FESTIVIDAD AL SEÑOR DATTATREYA. PARTE 1 - EL DESPERTAR SAI


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De: luistovarcarrillo (Mensaje original)

Enviado: 24/04/2008 03:45

Datta Jayanti 2007 - Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji - Part 1

The Appearance of Lord Dattatreya:

Lord Dattatreya, the avatara of Lord Vishnu (4th avatar), His astounding form and pastimes are described very authoritatively in the Vedic literature which clears away all the myths that have grown up around this divine form of Lord Vishnu.

The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with him, promised to incarnate as his son, Dattatreya.

Sri Dattatreya is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinities have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya".

Sri Dattatreya is usually depicted with three heads, symbolizing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; past, present, and future; and the three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. He is portrayed sitting in meditation with his Shakti beneath the audumbara tree. In front of him is a fire pit, and around him are four dogs. These are sometimes said to symbolize the four Vedas.

According to Brahmanda-purana, Lord Dattatreya appeared during the reign of Vaivasvata Manu (who is still ruling), in the 10th yuga cycle in the Treta-yuga. Since we are currently in the 28th Kali-yuga, He appeared occurred about 80 million years ago to Atri and Anasuya,His parents.

Devi-bhagavata-purana suggests an even older date (2nd yuga cycle). The differences in dates may reflect the different appearances in the various kalpas.

The story itself, alluded to in Srimad Bhagavatam, is described in detail in the Markandeya-purana (16)

Once there was a brahmana who was cursed to die at sunrise, and his devoted wife by the power of austerity, restrained the sun from rising, upon which all activity ceased. The gods, alarmed by this, went to Lord Brahma for counsel:

Lord Brahma said: "Majesty is subdued by majesty indeed, and austerities also by austerities, O ye immortals! Hearken therefore to my advice. Through the might of the faithful wife the sun does not rise, and from his not rising loss befalls mortals and you. Hence do ye, through desire that sun should rise, propitiate Atri's faithful wife Anasuya who is rich in austerities."

Having been so instructed, they sought the help of the wife of the sage Atri. When they submitted their desires, she replied, "The might of a faithful wife may not be lost in any wise. Hence while honoring that good lady, I will liberate the day. O ye gods! that day and night may again exist, and that that good lady's own husband may not perish." At Anasuya's exhortation the brahmana's wife relented, the sun rose, and the brahmana died, but he was restored to life by the virtuous Anasuya.

Then there fell a shower of flowers, accompanied with the strains of heavenly instruments and other musical instruments. And the gods were delighted and said to Anasuya:

"Choose a boon, O blessed lady. Inasmuch thou hast accomplished a great matter for the gods, therefore the gods will grant thee a boon, O ascetic lady."

Anasuya spoke: "If ye gods headed by Brahma, being favorable, will grant me a boon, and if ye deem me worthy of a boon, then let Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva become sons to me, and let me in company with my husband attain religious devotion, to the end that I may be delivered from affliction."

"Be it so!" exclaimed Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the other gods to her; and they departed, duly honoring the ascetic lady.

The Birth of Lord Dattatreya from Markandeya-purana (17)

Then after many days time the adorable Atri, the second son of Brahma, looked upon his wife Anasuya. Her very lovely in body, seductive and perfect in form, free from blame, the love possessed muni enjoyed mentally. But while he contemplated her, a powerful wind through and above brought the change that was produced in her.

The ten regions of the sky seized the white-lustred form of Brahma, as it fell all around, in the form of Soma, characterized by passion. That mental Soma was begotten in her as the son of the prajapati Atri, the life and possessor of every excellence.

Magnanimous Vishnu being pleased begot of her Dattatreya, the brahman, in whom goodness predominated, by production from His own body. Dattatreya was he called; he sucked Anasuya's breast: He was Vishnu indeed incarnate; He was Atri's second son. He issued from His mother's womb seven days afterwards being enraged on seeing that haughty king of the Haihayas was near and offending Atri. Being angry He at once desired to burn up the Haihaya. Filled with indignation at the long pains and toil of his residence in the womb, a portion of Shiva was born as Durvasas, in whom darkness predominated. Thus three sons were born of her, being portions of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.

