Dattatreya is a Hindu God who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya". In the Natha tradition, Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar or incarnation of the Lord Shiva and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adi-Nath sampradaya of the Nathas. The creative, the preservative and the disintegrating powers of God are supposed to be manifest in the personality of Lord Dattatreya. The name or word 'Dattatreya' is constituted of two terms, 'Datta' and 'Atreya'. In Sanskrit, 'Datta' means one who is bestowed as a gift, and 'Atreya' is an honorific which is derived from the name of a great sage called Atri. The son of Atri is Atreya. A descendent of Atri also is Atreya. One who is bestowed as a divine child on the great sage Atri, by the Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva themselves, is Dattatreya.
Birth Of Lord Dattatreya
Dattatreya is the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya. The sage practised his penance in a severe manner and his power grew so much that ultimately flames began to emerge from his jatas.
Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, greatly pleased at his tapa made their appearance before him and asked him as to what he desired. On his replying that he wanted nothing more than a son of divine powers,having the qualities or 'gunas? of all the three of them, they promised him that in the second part or yuga of the Vaivaswat manvantar, children would be born to him who would be incarnations of themselves
Lord Dattatreya is also, therefore, known as Anasuyanandana, the darling of the great queen of chastity, Anasuya Devi. The Name of Dattatreya, the great sage, is a by-word in all religious circles in India. In certain parts of Gujarat and in Maharashtra, the worship of Dattatreya is pre-eminent. It is believed by the followers of the tradition that Dattatreya is in flesh and blood even today. He is not merely a dead-and-gone saint and sage of ancient pre-historic times. Devotees believe honestly that he is physically alive even today and he is supposed to be having his abode in those holy places in the western part of India such as Gangapur in Maharashtra. There is a famous hill in Saurashtra, Mount Girnar, which is dedicated to the adoration and worship of Lord Dattatreya.
Lord Dattatreya is not merely a divine incarnation like Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Sri Rama, but, unlike them, He is held in high esteem as a visible personality, physically available to us for our Darsan, if only we would have the honesty of belief and devotion at his sacred feet. There are wonderful sidelights given to us of the personality Bhagavan Dattatreya.
Physical Details
Shri Dattatreya or Datta Guru,an incarnation who came to light the lamp of wisdom among the people. Shri Dattatreya is a splendorous form. His face radiates all wisdom and draws us away from the lures of the world. Though He is the Supreme Lord of this universe, yet He is a total and supreme recluse. Though He moves from place to place, His favorite abode is the Holy Audambar tree (A type of fig type, Ficus glomerate). He has matted hair on His head. His body is ever smeared with holy ashes and He wears tiger-skin for His garment. A cow and four dogs are always with Him as His constant companions. He is an 'Avadhoot', ever anchored in Spirit, but always overflowing with compassion for all the beings and the entire creation. He is the embodiment of total Godhead. All the aspects of Godhead are fully manifest in Him. His faces and form are ever radiant with peace and divine charm.
· The Cow, which is always with Him, represents the Mother Earth and Dharma. She is the wish fulfilling cow 'Kamadhenu'.
· The four dogs symbolise the four Vedas – the external repositories of Spiritual Wisdom.
· The trident indicates that He has transcended the three gunas, which constitute the illusory world: Sattva-illumination, Rajas-activity and Tamas-inertia.
· The 'Sudharshana chakra' , disc indicates that He is beyond the cycles of time i.e. the past, present and future and His holding of 'chakra' means He is the controller of time.
· The conch represents the eternal sound ‘AUM’ – which is the manifestation of the Spirit. It is also the life principle in us and the cosmos.
· The 'bhasma' ashes indicated His 'Vairaagya' dispassion as well as His purity. Ashes indicate the evanescent nature of all created nature of all created objects and the ultimate state of all matter.
· He always carries a begging bowl so as to teach us the lesson that we will have to share our wealth and food with others.
· The japa-mala, rosary He wears reminds us that our primary duty is chanting the sacred name of the Lord and meditating on the feet of the Lord, and our redemption depends on this discipline alone.
