Dattatreya (Sanskrit: , Datttreya) or Sri Datta (Tamil: , Malayalam: , Kannada: , Telugu: , Marathi: , Gujarati: , Hindi: , Sinhala: ) is a Hindudeity en om!
, Sinhala: ) is a Hindudeity en om!assing the trinity o" #rahma, $ishnu and Shi%a, olle ti%ely kno&n as Trimurti' The name Dattatreya an (e di%ided into t&o &ords ) *Datta* (meaning gi%en) and *+treya* re"erring to the sage +tri, his !hysi al "ather' $arious Hindu se ts &orshi! him di""erently' ,n the -ath tradition, Dattatreya is re ogni.ed as an +%atar or in arnation o" Shi%a and as the +di)Guru (/irst Tea her) o" the +dinath Sam!radaya o" the -athas' +lthough Dattatreya &as at "irst a *0ord o" 1oga* e2hi(iting distin tly Tantri traits,345365 he &as ada!ted and assimilated into the more de%otional (Sanskrit: (hakti) $aishna%ite ults7 &hile still &orshi!ed (y millions o" Hindus, he is a!!roa hed more as a (ene%olent god than as a tea her o" the highest essen e o" ,ndian thought' Ho&e%er, s!iritual seekers !ray to this Su!reme Tea her "or kno&ledge o" the +(solute Truth' Dattatreya is redited as the author o" the Tripura Rahasya gi%en to 8arasurama, a treatise on +d%aita $edanta' He is s!e ially &orshi!!ed on his (irthday, Datta 9ayanti'
Contents
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o o o o o o o o o o
4 0i"e 4'4 #irth 4'6 Tra%els 4': +s an a%atar 4'; +!!earan e 6 The ne tar o" the honey)(ee 6'4 Dogs : <rigins ; +%atars = +%adhuta Gita > Dattatreya traditions >'4 8urani tradition >'6 Mahanu(ha% tradition >': Shri Guru haritra tradition >'; Sakalmat Sam!radaya tradition >'= +%adhut 8anth tradition
o o o o
? -otes
>'> ,n Maharastra >'? ,n Gujarat >'@ Shri Datt!ith Sansthan 8athri >'A ,n +ndhra 8radesh
@ Be"eren es A C2ternal links
0i"e3edit5
Birth3edit5
Dattatreya &as (orn to the sage +tri, &ho had (een !romised (y 8aramesh%ara (the +lmighty), that He, 8aramesh%ara, &ould (e in arnated as his son'3:5 Some Hindu se ts "amiliar &ith the trinity also attri(ute DattatreyaDs in arnation as o" all the three) $ishnu, Shi%a and #rahma, indire tly meaning to (e all !o&er"ul and a(o%e all' This is just one o" the many legends related to the (irth o" 0ord Dattatreya'3;5 <thers suggest a more mysti al origin o" Dattatreya' Some o" the sour es laim that he &as (orn in Kashmir jungles near the sa red +marnath' The same on e!t is e hoed in an e!isode in the Dattatreya 8urana' Ehen 0ord Dattatreya, the om(ined in arnation o" the Trinity, &as a hild o" "i%e years, many old sages s!otted His greatness and started insisting Him to sho& them the !ath o" 1oga' The hild Datta &anted to test them' He disa!!eared into a !ond and remained there "or one hundred years' Some o" the sages &aited "or Him on the (anks o" the !ond &hile the in"ant Datta &as in a state o" om!lete Samadhi "or hundred years' C%en a"ter oming out o" the !ond he ontinued to test the sages' Dattatreya, &ho &as 4F= years old then, (rought out His 1ogi energy through His #rahma Bandhra (an astral ori"i e "ound in the enter o" the skull, through &hi h 1ogis an lea%e the (ody), and ga%e it the "orm o" a &oman' #e ause the energy ame out "rom Him, He &as its natural o&ner' He de lared her to (e His onsort' ,n order to test the sages, she drank &ine and started dan ing' She &as (orn as a youth"ul &oman' Seeing her drink &ine, some o" the sages alled her Madhumati' <thers alled her D-adeeD (e ause looking at her dan e &hi h resem(led the dan ing mo%ements o" a "looded ri%er' Still others reali.ed that she &as none other than the 1ogi Cnergy o" 0ord and !rayed to Him' Some others &ent a&ay' Then 0ord Dattatreya ame out o" Samadhi' She no& a!!eared as an as eti ' 0ord Dattatreya named her as +nagha' Those &ho alled her as Madhumati and -adee had identi"ied her as one &ho !ossessed sin' #ut in reality she &as sinless' There"ore Dattatreya had named her as +nagha (Sinless, 8ure)' Those &ho had re ogni.ed her to (e the energy o" Dattatreya, o(tained the true %ision o" the 0ord and ould trans end all sorro&s' ,n other &ords, (e ause o" her their sorro&s (+gha or sin and sorro&) disa!!eared' This &as another reason &hy Dattatreya named her as +nagha (one &ho remo%es sorro&s)' Ctymologi ally, the &ord +gha means that &hi h omes to the e2!erien e o" the doer (kartaaram anghaati iti agham' +ghi gato&)' He &ho thinks that he is the doer, &ill e2!erien e !ain and !leasure'
+ ording to %edanti %ie&, e%en the &orldly !leasure, is in "a t !ain' Thus, one &ho thinks onesel" to (e the doer is al&ays su""ering' That energy &hi h remo%es the "eeling o" doershi! is +nagha'
Travels3edit5
Dattatreya le"t home at an early age to &ander naked in sear h o" the +(solute' He seems to ha%e s!ent most o" his li"e &andering in the area (et&een and in luding -orth Karnataka, through Maharashtra and +ndhra 8radesh, and into Gujarat as "ar as the -armada Bi%er' He attained reali.ation at a to&n, no& kno&n as Ganaga!ura in Karnataka' The original "oot!rints o" Datta are (elie%ed to (e lo ated on the lonely !eak at Girnar' The Tripura-rahasya re"ers to the dis i!le 8arasurama "inding Dattatreya meditating onGandhamadana mountain'3=5 0ord Dattatreya did ta!as "or 46,FFF years in mount girnar'
As an avatar3edit5
,n The Pathless Path to Immortality, Shri Gurude% Mahendranath &rites: Shri Dattatreya &as a dro!out o" an earlier age than the !eriod &hen $eda and Tantra merged to (e ome one sim!le ult' ,t &as men like Dattatreya &ho hel!ed to make this !ossi(le' Three o" his lose dis i!les &ere kings, one an +sura and the other t&o (oth (elonging to the &arrior aste' Dattatreya himsel" &as regarded as an a%atar o" Mahesh&ara (Shi%a) (ut later &as laimed (y $aishna%ites as the a%atar o" $ishnu' -ot su h a se tarian laim as it a!!ears7 Hindus regard Shi%a and $ishnu as the same or as mani"estations o" the +(solute taking "orm'3=5 ,ndeed, the Dattatreya Upanisad, &hi h o!ens !ro laiming DattatreyaDs identity &ith $ishnu, ends &ith the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, identi"ying Datta &ith Shi%a' ,n the last !ortion o" the third ha!ter, Mahes%ara (Shi%a) alone is said to !er%ade reality and shine in e%ery heart o" man' He alone is in "ront, (ehind, to the le"t, to the right, (elo&, a(o%e, e%ery&here the enter' /inally, Mahes%ara is identi"ied &ith Dattatreya, de!i ting the latter as an +%atar o" Shi%a' Guru Go(ind Singh &rites in the Dasam Granth that Dattatreya (Datt Muni, Datt De% et ') &as an in arnation o" Budra (The Su!reme 8o&er)' He has &ritten the &hole story o" DattatreyaDs li"e'