Brahma became Soma, Vishnu was born as Dattatreya, Shiva was born as Durvasas, throught the boon granted by the gods. The prajapati Soma, ever causing creepers and medicinal plants and manking to grow with his cool rays, abides in Svarga. Dattatreya protects offspring from destruction by the malignant Daityas: and Vishnu's portion must be also be known as the benefactor of the docile. Durvasas, the adorable birthless god, destroys the scorner; assuming a formidable body, he is haughty in look, mind, and speech.

* Dattatreya offers Benedictions

In chapters 18, 19, the Markandeya-purana goes on to relate how benedictions were bestowed by Lord Dattatreya upon those who worshipped Him. First the story of the demigods' obtaining His blessings and of their subsequent victory in battle, followed by the story of King Kartavirya Arjuna who similarly became powerful in battle and eventually became a universal monarch. The story ends with the glorification of Lord Dattatreya:

Such is this magnanimity of the wise Dattatreya, who is Vishnu, the guru of all things movable and immovable, endless, high-souled. In the Puranas are narrated the manifestations of the bearer of the bow Sharnga, who is endless, inscrutable, the bearer of the conch and discus and club.

Whatever man ponders on His highest form, happy is he, and he may soon pass over mundane existence. "Ho! I am ever in truth easy of reach by faith even to Vaishnavas"--how is it that a man should not have recourse to Him, whose are these very words? For the destruction of unrighteousness, and for the practice of righteousness, the God, who is without beginning and without end, preserves the stability of nature.

Additionally, Lord Dattatreya is glorified in the Pancaratra as the upholder of Dharma:

He is jnana-murti-the form which personifies spiritual wisdom. He directs men and gods along the path of spiritual progress. And He protects the Vedas and regulates the conduct according to castes and stations in life.

Who is Lord Dattatreya?

Who is Lord DATTATREYA? He has three heads, six hands, four dogs, one cow and, behind him. One hand holds a drum, one holds a round shaped wheel or chakra, one holds a conch shell or shankh, one holds a rosary or japa mala and one holds a water vessel or kamandala.

The trident, drum, chakra, conch shell, mala, and kamandala all have esoteric meaning. The trident is used for killing the ego. The drum is used to awaken people who are always sleeping in a state of ignorance. That is why He is always beating the drum. He is saying, "You must come. You must come with me."

The conch shell represents the OMKARA which is known as the first sound or word in Hindu philosophy. OMKARA is the first sound or beat of the Hindu Scriptures, Vedas and Puranas. All the great sages use the OMKARA. Akara (Sustainer), Ukara (Protector) and Makara (Destroyer) when mixed together make one sound the OMKARA. This OMKARA sound is the sound from the conch shell.

This is important for with every breath we sound the OMKARA. 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, running or sleeping. The sounds are made at different speeds but in the final analysis, there is only the OMKARA So-hum, So-hum. We are always making this sound even though we do not realize it. Lord DATTATREYA has given this gift to every one. Animals also use this OM sound, So-hum, So-hum.

DATTATREYA also holds the rotating disc or chakra. Similar to the universe, it is a round circle with no beginning or end. He uses this chakra to take all kinds of karma from all people. In His right hand He holds the japa mala or rosary. Here Lord DATTATREYA is counting His devotees. In another hand He is carrying the water pot or kamandala. This does not contain ordinary water but contains the nectar of wisdom. Behind Him is a cow (Kamadhenu). This cow grants the wishes of those who ask for the satisfaction of desires, be they worldly or spiritual.