Shri Dattatreya, in order to bless His devotees and the righteous ones, wanders about in the guise of a random guest at the lunch hour. That's why it is said that a random guest has to be treated as the very embodiment of Lord Dattaterya. | |
| The 4 Vedas are | : | Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yayur Veda and Atharva Veda. |
| The 4 Yugas are | : | Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali Yugas. |
| The 4 states of the Word are | : | Para (beyond), Pasyanti (perception; Madhyama (conception), Vaikhari (vocal). |
| The 4 states of Existence are | : | Existence, awareness, thought and speech or action. |
The ancient seers have visualised the creation and its 4 aspects, which is a popular division. The cross of the west also has its origin in the key of the fourfold division. There are many ways to explain the creation by dividing it into its 4 aspects. The Vaishnavits called the 4 states as: Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Vyuvahas. The same 4 states are explained as Paramasiva, Sadasiva, Isvara, and Rudra by the Saivaits. By the followers of Sakti (power) these 4 states are called; Para Sakti, Itcha Sakti, Jnana Sakti and Kriya Sakti. The wisdom coming from the Hierarchy through Master Djwhal Khul today, gives a new terminology to it as: Pure Consciousness (Soul), Will, Love-Wisdom and Intelligent Activity.
As said earlier, the Christians conceived the fourfold Existence and adopted the cross, which is again a Vedic symbol. They have also conceived 4 gospels, to fall in tune with the 4 Vedas (the 4 Vedas speak of the 4 aspects of the Lord, while the 4 gospels speak the same story of the Initiate Jesus Christ).
The 4 Vedas speak of the expression of awareness as Rig Veda, the Song of Life as Sama Veda, the plan of work as Yayur Veda and action and the related manifestation as Atharva Veda, in great detail. They are not comparable to the 4 gospels.
The scheme of the 4 Vedas is briefly as under:
Rig Veda speaks of the emergence of awareness, its ideation as divine thought and its manifestation as speech. Awareness emerges from Existence, details into Trinity and utters forth the 7 planes of existence. This is the work of the Word which is elaborated in great detail in Rig Veda. Even in the human being, his awakening, his perceptions (inner and outer), his conceptions, his speeches and actions are nothing but the uttering forth of himself. This is the Rig Vedic part of him.
The Sama Vedic part in the human being exists as Nada, which details into life force, conducts pulsation, heart beat, respiration and circulation of blood.
The Yayur Vedic part in the human being is, making a plan out of ones own conceptions before been executed. Unless there is a well laid out plan for action, the actions do not yield the related joy. Yayur Veda speaks of such plans before every action.
The Atharva Vedic part in the human being are his actions and the consequent creation, which is his. As it is with the Lord so it is with man. The knowledge relating to the 4 aspects relating to man in its detail would lead him to himself.
To indicate that all is fourfold, the 4 dogs are depicted as moving around the Lord, this is only a partial understanding of the 4 dogs.
The dog is one of the sublime symbols of the Veda. The dog represents the faculty to listen, to listen far, and to listen to the subtle. The dogs have a better ability to listen than the humans. They are alert to listen and are also able to listen much more than the humans. In the esoteric practices, one of the foremost practice is, to make the student listen, more than speak. To listen far, to listen to the subtle, would lead one to clairaudience, and it would further lead to listen to the Voice of the Silence. Listening to the Voice of Silence is called listening to Anahata the Heart Centre, where the subtle sound coming through the ether can be received and perceived.
All great Initiates listen to the silence within and express the Plan as is impressed on them in silence. Impression from the subtle planes is possible only if one is alert, able and oriented to silence. The dog represents such an orientation and the impression comes from higher circles. Astrology says that all impressional teachings are the work of Jupiter, whose name in Sanskrit is Guru, thus, it is the principle of Guru, only, that causes impressions upon the well- prepared beings.
In recent times, the impressional writings are well demonstrated by Madam Alice A Bailey. She oriented to enough silence to be able to listen to the impressions that came to her, from Master Tibetan. She was able to record the ancient wisdom in great detail to enlighten the average intellect of the west.