Appearance3edit5
+n idol o" Dattatreya along &ith "our dogs and a o&
The a!!earan e o" Shri Dattatreya in !i tures %aries a ommonly trusted "orm is the one des ri(ed as (elo& ,
ording to traditional (elie"s' The most
(, (o& to the son o" +tri, &ho has si2 hands and &hose lo&est t&o hands ha%e maalaa and kamandalu, middle !air o" hands hold damaru and trishool and to! t&o hands ha%e holy Shankh and Ghakra) <ther de!i tions, ho&e%er, sho& other &ea!ons like DGadaD in the hands o" Dattatreya sometimes' htt!:HH&&&'dallashanuman'orgHemailimagesHde 4FHdatta+nagha'j!g
The ne tar o" the honey)(ee3edit5
Bigo!oulos (4AA@: !'2ii) on%eys the moti" o" the D*honey (ee* 1oginD (as an aside, the literary !oint o" origin o" this moti" may (e the Nad-Bindu Upanishad o" the Rig Veda) ommon to nondual Dharmi Traditions and ham!ions Dattatreya as the ar hety!al model o"in lusionism and syn retism (y im!li ation: /urthermore, the un"olding o" the Datttreya i on illustrates the de%elo!ment o" 1oga as a syntheti and in lusi%e (ody o" ideologies and !ra ti es' +lthough "undamentally a j !na-m"rti, Datttreya is a *honey (ee* 1ogin: one &hose hara ter and tea hings are de%elo!ed (y gathering %arieties o" 1ogaDs "lo&ers' /or all religious grou!s &hose !ro!ensity it is to in lude ideas, !ra ti es, and tea hing "rom the o ean o" traditions, Datttreya is truly a !aradigm' 3>5
Dogs3edit5
Eerness (6FF;: !' 4:@) %entures the semiology o" the "our dogs ea h o" a di""erent olour o"t)de!i ted in Dattatreya i onogra!hy as holding the %alen e o" the "our $edas: 8re)$edi ,ndian dogs &ere regarded as aus!i ious sym(ols, and later deities assumed dog "orms, (e ame asso iated &ith dogs, and &ere linked &ith the glory and "idelity o" &arriors' /our di""erent) oloured dogs a om!anied the Dattatreya, &ho re!resented the "our $edas''' 3?5 There is other sym(olism atta ha(le here' Dogs also held the ultural signi"i an e o" Ddog eatersD (Sanskrit: handala), those &ho e2isted (eyond the on"ines o" $arnashrama Dharma' Dogs are (oth &ild and tame, and sym(ols o" "idelity and de%otion (Sanskrit: (hakti)'
<rigins3edit5
Dattatreya is one o" the oldest deities' The "irst re"eren e o" this deity is "ound in e!i s like Maha(harata3@5 and Bamayana' ,n Mahanu(ha% !anth Dattatreya is &orshi!!ed as the Su!reme 0ord &ho &anders on the earth taking di""erent "orms' C%en today He is (elie%ed to a!!ear (e"ore yogya purush(men &ho ha%e leansed themsel%es and are &orthy o"mo#sha)' ,n the Dattatreya Upanishad &hi h is a !art o" the +thar%a $eda, he is des ri(ed as (eing a(le to a!!ear in the "orm o" a hild, madman, or demon in order to hel! his de%otees a hie%e mo#sha, li(eration "rom the (onds o" &orldly e2isten e'3A5 The single head "or Dattatreya an (e e2!lained i" one sees the Tantri traditions &hi h !re%ailed in ,ndia a(out 4FFF years (a k' ,t &as Gorakshanath &ho hangedHremo%ed theaghori traditions and made the -ath sam!radaya in the a e!ta(le i%il "orm o" today' Dattatreya must ha%e (een a %ery