The four dogs are not ordinary dogs but represent the four Vedas: Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Atharvan-Veda and SamaVeda. They follow the Lord as 'hounds of heaven and watchdogs of truth' and are owned by Datta, the greatest hunter for the souls of men. They continually surround the Lord. Finally, the tree behind Lord Dattatreya is the Audumbara tree or wish-yielding tree. It fulfills the wishes of those who prostrate to it no matter what problems they may have. The tree is the bearer of nectar and wherever it is found, there Lord Dattatreya will always be present.

THE STORY OF DATTATREYA

Among the many current legends concerning the manifestation of the Supreme as Dattatreya, three are worthy of notice. The first version is taken from SrimadBhagavata. According to the Bhagavata, the sage Atri performed severe penance in order to have a son. His goal for his son was to achieve and maintain world order. The Lord Himself who promised to fulfill his wish was born as Atri's son.

The second version is a story passed down from generation to generation. A long time ago, there lived a couple in Pratishthanagar (modem Paithana) in Maharashtra State. The husband's name was Kausika and the wife's Sumati. Sumati was very devoted to her husband and extremely virtuous. However, Kausika led an immoral life and eventually deserted his wife. He became a victim to many deadly diseases, and with none to care for him, he finally came back to his wife who received him with love and devotion. Forgiving his faults, she treated him with compassion and began to attend to his wounds - physical as well as mental.

One night, carrying her ailing husband on her shoulders, Sumati was walking along the highway and came to a p ocent sage called Maandavya had been unjustly hanged on the gallows. By using his yogic power, the sage had retained life in his body which was still swinging to and fro. Owing to the faded light, Sumati did not see the swaying body of the sage and was walking by when, unwittingly, her husband's leg brushed against the sage's body and caused the sage excruciating pain. The sage, already hard pressed, lost his temper and swore that the person who had caused him such severe agony, would die as soon as the sun rose. The virtuous and devout Sumati, on hearing this, could not bear even the thought of her husband's coming death. So she pronounced a counter-curse. Said she:

"O Sun-god, do not rise at all tomorrow. If you disregard my words, you will be burnt and fall from the sky." No power on earth can render ineffective the curse pronounced by a virtuous and devoted wife.

The Saastra declares:

"That power which men attain by practicing Yoga, will be obtained by women of respectable family merely by their chastity and moral excellence."

The Sun-god did not rise and there was widespread sorrow in the world. No ritual could be conducted; no duty could be performed. Scared, the gods approached Brahma (the Creator) for assistance, but He said He was helpless. Taking the gods with him, Brahma went to Atri's Ashram and entreated Anasooya to save the world, as in his opinion, she alone possessed power to do so.

Atri and Anasooya, accompanied by Brahma and the gods, went to Sumati's house and implored her to withdraw her curse. But Sumati refused because she feared her husband would die the moment the sun rose. Anasooya assured Sumati that she would bring her husband back to life by her power. So, Sumati revoked her curse and the sun rose immediately. But with the rising sun, Kausika fell dead. Anasooya, by virtue of her power, brought him back o life. All were happy.

Gods, out of gratitude were eager to bestow on Anasooya a boon. She desired the "Trinity" to become her children. Her wish was instantly fulfilled. Brahma was born as Chandra (moon), Vishnu as Datta and Shiva as Durvaasa. After some time, with the consent of Anasooya, Chandra left to take his position in the sky, and Durvaasa departed to do penance. Datta remained with his parents. However, before leaving, Chandra and Durvaasa endowed Datta with their powers. Therefore, Dattatreya is conceived as "three in one" and depicted as having three faces and six hands.

The third version comes from the Puraanas. The Puraanic version of the incarnation of Dattatreya is very similar to the story passed down through generations. Having heard from Naarada about the greatness of Anasooya's fidelity and chastity, the three goddesses, Vaani (Brahma!s spouse), Lakshmi (consort of Vishnu) and Uma (spouse of Siva), were filled with jealousy and sent their husbands to test the chastity of Anasooya.

