On the occasion of Shri Datta Jayanti Margashirsha Shukla Purnima (4th December 2025)

Datta Jayanti is celebrated on the full-moon day of Margashirsha Month to commemorate the birth of Deity Dattatreya, the combined form of Deities Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

Dattatreya was the son of Sage Atri and Anasuya. Anasuya was a chaste and virtuous wife, who performed severe austerities to beget a son equal in merits as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the Trinity of Deities. Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati, the consorts of these Deities became jealous. They requested their respective husbands to test Anasuya’s virtuousness. The three Deities appeared before Anasuya in the disguise of Ascetics and asked her to give them alms without wearing clothes. Anasuya was perplexed for a while, but soon regained her composure. She uttered a mantra and sprinkled water on the three Ascetics, turning them into babies. She then breast-fed them naked with her milk, as they had wished. When Sage Atri returned to His Ashram, Anasuya narrated the event, which He already knew through His spiritual powers. He hugged the three babies to His heart, transforming them into a single baby with three heads and six arms. Since the Deities did not return, their consorts got worried and rushed to Anasuya.

The Goddesses begged her forgiveness and requested her to return their husbands. Anasuya accepted their request. The Trimurti then appeared in their true form before Sage Atri and Anasuya, and blessed them and their son Dattatreya.

On Datta Jayanti, people bathe early in the morning in Holy rivers, and observe a fast. Deity Datta is worshipped with flowers, incense-sticks, lamps and camphor. Devotees mediate on Deity Datta’s image and pray to Him with a vow to follow in His footsteps. They remember Deity Datta’s works and read the sacred Avadhut Geeta and Jivanmukta Geeta, which contain the Deity’s discourses.

Implied meaning of Deity Datta’s family

If you look at Deity Datta, you will notice that He is never alone. A cow is depicted behind Him, while four dogs are seen standing or sitting attentively around Him. We can also notice that Deity Datta stands under a huge Audumbar tree. Let us understand what these three aspects convey.

A. The cow : The Earth and Kamadhenu (Divine wish-fulfilling cow)

B. The four dogs : The four Vedas

C. The Holy fig tree (Audumbar) : The venerable form of Deity Datta; because it contains a higher proportion of the Datta Principle.

What is meant by a ‘Guru’ ?

The 11^th Chapter of Shrimadbhagawat (A Holy text written by Sage Vyas, which includes stories of various Incarnations, the life and teachings of Shrikrushna and Saints) mentions a conversation between Yadu and Avadhut (One Name of Deity Dattatreya). Avadhut describes the Gurus He selected and what He learnt from them. (Here, the term ‘Guru’ means ‘teacher’). Avadhut says – “Everything in this universe is a ‘Guru’, because there is something or the other to be learnt from it. A negative aspect teaches what vices should be given up and a positive aspect teaches what virtues should be imbibed. I created an ocean of knowledge with a little from each of the twenty-four Gurus and cleansed all my sins by bathing in it”.

How does chanting the Name of Deity Datta protect against the distress caused by unsatisfied ancestor souls ?

The Shakti (Divine Energy) generated by chanting the Name of Deity Dattatreya creates a protective sheath around the individual who chants His Name. Most individuals are entangled in Maya (Material world) primarily because they do not perform sadhana (Spiritual practice). Consequently, their linga deha (Subtle body) remains unsatisfied after death. These unsatisfied subtle bodies are stuck in Martyalok (The Region of the Dead which is located between Earth and Nether region).

Chanting Datta’s Name provides momentum to the unsatisfied ancestor souls stuck in Martyalok. As they move on to the next subtle regions as per their Karma (Actions that give rise to destiny), the extent of distress caused by them to their descendants naturally reduces. For this reason, one must chant 1 to 3 or more malas (Chant-beads) of Deity Datta’s Name, depending on the severity of distress.

(For more on this subject, please read Sanatan’s Text – ‘Datta’)

The Shakti generated by chanting the Name of Deity Dattatreya creates a protective sheath around the individual who chants !