!o&er"ul sage e2isting (e"ore this time and o%er the enturies sometime he &as de"ined to the "orm o" Dattatreya' The three heads ha%e ome de"initely later in the last AFF years or so'34F5
+%atars3edit5
+ ording to the (ook *Shridattareya Shodasha%atar Gharitanee* (y Shri $asude%ananda Saras&ati, Dattatreya is su!!osed to ha%e taken 4> +%atars' The names and their (irthdate (as !er the 0unar alendar) are gi%en in (ra kets'3445 4' 1ogiraaj (Kaartik Shu'4=) 6' +tri%arad (Kaartik Kru'4) :' Dattatreya (Kaartik Kru'6) ;' Kaalaagnishaman (Maargashirsha Shu'4;) =' 1ogijan%alla(h (Maargashirsha Shu'4=) >' 0ilaa%isham(har (8aush Shu'4=) ?' Siddharaaj (Maagh Shu'4=) @' Dnyaasaagar (/aalgun Shu'4F) A' $isham(har (Ghaitra Shu'4=) 4F' Maayaamukta ($aishaakh Shu'4=) 44' Maayaamukta (9yeshtha Shu'4:) 46' +adiguru (+ashaadh Shu'4=) 4:' Shi%aru! (Shraa%an Shu'@) 4;' De%de% (#haadra!ad Shu'4;) 4=' Digam(ar (+ash&in Shu'4=) 4>' Krishnashyaamkamalnayan (Kaartik Shu'46) ,n the Daso!anta tradition, all 4> are &orshi!ed and Daso!anta is onsidered as the 4?th a%atara' ,n the Datta Sam!radaya the "irst a%atar is Shri!ad Shri $alla(h and the se ond is -arasimha Saras&ati' +kkalkot S&ami Samarth, Shri $asude%anand Saras&ati (Tem(e S&ami, Sa&ant&adi) Manik 8ra(hu, Krishna Saras&ati, Shirdi Sai #a(a (Shirdi, Maharashtra), Gajanan Maharaj (Shegaon) and 8ujya Sri Gana!athi Sa h hidananda S&amiji are also onsidered as a%atars o" Dattatreya'3465 The I!anishads +%adhuto!anishad and 9aa(aaldarshano!anishad mention that this !hiloso!hy &as !ut "or&ard (y Dattatreya'
+%adhuta Gita3edit5
+ ording to the ,nternational -ath <rder o" the -ath Sam!radaya, the *+%adhuta Gita is a distillation o" the su(lime reali.ation sung (y Dattatreya and trans ri(ed (y t&o o" his dis i!les, S&ami and
Kartika'*34:5 S&ami $i%ekananda (4@>:J4AF6) held it in high esteem' <riginally a &ork o" se%en ha!ters, some o" the ideas in this Gita are ho&e%er ommon to (oth Shai%ite and #uddhist Tantras, and $aishna%a +gamas'
Dattatreya traditions3edit5
/ollo&ing are the %arious traditions o" Dattatreya des ri(ed in (rie"' The traditions are mainly "rom Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and +ndhra 8radesh, and &ere "irst &ritten inGujarati, Marathi, Kannada and Telugu'34;5 Guru Gita (y #+8I (!ra(hakar Moti&ale, ,ndore)
Puranic tradition3edit5
The an ient dis i!les o" Dattatreya ha%e (een des ri(ed a(o%e' +mong these, Karata%irya Sahasrajun is o"ten seen as his "a%ourite' The other ones are, traditionally, +larka (alias Madalasa) gar(haratna), King +ayu "rom Soma%ansha, King 1adu (son o" 1ayaati and De%ayaani) o" 1ada%s (KrishnaDs dynasty) and Shri 8arashurama alias #harga%a' There is one more (y the name o" Saankruti, &ho is mentioned in the $vadhutopanishad and %a&alopanishad'34=5
Mahanubhav tradition3edit5