The three gods, responsible respectively for the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the world, came to Anasooya disguised as holy men and begged for food. Anasooya gladly made them sit, but they demanded that she serve them without wearing any clothes. As a result, Anasooya took the holy water from her husband's water pot, sprinkled it on them and transformed them into babies. Then, without clothes, she nurtured and nourished them as her own children.

When their husbands did not return for quite a long time, the goddesses became anxious and apprehensive, and went directly to Atri's ashram. They were shocked to see the condition of their husbands. Their jealousy vanished and they understood the greatness of Anasooya. The penitent goddesses begged Anasooya to forgive them and restore their husbands to them. Compassionate Anasooya transformed the babies into their original form and gave them back to their wives. The three gods, who had basked in the sunshine of Anasooya's matemal affection, while departing, voluntarily expressed their intention to be with her in another form.

Accordingly, Brahma became Chandra, Vishnu became Datta and Siva became Durvaasa. All three were born in one united form on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Maargasira, the ninth month of the lunar year. This day is being observed as the birthday of Dattatreya even now.

According to the popular Gurucharitra written by Sri Gangadhara Saraswati, out of the infinite incarnations of Dattatreya, two which took place in the fourteenth century are worthy of mentioning. The first manifestation was as Sreepadavallabha. He was born to Brahmin parents Appalaraja and Sumati in the year 1320 AD in the town of Pitapura in Andhra Pradesh. He left home at the age of sixteen, and living in Kuruvapura, a small island in the River Krishna, blessed devotees for some time and disappeared in 1350 AD.

The second manifestation was as Sri Swami Narasimha Saraswati. He was born to fulfill a promise given by Sreepada Sreevallabha to His mother. Narahari, as He was known at first, was born in 1380 in the small town of Karanjanagar. Until He was seven years old, Narahari remained dumb, but when His sacred thread ceremony was performed and His mother offered him food thrice as enjoined by the scriptures, Narahari recited the three Vedas, one for each meal.

Narahari granted to His mother the memory of her previous birth and after two more sons were born to her, He left for Vaaranasi and took His holy vows from the aged Swami Krishna Saraswathi who bestowed on Him the name Narasimha Saraswati. After touring north India on foot, Swami Narasimha Saraswati came South and lived for twenty years in Gapura, a place near Gulbarga in Karnataka, and blessed innumerable devotees. Saraswati was adored and worshipped by many different people of all religions. It is believed that He disappeared in Sreesaila leaving His sacred sandals to Ganagaapura. Apart from these two histrocial incarnations, Dattatreya manifested Himself in sixteen other forms at other times. They are:

Visvambaraavadhoota, Maayamuktaavadhoota, Dattavadhoota, Aadigurunaamaka, Samskasheenasivaroopa, Devadeva, Dattadigambara, Syaamakamalalochana, Yogiraja, Atrivarada, Digambara, Yogiraajavallabha, Kaalaagnisamana, Leelavisvambhara, Siddharajanamaka, and Jnanasagara

By worshiping only Dattatreya, absolute knowledge of the self will set in. On the other hand, by worshiping Dattatreya along with Anagha, even the worldly difficulties will be removed and eventually Atma Jnana will set in. In Kaliyuga, human beings can achieve wisdom only in an unhurried pace. Therefore, Lord Dattatreya himself preached the method of worshiping Anagha.

The story of the thousand-armed Kartaveeryarjuna in Datta Darshana is highly symbolic. He was one of the favorite disciples of Lord Dattatreya. Dattatreya Himself taught him the method of performing Anaghashtami Pooia. Kartaveerya got his boons on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Margashira. Lord Dattatreya has himself marked this day to be auspicious for conducting the Anaghashtami Pooja. He has further ordained that this pooja be performed every month on the eighth day of the dark- fortnight. Bhagavan Vyasa has narrated the method of worship in the Puranas. But on account of the vicissitudes of time, it slowly became less and less practice--so much so that questions like "What? A woman sitting by the side of Datta?" are being asked.