Dattatreya Jayanti 2021

Dattatreya Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name “Dattatreya” is derived from two Sanskrit words, Datta (which means “given”) and Atreya (which refers to the sage Atri, who was also Datta’s biological father).

In the Nath tradition of Hinduism, Dattatreya is considered to be an avatar or reincarnation of Lord Shiva and is revered as the Adi-Guru or the First Teacher of the Adinath Sampradaya of the Nath sect of followers. Dattatreya first emerged as a teacher of Yoga, with clear Tantric traits. But later, he was accepted and absorbed into many other cults and sects, even including the more conventional Vaishnavism. He is also considered more of a God today, than a teacher. Today, this deity is worshiped by a multitude of Hindus from all walks of life, spanning the entire globe.

The birth of Shri Datta, Who incarnated on the full moon day (pournimā) of the Hindu lunar month of Margshirsha, is celebrated as Datta Jayanti. In the previous eras, the atrocities of demonic forces increased tremendously; hence, Shri Dattatreya incarnated in different forms and destroyed the demons.

On Datta Jayanti, Shri Datta’s principle is 1000 times more active on Earth as compared to any other day. By worshipping Shri Datta with full devotion, one can derive maximum benefit of the Datta principle.

You can read about Lord Dattatreya’s Story, 16 Avatars and Symbolism here.