Dattatreya Jayanti 2024: Date, History & Its Significance

Dattatreya Jayanti 2024 is a highly auspicious Hindu festival that marks the birth anniversary of Lord Dattatreya. This revered lord is considered to embody three gods in the Hindu holy trinity (Trimurti): Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh.

The festival of Dattatreya Jayanti is organized on the whole moon night (Puranmasi) of the month of Margashirsha (Agrahayana). It is also called Datta Jayanti. In 2024, the Jayanti will be celebrated on Saturday, December 14.

According to the scriptures, Shri Dattatreya Jayanti was the day Lord Dattatreya was born in the country. He is also considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In the following sections, we will discuss the Date, history, and significance of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024.

Date & Timings of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024

Dattatreya Jayanti 2024 is organized on the full moon day, which is the purnima of the Margashirsha month, according to the Hindu calendar. In 2024, it will fall on Saturday, December 14th.

Here are the Tithi timings for the Dattatreya Jayanti celebration.

• Purnima Tithi Begins – 04:58 PM on Dec 14, 2024
• Purnima Tithi Ends – 02:31 PM on Dec 15, 2024

Significance of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024

In Indian culture, every festival and occasion has its unique significance, whether this is Dattatreya Jayanti 2024, especially in South India. There are multiple temples dedicated to Lord Dattatreya. He is a prominent deity in Maharashtra state. After all, the famous Datta sampradaya rose to the followers of Dattatreya.

Lord Dattatreya owns three heads and six arms and holds accessories in his every hand. On the day of Dattatreya Jayanti, his followers worship him completely. The festival is marked with a lot of happiness and promotion in Lord Dattatreya temples in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

It is considered that when an individual worships Lord Dattatreya with complete dedication and fasts on Dattatreya Jayanti, their desires are fulfilled.

Who was Lord Dattatreya?

Lord Dattatreya is considered to be the divine incarnation of a deity and Guru because his followers also recognize him as Shri Gurudevdut. Guru Dattatreya was supposed to be a divinity for both Nathpanth and Sufi sects, and they revered him with utmost reverence.

In the Vaishnava-Shaiva sect, he was also called Guruswami, Gururaj, and Gurudevji. He was also worshipped as the guru of the gurus. Shri Dattatreya started the basis of the idea of societal equality and fraternity. As per the Shrimad Bhagwat Gita, Dattatreya achieved wisdom and insight from 24 gurus, and the Datta sect emerged in the name of Lord Dutt.

According to a religious survey, he is the subject of many shrines throughout South India. On the auspicious day of Purnima in the month of Margashirsha, devotees perform puja to worship Shri Dattatreya, fulfilling all of their desires. Dattatreya Jayanti is the name given to this holy day.

According to a few Hindu traditions, he is also the reincarnation of Shri Vishnu. According to another theory, the demons’ carnage increased dramatically in earlier times, which is why Shri Dattatreya took on several forms and destroyed the Asuras. Shri Datta’s principle is 1000 times more active on Earth on Dattatreya Jayanti than it is on any other day.

Worshippers can reap the benefits of the Datta principle by sincerely and devotedly honouring Shri Dattatreya. It is said that celebrating Shri Dattatreya Jayanti can resolve life’s main problems and remove obstacles to a person’s achievement.

History of Dattatreya Jayanti

Anasuya and Sage Atri were Shri Dattatreya’s parents. Anasuya was seen as the ideal example of a devout and chaste wife. She underwent severe austerities to have a son who was on par with the holy Trimurti, Shri Brahma, Shri Vishnu, and Shri Shiva.

Narada Muni once went to heaven to see Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. He couldn’t, however, go to the holy trinity. Instead, he encountered the consorts of the goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati.

In an attempt to make them feel less arrogant, Narad Muni informed the three wives that despite his travels around the world, he had never encountered a woman as modest and virtuous as Anasuya, the wife of Atri Rishi.

He said that Trimurti’s three consorts, who were ardent adherents of the holy faith, supported them. They felt envious and damaged their egos after hearing this. Later, Sage Narad left, and the three goddesses pleaded with their specific husbands to destroy Anasuya’s Sati Dharma. At the same time, Tridev arrived at Arti Rishi’s abode.

Tridev had the same intention: to check Anasuya’s virtuousness. So they made a plan together, in which the three deities masked themselves as sages and begged for donations from Anasuya.

They expressed their wish to eat. Anasuya considered hospitality to be her faith, so she asked them to take a bath and then have the food she had made for them. The three Deities returned after taking a bath, and Anasuya asked them to sit down.

The three gods informed her that they would only be allowed to sit down if she fed them while they were naked, in their natural state.

How did Tridev Bless the Anasuya with Lord Dattatreya?

Anasuya told Sage Atri the story. The three infants became one with three heads and six arms as he embraced them. The wives of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva became anxious and concerned when they failed to return. The Goddesses pleaded with Anasuya for forgiveness and the return of their spouses.

