a Guru).
2. Hindus and Muslims : As in Muslim rituals, music and incense (dhûp) are important in the worship of Datta too.
i. One who sets devotees free from problems caused by deceased ancestors’ souls. (Refer point ‘8 J’.)
j. Wandering everyday
1. For a bath : to Vârâßasî
2. For applying sandalwood paste : to Prayâg
3. For afternoon alms : to Kolhâpûr
4. For afternoon meal : to Pânchâleshvar (Godâvarî river bed, BîÅ district)
5. To eat betel leaves : Râkshasbhuvan (BîÅ district, MarâòhvâÅâ)
6. To hear discourses or kîrtans : to Naimiíhâraßya (Bihâr)
7. To sleep : MâhûrgaÅ
8. For Yoga : Girnâr
Of the above, the first, third and seventh places are more popular.
k. Principle, ability and manifest energy
1. Principle : 100% (God = 100%)
2. Ability : Creation 10%, sustenance 80% and dissolution 10%.
Since the sustenance potential is 80%, according to different scriptures Datta is popularly considered to be the sixth and sometimes the fourth or seventh, amongst the 24 incarnations of Lord Viíhßu.
3. Manifest energy : 10%
Like Ishwar, Datta too uses only 10% of His energy in the performance of His task. The energy thus used is termed manifest energy, whereas the unused part of the energy is referred to as unmanifest energy. Use of more energy as per the inferred requirement for a task results in a higher percentage of manifest energy.
6. Mûrtividnyân (Science behind the idol)
Around 1000 A.D., the idol of Datta became tri-faced; prior to this period it was uni-faced.
KamanÅalu = small waterpot used by ascetics, JapamâÓâ = string of beads or rosary used for chanting, Shankh = conch, Chakra = (lit. wheel). Here, it refers to Lord Viíhßu’s Sudarshan chakra. Trishûl = three spiked weapon, Äamaru = hour glass shaped tabor
7. The implied meaning of those always associated with Him
a. The cow (standing behind Lord Datta) : The earth.
b. The four dogs : The four Vedas.
c. The Audumbar ( holy fig) tree : This form of Datta contains the maximum of Datta principle, hence, it is worshipped.
8. The worship of Lord Datta
a. Meticulously following the code of conduct according to the four varßas and âshrams.
b. According to the Path of Yoga and Shaktipât dîkshâ (initiation by spiritual energy transfer).
c. Datta is a deified Guru. He has to be worshipped in the Guru form itself. His glory is extolled with the acclamation ‘Shrî Gurudev Datta’ or ‘Shrî Gurudatta’. Since Shrî Dattâtreya is the Supreme Guru, the Guru-disciple tradition in which the Guru is a human being, is not followed in the Datta sect.
d. Following of sectarian rules (discipline) is very important.
e. Performance of severe rituals and undergoing physical hardships.
f. Instead of an idol form, wooden slippers (pâdukâ) and the Audumbar tree are used for the ritual of worship. Earlier, the uni-faced idol was used. Now, the tri-faced idol is prevalent.
g. Strict observance of specifications regarding clothing.
h. Satyadattapûjâ (like that of Satyanârâyaß).
i. Shrî Dattajayantî : Devotees of Datta celebrate the birth of Shrî Datta (Dattajayantî) on the Mârgashîríh paurßimâ day.
j. Ancestors’ soul problem : In today’s times, since sâdhanâ (spiritual practice) and the rituals of shrâddha (offering in memory of the departed) are not performed as they were done earlier, many people face problems due to the subtle bodies of ancestors.
Only evolved persons can tell if there is the possibility of a problem (or if an existing problem) is due to ancestors’ souls. If one does not have the good fortune of being guided by an evolved person, then inferring that the following problems could be due to ancestors’ souls, one should follow the spiritual practice as advised below. Not being able to get married, strained marital relationship, difficulty in conception, abortions or miscarriages, having retarded or handicapped progeny, giving birth only to daughters, deaths during childhood, etc.
1. To prevent problems or if the problem is of a mild nature, one should regularly repeat (chant) ‘Shrî Gurudev Datta’ for atleast three turns of the mâÓâ (Hindu rosary).
At other times one should also repeat (chant) the family deity’s name to the maximum extent for spiritual progress and to prevent problems due to one’s destiny.
2. If the problem is of a moderate degree, one should repeat (chant) atleast six turns of the mâÓâ of ‘Shrî Gurudeva Datta’. Alternatively, one should do five pradakshißâs (circumambulations) in Shrî Datta’s temple on Thursdays and also repeat (chant) one to two turns of the mâÓâ for atleast a year. Later, one should continue repeating (chanting) three turns of the mâlâ.
3. If the problem is of a severe degree, then one should repeat (chant) atleast nine turns of the mâÓâ. One should perform rituals like Nârâyaß balî, Nâgbalî, TripinÅî shrâddha, Kâlasarpashânti at the Jyotirlingas.
Along with the above mentioned rituals, one should do spiritual practice staying in a Dattakshetra (sacred place where Datta is venerated) or serve a saint and receive His blessings.
http://www.hindujagruti.org/eng/page.php?id=73JISKE SIR UPAR TU SAI WOH DUKH KAISA PAAYE!
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
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