Even in the Greek system there is a three-headed dog that keeps vigilance at the gates between heaven and hell. He is called Hydra, which is significant in this context. The dog is the symbol of vigilance, depending upon the quality of utterances that one makes he would either open the gates into heaven or into hell. It is for this reason, prayers are recommended to be uttered loudly by the aspirant in its 3 levels and listen to the import of the sound uttered forth. The import of sound in prayer,is God, while the 3 levels of the physical sound represent the three-headed dog.
Leo is called the dog in the Vedic symbolism. In its higher function, Leo is called lion. There is a great significance in Leo being called the dog, for Leo and Scorpio are related to the Dog Star. The Vedic symbolism relating to the dog relates to the Dog Star. The Dog Star Sirius is locationally in Scorpio and functionally enters into our system through the Central Sun of Leo. To the students of esoteric astrology it is clear that the Sirius system constitutes the Teacher principle to our system, while the Great Bear and the Pleiades play the role of the Father and the Mother. The Vedic seers conceived the energy of love and compassion, which are received into our system as coming from Sirius.
In the Vedic system, Sirius is called Sarama. Sarama means dog. Sirius is called the Dog, both, for its appearance from this Earth and also for its functional aspect. The Divine Plan for our system is first received in Sirius and then transmitted into our system. Systemically speaking, the impressional work relating to the evolution of our solar system is conducted by Sirius. Even the Avatar of Synthesis who is to come, is predicted to be entering from the south, for south stands for the sun-sign Leo, of love and compassion. Leo in man, is the Heart Centre, which can unfold love and compassion. The most profound Truth relating to the Avatars and the related evolution of our solar system are hidden in Sirius.
Sarama is the familiar sound among the Eastern Indians and the Central American Indians. In Central America, amidst the Amazon forest, there are Indian tribes who are called Saramas (Shamans) meaning, the priests who can listen, get impressed from higher circles and conduct healing. Sarama in India is called Sarma, he is the ritualist who listens to the higher circles and utters forth the hymns to benefit the human folk. He is a teacher, a healer a guide and philosopher in the ancient Indian communities.
The symbolism of the dog is too profound to be explained in its completeness. We leave the dog at this junction, to be pursued further, intuitively, by the inclined student.
The replica of the Sirius System on this planet is the Hierarchy with its ashrams in the Himalayas and the Blue Mountains. The head of the Hierarchy, Lord Maitreya, is believed to be in tune with the Lord of the Sarameya (Sirius System), whose Lord is Dattatreya. Dattatreya is the Head of the Great Grand Lodge of the White Brotherhood on Sirius, while Maitreya is the Head of the Great Grand Lodge of the White Brotherhood on this planet. Together they are steering the energies of Neptune, for the benefit of this planetary evolution.
| THE COW | |
The status that the cow has in a society decides the cultural status of that society. Where the cow is insulted, such society is destined to lose the secrets of life. It is beastly to ruffly handle the cow, abusing her through technical knowledge, to draw excessive milk by feeding all un-hygienic and unhealthy food, is monstrous. Man today abuses the cow in every conceivable way. It depicts his cultural fall.
The cow, the woman, the planet, the solar system and the cosmic system are the different states of the cow principle. By right approach and right attitude towards them, man gains the splendour of life. By wrong approach, man is bound to fall and suffer. The ancient Indian Scriptures proclaim that: no one who intends to live in peace can afford to hurt a cow, a woman, the planet (of course he is incapable of hurting the solar system and the cosmic system). If one worships, protects and nourishes the three, they get favourably inclined towards the one. Their favourable inclination gives to the one the inexplicable joy and the pleasure of being. It is for this reason Dattatreya is depicted as protecting the cow. The cow follows him in all ways. The cow is the giver of all fulfilment, joy, happiness and experience and it follows Dattatreya.
