Sri Dattatreya Jayanthi

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Namaste all. _/\_

 

Wish you all a happy celebration of 'Margasira Purnima'

and Sri Dattaatreya Appearance day!

 

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DATTATREYA Jayanthi falls during December-January on the full moon

day of the month of Margaseersha. His story is told as follows.

 

Anusuya is quoted as the model of chastity. She was the wife of Atri

Maharishi, a great sage and one of the seven foremost seers and

sages. She was well established in the Pativrata Dharma, the main

elements of which are devotion to husband and regard of him as God

Himself. She did severe austerities for a very long time in order to

beget sons equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Hindu Trinity.

 

Once, Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati requested their husbands (the

Trimurtis) to test the Pativrata Dharma of Anusuya, by asking her to

give them alms with an unclothed body.

 

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came to know of the austerity and desire of

Anusuya. So, they agreed to their wives' request, as they knew that

by agreeing to it, they would also be fulfilling Anusuya's wish. They

put on the garb of Sannyasins and appeared before Anusuya, asking her

to give them alms as specified by their wives. Anusuya was in a great

dilemma. She could not say "No" to the Sannyasins. And she had to

maintain her Pativrata Dharma also, which she would be violating if

she appeared naked before men other than her own husband. She

meditated on the form of her husband, took refuge at his feet and

sprinkled over the three Sannyasins a few drops of water used for

washing the feet of her husband. Immediately the Trimurtis were

transformed into three babies on account of the glory of her

chastity. At the same time, there was accumulation of milk in her

breast. She thought that these children were her own and fed them

with the milk, in a nude state and cradled them. She was eagerly

expecting the arrival of her husband who had gone to have a bath.

 

As soon as Atri Rishi returned home, Anusuya related all that had

happened during his absence, placed the three children at his feet

and worshipped him. But, Atri knew all this already through his

divine vision. He embraced all the three children. They became one

child, with two feet, one trunk, three heads and six hands. Atri

Rishi blessed his wife and informed her that the Trimurtis themselves

had assumed the forms of the three children to gratify her wish.

 

In the meantime, Narada went to Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati and

informed them that their husbands had been turned into children

through the power of the Pativrata Dharma of Anusuya and that they

would not return unless they asked for their husbands as alms from

Rishi Atri. Thus Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati assumed the form of

ordinary women, appeared before Atri and asked for their own husbands

as alms. Atri duly honoured the three ladies and, with folded palms,

prayed to them that his wish and the wish of Anusuya should be

fulfilled.

 

Then, the Trimurtis appeared in their true form before Atri and

said, "This child will be a great sage according to your word and

will be equal to us, according to the wish of Anusuya. The child will

bear the name of Dattatreya." Saying this they disappeared.

 

The child Dattatreya soon attained manhood. As he had the rays of the

Trimurtis and as he was a great man of the highest wisdom, all the

Rishis and ascetics worshipped him. He was gentle, peaceful and

amiable. He was an Avadhuta—an ascetic who always remains naked.

He

preached the Truth of Vedanta. Dattatreya taught his Avadhuta Gita to

Lord Subramanya. This is a wonderful book which contains the truths

and secrets of Vedanta and the experiences of Self-realisation.

 

Once, while he was roaming happily in a forest, he met King Yadu,

who, on seeing Dattatreya so happy, asked him the secret of his

happiness and the name of his Guru.

 

Dattatreya said, "The Self alone is my Guru. Yet, I have learnt

wisdom from twenty-four other individuals and objects. So they, too,

are also my Gurus."

 

Dattatreya then mentioned the names of his twenty-four Gurus and

spoke of the wisdom that he had learnt from each as follows:

 

"The names of my twenty-four Gurus are earth, water, fire, sky, moon,

sun, pigeon, python, ocean, moth, honey-gatherers (black bee), bees,

elephant, deer, fish, the dancing-girl Pingala, raven, child, maiden,

serpent, arrow-maker, spider and beetle.

 

1. I learnt patience and doing good to others from the earth.

 

2. From water, I learnt the quality of purity.

 

3. I learnt from air to be without attachment though I move with many

people in this world.

 

4. From fire I learnt to glow with the splendour of Self-knowledge

and austerity.

 

5. I learnt from the sky that the Self is all-pervading and yet it

has no contact with any object.

 

6. I learnt from the moon that the Self is always perfect and

changeless and it is only the limiting adjuncts that cast shadows

over it.