The Trinity then took on their actual form and gave Atri and Anasuya a son named Dattatreya. While his siblings, the moon-God Chandra and the Sage Durvasa, are said to be manifestations of Shri Brahma and Shri Shiva, respectively, he is thought to be an incarnation of Shri Vishnu.

To remember and respect Shri Dattatreya on the anniversary of his birth, Datta Jayanti is observed.

Celebrations of Dattatreya Jayanti

• Devotees wake up early, offer prayers to the deity at home, and visit the temple dedicated to Lord Dattatreya.
• Temples are crafted with flowers, and devotees recite devotional songs and mantras in honour of the lord.
• Special rituals and puja can be organized, and abhisheka is offered to the Lord. A few devotees also observe fasting on this day.

Where does Dattatreya Jayanti Celebrate Mainly?

While Dattatreya Jayanti is celebrated all over the country, it is essential in states such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. These states are highly focused on temples devoted to Lord Dattatreya and witness grand festivities on the same day.

Dattatreya Jayanti Puja Vidhi

As we discussed already, the temples of Lord Dattatreya are the prominent deity of celebrations on the day of his Jayanti. The devotees take a shower in holy rivers, and a special puja is conducted in honour of the lord with incense, lamps, camphor, and flowers.

Lord Dattatreya’s idols are honoured at home and in temples to achieve the path of righteousness. The temples are also decorated, and his followers immerse themselves in religious activities and devotional songs dedicated to Lord Dattatreya. In some places, the Avadhut Gita and Jivamukta Gita are recited, which are said to include the sayings of the lord himself.

During the puja ritual, devotees need to apply sandalwood paste, vermillion, and turmeric to the deity’s idol. This is also particular that after the puja starts, people need to pradakshina seven times around the idol of the god and offer prasad or aarti to people who participated in the puja.

Chanting mantras during puja, such as ‘Sree Guru dattatreyaya Namah,’ ‘Om Shri Gurudev Datta,’ or ‘Hari Om Tatsat Jai Guru Datta,’ is a great way to purify the mind and soul. Followers also take time to read the Datta Mahatmya, Guru Charitra, and Datta Prabodh or sing bhajans to commemorate the festival.

Temples celebrate Datta Jayanti with much ceremony and splendour. In Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat, among other parts of India, there are temples dedicated to Dattatreya.

Many festivals take place from Ekadashi to Purnima, and temples like Manik Prabhu hold a seven-day festival devoted to Shri Datta. Furthermore, reciting the Shri Gurucharitra is an essential customary activity that kicks off the event seven days before Dattatreya Jayanti.

Beej Mantra for Lord Dattatreya

Dakshinamurthy Beejam cha Raama Beeken samyuktam.
Draam Ityekaaksharam Gneyam Bindunaathakalaatmakam
Dattasyaadi Mantrasyaa Datreya syaadimaswaraha
Tatrastharepha samyuktam Bindunada Kalatmika
Yetat beejam Mayapa Roktham Brahma-vishnu- shiva namakam

Fasting Rules of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024

Observing fasting on the day of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024 is essential for followers of Lord Dattatreya, the incarnation of Trimurti – Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. While fasting, people usually avoid consuming grains and cooked meals in favour of milk, fruits, and other satvik items to preserve physical and mental purity.

To manage spiritual focus, tamasic meals like meat, onions, and garlic are completely avoided. However, people take the fast a step ahead, practising Nirjala vrat, which means fasting without eating or drinking a sip of water for the entire day.

This extreme kind of fasting is considered to enhance devotion and invoke the benefits of Dattatreya, who is revered for granting spiritual enlightenment, escape from earthly attachments, and protection.

Benefits of Dattatreya Jayanti 2024

The sacred festival Dattatreya Jayanti is considered to offer devotees the powers of focus and improve their ability to learn new things. People always develop a sense of dedication and commitment, and they can succeed and flourish in life.

Devotees used to sacrifice themselves before Lord Dattatreya, who is known as omnipresent. He provides strength and improves the intellect. He is considered to remove the ego, and hence, it is said that the one starts acting with compassion, love, and care for everybody.

The Dattatreya Upanishad says fasting and puja on Dattatreya Jayanti bring many blessings and benefits. Followers would have their material and wealth desires fulfilled. Supreme knowledge and achievement of life’s goals and focus will be obtained. The devotees will be eliminated from anxiety and unknown fear.

Lord Dattatreya will help remove malefic planetary miseries, eliminate mental suffering, and resolve ancestral issues. Pleasing the deity on Dattatreya Jayanti guides one to attain a righteous path in life. Devotees will be able to free their souls from every karmic activity and bond and cultivate their spirituality.

Conclusion

Dattatreya Jayanti 2024 is a joyous festival that brings devotees together to celebrate the divinity of the Lord. By pleasing the god, devotees seek his wisdom and guidance and strive for a life filled with peace, focus, knowledge, and spiritual growth.

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