Shriguru Dattatreya is a revered figure in Hinduism, and is considered the Embodiment of the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Often depicted with three heads and six arms, Shriguru Dattatreya signifies the harmonious integration of the primary Divine forces/elements. He is revered as the ultimate and first Guru, imparting spiritual wisdom and guidance to seekers, transcending traditional boundaries and embodying the essence of universal teachings.
Legend has it that Shriguru Dattatreya wandered as an Avadhoota, a mendicant who roamed freely without attachment to worldly possessions. His teachings emphasize the importance of detachment, self-realization, and the oneness of all beings. Devotees turn to Shriguru for guidance in navigating life's complexities and attaining enlightenment, recognizing him as a source of boundless compassion & Yogic wisdom.
Traiditons associated with Shriguru Dattatreya are the Nath Siddha Tradition, Kaul Tantra Tradition, Aghor Tradition, Different Branches of Bhakti Movement, Vedantic Tradition of Advait, Dashanam Naga Tradition, Shakta Tradition and many other traiditons such as Vaishnava and Ganapati, have deep relation and mentions of Shriguru Dattatreya Maharaj as a central Guru.
Primary Texts of Shriguru Dattatreya include the Avadhoot Gita, and Dattatreya Yog Shashtra.
The four main Tirtha of Shriguru Dattatreya are:
1. Mahur Gadh: Also known as, Matapur, is a Shaktipeeth of Devi Renuka, also known as Datta Tirthashektra and birth place of Shriguru Dattatreya Maharaj located in the Nanded District of Maharashtra.
2. Girnar: Ancient mountain known as 'Revat' located in Junagadh Sourashtra is considered Tapasya-sthali of Shriguru Dattatreya where he did penance for 12,000 years and where he established the first Akhand Dhuni. Girnar is considered Akshay Nirvasasthan, of Shriguru Dattatreya where he is ever present.
3. Abu Gurushikar: Located in the mountain range of Aravali, Rajasthan. Abu Gurushikar is the second place where Shriguru Dattatreya Maharaj did intense Tapasya and gave Darshan to many Siddha's and initiated them into the Siddha Tradition.
4. Kala Dungar Kutch: This Shriguru Dattatreya Temple is located on the highest point of Kutch, Gujarat, near the Indo-Pak border. It is known for the third place of Tapasya. According to the legend, Shriguru Dattatreya stopped at the Kalo Dungar and found a group of starving jackals. Out of his compassion, Shriguru Dattatreya offered flesh of his body to the jackals to eat, and as they ate, his body regenerated.
Once, as Shriguru Dattatreya joyfully wandered through the forest, he encountered King Yadu. Observing Dattatreya's evident happiness, King Yadu inquired about the source of his joy and the identity of his Guru. Shriguru Dattatreya revealed that his ultimate guide was the Atman (the Self),ShivShakti, while also acknowledging that he had gained wisdom from 24 Distinct Being's, thus considering them as his Gurus.
“MY 24 GURU'S ARE AS FOLLOWS"
1.EARTH - I learnt patience and doing good to others from the EARTH, for it endures every injury man commits on its surface, and yet it does him good by producing crops, trees, etc.
2. WATER - From WATER I learnt the quality of purity. Just as the pure water cleanses others, so also the sage, who is pure and free from selfishness, lust, egoism, anger, greed, etc., purifies all who come in contact with him.
3. AIR - AIR though moving everywhere, never gets attached to anything; so I have learnt from the air to be without attachment, though I move with many people in this world.
4. FIRE - Just as FIRE burns bright, so also the sage should be glowing with the splendor of his knowledge and Tapas.
5. SKY - The air, the stars, the clouds, are all contained in the SKY, but the sky does not come in contact with any of them. I have learnt from the sky that the Atman or the Soul is all-pervading, and yet it has no contact with any object.
6. MOON - The MOON is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atman is always perfect and changeless, and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it.
7. SUN - Just as the SUN, reflected in various pots of water, appears as so many different reflections, so also Brahman appears different because of the Upadhis (bodies) caused by the reflection through the mind. This is the lesson I learnt from the sun.
8. PIGEON - I once saw a fowler spread a net and caught some pigeons. The mother pigeon was very much attached to her children. She did not care to live, so she fellinto the net and was caught. The male pigeon was attached to the female pigeon, so he also fell into the net and was caught. From this I learnt that attachment is the cause of bondage.
9. PYTHON - The PYTHON does not move about for its food. It remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place. From this I learnt to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I receive.