 

7. Just as a sun reflected in various pots of water appears as so

many different reflections, so also Brahman appears different because

of the bodies caused by the reflection through the mind. This is the

lesson I have learnt from the sun.

 

8. I once saw a pair of pigeons with their young birds. A fowler

spread a net and caught the young birds. The mother pigeon was very

much attached to her children. She fell into the net and was caught.

>From this I have learnt that attachment is the root cause of earthly

bondage.

 

9. The python does not move about for its food. It remains contented

with whatever it gets, lying in one place. From this I learnt to be

unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I get to eat.

 

10. Just as the ocean remains unmoved, even though hundreds of rivers

flow into it, so also the wise man should remain unmoved among all

the various sorts of temptations, difficulties and troubles.

 

11. To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self, is

the lesson I learnt from the moth.

 

12. I take 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. This I learnt from the black bee which gathers honey

from various flowers.

 

13. Bees collect honey with great trouble, but a hunter comes along

and takes the honey away easily. From this I learnt that it is

useless to hoard things.

 

14. The male elephant, blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered with

grass, even at the sight of a female elephant. Therefore, one should

destroy lust.

 

15. The deer is enticed and trapped by the hunter through its love of

music. Therefore, one should never listen to lewd songs.

 

16. Just as a fish that is covetous of food falls an easy victim to

the bait, so also the man who is greedy for food loses his

independence and easily gets ruined.

 

17. There was a dancing girl named Pingala. Being tired of looking

for customers, one night she became hopeless. She had to be contented

with what traffic she had that day and retired to a sound sleep. I

learnt from this fallen woman the lesson that the abandonment of hope

leads to contentment.

 

18. 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 learnt 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 them.

 

19. The child who sucks milk is free from all cares, worries and

anxieties, and is always cheerful. I learnt the virtue of

cheerfulness from the child.

 

20. The maiden was husking paddy. Her bangles made much noise and

there were visitors from her husband's house. To silence the bangles,

she removed them, one by one. Even when there were just two, they

produced some noise. When she had only one, it did not make any

noise, and she was happy. I learnt from the maiden that living among

many would create discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even

among two there might be unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic or

the Sannyasin should remain alone in solitude.

 

21. A serpent does not build its own hole. It dwells in the holes dug

out by others. Even so, an ascetic should not build a home for

himself. He should live in a temple or a cave built by others.

 

22. I learnt from the arrow-maker the quality of intense

concentration of mind.

 

23. The spider pours out of its mouth long threads and weaves them

into cobwebs. Then 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.

 

24. The 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. I learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into the

Self by contemplating constantly on It; thus I gave up all attachment

to the body and attained liberation."

 

The king was highly impressed by listening to these enlightening

words of Lord Dattatreya. He abandoned the world and practised

constant meditation on the Self.

 

Dattatreya was absolutely free from intolerance or prejudice of any

kind. He learnt wisdom from whatever source it came. All seekers

after wisdom should follow the example of Dattatreya.

 

On Dattatreya Jayanthi, get up at Brahmamuhurta and meditate. Fast

and pray throughout the day. Do not mix with anybody. Live in total

seclusion. Forget the body. Identify yourself with the blissful Self.

Study Dattatreya's glorious works, namely, the Avadhuta Gita and the

Jivanmukta Gita. Worship Lord Dattatreya's (or, your own Guru's)

form. Take wholesome resolves that you will follow the great

teachings of Lord Dattatreya. You will realise the Self very soon.

 

At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, this day is celebrated every year

on a grand scale, in the Dattatreya Temple, on a hillock near the

main Ashram.

 

1. The glorious Image of Lord Dattatreya is duly worshipped, with

bathing and flowers.

 

2. All the spiritual aspirants assemble there, singing the Lord's

Names and glories.

 

3. Discourses are given by Yogis and Sannyasins, on the life and

teachings of Lord Dattatreya during this gathering as well as during

the night Satsang at the Ashram. The Avadhuta Gita and the Jivanmukta

Gita are also read and explained.

 

4. It is a day of great rejoicing.

 

May you all enjoy the choicest blessings of Lord Dattatreya, and may

you all attain the highest goal, Self-realisation in this very birth!

 

This article has been produced from " Hindu Fast & Festivals "

by Sri Swami Sivananda

 

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Jaya Sri Radhey!

Divine_Lovers/