DATTAVATARA
It is like the rain - bearing clouds, reaching to all places, and showering the rain of knowledge and wisdom and fostering the spiritual well being of all.....
SRI DATTAVTARA
Namdharak then asked Siddha Yogi how it actually happened that the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwara, were born a single manifestation, as Datta. His heart was yearning to know the whole Guru Charitra from it's very beginnings and origin.
Siddha Yogi began describing the origin of creation. In the timeless beginning there was no earth, no sky, no planet, no universe and no being. It was all infinite expanse of water. On it was resting Lord Sri Narayana. Actually that primal water itself was God. Out of the water was born Hiranyagarbha and out of Hiranyagarbha emerged Brahmananda.
Brahmananda spilt into two and one became the sky and the other the earth. The Lord then created the four-faced Brahma and entrusted to him the task of creation of both the animate beings and the inanimate things. Brahma out of his Manas, created the seven sages, known as "Manasa Putras". Atri Rishi was one of those seven sons of Brahma.
Atri practiced severe penance for countless number of years and attained Brahma-Jnana (Self-realisation). Later, at the instance of Brahma, he married Anasuya, the daughter of Kardama Prajapati. Anasuya was embodiment of perfection and was entirely blemishless and her name itself indicates, was devoid of even the least taint of envy, which is one of the greatest blemishes among humans. She has no malice against anyone and had overwhelming and motherly love for all beings. She was an embodiment of chastity, who worshipped and considered her husband alone as God. She is reckoned foremost among Pati-vratas, i.e., those whose devotion for their husbands is unalloyed and supreme. Her fame and glory spread far and wide, all over the three worlds.
Indra, the Lord of heaven, felt all his power paling into insignificance like that of an oil lamp before the dazzling and splendorous sun-shine of the rising glory and powers of Anasuya, and was afraid of losing his supremacy, he approached the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwara, and entreated them to arrest the ever increasing powers and glory of Anasuya by somehow casting a blemish on her chastity. He said Anasuya's name and fame already outshining and eclipsing that of the three Divine consorts, Lakshmi, Saraswati,and Parvatti, who were till then ranked as the foremost amongst the women in all the worlds.
The Gods wanted to put Anasuya's purity and power to test. They transformed themselves into mendicants and approached the hermitage of Atri Rishi. They begged for alms. At that time, Atri Rishi had gone to the river to offer his daily oblations. Anasuya came out and welcomed them and extended hospitality to them. They made a strange request that the food prepared be served to them by Anasuya without wearing any garment. Anasuya, though perplexed at such a strange, embarrassing and impossible condition, however, though thought for a while as to what she do. Athitis, or guests, cannot be turned away under any circumstances; Athitis are aspects of God Himself. But .... yes, it flashed in her mind: If only the guests were her babies and she their mother; Oh, yes, she could feed them without donning a garment. Her thoughts - the thoughts of a pure and chaste mind instantly became a reality; the elderly guests turned into babies. She then fed them with all the motherly solicitude and love. She then sang lullabies and put them to sleep in a cradle.
When Atri Rishi returned home, to his amazement, he found Anasuya fondling the three babies and singing to them lullabies on Upanishadic truths. Anasuya rose and offered the children at the feet of her husband and said "These children are the gift (Datta) of God to us. Atri Rishi was overwhelmed with joy.
Atri Rishi, through his Divyadrushti, realised who the children really were. He prayed to them "Oh, Supreme Gods - Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwar! It is all your inscrutable divine Leela (sport). You, the Infinite Beings, chose to become babes in our humble home so as to delight us who have been childless and have been praying to you in our heart of hearts to bestow a child. How blessed are we to fondle you!" Tears of joy started swelling out of the sage's eyes, bathing the babes, so to say.
The Babes now assumed their real forms and made their appearance before the couple, as the Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu & Maheshwara. They said " We are pleased with you both. You ask for whatever boons you wish". The couple prayed, "Let the joy you gave us as babies in our home a little while ago, become permanent and a lasting reality. Make this humble cottage of ours your own home, and give us the blessed opportunity to fondle you as our little children." The Gods said in our voice. "Your wish will surely be fulfilled. Let us also who have never known what a mother's and a father's love is like, experience and enjoy it as children in your home. That is in truth, what we have been seeking for and why we came here, under the pretext of Bhiksha".
To Anasuya, Brahma was born as Chandra, Vishnu as Datta, and Maheshwara as Durvasa. The children grew up under the fondling care of the parents. Atri Rishi performed their Upanayana Samskara, After this, Chandra sought permission of this parents to take his place in the skies and to make it his abode. Durvasa also sought permission of the parents to leave the home, for his pilgrimages and penance. Both of them merged their divine selves and power in their brother Datta before their departure from home. Thus, in Datta were merged all the divine aspects and powers of the great Trinity, which became symbolised as His three faces and six hands and because of which, he came to be called as Dattatreya (Datta Thraya). The name also bears another meaning. "The one who gifted himself as son to Atri."
Dattatreya, from his very early years itself, took to the task of redemption of the world as Supreme Guru and Protector - He is a Purna Jnanavatar, incarnated to dispel darkness of ignorance in the world and to bestow spiritual knowledge and wisdom on all aspirants. |
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