Śri Ganeśāya namaḥ

Śri Saraswatye namaḥ

Śri Pādavallabhaṇrusimha Saraswati

Śri Guru Dattatreyaya namaḥ.

Datta Stavam composed by Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati is a supreme mantra. As such before chanting this mantra, one should recollect the Guru lineage (Guru parampara smarana). Through this recollection, he will be able to draw in the energy contained in it. Think of all your Gurus - Śri Guru, Paramaguru, Paratpara Guru and so on.

In this case, at the outset we think of Lord Ganapati who is the Lord of knowledge as well as the Lord of obstacles. For this reason, we have uttered Śri Ganeśāya namaḥ. Thereafter, we contemplate upon Her, who is the presiding deity of entire knowledge (Jnana Devata) and also of all energies (śakti Devata). She is none other than Goddess Saraswati and so we chant Śri Saraswatye namaḥ.

The word ‘Saraswati’ has 3 meanings. 1) She is the wife of Lord Brahma. She is the form of Rajo Guna (Rajo guna rupini). Brahma is in the form of Rajo Guna. In this form, She showers the knowledge of creation (śristi vignana).

2. She is the incarnation of Goddess Parāshakti, who had manifested in three forms i.e. as Goddesses Mahakāli, Mahā Saraswati and Maha Lakshmi. This Mother has 18 hands. She is the destroyer of demons. She is in the form of Rajo guṇa.

3. In the knowledge of Srividya, which is in the Jnana mārga, this Mother takes on the name ‘Mantriṇi’. She is in the form of Sattva Guṇa (Stave guṇa rupini).

When we utter Śri Saraswatye namaḥ, all these meanings should be recollected.

As we are going ahead with Dattatreya’s mantra, as per this method we should think of the Guru Dattatreya Parampara (lineage). In this lineage of Dattatreya, the incarnation that was closest to us in terms of time period was that of Nrusimha Saraswati. Nrusimha Saraswati Swami lived primarily in Ganagapura, Maharashtra. His predecessor was Śripāda Śrivallabha Swami and His primary place of residence was Pithapuram in Andhra Pradesh.

The Guru lineage is vast but in this lineage we think of only these two great saints. Next we think of our Guru who has blessed us with the mantra (mantra Guru) with the words ‘Sri Guru’. There is no need to recollect His entire name. Just the words ‘Śri Guru’ will suffice. Therefore Guru lineage is contained in the words ‘Śripāda vallabha Nrusimha Saraswati Śri Guru’.

Although routinely we worship many deities, each of us will have one main presiding deity. We should consider all other deities as parts/ limbs or manifestations of our main presiding deity. Incorporating this principle we think of Lord Dattatreya. With the feelings that all other deities are forms of our presiding deity Dattatreya, we offer obeisance to Him. Therefore we say- ‘Dattatreyaya namaḥ’.

Significance of the word Namaḥ and method of offering salutation to Guru

The word ‘Namaḥ’ implies- ‘You are my protector (savior). I am your servant.” With such feelings (bhavana), the person should joyfully, lovingly and with all humility surrender to that Lord.

When this meaning is truly understood, the person should immediately, without any feeling of embarrassment, fall of the floor and offer prostration (shastanga namaskara) whole-heartedly. He should not be worried whether he is being noticed by others. He should forget the presence of others in the vicinity and believe that only ‘God and me’ exist in this creation. “I am the jeevatma, He is the Paramatma. Only we both exist” should be the intense bhavana (feeling) in his mind.

It is said that when offering obeisance, the person should forget his relatives, friends and family as well. The devotee should think, “In this place, only my Guru and me are seated”. The person should also not feel embarrassed that he is losing his power and prestige by bowing down in front of another. To symbolize this, kings in the ancient past would remove their crown, alight from their horses/ chariots and approach great Gurus to offer obeisance.

‘Namaḥ’ means ‘There are no two. Only one exists. Maya does not exist. This world is nothing but an illusion (maya)’. When this meaning is deeply imprinted, then it amounts to having the bhavana- “This jeevatma i.e. myself and Paramatma that is You are one and the same.” With such feelings, non-dualism (ekatvam, advaitam) should be practiced. This supreme tattvam is the embedded in the namaskara offered.