Mahanu(ha% 8anth, !ro!agated (y Sri Ghakradhar S&ami, onsiders Dattatreya to (e their +di Guru (the original Guru)' Sri Ghakradhar S&ami dis losed to His dis i!les that Dattatreya, like Him, &as an in arnation o" Su!reme 0ord, 8armesh&ar' They &orshi! Dattatreya as single headed &ith t&o arms' + ording to their (elie", his a%atar is 'haturyugii'e' it remains in all "our yugas, %i.' Satyug, Tretayug, D&a!aryug, Kaliyug' He still &anders in di""erent (odies, like those o" an a%adhut, (aagh (tiger), hunter, or sage' Srimad Bhag(atam)s tenth %olume mentions DattatreyaDs dis ourse as gi%en to king 1adu in the tretayug' <n seeing Dattatreya disguised in avadhut "orm, king 1adu got instantly attra ted to&ards Him and (egged to (esto& him &ith se rets to attain *o#sha' Dattatreya 8ra(hu ga%e him Brahmjnaan and &ent a&ay into the &ilderness' The same &as shared (y Krishna &ith !rin e Uddhav in d(aparyug and is s ri!ted in Cle%enth Ganto o" the Srimad #hag&atam' This story is asso iated &ith the origin o" the nam, Uddhav +eeta, gi%en (y the Mahanu(ha% "ollo&ers' C%en today, many "ollo&ers %isit !la es in Maharashtra &here Sri Dattatreya is (elie%ed to ha%e gone' Sri Datt jayanti usually "alls in De em(er and that is time o" the year Maharashtra attra ts many dis i!les'
34>5
Shri Gurucharitra tradition3edit5
This tradition "ollo&s "rom Shri!ad Shri%alla(ha and Shri -arasimha Saras&ati' Se%eral %ery "amous Datta)a%atars are "rom this tradition' Su h traditionally in lude Shri 9anardans&ami, Cknath, Daso!ant, -iranjan Baghunath, -arayan Maharaj 9al&ankar, Manik 8ra(hu, S&ami Samarth, Sai #a(a o" Shirdi, Gajanan Maharaj o" Shegoan, Shri $asude%ananda Saras&ati et al' The dis i!les o" Shri -arasimha Saras&ati &ere Tri%ikram(harati "rom Kumasi, Sayamde%, -agnath, De%rao Gangadhar and Saras&ati Gangadhar"rom Kadagan hi' There are t&o major traditions started (y Shri S&ami Samarth o" +kkalkot and Shri $asude%ananda Saras&ati alias Tem(e S&ami, and they are des ri(ed in their res!e ti%e arti les'34?5
Sakalmat Sampradaya tradition3edit5
The meaning o" sa#almat is that all "aiths are a e!ted (Sa#ala means +ll and mata means o!inion, (ut here &e ha%e to take the meaning as ,aith)' This is a "orm o" Datta)sam!radaya &hi h is alled Rajyogi or Boyal ty!e' Shri Ghaitanya De% is the main &orshi!!ed god here and this sam!radaya %ie&s gold, !earls, diamonds, e2!ensi%e lothes and musi , art, et ' as !art o" tradition' Here !oor and ri h are onsidered as the same' Thus all the materialisti items are %ie&ed at !ar &ith nothing' The !hiloso!hy o" this tradition is that there is no resistan e to any kind o" religious "aiths
in the &orld' +ll "aiths are (elie%ed to gi%e the ultimate godliness to its "ollo&ers' This tradition &as started (y Shri Manik 8ra(hu o" Humana(ad' Hindus, Muslims and !eo!le o" all astes are allo&ed here' Some dis i!les o" this tradition are #a!a harya, -arayan Dikshit, Ghimnya #ramha hari and Go!al(ua'34@5
Avadhut Panth tradition3edit5
The +%adhut !anth or se t &as started (y Shri 8antmaharaj #alekundrikar o" #alekundri near #elgaum' More in"ormation on the +%adhut !hiloso!hy and tradition is des ri(ed in the arti le on +%adhut' The main dis i!les o" this tradition are Go%indaraoji, Go!alraoji, Shankarraoji, $amanrao and -arasimharao' These are all alled *8anta)(andhu*s (D8anta)(rothersD)' This sam!radaya is s!read a ross #alekundri, Daddi, #elgaum, +kol, Ko hari, -erali, Dhar&ad, Gokak and Hu(ali' 34;5 8aram !ujya #+8I ji maharaj in Ghaitanya +shram, shri Datta shakti !ithh, ,ndore, Madhya 8radesh gi%es tea hing o" the a&adhoot se t'
In Maharastra3edit5
This se tion does not cite any re erences or sources' 8lease hel! im!ro%e this se tion (y adding itations to relia(le sour es' Insour ed material may (e hallenged and remo%ed' -Novem&er ./001
Ck Mukhi Datta at -arayan!ur,8une
0ord Dattatreya "rom De%gad(deogad) , -e&asa ,+hmednagar
Ck Mukhi Dattatreya Tem!le at $engurla is a %ery old 0ord Dattatreya Tem!le, almost @FF years old' This Tem!le is lo ated near $engurla To&n' The ,dol o" this Tem!le &as (rought "rom -arsima%adi "rom the relati%es o" Ga%askar (Sunil Ga%askar)' This ,dol is %ery (eauti"ul'
+ one headed &ith "our hands Dattatreya is in another an ient tem!le situated at Kolha!ur Gity' This Tem!le is in the !remises o" 0ord $ithhala Tem!le near Mirajkar Tikatti' ,n -ashik at Talegaon (+njeneri) 8ujya #haumaharaj S&arge did his Gurumaharajs Banga%dhoot (-aresh&er) holy task o" s!reading message o" !aras!ro de% (ha%o K s&ase s&ase dattanamsmaratman all o%er Maharashtra' Ck Mukhi Datta o" -arayan!ur !une is also a "amous tem!le in the 8une region' -arayan!ur is situated at the (ottom o" the "amous 8urandar "ort' -arayan!ur is the %illage o" Sant Ghangde%' ,t is also "amous "or 0ord DattaDs Tem!le' This tem!le is !o!ular amongst the !ilgrims and many !eo!le %isit and !ray during the season' + tree o" *+udum(ar* here is %ery old and is &orshi!ed (y !ilgrims' There is also an old tem!le o" -arayanesh&ar' This tem!le and : s ul!tures in the tem!le are %ery !retty' These s ul!tures are said to (e o" D1ada%D era' -arayan!ur must (e seen (y (oth ) the !ilgrims as &ell as the nature lo%ers ) (e ause o" 6 tem!les, *0ord Datta* and *-arayanesh&ar*, and the (eauty o" the 8urandar %alley' There is a (eauti"ul tem!le o" 0ord Dattatreya in De%gad (deogad) 34A5 o" +hmednagar distri t' Many !eo!le %isit this tem!le to take (lessings o" 0ord Dattatreya and Kisangiri Maharaj' /or more in"ormation, you an %isit Deogad' om There is an old temple o Shree Datta in !akola" Mumbai #hich #as built in the year $%&' at the behest o a (orth Indian Sadhu" #ho declared that the place is a gupt)sthana o *ord Datta+ ,or more in ormation please visit htt!:HH&&&'shreegurude%dattamandir%akola' omHhistory'html'
In Gu-arat3edit5
Shri $aman(ua $aidya "rom #aroda is "rom the tradition o" Shri Kala%it S&ami' His !hiloso!hi al tradition has (een "urthered (y Sas&adkar, and 8attankar' The tem!le o" -arasimha Saras&ati in #aroda ontinues this tradition o" Dattatreya de%otion' The main Dattatreya de%otees &ho s!read the Datta)!anth in Gujarat &ere 8andurang Maharaj o" -aaresh&ar or Shri Bang +%adhut' Shri Bang +%adhutDs Dis i!le &as Shri #al +%adhut <" Gamakshetra, Matar, Dist' Kheda, GI9+B+T Maharshi 8unita hariji Maharaj is a de%otee o" #hag%an Dattatreya &ho resides in Gujarat at the Girnar Sadhana +shram, 9unadadh' He laims to ha%e e2!erien ed a di%ine %ision o" #hag%an Dattatreya on 4= -o%em(er 4A?