1. Worship and Mythology of Dattātreya (Nārāyaṇa)

Dattātreya is a hermit famous in the Purāṇas.^[1] In the Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, a story of Dattātreya is described how Mahāviṣṇu incarnates as Dattātreya.^[2] The story of Kārtaviryārjuna and Dattātreya is also found in the Brahmapurāṇa.^[3] In Yuddhakāṇḍa of the Rāmāyaṇa^[4] there is a story of cursing Rāvaṇa by Dattātreya. Again in the Udyogaparvan of the Mahābhārata,^[5] Dattātreya is found to be a hermit who gave exhortations to Sandhyā.

Dattātreya Worship

The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa presents a story to describe the worship of Dattātreya. According to this story, sage Garga advised king Arjuna to propitiate Dattātreya, and thereby to acquire boons from him. Besides the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, almost all the Purāṇas present Arjuna to be connected with Dattātreya.^[6] According to the story, king Arjuna, the son of Kṛtavīrya resolved to rule it worthily. He was advised by his minister Garga to worship Dattātreya, Arjuna worshipped Dattātreya with all his faith, by kneading his feet and offering honey and other delicacies, bringing garlands, sandal and other perfumes, water, fruit, food etc.^[7] Being pleased with the worship of Arjuna, Dattātreya told him to choose a boon. He also declared that man should worship him with perfumes, garlands and such like, also with offerings like meat and strong drink, sweetmeats accompanied with clarified butter and also worship Lakṣmī along with him with songs and the Brāhmaṇas with lute, flute, conchs and other gladsome musical instruments and thereby he would be given supreme gratification, children, wives, wealth and other blessings and even he would be warded off the violent blows of scorners.^[8] The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa also informs that the day, in which Arjuna got the boons from Dattātreya, was celebrated every year with the performance of Dattāreya sacrifice (dattātreyayāgaḥ)

In the story of Dattāreya worship, some interesting facts about the features of the society come into light. In this story it is seen that Dattātreya had a connection with flesh, wine and woman. This habit of Dattātreya was seen when the gods, defeated by the demons and advised by Bṛhaspati to worship and satisfy Dattātreya for blessing with a boon to defeat the demons and bring back their glory, approached Dattātreya who, at the time, was drinking wine with his wife, goddess Lakṣmī, and enjoying. When the gods tried to satisfy Dattātreya, he asked them what they wanted from him. The gods asked for his help to defeat the Jambha demons. Dattātreya thought that they would see him abandoning drinking wine and enjoying with women. Since, at that time, drinking wine and enjoying with women was considered a sin in society. But the gods did not leave that place. Instead, they kept on worshipping and tried to satisfy Dattātreya. As the reply to the gods’ request for help he declared that it is useless to ask for the help from such an evil-charactered man, drinking wine and being attached to a woman.^[9] But it seems that it is with the clear intention of avoiding the unnecessary crowd and any kind of attachment that he behaves in such a strange manner.^[10] When he wants to taste a devotee then his fondness for wine is seen. He is not always found with the company of women.

Mythology

The mythology of Dattatreya can be discussed by dividing into two parts. viz.

1. Dattatreya’s birth,
2. Conversation between Alarka and Dattātreya.

(i). Dattatreya’s Birth

The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa narrates a detailed story about the birth of Dattātreya and his human form. The story of Dattātreya’s birth began with the dialogue between Sumati alias Jaḍa and his father. The fact that Dattatreya was born from Anasūya has been stated in the story where, by the power of the chaste wife of the Brahmaṇa, there exists darkness everywhere in the absence of the rising of the Sun. Then at Anasūyās exhortation the wife relents and the Sun rises. As a result Anasūya obtains, from the gods, the boon that Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva should be born her sons.^[11] Her desire was granted by Brahmā. Accordingly Atri and Anasūyā begot three sons namely Soma, Dattātreya and Durvāsas, being the incarnations of parts of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva respectively. Soma was the incarnation of Brahmā, Dattātreya was the incarnation of Viṣṇu and Durvāsas was the incarnation of Śiva.^[12] After the birth, Dattātreya protects offspring from destruction by the malignant Daityas and finally gives the sages the knowledge of absolute.^[13]