With the eight limbs touching the ground, men should offer shastanga namaskara. The backbone and the head should be in a straight line. Both the hands should be raised above the head and the palms joined together. The chest should touch the ground. Ladies should offer shastanga namaskara in a slightly different fashion. Ladies adopting the men’s style of namaskara is considered as to be an offence. As a general practice, men should also not adopt the ladies style of offering namaskara. At times of emergencies, men can offer namaskara in the manner adopted by ladies.

There is one lotus in the head/ heart. Joining the palms and raising them above the head symbolizes another lotus. It is like ‘lotus upon a lotus’. Such a namaskara contains a symbolic message. ‘O Lord I am merging my heart into that of yours. I thus merge into You’.

The left palm represents the individual being (jeevatma). The right palm symbolizes Paramatma. When these two palms are joined and kept at the heart position, it implies that the feelings of separateness between jeevatma and Paramatma have dissolved and that only Supreme Being (kevalatma) remains. “I don’t exist. Only You exist’.

Upon seeing Sadguru, namaskar should be offered in either of the three ways detailed here-

1. by joining the palms and keeping them at chest position;
2. by raising the joined palms above the head or
3. shasthanga namaskara (falling flat on the ground and offering namaskara) with the joined palms raised above the head.

No other form of namaskara is acceptable. Do not offer namaskara with one hand, or salute him with one hand in military style etc. Although they symbolize some respect, they cannot be accepted as complete namaskara.

The innermost feelings (bhavana) of the person play a very critical role in this process of offering namaskara -

When offering namaskara, believe that you are merging into Him. Have the pure feeling- ‘Jeevatma and Paramatma are one and the same. Paramatma is seated in front of me as Sadguru. I am the individual soul (jeevatma). Apart from us both, none exists in this creation. I am merging into Him. Only the supreme atma exists now’. It is the kevalatma. The word ‘Namah’ encompasses this supreme essence. This is the ultimate meaning of the word ‘namah’.

Among all the varied different methods of offering namaskara, pick the one that touches your heart deeply. You are free to choose anyone amongst the three. Adhere to the essence contained in this meaning and contemplate upon it at all times. Every time you offer namaskara, chant mentally- Śri Ganeśāya namaḥ Śri saraswatye namaḥ Śri Pādavallabha Nrusimha Saraswati Śri Guru Dattatreyaya namaḥ’. Let the essence of this prayer fill your heart at such time.

This is the ultimate Deva-Guru moola Parampara (lineage). There is no lineage (parampara) superior to this. This is because Datta is the Guru for all Devatas (deities) also. For this reason, this Datta parampara is called Deva guru moola parampara. After chanting this mantra, the person should think of his individual Guru parampara, if any.

In this manner, only after recollecting our lineage of Gurus, we should proceed to the real mantra.

Every mantra/ hymn (stotra) serves 3 different purposes-

1. Aihika: It can be used for worldly purposes i.e. to dispel sorrows/ difficulties and to grant us comforts in this world. “O Lord, please pull us out of these difficulties” the person prays.
2. Āmūśmika: means to chant the mantra so as to increase the feelings of bhakti, dharma, spiritual thoughts etc. within us. In other words, to convert us to spiritual beings.
3. Pāramārthika: Here the mantra is chanted selflessly and with feelings of oneness towards the deity whose mantra is chanted. There are no expectations whatsoever from the Lord for chanting the mantra.

Amongst them, undoubtedly the third is the most supreme, but yet, even when the first two methods are adopted, in the right manner and with the right intention, they gradually lead the person towards the third stage. Gradually the feeling of oneness (aikyam) with the deity arises in the person. This is why in most hymns, all these three methods of upasana (worship) are interlocked and incorporated. To put it in simple words- every hymn can be used to mitigate worldly difficulties, to increase devotion, knowledge and also can be chanted selflessly with the feeling that we are merging into the supreme.

In the Pāramārthika (third) stage, the person prays- ‘O Lord, I seek only You and nothing else. I don’t have any desires. The more I desire, the more births I have to take to fulfill/ enjoy them. So please I seek to merge into You. If I ask you to dispel my difficulties in this birth, then again I will have to be reborn in order to complete those difficult karmas of mine. I will then have to face difficulties.”