=' He re ommends s!ontaneous meditation (sahaj dhyan) and the mantra DHari om tatsat jai gurudattaD to his "ollo&ers, the latter !ur!ortedly gi%en (y #hag%an Dattatreya'36F5 Gujarati (hajans like Datta&avani and the (ook +urulilamrut &ritten (y Bang +%adhoot maharaaj at -aresh&ar on -armada are Luite "amous' Dr' H' S' 9oshi has &ritten the (ook Origin and Development o, Dattatreya 2orship in India'3645 ,n M'8 and all &estern ,ndia 88 -ana Maharaj Taranekar ji ,ndore, &ho &as a grihastha, a house holder and Cnlightened soul, s!read the message o" Dutta, use"ul to ommon man and "amily needs in these !arts o" ,ndia and a(road' The DKaruna Tri!adeeD mandals all around rein"or e the need "or daily !rayers o" DuttaDs message to all'
Shri Dattpith Sansthan Pathri3edit5
There is a (eauti"ul tem!le o" lord Dattatreya, amidst the serene and Luiet natural surroundings o" $anki ri%er, at the %illage 8athari, ? km "rom $alsad ity (dist %alsad) Gujarat, and : km "rom the Dharam!ur road high&ay' 8aram !ujya ansuyamataji hailing "rom maharastrian #rahmin "amily, along &ith her son and dis i!le gurudas s&amiji &alked the &hole o" ,ndia t&i e' They did Mshri datt u!asanaN in the jungles "or many
years' 0ord Dattatreya ga%e them darshan on (eing !leased &ith their M(haktiN and sho&ed them this !la e and told them to (uild datt !ith and to settle there' This datt !ith lies on a ? a re land near $anki ri%er' ,t is alled the M%ishram sthalaN as it is ?FF km "rom Siddhkshetra Ganga!ur and ?FF km "rom 8athri to Girnar (datt !ra(huOs !aduka)' The inauguration and !ran !rathistha o" the tem!le &as done (y the shankra harya o" 0ar%ir 8eeth and the yagna &as !er"ormed (y the %id%an #rahmins o" Ganga!ur' Ee(site ) htt!:HHshridatt!ithsansthan!athri'&ord!ress' om
In Andhra Pradesh3edit5
The "irst a%atara o" Dattatreya, Shri Shri!ad Shri%alla(ha, &as "rom 8itha!uram in +ndhra 8radesh' + ording to an arti le (y 8ro"' -' $enkatarao there are se%eral onne tions o" the Dattatreya tradition &ith others in Maharashtra' /or e2am!le, Maata!ur, or Mahur, &hi h is no& lo ated in Maharashtra, &as on e !art o" the Telangana region' The head o" Mahur tem!le is alled Dattatreya 3ogi' +round 4==F GC, Dattatreya 1ogi taught the Dattatreya !hiloso!hy to his dis i!le Das Gosa%i in Marathi' Das Gosa%i then taught this !hiloso!hy to his t&o Telugu dis i!les Go!al(hatt and Sar%a%ed &ho studied and translated Das Gosa%iDs (ook o" Vedantavyavaharsangraha into Telugu language' + ording to 8ro"' B' G' Dhere, Dattatreya 1ogi and Das Gosa%i are the original gurus in the Telugu Dattatreya tradition' 8ro"' Bao states that Dattatreya Shata#amu &as &ritten (y 8aramanandateertha &ho is eLually im!ortant in his ontri(utions to the Telugu tradition o" Dattatreya' He &as a !ro!onent o" +d%aita !hiloso!hy and dedi ated his t&o e!i s, $nu&havadarpanamu and Shivadnyanamanjari to Shri Dattatreya' His "amous Vive#a'hintamani (ook &as translated into Kannada (y -ijashi%agunayogi and 0ingayat saint Shanatalingas&ami translated this into Marathi'3665
