Dattatreya Jayanti - Datta Jayanti
The Purnima day of Margashirsha month is celebrated as Dattatreya Jayanti. Lord Dattatreya appeared on this day. According to many scriptures, Lord Dattatreya is considered to be the combined form of the three Gods i.e. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. On this day, worship of the Triguna Swarupa of Dattatreya is prescribed. By fasting and worshipping Lord Dattatreya on this day, all the desires of a person are fulfilled.
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Incarnation of Dattatreya
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According to the scriptures, Maharishi Atri Muni's wife Anusuya's devotion to her husband started being discussed in all three worlds. When Naradji praised Anusuya's devotion to her husband to the three goddesses, then Goddess Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati decided to test Anusuya. To test Sati Anusuya's devotion to her husband, on the request of the three goddesses, the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva reached Earth. In the absence of Atri Muni, the three gods reached Anusuya's ashram in the guise of saints and expressed their desire to have food in front of Mother Anusuya.
Considering hospitality as her religion, Goddess Anusuya agreed to their request and served them a plate of food with love. But the three gods put a condition in front of the mother that she should feed them naked. The mother was doubtful about this. To get out of this crisis, when she meditated and remembered her husband Atri Muni, then she saw Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh standing in front of her in the form of saints. When Mata Anasuya took out water from Atri Muni's kamandal and sprinkled it on the three sages, they became six-month-old babies. Then the mother fed them as per the condition.
The three goddesses became restless due to the separation from their husbands for many days. Then Narad Muni told them the story of Earth. The three goddesses reached Earth and apologized to Mata Anasuya. The three gods also accepted their mistake and requested to be born from the womb of the mother. After this, the three gods took birth in the form of Dattatreya. After getting all three gods together in the form of children in the part of Dattatreya, Mata Anasuya sprinkled the water from the feet of her husband Atri Rishi on the three gods and gave them their original form.
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Who is Lord Dattatreya
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Lord Dattatreya is the son of Maharishi Atri Muni and his wife Anusuya. When Tridev tested the devotion of Mata Anusuya towards her husband and was pleased with her, he was born as a combined form of the three. He has three faces and six hands, and a cow and a dog always stay with him. Lord Dattatreya has the form of both Guru and God. Lord Dattatreya has considered 24 Gurus as his Gurus. Worshipping them gives the blessings of the Tridevs together. According to the belief, Lord Dattatreya gave the Srividya Mantra to Parshuramji.
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Significance of Datta Jayanti
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Lord Dattatreya aimed to teach people how to live a happy and ideal life. This deity also aids the spirits of ancestors or family members in providing energy to their expedition after death. The deity is worshiped to show that God is omnipresent and is always present with everyone. A sense of unity and oneness is observed in individuals and they accept the existence of God in each individual. The three heads of Lord Dattatreya are famous for depicting peace and tranquility. Worshippers are blessed with a calm and fruitful life. A person can live his life with love and compassion and his consistency draws the attention of others towards him.
Conclusion
Datta was born in the Mriga Nakshatra in the evening on the day of Margashirsha Purnima, so Datta Jayanti is celebrated in all Datta regions on that day. On the day of Datta Jayanti, Datta tattva is active on the earth 1000 times more than usual. On this day, worshiping Datta by chanting his name, etc. gives maximum benefit to Datta tattva. There is no scripturally specific method of celebrating Datta Jayanti. There is a practice of reciting Gurucharitra for seven days before this festival. This is called Gurucharitra Saptah. Types of devotion like bhajans, worship, and especially kirtans, etc. are in practice. In Maharashtra, this festival has special significance in places like Audumbar, Narsoba ki Wadi, Gangapur etc. Datta Jayanti is also celebrated in Tamil Nadu. In some places, Datta Yagna is performed on this day. In Datta Yagna, the Pavaman Panchsukta version (japa) and its tenth or one-third are performed with ghee and sesame. The number of japas to be performed for Datta Yagna is not fixed. Chanting and havan are done as per the orders of the local priests. If you also want to know about the auspicious time of Dattare Jayanti this year, then you can talk to astrologers.