Wise people therefore never seek relief from difficulties. “O Lord, give us the mental strength to face these difficulties” they pray. Escapism is not their cup of tea. A fool uses all his prayers to obtain relief from problems. He will waste his spiritual bank balance. The balance will get depleted quickly. “O Lord, please remove this particular difficulty or please help my son get a seat in engineering college”- with this request, all the worship and prayers done until that point of time, evaporate into the thin air.

Wise people therefore pray, “O Lord, may all my prayers, japam, nama sankeertana, parayana etc. help me merge into you. Apart from this I seek nothing. I am willing to face all my problems. I will go through this phase of ill health. It is enough if you bless me with the energy and the wisdom necessary to withstand the pain and difficulties. But if at all you drive my problems away, O Lord, then my spiritual account balance will get depleted, which I don’t want. I want my tapas, pujas and parayanas only to help me merge into You. Apart from that I don’t want to use it for anything else. In order to merge into You, O Lord, I need enormous amount of bank balance. What I have done so far is inadequate for merger. I need to increase my efforts. If foolishly I use some of this balance for my trivial worldly problems, which I can anyway face and complete, I will be wasting my resources. My balance will be reduced to zero and I will have to begin my efforts anew. It will be painful. It is enough if you are by my side; it is enough if Your grace falls on me, I will face all these hardships cheerfully. I will exhaust my karma. But please safeguard my punya because I want to use it solely in order to merge into You.”

We often come across people who set up petty shops or restaurants but then foolishly use the seed capital as well as the stocks for their personal/ home needs. The family members themselves frequently dine in the restaurant or they use the groceries from the shop for their kitchen. If the person runs a cloth shop, then the family members themselves take away the best dresses for their use. The end result is that the shop faces bankruptcy in no time. Even in spiritual matters the same policy holds good. If you perform abhishekam to the Lord and as a result of this worship seek that some personal problems be resolved, then you have exhausted the good energy (punya) generated from that prayer.

Even this Datta Stavam fulfills all the 3 purposes mentioned above. The prayers suited to all the three types of people have been incorporated by Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati.

Now we will proceed into the main stotra. Before doing so, let us understand the main makutam (crown) of this mantra- śmaṛtrgāmī sano’vatu.

The essence contained in the words - smaṛtrgāmī sano’vatu.

Although this mantra refers entirely to Datta, there is no direct reference to his name. Instead the words ‘smaṛtrgāmi sano’vatu’ have been used in every verse.

What could be the meaning contained in these two special words?

Smaṛtrgāmi:

It means ‘He who appears instantly as soon as He is thought of’.

Lord Datta is exceedingly pleased when a devotee merely thinks about him. He immediately blesses him with darshan.

This Lord does not have a name:

Why is it that the Lord’s name does not appear in the hymn? What is the reason behind addressing him as ‘smaṛtrgāmi’? Why ‘Dattatreya’ cannot be said to be his name? There is a reason. Let us try to understand.

His name does not appear in the hymn because, in reality, He does not have a name. Name and form create limitations to the all pervading entity. Paramatma is inherently nameless and formless (no nāṃa, roopa). The Lord exists within you, me, within all these forms and all bhāvanas. Avadumbara and digambara are synonyms. They emphasize that the Lord has directions (dik) as his clothes (ambara). In other words it means He is all-pervading. He is everywhere, within everyone and everything, but at the same time He is beyond reach. It is impossible to catch Him. This is the essence of Paramatma. Name and form cause limitation to this all-pervading inherent nature of His.

How does a person get his/her name? In the normal course, the parents assign a name to the new born and it becomes his/her name. What happens in case the parents refrain from naming the child? He will remain without a name, unless he decides to take on a name for himself when he grows up. Even to give a name for the child, there is a particular procedure to be followed. This is called naming ceremony samskāra. The infant has to be brought to the temple or to the Sadguru; his star and other details need to be given and the name should be sought from Guru/ God. The practices differ from region to region. Going to Sadguru and seeking name for the child is also an accepted procedure.

In case of Lord Datta, his father Maharishi Atri, did not comply with any of the samskāras (purification ceremony) prescribed. He did not perform the naming ceremony. This is because the parents were aware that the Supreme Being, who is devoid of all samskāras (tendencies) and who is over and above them all, was born to them as their son. They were aware that their son was none other than the form of time. In fact, He was over and above time.

In the case of Krishna, Mother Yashoda did not realize this fact. She presumed him to be her son. Due to this lack of realization, she had to get separated from him. At a later stage however she realized that he was not her son but was the Supreme Paramatma. This was Krishna’s maya.

