Dattatreya Jayanti

Dattatreya Jayanti honours Lord Dattatreya, a revered teacher-form associated with the combined principles of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Puranic tradition presents him as the son of the sage Atri and the devoted Anasuya. One famous narrative tells that the divine trinity tested Anasuya's virtue; through her spiritual power and purity the test was transformed into a blessing, and the three divine aspects were united in the child Dattatreya. Later traditions especially remember Dattatreya as an avadhuta and guru who learns from the whole world. The Bhagavata tradition's account of his twenty-four gurus—from earth and wind to animals and ordinary human situations—expresses the idea that wisdom is available everywhere to an attentive seeker. Devotees worship Dattatreya on Margashirsha Purnima and honour the guru principle, simplicity and self-knowledge.

Dattatreya Jayanti is valued for devotion, family tradition and the spiritual or seasonal meaning attached to the day.