Dattatreya Jayanti 2022: The Anniversary of Hindu Trinity Incarnate

Dattatreya Jayanti celebrates the birthday of Datta or Dattaguru, one of the lords of Yoga, as well as a Hindu deity. In Bengal, he is 'Trinath', an avatar of the Hindu trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. In some versions of texts like the Garuda Purana, Sattvata Samhita, and Brahma Purana, he is an avatar of Vishnu only. There are several Upanishads that are dedicated to him. Avadhuta Gita (meaning ‘song of the free soul’), a very important text in Hinduism, is attributed to him.

He has been the inspiration for many monastic movements in Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism. He led a simple life, showed kindness to all, and shared his knowledge with those he met during his travels. This fact finds mention in the poems of Tukaram, a saint poet who belonged to the Bhakti movement.

In the Nath tradition of Shiva worship, Dattatreya is the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya, the first "Lord of Yoga". He was a master of Tantra techniques. However, many other traditions believe that Adi Yogi is Shiva himself..

The representation of Dattatreya varies from region to region. In Maharashtra, he has three heads and six hands. Each head represents one of the Trimurtis. He has one pair of hands which hold objects associated with these gods, like Brahma’s rosary/japmala and water pot, Vishnu’s discus and conch, and Shiva’s damaru/drum and trident.

He is clothed like a simple monk and lives in a forest, having renounced worldly life to pursue the life of a meditative Yogi. In some images, four dogs and a cow surround him. The dogs symbolize the four Vedas, and the cow represents Mother Earth, who gives nourishment to all living beings.

Dattatreya Jayanti is on the Full Moon night (Purnima) of Margashirsha (Dec-Jan) month. It is also called Datta Jayanti. Dattatreya Jayanti 2022, or Datta Jayanthi 2022, is on Wednesday, Dec 7.

Importance of Dattatreya Jayanti

Several temples for Dattatreya exist in the country, but more so in Southern India. On Dattatreya Jayanti, devotees worship his child form. Dattatreya temples in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat celebrate the festival with great zest.

The belief is that those who worship Dattatreya with true devotion and observe a fast on his Jayanti can have their desires fulfilled. It is also believed that his blessings can help remove planetary afflictions and ancestral issues. It can bring good health and prosperity.

Dattatreya Jayanti 2022 Date and Timings

Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022.

Tithi timings

Purnima Tithi Begins – 08:01 AM on Dec 07, 2022

Purnima Tithi Ends – 09:37 AM on Dec 08, 2022

Dattatreya's Birth

Dattatreya was the son of a renowned sage, Atri, and his wife, Anasuya. Anasuya was a very virtuous woman and a chaste wife. She wanted a son who would be equal to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and performed severe austerities for the same. The 3 Goddesses, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati (the consorts of the 3 Gods), became jealous on seeing this and told their husbands to test her chastity.

So, the three Gods approached Anasuya taking the forms of Sadhus (ascetics). She invited them into her home and offered them food. But the ascetics said that they would accept it only if she removed her clothes and served them in the nude. Anasuya was shocked to hear this. There was no way she could do what they wanted as she would lose her virtue by appearing naked before 3 strange men. Atri, too, was not at home. She was in a dilemma, as offending the sages could make them angry, and they might curse her. She excused herself and meditated for a few minutes, seeking divine guidance.

Due to her chastity and virtue, Anasuya was able to find an answer to her problem. Calling upon her spiritual powers, she chanted a Mantra and sprinkled some water on the sages. Immediately they turned into 3 babies. Then she fed them her breast milk. At this point, Atri returned home. Anasuya told him about the happenings at the ashram. But Atri already knew what had happened due to his psychic powers. He embraced the three babies, and they became a single baby with 3 heads and 6 arms.

Meanwhile, the wives of the 3 Gods were feeling anxious as their husbands had not returned. Sage Narada came there and told them what had happened. Worried, they went to Atri’s ashram. They asked forgiveness of Anasuya and begged her to return their husbands to their original forms. Anasuya agreed. After the Trimurtis were restored to their natural form, they gave their blessings to Atri and Anasuya to beget a son and told them to name him Dattatreya.

Datta Jayanti Pooja Vidhi

Take a bath early in the morning in a holy river or stream.

Observe fast.

Perform Pooja for Dattatreya with offerings of flowers, lamps, incense, and camphor.

Meditate on his image.

Worship Dattatreya and make a vow to follow in his footsteps.

Read his sacred books like Avadhuta Gita and Jivanmukta Gita, which contain his teachings.

One can also read other holy texts like Datta Prabodh by Kavadi Baba and Datta Mahatmya by Param Pujya Vasudevananda Saraswati. These are based on Dattatreya's life. Guru-charita, which is about the life of Narasimha Saraswati (1378−1458), who is said to be an avatar of Dattatreya, can also be read.

Sing bhajans and other devotional songs.

Temple Festivities

There are temples for Dattatreya throughout India. One can find them in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The Manik Prabhu Temple in Manik Nagar, Karnataka, holds an annual 7-day festival on this occasion. Here, Datta Jayanti is celebrated from Ekadasi to Poornima. Manik Prabhu is a saint who is believed to be an incarnation of Dattatreya by the people of Datta Sampraday. He was born on Dattatreya’s birthday.