Datta’s father was Atri and mother was Anasuya. A-tri means ‘he who has crossed over the trigunas or he who holds the trigunas in his grip’. Anasuya means ‘she who has absolutely no trace of jealousy (asuya)’. Within their names is contained their supreme state. They did not look upon Datta as their son. They believed that he did not need any samskaras (refinement) and hence did not give him a name.

If he had no name, why did they address him as Datta?

Desiring a good son, both Atri and Anasuya performed intense tapas in the Nirvindhya mountain ranges, upon the Rukṣādri mountain. All the Gods in the presence of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva wondered who was to give them the results of their penance. In the congregation of 33 crore Devatas, it was decided that the 3 main Gods would approach the couple and deliver to them the fruits for their penance. The boon granted through the medium of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara was actually the boon given by the 33 crore Devatas. As per this plan, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara appeared before the couple and said, “We have gifted ourselves (datta) to you.”

Datta means ‘gift, presentation”. Datta means ‘He who has given himself away’ or ‘He who gives jnana’.

When translated into English, Datta means present. The English word ‘present’ means A) ‘gift’. B) Present can also be split as pre+sent. Datta was sent before all the individual beings (jeevi) were created. C) present means the present period of time. We should also live in present. Here Datta is a form of time. The time that has been given to us. Past refers to time that has elapsed; future refers to time that is not yet born. Great souls are referred to as ‘vardhante’ which means that ‘they who live entirely in the present’.

The Trinity now transformed into a boy with three heads and approached the couple. As the Gods had used the word ‘Datta’ when blessing this couple, all people in the vicinity who had witnessed this, addressed this boy as ‘Datta’. As such this Lord acquired his name before his birth. The ascetics addressed him as ‘Dattatreya’ which means- Datta who belongs to Maharishi Atri or Maharishi Atri’s gift (Datta). Hence it was not exactly a name but just a title. The boy also did not take on a name when he grew up. He continued to be addressed as ‘Atri’s gift’.

Thus, in a nutshell, this Lord has no name. It is enough if we think about Him who is nameless and formless. This is a nameless incarnation.

When we say smaṛtrgāmi - we imply “O Lord I am thinking of You.” It is not necessary to call him out loudly; by merely thinking of Him, He is pleased. But we should think of Him with utmost love, faith, fear and reverence. Only then He makes himself visible. Where will He be visible? In that heart which is calling out, He will be visible. When? Instantly as soon as He is called, He makes himself visible. For this reason, smaṛtrgami is an apt name for Him. With such intense feelings of devotion, Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati addressed the Lord in this manner.

Sano’vatu:

It means ‘may this Lord protect us’.

What is the meaning of the word ‘us’? ‘Me and my family’ is one interpretation. The true meaning is ‘protect me and also protect all beings in this universe’. A saint-like person never prays solely for his own benefit. He prays for the well-being of all living entities in the creation- sarve jana sukhino bhavantu, samasta sanmangalāni bhavantu.

Penance done to secure selfish benefits is wrong. The person has to pray for the welfare of himself, his family, his relatives, all the inhabitants of his village and of his country; and for every being in the entire creation.

How can a person be happy when other members of his family are unhappy? Likewise how can a person or family be happy when others families in the village are unhappy? It is not true happiness. True happiness exists only when every being in the world is happy. A person should in fact pray that every being in every plane of existence should be happy. This is because all the planes (lokas) are inter-connected. When seen from the top-down approach, earth exists only because of the existence of the various different planes (lokas). Because of the existence of earth, your country and your village came into existence. You are able to live in your house peacefully only because of the harmony in your village. In your house you are able to live happily only because of the happiness of other members. Therefore a broad minded person seeks welfare of every being in every plane of existence.

Learn to pray for the welfare of your neighbours, enemies, landlords, tenants. Seek that everyone should be blessed with good buddhi. A true gentleman, even when he is in deep trouble/ sickness will pray, “Even my enemy should not face such hardships”. This reflects his broadmindedness. It is wrong to even curse or seek the destruction of an enemy.

In this Datta stavam, Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati has through the usage of the terms ‘sanovatu’ ensured that we pray for the well being of one and all!

Now let us proceed to verses of Datta stavam.