Dattatreya: The Meaning
“I am Datta. I am the sole phenomenon that pervades millions of universes.”
- Srīpāda
Book: Sri Dattatreya
Overview Dattatreya section
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Lord Dattatreya is also called “Datta”. Datta in Sanskrit means “the One that is donated”. His nature is to give his presence. Atreya means “the son of Atri”.
Atri is one of the Seven Seers / principles of creation. Atri also means “not three”. The one who came down from that which is not three is called Atreya.
Thus, that which is not three, is donated through the three into all the planes of creation to help the beings to find the path back to Truth.
That which is beyond the three is the pure consciousness, which manifests through the three qualities of itself. The One that is beyond enters into the triangle of creation and helps the creation.
Dattatreya is the principle, which exists in all as the Teacher principle, as the friend, as the guide, that leads one onto one's own source of Existence. Dattatreya is an eternal principle. Dattatreya also exists in a form in all planes. Dattatreya is a principle that incarnates, in any plane of existence, as per the time and need.
Maitreya and Dattatreya are Atreyas – meaning the children of “not three”. That means they are the most high souls who are not bound by the triangle of forces of the creation. They bestow that state of liberation to the beings. Lord Maitreya, the World Teacher, is in direct connection with Lord Dattatreya.
Lord Maitreya
Sources:
- K. Parvathi Kumar: Sri Dattatreya / notes from seminars. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India (www.worldteachertrust.org)