dattAtreyA dasanAmi and aghorA connection-Part-1

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Dear Members,

 

dattAtreyA's connection with sankarA's dasanAmi order is very well established.

 

In the dabistAn of moshAn fani(circa 1670), the dasanAmi renunciates are said to follow the dictates of 'dattaterI', whom they venerate as an incarnation of Lord vis'nu, and who in retaining of the breath(vAsi-vidyA of the Tamil siddhAs) had attained such a stage as to be exempted from breath. fani's reference here is obviously to Lord dattAtreyA, however, with whatever little crutches of knowledge he possessed. Ofcourse datta is far bigger in puissance than mentioned by Him.

 

The 10 types of dasanAmi renunciates are:

 

1. Aranya.(govardhanA mathA)-->{See below for vanA}

2. Asrama.(dvarakA matha...see below for mantra)

3. bhAratI.(saradA mathA: aham brahmAsmi)

4. giri.(badarInathA mathA: mantra: ayamAtmA brahmA)

5. parvatA.(badarI nathA....see above for mantrA)

6. pUrI.(saradA mathA)

7. sarasvatI.(saradA mathA)

8. tirthA.(dvarakA mathA--->tatwamasi)

9. vAna(govardhanA mathA)--->{mantra:(mahAvAkyam: prajAnam brahmA)}

10. sAgarA.(badarI nathA...see above for mantra)

 

They are inturn associated with the 4 advaitic mathAs as mentioned within brackets above and their mahAvAkyAs mentioned above.

jUnA akhAdA sAdhU.

It should be noted that jUnA akhAdA --One of the seven akhAdAs formed by dasha nami naga sanyasins supposedly organized by shankara --has its tutelary deity as dattatreya and is identified with rudra shiva. the original akhada was founded in sringeri and its original devatha was bhairava.

bhAiravA

Both bhairavA and dattAtreyA are found with dogs and thus there lot of similarities between jUnA akhAdAs(nAgAs and girinAri yOgIs(nAthAs).

dattAtreyA's link to sankarA and jUnA akhAdA was because of the charecterization of dattA as a jnAna-yogin.Thus dattAtreyA was appropriated by the vedantin milieu in order to sanction the truth of advaita, and as well as emphasize the excellence of the dasanAmi order of renunciates.

 

dattAtreyA's typology as a honeybee yogin, shared by the koine' of various tantric and yogic groupsfinds another notable illustration in his appropriation by the aghOra sampradAyA, of which siva is the mythical initiator and dattatreya is the first guru(Adiguru) and siva incarnate.

.....To be continued....

Yours yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli