Dattatreya Jayanthi 2005

Dattatreya Jayanthi celebrates the birth of Lord Dattatreya on the full moon night of the Margashirsha month. Dattatreya is unique in Hindu theology: he is the combined avatar of the Trimurti — Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — appearing simultaneously in a single form. His iconography shows three faces (the three gods), six arms (two each), and four dogs (the four Vedas) at his feet, with a cow (Kamadhenu) standing behind him.

The name Dattatreya means "gift of Atri" — he was born to the sage Atri and his devoted wife Anasuya. When the wives of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva grew jealous of Anasuya's fidelity and virtues, they sent their husbands to test her. Unable to break her devotion, the three gods merged into a single infant — Dattatreya — and were born to her as her son.

Lord Dattatreya is the original guru in Hindu tradition — the Adi Guru. The Avadhuta Gita records his teachings on non-dualism and liberation. He is said to have had 24 gurus ranging from the earth and sky to a prostitute and a python — teaching that wisdom can be found in every aspect of creation. He is especially revered in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, and by the Nath sampradaya (the tradition of Gorakshanath).