Dutt

Shri Guru Dattatreya or Shri Datta Guru is Hindu deity (Ishta Devata) encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words – “Datta” (meaning given) and “Atreya” means, in Sanskrit, “son of Athri”. Athri is one of the 7 seers / principles of creation. Athri also means in Sanskrit “not three”. The one who came down from that which is not three is called Athreya. Dattatreya is also a combination of ?Datta? and ?treya? – Treya being the trinity ? Bramha (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer).

In the Nath tradition Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar or incarnation of the Lord Vishnu and as the Adi-Guru (first teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya of the Naths. Dattatreya is primal manifestation in the Guru tradition (Supreme Guru principal). Dattatreya is considered to be the presiding deity (Ishta Devata) for the path of yoga ? therefore called as “Lord of Yoga”.

Shri Dattatreya is also known by another equally popular name of ?Avadhut?. Avadhut is one who washes away the temperamental defects i.e. the three qualities or Trigunas ? Sattva (Purity and Knowledge) Raja (Activity and Passion), Tama (Ignorance and Inertia). He destroys Trigunas. He bestows the spiritual experience of the unmanifest principle. Importance of Lord Datta from the seekers point of view is – There are many deities (Ishta Devatas or Ishvara) in Hindu religion, but there is only who is worshipped in the form of a Guru ? and he is Lord Datta. Hence the extolling (Jai-ghosh) of ?Avadhut Chintana Jai Gurudev Datta?. Shri Datta Guru is the ideal of the Guru principle and a proponent of Yoga.