In the Indian mythology, Sri Guru Datta and Sri Krishna are the only ones shown as accompanied by a cow. There is profound significance in such depictions, both of them represent the one teaching principle in all the three planes of existence. Sri Guru Datta, being three-headed, is creative, preserving and annihilating. So is Krishna, who demonstrated creativity like the creator Brahma, protection like the preserver Vishnu, and annihilator like the annihilator Siva. Sri Guru Datta is the Master of yoga in creation and Sri Krishna gave out the science of yoga through the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita is a synthesis of Brahma Vidya, Yoga Vidya and the Upanishads.
All that which is mystically depicted as Sri Guru Datta, was in its full manifestation in flesh and blood as Sri Krishna.
The cow that follows Sri Guru Datta or Sri Krishna, is the most mysterious cow, capable of performing most wonderful acts. The cow, for instance, conducts the secretions from the glands of the beings. The secretion of the pineal, pituitary, thymus, thyroidal glands etc., are presided over by the cow. The blissful experience of the celestial musical tones and the consequent ecstasy, is also the work of the cow. Permeation of life and awareness through the solar ray, is also conducted by the cow. Digesting food and drink and transforming the essence of them into blood cells, which form the basis of health, is also the act of the cow. Transforming the blood tissues into the tissues of milk in the mothers, is also the sublime action of the cow principle. Cow is thus the basis feeder of all.
Invocation of the Word into will, thought, expression and action, is also another way of milking the cow. Those who are capable of receiving the impressions of higher circles, are the ones who can milk the ancient wisdom for the benefit of the fellow beings. To sum up, the entire chemistry of the creation is presided over by the cow principle. Such is. the profundity of understanding of the cow by the Vedic seers.
The cow is called GO in Sanskrit. GO is a compound sound of GA and O. GA stands for Jupiter and O stands for Sun. If the essence of the two planetary principles is well understood, the cow is understood.
As said earlier, the cow presides over the secretion of glands. In the science of yoga it gives the related practice to enable the thymus and the pineal glands to secret, which normally does not function in ordinary human beings. The secretions from these higher centres help preparing the body of light, which is called the etheric body in which one can dwell, transcending death. The secret of deathlessness enunciated by the grand yogis of all times, is building the Divya Sarira or the body of light. The Hierarchy consists of humans that followed the path of yoga and built their respective bodies of light. Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat Kumara, Suka, Vyasa, Maitreya, Hanuman, are some of those who are popular amidst those that hold the bodies of light. Lord Dattatreya presides over all yogis, he is extolled as the Master of Masters in all the 3 planes, like Sri Krishna.
| THE 6 HANDS OF SRI GURU DATTA | |
THE CONCH
The Sanskrit name for conch is Samkham. SAM is the seed sound of Saturn. KHAM is the seed sound of Jupiter (for the detailed description of Samkham please look to Jupiter by the same composer). The conch indicates the principle of expansion and contraction presided over by Jupiter and Saturn. Every expansion requires consolidation and vice-versa. On the Path to Truth there is the expansion of consciousness, which needs to be consolidated at each step. It is the Law of Alternation, which works in the evolutionary and involutionary processes.
The conch also stands for the sound Nada, the musical notes and all that relates to the sound. The teacher introduces the student to the sound. Basically he commences the work with the students with the Saturnian discipline. The Saturnian discipline forms a good basis for expansion of consciousness, which is bestowed by Jupiter. The teacher thus, plays the role of Saturn initially and of Jupiter subsequently. He brakes the inertia of the disciple and recruits him into works of goodwill. He causes the purification in all the 3 planes according to an order depending upon the quality of the student. He leads the student to that poise in which his inertia and activity find balance. This would in term enable the student to walk into the esoteric side of training.
THE WHEEL
The wheel stands for time and time is presided over by the true teacher. He also initiates the disciple into the knowledge relating to time, so that the disciple skilfully adapts to the favourable and unfavourable periods of life, without getting disturbed in terms of vibrations through the pleasant and unpleasant events. Since the Teacher, Sri Guru Datta is "the One beyond the 3 qualities", time co-operates with him and helps him to help the seekers of Truth. A Master receives the co-operation of time. An accepted disciple learns to co-operate with time. An average person is conditioned by time. The wheel held by Sri Guru Datta is an assurance, that he would lead the beings into timelessness and the consequent bliss.
