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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Dattatreya included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of ٲٳٰⲹ

(datta) A hermit famous in the ܰṇa.

Birth.

Բū, the wife of hermit Atri gave birth to ٲٳٰⲹ. But ٲٳٰⲹ was the incarnation of Ѳ屹ṣṇ.

There is a story in ṇḍ ʳܰṇa how Ѳ屹ṣṇ came to incarnate as ٲٳٰⲹ.

Once there was a hermit called Aṇimāṇḍavya (ṇḍⲹ). While the hermit was engaged in silent meditation, some robbers passed by that way. The King’s men who were chasing the robbers, came to the hermit and asked him about the robbers. The hermit did not break the silence. The King’s men, thinking the hermit to be the thief bound his hands and legs and took him to the palace. The King ordered ṇḍⲹ to be killed by piercing his body with a trident. Accordingly a trident was posted on a hill far away and ṇḍⲹ was seated on the tip of it. ṇḍⲹ lay there in agony.

It was at this time that Śīlavatī, famous for her conjugal fidelity, went to the house of a harlot, carrying her husband ś on her shoulder. When they passed by that way ś scolded Aṇimāṇḍavya; getting angry at this Aṇimāṇḍavya cursed ś that he would get his head broken and die before the sun-rise. Sīlavatī became very sorry when she heard the curse and she also cursed. "Let the sun not rise tomorrow". The sun did not rise next day. Everything in the world was in chaos. The devas were flurried. They went to . took them to Ś. They could not find a solution. So all of them approached Ѳ屹ṣṇ. The հūپ (three gods) told the devas that the problem would be solved, and the devas returned. , վṣṇ and Ѳś went to Śīlavatī. Before seeing Śīlavatī, they went to Բū the wife of Atri and sought her help to persuade Śīlavatī to recall her curse. Thus Բū and the հūپ approached Śīlavatī and spoke compassionate and consolatory words. At last Śīlavatī recalled the curse. The հūپ convinced Śīlavatī, that ś would not die. The pleased հūپ asked Բū to ask for any boon. She replied that she did not want any boon except that the հūپ should take birth as her sons. Accordingly Ѳ屹ṣṇ took birth as ٲٳٰⲹ, Ś as ٳܰ and as Candra, in the womb of Բū. This is how ٲٳٰⲹ was born.* ٲٳٰⲹ did penance from his childhood and became a hermit. (ṇḍ ʳܰṇa, Chapters 39 to 44).

ٲīܲԲ and ٲٳٰⲹ.

When ٲīܲԲ became King ٲٳٰⲹ had become very famous. ٲīܲԲ wanted to obtain supernatural powers. So he called the hermit Garga and asked for his advice. Garga advised him that ٲٳٰⲹ was the incarnation of վṣṇ and that he would grant his wishes. So ٲīܲԲ and his wife came to the river , and taking bath in the river, began to worship ٲٳٰⲹ, who was doing penance closeby. ٲٳٰⲹ was pleased and went to ٲīܲԲ and asked him what his desire was. He requested for thousand hands and to be a youth for ever, and such other things. ٲٳٰⲹ granted his wishes. After that ٲīܲԲ would very often go to the hermit ٲٳٰⲹ for his advice. (Brahma ʳܰṇa, Chapter 44).

Cursing 屹ṇa.

Once 屹ṇa went to the hermitage of ٲٳٰⲹ. The hermit had placed a waterpot purified by reciting spells and incantations. 屹ṇa stole that waterpot. When the hermit knew this, he cursed 屹ṇa saying, "Since the water, which was evoked by spells and incantations, has fallen on your head, Monkeys will pollute your head by treading on it." (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, Yuddha ṇḍ).

Exhortation to the ⲹ.

Mention is made in Ѳٲ, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 36, Stanza 4, that the hermit ٲٳٰⲹ gave exhortations to the (the sons of Dharmadeva by his wife ).

5) A boon for the birth of ṣa. See ṣa.

*) ٲٳٰⲹ is known by the name 'Datta' also in the ʳܰṇas.

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