In Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh he is a syncretic deity. He is considered to be an avatar of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He has inspired many monastic movements in Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
About Dattatreya in brief
In Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh he is a syncretic deity, considered to be an avatar of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. His iconography varies regionally. He is typically dressed as a simple monk, situated in a forest or wilderness suggestive of his renunciation of worldly goods and pursuit of a meditative yogi lifestyle. His pursuit of simple life, kindness to all, sharing of his knowledge and the meaning of life during his travels is reverentially mentioned in the poems by Tukaram, a saint-poet of the Bhakti movement. Over time, Dattatreya has inspired many monastic movements in Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, particularly in the Deccan region of India, south India, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Himalayan regions where Shiva tradition has been strong. In the Puranas, he was born in Indian hermitage to Anusuya and her husband the Vedic sage Atri traditionally credited with making the largest contribution to the Rigveda.
One of the most important texts of Hinduism, namely Avadhuta Gita is attributed to Datt Theatreya. Annual festival in the Hindu calendar month of Mārgaśīrṣa reveres Datta Jayanti and this is called DattaJayanti. According to Rigopoulos, in the Nath tradition of Shaivism he is revered as the Adi-Guru of the Adinath Sampradaya of the Nathas. Most traditions and scholars consider Adi Nath an epithet of Shiva. He was coopted as a guru in about the 18th century as a part of Vishnu-Shiva syncretism, as part of the Vishnu/Shiva tradition. He has been described as an exceptional Rishi with extraordinary insights and knowledge, who is adored and raised to be a Guru and an Avatar of Vish Nu. One myth claims he immersed himself in water for a long time, another claims he has been wandering the world from childhood and leaving his home at an early age.
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This page is based on the article Dattatreya published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 31, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
