Re: Dattatreya Sampradaya
praNAm ShivaFan
I think i can add something here, although i belong to NO SAMPRADAY --
i only belong to the One and Only Shri KRshNa Govind Hari MurAri NArAyaN vAsudeva.
* I have an interesting affinity, relation and affiliation to Dattatreya (not necessarily the sampraday), the avadhUt avatAr of the Lord (VishNu), particularly the 'ek-mukhi Datta' - one-face Datta, rather than the Trimurti Datta (BramhA VishNu Shiva combined)
It is just that i see the avadhUt side/facet of my Lord and it is mesmerizing indeed.
* Dattatreya pure is one of Atri and AnsUya's three sons:
Chandra (Rshi) = BramhA
DattAtreya = VishNu (who made 24 Gurus, and KRshNa tells Uddhav about this avatar of His)
DurvAs Muni = Shiva/Rudra
Acc. to Shri Gurucharitra (the primary scripture for Dattatreya sampraday), these three babies (who were the TrimUrti owing to the boon given), Chandra Datta and DurvAs were later on "seen around by people as one mUrti" As a result, many take the trimurti Datta to a a 'mythological tale' but Datta really is ek-mukhi and He is the source of the TrimUrti, which means He is the supreme Lord. The three shaktis are combined as Dattatreya's potency, consort AnaghA Devi acc. to ShripAd Shrivallabh (Datta avatar in Kali Yug).
* Datta is a very kind, compassionate and easily pleased form of the Lord, and just as He was donated (datta) by Himself to Atri Rshi, He donates / showers / gives liberally to those who seek His shelter.
In one Datta temple/maTh (NRsinghpUr), there is a quote:
"Give with two hands , and I shall give with six.
Give with six hands and I shall give with a thousand (sahastra) - symbolic for infinite, abundant [hands]"
* No doubt Datta comes to teach the impersonal philosophy of oneness as the ultimate, however, the VishNu tattva in Him makes oceans of Datta-bhaktas - His followers and devotees. Even so, the sampraday which flows from the NavanAths (rather than Navayogendras) sometimes focuses on the Shiva in Datta and on mystical elements hence this sampraday skirts yogic mysticism a lot, albeit through the medium of Bhakti. Obviously this is not like the pure devotion, shuddha bhakti yog of the pure VaishNavs.
* Also, there is a big difference between the oneness of Datta and oneness of Adi Shankara. Datta says you go from "you and Me" to salokya, samipya, sarupya and ultimately sayujja with Me. This is their process of attaining oneness through Datta-bhakti which is not very VaishNav as VaishNavs reject sayujja and also do not consciously seek or expect the other mukti types, leave aside sRshti and mystic siddhis.
* Dattatreya appears in Kali Yug as an avadhUt avatAr for the benefit of mankind - first Kali Yug avatar was
1. ShripAd Shrivallabh (Andhra, piTHApUram)
2. NRsinha Saraswati (GANgApUr, Maharashtra)
3. Swami Samartha ,
Akkalkot swami, many other swami siddhas around Maharshtra,
and acc. to some, the Sai Baba of Shirdi who was predicted by ShripAd ShriVallabh as a future mahApurush in the tradition.
The first three on the list were explicitly predicted by ShripAd Shrivallabh as His future forms.
* The state of Maharashtra (and Andhra) is blessed by the presence of Datta all over, and you will find numerous Datta bhaktas here. As VaishNavs perform pArAyaN saptAh (7-day ritual recital-study-hearing) of BhAgvat purAN, the Datta devotees do the same with Gurucharitra.
* Tomorrow i shall post a few transcendental quotes - direct words from ShripAd Shrivallabh, from "ShripAd Shrivallabh CharitrAmRt" a mostly unknown book by His associate and devotee, Shankar Bhatta. Shankar Bhatta originally wrote the biography in Telugu while ShripAd was walking on earth as a 15 yr old, and was translated later in Marathi by another follower. This charitramRt is more detailed about this particular avatar than the Gurucharitra itself.
* There is some uncanny connection between the Lord as murlidhar veNu mAdhav as DwArkAdheesh and as Dattatreya.
As the former He would just come to your doorstep courteously at noon smiling natkhat wearing yellow pitambar vaijayanti haar and peacock feather with a "Here I am!" grin , knock or ring the bell as per the times
As the latter He would come to your doorstep at noon in avadhUt attire and a bhiksha jholi and shout "Alak!!" or "Alak Niranjan!!"
As the former He would be just your surprise guest. As the latter He would be a traditional bhikshuk.
In both forms His whole and sole goal would be to bestow causeless mercy on you - your entire household.
_/\_
digambara digambara shripad vallabh digambara
om namo bahagavte vAsudevAya
Govindam Adi purusham Tam aham bhajAmi ~
Last edited by smaranam; 18 May 2013 at 08:56 AM.
Reason: AnaghA Devi - trishakti of trimurti
|| Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||
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