Conclusion

Thus this chapter provides a clear evidence of the fact how an individual endowed with righteous conduct, divine qualities and Supernatural virtues, treads on the path of practices of Yoga and spirituality which leads him up from the normal status of a monk (saṃnyāsin—saṃnyāsī), to an exalted sage (avadhūta), Culminating himself into a teacher (upadeśaka) then a preceptor (guru), then the Holy Master (śrīguru) then a god (deva) and finally God (parameśvara).

The Vedic Literature including the Upaniṣads puts Dattātreya’s name in the list of monks exalted sages followed by the Purāṇas and classical literature introduce him as the teacher of Yadu (predecessor of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa), Alarka (Madālasā’s son), Paraṣurāma (Reṇukā’s son), Sahasrārjuna (Kṛtavirya’s son) and so on.

The Time passese and brings into the effects famous statement of Poet Bhavabhūti.

kālohyayaṃ niravadhivipulā ca pṛthvī|

“The Time is limitless and the earth is capacious.”

The commencement of the medieval literature (in Sanskrit as well as in Marathi) seems to widen horizon and extends beyond all worldly limits to establish Dattātreya to be not only one of the important god of the trinity but also to be the trinity but also to be the Attributive Lord (saguṇabrahma).

The chapter also aims at the fact that the tradition of Dattātreya worship places ample illustrations of the Holy Master changing the devotees self into the Holy Master’s Self.^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

dṛṣṭānto naiva dṛṣṭastribhuvanajaṭhare sadgurorjñānadātuḥ
  sparśaścettatra kalpyaḥ sa nayati yadaho svarṇatāmaśmasāram|
na sparśatvaṃ tathāpi śritacaraṇayuge sadguruḥ
  svīya śiṣye svīyaṃ sāmyaṃ vidhatte bhavati nirupastena laukiko'pi || jagadguruśaṅkarācārya viracita śataślokī 01||