INTRODUCTION:
Dattatreya, Datta or Dattaguru, is a Guru and a saint in Hinduism. In India and Nepal, he is considered as a god. In some parts of India, he is considered to be an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti.
The most important text Avadhuta Gita is attributed to Sri Dattatreya. An annual festival called Datta Jayanti is celebrated during November/December of every year in India.
LIFE
According to the Puranas, he was born in north India to Anusuya and Atri. They are believed to be lived in Maharashtra. He is described in the Mahabharata, as a sage with very good knowledge, and considered as an Avatar of Lord Vishnu.
AVATARS
Guru Sri Datta took 16 avatars, which are as follows:
1.Yogiraj
2.Atrivarad
3.Dattatreya
4.Kala Agnishaman
5.Yogijan Vallabh
6.Lila Vishwambar
7.Siddharaj
8.Dnyanasagar
9.Vishwambharavdhoot
10.Mayamuktavadhoot
11.Mayayuktavadhoot
12.Adiguru
13.Shiva Guru Dattatreya
14.Devdeveshwar
15.Digambar
16.Sri Krishna Shyam Kamalnayan
TEMPLES
Lot of Datta temples exists in Maharashtra and in several parts of India and in Nepal. The list of temples are as follows:-
1.Temple of Lord Dattatreya in Devgad of Ahmednagar district.
2.Temple of lord Dattatreya, at the village of Pathari, Gujarat.
3.Lord Dattreya in Pulgaon in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra on the bank of the Wardha River.
4.Dattatreya temple in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
5.Shri Dattatreya Temple (Datta Bardi), Hadgaon, Nanded, Maharashtra
6.Chandannath Temple - Jumla, Nepal
7.Sri Dattatreya temple – Gulbarga, Karnataka.
8.Sripada Srivallabha temple – Pitapuram, Andhra Pradesh.
9.Datta Mandir Narasoba Wadi, Maharshtra
10.Shri Datta Mandir – Garudeshwar, Gujarat
11.Shri Datta Mandir – Nareshwar, Gujarat
12.Sri Kalagnishamana Datta – Mysuru, Karnataka
13.Sri Datta Mandir – Hingoli, Maharashtra
14.Sri Yogiraja Vallabha Datta – Prodduturu, Andhra Pradesh
15.Sri Yogiraja Vallabha Datta – Bangalore, Karnataka
16.Sri Gnana Sagara Datta – Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
17.Sri Syama Kamala Lochana Datta – Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
18.Sri Atrivarada Datta – Machalipattanam, Andhra Pradesh
19.Sri Sivaroopa Datta – Jayalakshmipuram, Andhra Pradesh
20.Sri Jagadguru Datta – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
21.Sri Adiguru Datta – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
22.Sri Digambara Datta – Rishikesh, Uttarakand
23.Sri Viswambara Avadhoota Datta – Akiveedu, Andhra Pradesh
24.Sri Deva Deva Datta – Nuzivedu, Andhra Pradesh
25.Sri Avadhoota Datta – Hyderabad, Telangana
26.Sri Digambara Datta – Gandigunta, Andhra Pradesh
27.Sri Siddaraja datta – Cochin, Kerala
28.Sri Mayamukta Avadhoota Datta – Acharapakkam, Tamil Nadu
29.Sri Leela Viswambarava Datta – Surat, Gujarat
30.Sri Kshetra Narada Gadde – Raichur, Karnataka
31.Shri Dattatreya Temple, Bijalpur, Indore, M.P.
32.Shri Dattatreya Temple – Dharwad, Karnataka
33.Shri Datta Mandir Sansthan Ruibhar,Osmanabad Maharashtra
34.Shree datta mandir pulgaon.dist wardha maharshtra
35.Datta mandir gangapur, Maharshtra
36.Datta mandir salaquin
37.Shripad shrivallabh datta mandir, karnja dist, amravti, maharstra.
CONCLUSION
Dattatreya, who is the union of three gods, Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva and who is having divine power and spiritual knowledge, and also a yogi, will give pleasantness and happiness in our life. Let him remove all the evils in our life, and show us the correct path. Let him lit a lamp in our life, and show us the way to live a sin free life. Let him protect and safeguard us from our enemies, and give a prosperous and a healthy life. Let him give us SALVATION at the end of our life. Let us praise his glory and chant his name continuously for ever.
“OM SREE DATTA BHAGAVANE NAMAHA”
R.HARISHANKAR
