Om Dattathreya Vidmahe
Atri putraaya dhimahi
Thanno Datta prachodhayat!
- Dattatreya Gayathri mantra
Datta Jayanti is a Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the day of the birth of Lord Datta, that is, the day that the Datta Principle became active on earth. This festival is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Margashirsha./On the full moon day of the Tamil month of Karthigai (Nov-DecIn ancient times there was a very rigorously disciplined rishi called Atri. He was believed to be the mental son of Brahmadev, because he had been born from the brilliance of Brahma's eyes. His wife was Anusuya, who was a very loyal, humble and faithful wife.
In heaven sage Narada used to tell the gods very interesting stories about Anusuya's loyalty to her husband. This annoyed Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Parvati, who decided to lower Anusuya's repute. They sent the three Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to earth for the purpose of bringing about her disgrace.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva became three guests, and when Atri was not in his house, they knocked the door. Anusuya at once welcomed the guests. She got food ready for them and requested them to have a meal. Then they said that they would eat only on one condition. The strange condition was that Anusuya should serve them the food without clothes on.
Anusuya was shocked. But in a minute she thought of a solution, and by the power of her mind she turned the three guests into small babies. The babies began to cry. She kept them in a cradle and with great love she began to rock them and feed them.
There was a commotion in heaven. The three wives of the gods, Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati became worried. If the three great gods become small babies, who will take the responsibility of the universe ?
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva asked for Anusuya's forgiveness. The form of three babies kept a particle of their being in the house of that faithful wife and they returned to heaven.
Anasuya named the three babies, Som, Datta, and Durvas. When they grew up Som went to the moon, and Durvas went to the jungle to do penance. Before leaving both of them kept their particle of being with Datta. Thus Datta became the combined avatar of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
The worship of Lord Datta prevents and resolves problems of negative energy due to unsatisfied ancestors' souls.
Preparation for Datta Jayanti
This is done by worshipping Lord Datta in the following manner:
1.Meticulously following the code of conduct according to the four spiritual classes (varnas*) and stages of life (ashrams**).
2. Doing spiritual practice according to the path of Yoga and Shaktipat disksha (initiation by energy transfer).
3. Since Lord Datta is the deified Guru, He has to be worshipped in the form of the Guru Himself by repeating His Name, 'Sri Gurudev Datta'. Since Lord Datta is the Supreme Guru, the Guru-disciple tradition, in which the Guru is a human being, is not followed in the Datta sampradaya
4.Following of the rules (discipline) of the Datta sect
5.Performance of severe rituals and undergoing physical hardships
6.Strictly observing the specifications regarding clothing.
Celebration of Datta Jayanti
Ritualistic worship of Lord Datta (Satyadattapuja): This is a ritualistic worship of Lord Datta similar to the commonly performed ritualistic worship of Lord Vishnu (Satyanarayan). This is done by following the basic steps of Hindu rituastic worship, namely, cleaning the premises and the altar, cleansing oneself, and preparing the holy sacrament (prasad), etc., before the worship, performing arati of Lord Datta, distributing the sacrament among the attendees, etc. Instead of Lord Datta's statue, wooden slippers (Paduka) and the fig (Oudumbar) tree are used for His ritualistic worship.
On Datta Jayanti, seekers are advised to repeat (chant) six malas (6 x 108 = 648 times) 'Om Sri Gurudev Datta', using the marak (destroyer) tune.
Atri putraaya dhimahi
Thanno Datta prachodhayat!
- Dattatreya Gayathri mantra
Datta Jayanti is a Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the day of the birth of Lord Datta, that is, the day that the Datta Principle became active on earth. This festival is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Margashirsha./On the full moon day of the Tamil month of Karthigai (Nov-DecIn ancient times there was a very rigorously disciplined rishi called Atri. He was believed to be the mental son of Brahmadev, because he had been born from the brilliance of Brahma's eyes. His wife was Anusuya, who was a very loyal, humble and faithful wife.
In heaven sage Narada used to tell the gods very interesting stories about Anusuya's loyalty to her husband. This annoyed Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Parvati, who decided to lower Anusuya's repute. They sent the three Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to earth for the purpose of bringing about her disgrace.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva became three guests, and when Atri was not in his house, they knocked the door. Anusuya at once welcomed the guests. She got food ready for them and requested them to have a meal. Then they said that they would eat only on one condition. The strange condition was that Anusuya should serve them the food without clothes on.
Anusuya was shocked. But in a minute she thought of a solution, and by the power of her mind she turned the three guests into small babies. The babies began to cry. She kept them in a cradle and with great love she began to rock them and feed them.
There was a commotion in heaven. The three wives of the gods, Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati became worried. If the three great gods become small babies, who will take the responsibility of the universe ?
Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva asked for Anusuya's forgiveness. The form of three babies kept a particle of their being in the house of that faithful wife and they returned to heaven.
Anasuya named the three babies, Som, Datta, and Durvas. When they grew up Som went to the moon, and Durvas went to the jungle to do penance. Before leaving both of them kept their particle of being with Datta. Thus Datta became the combined avatar of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
The worship of Lord Datta prevents and resolves problems of negative energy due to unsatisfied ancestors' souls.
Preparation for Datta Jayanti
This is done by worshipping Lord Datta in the following manner:
1.Meticulously following the code of conduct according to the four spiritual classes (varnas*) and stages of life (ashrams**).
2. Doing spiritual practice according to the path of Yoga and Shaktipat disksha (initiation by energy transfer).
3. Since Lord Datta is the deified Guru, He has to be worshipped in the form of the Guru Himself by repeating His Name, 'Sri Gurudev Datta'. Since Lord Datta is the Supreme Guru, the Guru-disciple tradition, in which the Guru is a human being, is not followed in the Datta sampradaya
4.Following of the rules (discipline) of the Datta sect
5.Performance of severe rituals and undergoing physical hardships
6.Strictly observing the specifications regarding clothing.
Celebration of Datta Jayanti
Ritualistic worship of Lord Datta (Satyadattapuja): This is a ritualistic worship of Lord Datta similar to the commonly performed ritualistic worship of Lord Vishnu (Satyanarayan). This is done by following the basic steps of Hindu rituastic worship, namely, cleaning the premises and the altar, cleansing oneself, and preparing the holy sacrament (prasad), etc., before the worship, performing arati of Lord Datta, distributing the sacrament among the attendees, etc. Instead of Lord Datta's statue, wooden slippers (Paduka) and the fig (Oudumbar) tree are used for His ritualistic worship.
On Datta Jayanti, seekers are advised to repeat (chant) six malas (6 x 108 = 648 times) 'Om Sri Gurudev Datta', using the marak (destroyer) tune.
