The path of Dattatreya embraces all spiritual paths and is the source of all other

traditions. He who treads the path of Truth, regardless of what religion he belongs
to, is treading the path of Dattatreya. As an incarnation of God, Datta came down to
spread the universality of true religion. Anyone can be his follower, regardless of
cast, creed, status, be they student, householder, recluse or renunciate. No matter
what sect or religion the true seeker follows, eventually he comes under the guidance
of Lord Dattatreya, the Eternal Spiritual Guide of all mankind.

Datta's presence is not limited to any one country or sphere, as He is the Guru of
all Gurus, the all-seeing, all-powerful, ever-present link between God and Man.
However, special places of worship (Datta Peethas) have grown up around sacred
areas, where His presence is most strongly felt by the sincere seeker of Datta. These
places include Suchindram, Senthamangalam, Mount Girnar, Nagalapuram in
Andhra, Prayag, Datta Guha in the Himalayas, Gulbarga -Ganagapura,
Narasimhavadi in Maharastra, Quthambara near Poona, Avadumbara,
Somapuram, Chandradronagiri and Datta Peetha at Sri Ganapathi
Sachchidananda Ashrama, Mysore.

One notable aspect of these Datta Peethas is their indefinable but inseparable
relationship with worship of God as Mother, the Supreme Energy -Shakti. (Hence,
Sri Swamiji's fierce aspect as Mother Chamunda.) Parasurama (eighth incarnation
of Lord Vishnu), approached Lord Dattatreya and was initiated into the intricacies
of how to worship the Mother (Shreevidya Upaasana), before undertaking intense
penance to obtain the grace of the Divine Mother.

The Saandilya Upanishad declares very clearly that Lord Dattatreya is the
Supreme Reality and is the cause of everything that is created. It states, "The
Supreme Brahman performed penance which was of the nature of knowledge
(jnyana), and desiring to become many, assumed the form of Dattatreya. From that
form came out the three letters A, U, M; the three mystical names Bhuh, Bhuvah
and Svah; the three-lined Gayatri; the three Vedas Rig, Yajur and Sama; the three
Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara; the three castes Brahmana, Kshatriya and
Vysya; and the three fires Gaarhapatya, Ashavaneeya and Dakshina."
"The lord is endowed with all wealth. He is all pervading and resides in the hearts of
all beings. He is the great Maayavi, sporting with His own Maaya. He is Brahma.
His Vishnu, He is Rudra. He is Indra and He is also all the gods of heaven and all
other beings. He is East, He is West, He is North, He is South, He is below and He is
above. He is everything. This is the glory of the form of Dattatreya."

Lord Dattatreya came as the Supreme Philosopher (Avadhoota) so that the true
meaning and purpose of Sacrifice (Tyaaga) may be revealed to mankind. Atri, His
father, symbolizes penance (tapas) as described in the scriptures, and Anasooya
represents freedom from jealousy. When penance and non-jealous nature unite in a
single person, the highest truth emerges as Lord Dattatreya. As ultimate self-
sacrifice, the Supreme God gave Himself as Datta to Atri and Anasooya. Hence,
"Datta" means not only "that which is given", but also as the ideal of "giving"
without desire for reward, i.e. selfless giving. The whole life of Dattatreya shows us
that this "giving" selflessly is the true renunciation/sacrifice. The significance of this
sacrifice is stated in the Dattatreya Upanishad where the Lord says, "Not by action,
not by progeny, nor even by self, but by renunciation (tyaaga) alone is immortality
attained. "Real renunciation is the giving up of "I" and mine, not the mere
abandoning of duties. Living a selfless life require giving up one's ego. That is what
Lord Dattatreya describes as true sacrifice.

As a Yoga-Avatar, Lord Dattatreya teaches us to perform all our duties skillfully

and diligently. Yoga does not require outside aids, nor does it demand great physical
effort. All we have to do is change our outlook and transform our attitude to life.
This "change" consist of giving up the idea or feeling of "doership", "enjoyership"
and the resultant anxiety (and attachment ) for the fruits of our actions. By
performing all our duties with this changed outlook, our mind will be freed from
agitation and attain the restful state called "equanimity", or the state where there is
no "mind". This is the state of Bliss that every soul ultimately aspires to. This is the
state of Datta - the ultimate Gift of God.

Symbolically Lord Dattatreya is depicted with three heads, six hands, four dogs,
standing in front of a cow and tree. In his hands He holds a drum (damaru), discus
like weapon (chakra), conch shell (sankh), rosary (japa mala), water vessel
(kamandala) and a trident (trisula).

The Lord's three heads represent Brahma Tatwa, Vishnu Tatwa and Shiva Tatwa.
All powerful creative cause is Brahma, sustaining energy is Vishnu and annihilating
energy is Shiva (Srishti, Sthithi and Laya energies) are three heads.

