KNOW ABOUT THE 24 GURUS OF LORD DATTATREYA AND THE TEACHINGS RECEIVED FROM THEM

Lord Dattatreya is considered to be the first Guru of the Guru tradition. He is also called the form of Tridev. He has the forms of all the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

 

Lord Dattatreya was the son of Maharishi Atri and his wife Anusuya. Dattatreya's other two brothers were Chandra Deva and Sage Durvasa. He is described in the Mahabharata as an exceptional Rishi (sage) with extraordinary insights and knowledge.

 

Once King Yadu asked Lord Dattatreya about the name of his Guru. Lord Dattatreya replied, “The soul itself is my Guru; however, I have learnt from twenty-four persons who are considered as my Gurus.” These include the lives and activities of wild animals.

 

The young Dattatreya is famous in the Hindu texts as the one who started with nothing and without any spiritual teacher, yet reached self-awareness by observing nature during his Sannyasi wanderings, and treating these natural observations as his twenty-four teachers, the details of which are mentioned below:

Earth                   Dattatreya learnt tolerance, forgiveness, and charity from the Earth. The Earth bears the burden of all living beings and gives them shelter and nourishment without any discrimination.

Air                      Air is present everywhere without any discrimination. From this, he learned detachment and non-attachment.

Sky                      The sky is omnipresent and is not contaminated by anything. From this, Dattatreya gained the knowledge of inertness and formlessness. The soul is also omnipresent, unattached, and pure like the sky.                   

  

Water                   Water is naturally pure and cool, and purifies and cools others as well.

Fire                       Whatever object Fire accepts, it absorbs it into itself and purifies it. From this, he learnt about light, brilliance, and equanimity.

Moon                    The moon increases and decreases its phases, but its original form never changes. From this, Dattatreya learnt that the body is born, grows, decays, and dies, but the soul is immortal.

Sun                       The Sun, though one, appears different in different characters, and illuminates everyone with its light. From this, he gained the knowledge of the unity of the soul and light.

Pigeon                  A pigeon couple becomes so blinded by their excessive attachment to their children that they get caught in a hunter's net. From this, Dattatreya learnt the sufferings caused by excessive attachment and infatuation.

Python               The python is content with whatever it gets without any effort and stays in the same place without moving. From this, he learnt contentment, patience, and non-possession.

Sea                       The rivers of the ocean keep filling up, but they never cross its limits. From this, Dattatreya learnt the lesson of a calm mind, stability, and infinite depth. The mind of a wise man should also be calm and deep like the ocean.

Moth (Patanga)   The moth is so attracted to the flame of the fire that it burns itself. Hence, excessive attraction becomes the cause of destruction.

Bees                   Bees collect nectar little by little from different flowers. From this, they learnt to collect little by little and consume it as needed. 

Elephant             The elephant falls in love with the female elephant and is captured. From this, Dattatreya learnt the degradation caused by sensual pleasures, especially sexual lust.

Deer                     The deer is enchanted by the sweet music and becomes the hunter's prey. This teaches that too much attachment to any sense or object can make us a victim of the harmful intentions of others, and we must control our senses.

Fish                  The fish gets caught in the hook because it cannot give up the temptation of taste. This teaches us that being under the control of the desire for taste (tongue sense) leads to bondage. 

Pingla prostitute A prostitute (Pingala) waited all night for a wealthy client, but no one came. Finally, she gave up all hope and focused on God, which gave her ultimate peace. From this, Dattatreya learned detachment from despair and true peace.

Kurar Bird          The Kurar bird was flying with a piece of meat in its beak, seeing which other birds were chasing it. When it left the piece of meat, it got peace. From this, he learned the importance of Aparigraha (non-accumulation) and the peace that comes from renunciation. 

Child (Infant)        A child is always blissful, worry-free, and absolute. From this, Dattatreya learnt that one should live in natural bliss, free from the worries of the world.

Kumari Kanya      A single virgin girl, was threshing paddy. When her bangles started making noise, she took them off one by one and kept only one on so as not to make noise. From this, Dattatreya learnt that one should meditate in solitude and avoid too much company, as too many people can cause unnecessary arguments or noise.

Snake                 The snake does not live in any one house, but lives in burrows without building a house, and does not collect anything for itself. From this, he learnt detachment, non-possession, and wandering without any permanent residence.

Arrow maker        An archer was so engrossed in making arrows that he did not even notice a wedding procession passing by. From this, Dattatreya learnt the importance of concentration and focusing on the target.

Spider                  The spider weaves its web from within itself and then binds itself in it, or breaks it and comes out. From this, Dattatreya understood the mystery of the creation and destruction of the universe by Brahma. 

Bhrungi               Bhrungi (Bumblebee) brings a small insect (caterpillar) to its hole and stings it repeatedly, due to which the insect also becomes like Bhrungi. From this, he understood the principle of the dhyata (one who meditates) and dhyaye (the thing being meditated upon) becoming one.

Body                   From his own body, Dattatreya learned that it is perishable and should not be given too much importance. It is only a temporary vehicle of the soul and can also be the root of suffering. This inspired him to turn towards detachment and enlightenment. 

Lord Dattatreya is considered the Adiguru because he taught that knowledge can be obtained from any source. Dattatreya learned various qualities from these 24 gurus, which included not only humans but also nature and various living creatures, and implemented them in his life, which led him to self-realization.

 

This shows that there is no limit to learning, and we can find Guru Tatva in everything, provided we have wisdom and curiosity. This unique approach of Dattatreya teaches us that there is no fixed source of knowledge. A truly curious person can learn the mysteries of life from every small and big event, every creature, and every particle of nature.

 

Dattatreya is mentioned in the Puranas. There are two books on him, 'Avatar-Charitra' and 'Gurucharitra', which are considered equivalent to the Vedas. Maharaj Dattatreya was a lifelong celibate, Avadhoot, and Digambar. He sought a simple life, had compassion for all, and shared his knowledge.

An annual festival dedicated to Dattatreya is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Margashirsha (November/December) known as Datta Jayanti. In Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh has written the life history of Dattatreya in his composition named Rudra Avtar, which includes birth, spiritual journey, 24 gurus, and attainment of Akal Purakh.