10. OCEAN - Just as the OCEAN remains unmoved even though hundreds of rivers fall into it, so also the wise man should remain unmoved among all sorts of temptations, difficulties and troubles. This is the lesson I learnt from the ocean.
11. MOTH - Just as the MOTH, being enamored of the brilliance of the fire, falls into it and is burnt, so also, a passionate man who falls in love with a beautiful girl comes to grief. To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self, is the lesson I learnt from the moth.
12. WASP - Bees collect honey with great trouble, but a Wasp comes and takes the honey easily. Even so, people hoard up wealth and other things with great difficulty, but they have to leave them all at once and depart when the Lord of Death takes hold of them. From this I have learnt the lesson that it is useless to hoard things.
13. BEE - Just as the BLACK BEE sucks the honey from different flowers and does not suck it only from one flower, so also I take only a little food from one house and a little from another house and thus appease my hunger. I am not a burden on the householder.
14. ELEPHANT - The male ELEPHANT, blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered over with grass, even at the sight of a paper-made female elephant. It gets caught, enchained and tortured by the goad. Even so, passionate men fall in the traps of women and come to grief. Therefore, one should destroy lust. This is the lesson I have learnt from the elephant.
15. DEER - The DEER is enticed and trapped by the hunter through its love of music. Even so, a man/women is attracted by the music of a man/women of loose character and brought to destruction. One should never follow to lewd songs. This is the lesson I learnt from the deer.
16. FISH - Just as a FISH that is covetous of food falls an easy victim to the bait, so also, the man who is greedy of food, who allows his sense of taste to overpower him, loses his independence and easily gets ruined. The greed for food must therefore be destroyed. It is the lesson that I have learn from the fish.
17. DANCING GIRL - There was a DANCING GIRL named Pingala in the town of Videha. She was tired of looking for customers one night. She became hopeless. Then she was contented with what she had, and then had sound sleep. I have learnt from that fallen woman the lesson that the abandonment of hope leads to contentment.
18. RAVEN - A RAVEN picked up a piece of flesh. It was pursued and beaten by other birds. It dropped the piece of flesh and attained peace and rest. From this I have learnt the lesson that a man in the world undergoes all sorts of troubles and miseries when he runs after sensual pleasures, and that he becomes as happy as the bird when he abandons the sensual pleasures.
19. CHILD - The CHILD who sucks milk is free from all cares, worries and anxieties, and is always cheerful. I have learnt the virtue of cheerfulness from the child.
20. MAIDEN - The parents of a MAIDEN had gone in search of a proper bridegroom for her. The girl was alone in the house. During the absence of the parents, a party of people came to the house to see her on a similar object in reference to an offer of marriage. She received the party herself. She went inside to husk the paddy. While she was husking, the glass bangles on both hands made tremendous jingling noise. The wise girl reflected thus: “The party will detect, by the noise of the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself, and that my family is too poor to engage others to get the work done. Let me break all my bangles except two on each hand”. Accordingly, she broke all the bangles except two on each hand. Even these two bangles created much noise. She broke one more bangle of each hand. There was no further noise though she continued husking. I have learnt from the girl’s experience the following: Living among many would create discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even among two, there might be unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic should remain alone in solitude.
21. SERPENT - A SERPENT does not build its hole. It dwells in the holes dug out by others. Even so, an ascetic or a Sannyasin should not build a home for himself. He should live in the caves and temples built by others. This is the lesson that I have learnt from the snake.
22. ARROW MAKER - The mind of an ARROW MAKER was once wholly engrossed in sharpening and straightening an arrow. While he was thus engaged, a king passed before his shop with his whole retinue. After some time, a man came to the artisan and asked him whether the king passed by his shop. The artisan replied that he did not notice anything. The fact is that the artisan’s mind was solely absorbed in his work and he did not know what was passing before his shop. I have learnt from the artisan the quality of intense concentration of mind.
23. SPIDER - The SPIDER pours out of its mouth long threads and weaves them into cobwebs. It gets itself entangled in the net of its own making. Even so, man makes a net of his own ideas and gets entangled in it. The wise man should therefore abandon all worldly thoughts and think of Brahman only. This is the lesson I have learnt from the spider.
24. BEETLE - BEETLE catches hold of a worm, puts it in its nest, and gives it a sting, the poor worm, always fearing the return of the beetle and sting, and thinking constantly of the beetle, becomes a beetle itself. Whatever form a man constantly thinks of, he attains in course of time that form. As a man thinks, so he becomes. I have learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into Atman by contemplating constantly on It and thus to give up all attachment to the body and attain Moksha or liberation.