All these attributes of the Lord have their esoteric meanings. The trident is used
for killing the ego, and the drum is used to awaken those souls who are still sleeping
in the slumber of ignorance. Lord Datta's conch shell is used to sound the
OMKARA, the primordial sound and the first word of the Hindu scriptures. The
divine AUM is composed of Akara - the Creator/Initiator, Brahma; Ukara
-Sustainer/Protector, Vishnu; Makara - Destroyer/Terminator, Maheswara. When
mixed together in the conch of the Lord, they sound as the eternal Omkara -Datta.

OM is an essential sound. With every breath our lungs resonate the Omkara. So-
hum...So-hum... I am the world, I am the universe, I am Lord Shiva, I am Lord
Vishnu... We are always chanting this mantra, even when we are walking, talking,
eating or sleeping. The speed with which we sound this So-hum may change with
our bodily activity, but the So-hum remains eternal. When the body stops resonating
with this divine sound, the soul seeks another residence. All living creatures, even
animals resonate this AUM in their body. In Sanskrit, "Datta" means gift, hence,
Omkara is the eternal gift of God to all souls.

Lord Dattatreya is also holding a rotating discus -chakra. It is a round circle with
no beginning and no end. Like the universe, it too is constantly moving, always in a
flux. He uses this chakra to destroy all kinds of karmic bonds of His devotees. His
right hand holds a rosary -japa mala. With this the Lord counts His devotees,
liberating them by merely thinking of their name. In another hand the Lord is
carrying the water pot -kamandala. This holds the nectar of pure wisdom. With this
He revives the souls thirsty for knowledge, liberating them from the endless cycle of
life and death.

The four dogs of Dattatreya are the embodiments of the four Vedas. They follow
the Lord as "hounds of heaven, watchdogs of the ultimate Truth". They help the
Lord in "hunting" and finding pure souls, wherever they may be born. Behind the
Lord Dattatreya is the cow named Kamadhenu. This divine cow grants the wishes
and desires of all those who seek the Lord. She grants all material and spiritual
wishes of the Lord's devotees.

The Lord stands in front of the Audumbara tree. This is the celestial wish -yielding
tree. It fulfills the wishes of those who prostrate before it. Audumbara is the bearer
of nectar, and wherever it is found, Lord Dattatreya is always found in it's shade.
 The Motherhood of God
The Divine Mother

Lord Dattatreya in his love for nature, all sentient and insentient beings has a
unending and intimate relationship with Mother Goddess; the protecting power of
the universe. He is even identical with this Mother principle.
We all are children of this world Mother. She gives us everything, facilities,
knowledge and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Who ever worships her
is sure to be blessed with all auspicious things. The Trinity Bhrama, Vishnu and
Shiva (Lord Dattatreya being the Lord of the Trinity) derive their powers of
creation, protection, and annihilation out of the ultimate energy; the Universal
Mother. She is the presiding deity Raja Rajeswari of Sri Chakra.

The ultimate title of Avadhoota is an achievement of many life-times of spiritual

progress. Only a few rare souls merit such an exalted title. In any one epoch, only a
handful of Avadhootas grace this Earth. So what is an Avadhoota? Let us consider
this question by looking at the meaning of the name itself and seeing what are the
essential characteristics of an Avadhoota.

"A": He who has achieved complete liberation from the bonds of desires. He who is
absolutely pure and is ever absorbed in total, inner, bliss.

"VA": He who has eliminated all His desires and is infallible to the three kinds of
problems, namely, (a) diseases of the body, (b) illness caused by poisons of such
creatures as scorpion, snakes etc, (c) adverse effects of natural disasters, such as
floods, earthquakes etc. An Avadhoota always lives in the present, forever happy in
what this moment has to give.

"DHOO": Through an Avadhoota's body may be smeared with dust or ashes, His
mind is cleansed of all impurities. Having reached His goal, such an Avadhoota is
beyond mere disciplines of concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana).

"TA": He is ever eternally engrossed in the contemplation of the Absolute Truth. To

this end, He has abandoned all worldly activities and even its thoughts. Such a
soul has erased His ego, merging completely with the universal spirit.

Main characteristic of an Avdhoota are:

• He who is a sinless philosopher and has cast off the shackles of ignorance
(ajnana).
• He who lives in the stateless state and enjoys its experience all the time. He
revels in this blissful state, unperturbed by the material world.
• In this unique state, the Avadhoota is neither waking nor in deep sleep, there
is neither any sign of life nor any death, It is a state defying all description.
• It is the state of infinite bliss, which the finite language is incapable of
describing. It can only be intuited purely by our intellect.
• A state which is neither truth or non-truth, neither existence nor non-
existence.
• He who has realized his identity with the imperishable, who possesses
incomparable excellence; who has shaken off the bonds of Samsara and
never swerves from His goal. That thou Art (TATVAMASI), and other
Upanishadic declarations, are ever present in the mind of such an
enlightened soul.
• That sage who is rooted in the plenary experience of "Verily, I am Brahman
(Aham Brahmaasmi)", "All this is Brahman (Sarvam Chilvidam
Brahman)", and that "...there is no plurality, Me and God are one and the
same..."etc. Supported by personal experience of such Vedic statements, He
moves freely in a state of total bliss. Such a person is a renunciate, liberated,
Avadhoota, Yogi, Praramhamsa, Brahmana.