(ii). Conversation between Alarka and Dattātreya

Dattātreya is found to be connected with Alarka, the son of Ṛtadhvaja, as a student who used to teach him about Aṣṭāṅgayoga. It has been described in the Bhāgavatapurāṇa and Garuḍapurāṇa.^[14] King Ṛtadhvaja had given partial power of ruling the kingdom to Alarka. But when Ṛtadhvaja and Madālasa, his wife departed to the forest, the whole duty of kingdom was shifted to his son Alarka who ruled the kingdom peacefully and successfully. His elder brother, Subāhū, being jealous to Alarka’s status planned to attack and occupy Alarka’s kingdom with the help of king of Kāśī. After seizing the city of Alarka, his wife was full of misery and unhappiness.^[15] After the defeat with Kāśī, king Alarka remembered his mother Mādālasa’s instructional note to avoid attachment and kāma.^[16] Alarka approached sage Dattātreya and asked him to remove his affection. Then as for a suggestion, Dattātreya told Alarka the reasons of his sufferings and introduced a metaphysical exposition about the soul, mind, body, pain and pleasure and yoga in detail. It has already been noted that Dattātreya actually is described as an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu with a view to establish the righteousness (dharma) and preserving the stability of the world and demolition of unrighteousness (adharma).^[17]

The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa describes the power and advices given by Dattātreya to the man. This Purāṇa states that he will be happy and he may soon pass over the worldly existence, who ponders on the highest form of Dattātreya.^[18] It is easy to reach by faith and said to the Vaishnavas and who worshipped with the leaves (patra), flowers (puṣpa) and fruits (phala) he may be bestowed final emancipation.^[19] Dattātreya was always compassionate to his devotees.^[20]

Dattātreya drunk the Madya (wine)^[21] for testing his devotees. But in the real sense he was not a drunkard. This madyapa was a dishonourable attribute for him. Dattātreya received another name i.e. saint and a Yogin.

In this Purāṇa he is called as:

1. Muni (16.112),
2. Muniśreṣṭha (16.153),
3. Mahamun [Mahamuni?] (16.180),
4. Yogīśa (16.116),
5. Yogavit,
6. Yogīśvara (16.117),
7. Sarvatrasamadarśin (16.133),
8. Samadarśin (16.151) etc.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vettam Mani, Puranic Encyclopaedia, p. 206

[2]:

Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, 39-44

[3]:

Brahmapurāṇa, 44

[4]:

Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa, 35

[5]:

Mahābhārata, Udyogaparvan, 5.36.4

[6]:

Viṣṇupurāṇa, 4.11.3; Vayupurāṇa, 32.10; Matsyapurāṇa, 43.15; Brahmavaivartapurāṇa, 25.1; Brahmapurāṇa, 13.161; Padmapurāṇa, 12.118

[7]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 17.2-3

[8]:

Ibid., 17.11-13

[9]:

Ibid., 16.49

[10]:

Ibid., 16.8

[11]:

tad yāntu mama putratvaṃ brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ / Ibid., 16.90 a

[12]:

Ibid., 16.102,103; Viṣṇupurāṇa, 1.10,8

[13]:

Ibid., 16.112-117

[14]:

Bhāgavatapurāṇa, 108.32; Garuḍapurāṇa, 16.12

[15]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 34.1-7

[16]:

saṅgaḥ sarvātmanā tyājyaḥ sa cet tyaktuṃ na śakyate /
sadbhiḥ saha kartavyaḥ satāṃ saṅgo hi bheṣajam //
kāmaḥ sarvātmanā heyo hātuṃ cecchakyatena saḥ /
mumukṣāṃ prati tat kāryaḥ saiva tasyāpi bheṣajam // Ibid., 34.23-24

[17]:

adharmasya vināśāya dharmādhārārthameva ca /
anādinidhano devaḥ karoti sthitipālanam // Ibid., 17.42

[18]:

Ibid., 17.39-40

[19]:

Ibid., 17.41 ab

[20]:

bhaktānāṃ nityavatsala, Ibid. , 16.182 b

[21]:

Ibid., 16.144