THE MACE
The mace is symbolic of the instrument that subjugates pride. Self-pride needs to be sacrificed on the altar of service to the fellow beings and Sri Guru Datta appropriatelyuses the mace to put down the pride of those who follow the Path of Truth. He bestows humility, simplicity and humbleness through his training. Remember the statement uttered forth by the great Initiate Jesus: "the proud are humbled and the humbled are honoured". Sri Guru Datta /Teacher, never punishes the seekers, he is skilful enough to teach the essentiality of humbleness without punishing. Punishment does not exist with him, as he is "the Compassionate One". The seeming punishment sometimes, is a skilful upliftment of the student. With his utter simplicity he counters and neutralises the pride of the ordinary. With speeches, looks and other gestures, he neutralises the pride of those who are proud, but not crystallised in pride. When they are crystallised in pride, he works with his Siva quality, but with love and compassion, so that the soul is uplifted.
The mace also symbolises the inverted position of the cerebro-spinal system, which is the abode of consciousness. If the mace is held upright, it resembles the light of the head, followed by the column of light of the spine. Sri Guru Datta, humbling the truth-seekers enables to reverse many inversions which the truth-seekers suffer from. He conducts as many as 7 reversions of inversions to make the being upright. Ordinary beings are upside down from the standpoint of knowledge. They suffer inversions and hence remain ignorant. They are illusioned by the ignorance. The mace held by Sri Guru Datta gives the message that man is inverted and that he needs to reverse the inversions. The technique of reversing the inversions relates to the yoga philosophy and the yoga practice.
THE TRIDENT
The trident held by Sri Guru Datta is symbolic of the triple energy held in an etheric form within the Brahmadanda. The triple energies are referred to as Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. They are the left, the right and the central energy currents. The left current causes the materialisation, the right current causes spiritualization and the central current causes the balance between the two, enabling the existence of the being in a particular plane of existence. Ida stands for involutionary energy, Pingala stands for evolutionary energy and Sushumna stands for the yogic energy which balances at every level the spirit and the matter to be in existence in that level.
Astrology also speaks of a zodiac of 12 sun signs, which are essentially pairs of 6 sun-signs. These 6 sun-signs represent the 6 centres in the etheric current Sushumna, which are explained by the yoga science as the Shad Chakras. From Ajna to Muladhara, they conduct the being in all the 6 planes, that is, from mind to matter (mind, akasha, air, fire, water and matter). There is the descent of the being through the Ida current, the ascent through the Pingala current, with the Sushumna current stabilising the being at the needed level, as per the requirements of the work.
The materialisation and spiritualization currents function in such harmony to give the related existence at a particular plane. These currents are like the current of the flowing river. Man feels the existence of the river while it is in eternal flow. There is water that comes in and water that departs at any particular point and in that ever-flowing flow, the existence of the river is felt, but in truth, it is the poise relating to reception and dispersal of the water flow. Such is the situation with every form in creation.
The two flows of Ida and Pingala in the opposing directions are also depicted by the sun-sign Pisces. Pisces is the Alfa and Omega of the creation, it has the beginning and ending in it. Not only that, the beginning has the ending in-built in it, and the ending has the beginning in-built as well.
This principle of the opposing flows in total harmony with each other, is esoterically called by the Vedic seers as Ganga, which is called Ganges in the western languages. GA is the sound for movement. In between two GA there is the cipher, which is the source of the two and the balance of the two as well. For this reason the sound Ganga was considered most sacred by the Vedic seers. The one who is in the middle.is the poised one, the equilibrated one, the fulfilled one, who can experience the bliss in every state of awareness. This is called synthesis. This synthesis is promised to be bestowed by Sri Guru Datta. His holding the trident is indicative of such promise.
