AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Gukaarassyaad gunaateeto roopaateeto rukaarakah - extols the Guru Geeta. In this context, "Gu" implies He is above all attributes (gunas). "Ru" implies He is beyond form (roopa). As He is the absolute Supreme Lord who is beyond traits and form, He has been addressed as Guru.

The Datta Peetham's Guru Parampara prayer begins with the salutations to Lord Ganapathy, the remover of all obstacles, then to Mother Saraswathy, the Goddess of knowledge followed by the lineage of Gurus starting from Sri Pada Vallabha and Narasimha Saraswathi, the incarnations of Lord Dattatreya, uptil the Sri Guru present Guru or , who is none other than Sri Swamiji.

 

 

Lineage of Gurus - Datta Parampara
"Dattatreya Swami is the Supreme God who is an incarnation of the Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He is known as the Guru of Gurus since he was the foremost Guru who  promoted and propagated the divine knowledge. Lord Dattatreya (or Datta) takes on several incarnations time and again to uplift his devotees. 

 

Incarnation of Dattatreya
According to the determination of Brahma and as a consequence of the great penance of sage Atri and Anasuya in the Kriya Yuga (the first of the Yugas / eons), Dattatreya, combining all the aspects of the Trinity, incarnated for the sake of his devotees. There are several stories which show that according to the level and eligibility of devotees, the Lord manifested himself in many different forms and kept track of his devotees and saved them.

 

 

 

One prominent story associated with Lord Dattatreya is his preaching to his disciple King Yadu, about his twenty-four Gurus of nature, from whom he learned profound lessons about spirituality and life. These Gurus include elements like the Earth, Air, Sky, Water, Fire, Moon, Sun, Pigeon, Python, Ocean, Locust, Bee, Elephant, Honey-thief, Deer, Fish, Harlot named Pingala, Osprey, Child, Maiden, Archer, Snake, Spider and Insect. Lord Dattatreya's teachings promote detachment from material desires and ego, emphasizing the path of self-realization and the realization of the divine presence within oneself and all beings.

 

Lord Dattatreya has preached the essence of Universal Brotherhood - in the following simple sentences. "Do all such deeds to others, which you expect from others.” “Try to identify divinity in every being”. “Observe any object or creature, try to emulate the good in them or shun the evil aspects evident; you can always add value to your life”.

As Kali Yuga (the fourth of the Yugas) began, human beings became less energetic, mediocre, dull and incapable of seeing with their own the eyes, the true form of the Lord. They failed to realize the principle of Guru Dattatreya and lacked the capability to see his real form or to understand his philosophy.
 
Thus, even though the Lord is ever near and appears before the deserving and blesses them, he has become unattainable to most. But the Lord's mercy and love are unlimited. He goes himself to his devotees if they cannot reach him and for those who cannot climb to his heights, he comes down to their level. He assumed many forms in the course of time according to the period, place and circumstances and lifted his devotees to his own heights. No one knows the number of manifestations Datta assumed. However, some of his incarnations like Sripada Vallabha and Narasimha Saraswati are quite prominent.

 

Incarnation of Sripada Vallabha
"Sripada Vallabha or Sripada Sri Vallabha is considered the first manifestation of Lord Datta. The child had impressions of Shanka and Chakra in his feet, hence he was called as "Sripada".  He was born to a pious Brahmin couple Appala Raja and Sumati in Sri Kshetra Pithapuram on the east coast of Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. Lord Dattatreya reincarnated as Sripada as a result of his boon to Sumathi. His incarnation was deemed essential for humanity, especially during the Kali Yuga, to cleanse hearts tainted by the darkness of the era, to liberate individuals bound by the chains of destiny, and to guide those who had succumbed to the allure of sinful pursuits. Sripada is believed to have performed various miracles and preached spiritual teachings during his lifetime. His teachings emphasize the importance of devotion, selflessness, and self-realization.

 

 

After Upanayana (thread marriage) in his seventh year, Sripada started learning and became master in Veda Sastras by the age of sixteen. By learning the intention of his parents to perform his marriage, Sripada told them that he was an ascetic, already married to renunciation and that he would pursue the path of Nivritti for rest of his life. He left for pilgrimage, went to Kashi, Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Himalayas, guiding and imparting Gnaana to the saints. Thereafter, Sripada visited all the pilgrim centers on the west coast, reached Gokarna and finally retired to Kuruvapur, an island in river Krishna. Sripada enlightened and gave solace to people wherever he went. He dispensed happiness to one and all, by freeing them from the shackles of worldly attachment and disappointments. He promised Ambika, mother of a mentally retarded child, that he will take birth as her son in her next birth. This led to the foundation of his next incarnation - Narasimha Saraswati.

 

Incarnation of Narasimha Saraswati
The second incarnation of Lord Dattatreya is Narasimha Saraswati who is believed to have been born to the saintluy couple Madhava Sharma and Amba-Bhavani Kale in Karanja village in Maharashtra, India. He is revered for his spiritual teachings and the miracles associated with his life. One of the significant stories relates to his meeting with a Muslim king, who becomes his devotee after witnessing his divine powers.

 

 

 

An important aspect of his birth narrative is his mother's performance of the 'Shani pradosha Vrata' ritual in her past life, as advised by Sripada Srivallabha. This ritual is believed to have contributed to Narasimha Saraswati's divine incarnation. Astrologers affirmed the celestial nature of the child and prophesied that he would renounce worldly attachments and dedicate himself to uplifting fallen souls. Initially named Narahari, he later came to be known as Narasimha Saraswati, a name symbolizing his role as the dispeller of human sins and miseries. His divine mission was to alleviate the suffering of humanity and guide souls towards spiritual liberation.

 

As part of the Guru Parampara prayer, "Sri Guru", our present Guru and Avadhoota Datta Peethadhipati Jadadguru Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji should be contemplated upon.

 

 

 

Sri Swamiji was born at Mekedatu. Karnataka, India on May 26, 1942. A Muslim saint had predicted to Sri Swamiji’s parents - Sri Narasimha Sastry (later known as Sri Narahareeshwara Swami) and Sri Jayalakshmi Maata that their child would have supreme wisdom and knowledge, and was destined to uplift mankind.

 

 

 

Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji

Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji is the junior Pontiff of Avadhoota Datta Peetham, fondly referred as Bala Swamiji by the devotees is born in a traditional family to Smt. Saraswati and Sri Subramanyam on 14th January, 1977 in Mysuru. The boy was named Sri Harsha Sharma. Harsha had his Vedic education in Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Veda Patashala (SGS Veda Pathashala), Mysuru. 

 

His Holiness Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji had identified the good qualities in Sri Harsha Sharma and kept him under His spiritual observance, tutelage, and guidance. On 29th May, 2004, Sri Harsha Sharma was annointed as the Junior Pontiff of Avadhoota Datta Peetham in the presence of erudite scholars. He was given the Sannyasa Deeksha name as "Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha". Through this sacred initiation, Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji has infused into Sri Balaswamiji, the rich, spiritual, and ritualistic Datta heritage. 

 

Sri Bala Swamiji is admired for oration in various fields like Shastras, Upanishads and many more. Sri Balaswamiji is extraordinary translator of the Vedas into simple language. Sri Balaswamiji observes Chaaturmasya Deekshas every year from Guru Purnima. His discourses during the Chaturmasya period disseminate knowledge and kindle spiritual passion in the listeners. Many learned scholars of the world look at Sri Balaswamiji as the ideal student, ideal disciple and a personification of ascetic embodiment.