THE WATER CARRIER
The water carrier of Sri Guru Datta is in essence the life carrier. The teacher should bestow life and longevity to the student oriented to him, so that the student would fulfil himself in yoga during that incarnation. It is for this reason, a true teacher is a true healer and is even life giver. Until the student gains mastery, he would like to help him with health and longevity. The teacher bestows three essential benedictions on the student. In fact he wills them. One is longevity, another is health and the third benediction is the Path to Truth leading to mastery. Unless the student de-tracks himself from the teacher excessively, the teacher continues to bestow these 3 benedictions upon the student through looks and through thoughts. The health that he bestows is that much health that enables the student to accomplish the yoga practice attending to the daily duties.
Establishing the life force firmly in the student, introducing him to the Word (Initiation), recruiting him into acts of goodwill, purifying him in the mental, emotional and physical plane, neutralising his past karma, stimulating the Kundalini energy, thereby transforming his body tissues, is the work of the teacher. He causes the birth of the etheric body, which is capable of receiving and transmitting light. He further guides the student to realise himself as a being of light in the size of a thumb finger. The way the teacher guides, is incomprehensible by the student until the student is fully accomplished. Sri Guru Datta is thus the Mother-Father principle that continues to develop the body of the soul and the knowledge of the soul until the preparation of the etheric vehicle and self-realisation. Such is the beauty of the Teacher.
THE BEGGING BOWL
Lord Sankara is said to carry a begging bowl in the Hindu mythology. So also Sri Guru Datta carries a begging bowl, but he is not a beggar. To protect the beings, he begs them to donate their limitations, their impurities, their evil motives and substandard behaviours. It is for this reason he extends the hand with the begging bowl towards everyone that orients to him. He would like his followers to freely donate all that which is cause of disease so that the donor would regain the ease. Disease is bigger in dimension than sickness. One may not be sick, but yet, he can be "not in ease". Sri Guru Datta wants that the beings should liberate themselves, by right understanding, through the donation of all factors of dis-ease.
In such innumerable ways, the teacher tries to help the oriented student. It is generally believed, on whom so ever the teacher spreads his blessful/blissful looks, that person would accomplish yoga in 12 incarnations!
What does the teacher need to beg from the student? Nil. What does the master need from the servant? He is amidst us to relieve us from our self-conditioning due to our wrong understanding of our physical, emotional, and mental belongings. He would like us to relieve ourselves from attachment, hate, desire, anger, pride, prejudice, jealousy and avariciousness. The one who is ready to donate all these impurities of the 3 planes, would find himself like a self-effulgent gem. Then the joy of the world and the Word is his. The teacher is joyful seeing the joy of the student. He conducts all his labours to ensure that we are joyful. Due to our inversions we ignorantly, but firmly, hold on to our notions, our fears, our concepts of right and wrong, which suffocate us. He reverses these ignorant aspects and leads us to bliss. The begging bowl is indicative of such sublime activity of the real teacher. In short he symbolically drinks others impurities (poison) and bestows nectar.
God' screation was His Guru: He had twenty four Gurus.
Shri Dattatreya had twenty four teachers from nature "many are my preceptors," he told King Yadu, "selected by my keen sense, from whom acquiring wisdom freely, I wander in the world…. The earth, air/breeze, sky, fire, the sun, pigeon, python, sea, moth, elephant, ant, fish, Pingala the courtesan, arrow-maker, infant/playful boy, the moon, honeybee, deer, bird of prey, maiden, serpent, spider, caterpillar and water are my twenty four preceptors.
His Teachings: Shri Dattatreya had twenty four teachers from nature "many are my preceptors," he told King Yadu, "selected by my keen sense, from whom acquiring wisdom freely, I wander in the world…. The earth, air/breeze, sky, fire, the sun, pigeon, python, sea, moth, elephant, ant, fish, Pingala the courtesan, arrow-maker, infant/playful boy, the moon, honeybee, deer, bird of prey, maiden, serpent, spider, caterpillar and water are my twenty four preceptors.
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:
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