Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dattātreya

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

  • 48 Accesses

Synonyms

Datta

Definition

Dattātreya is the syncretic deity considered as the descent on earth (avatāra) of the three gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. Especially venerated in Mahārāṣṭra and Karṇāṭaka, he is at the same time the archetype of the renouncer (saṃnyāsin) and one of the lords of yoga in Hinduism, particularly in the tradition of the nāthas guided by Gorakṣanātha.

Dattātreya

Dattātreya is the syncretic (or more correctly multifaceted) deity considered (especially in Mahārāṣṭra and Karṇāṭaka) as the descent on earth (avatāra) of the three gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. The word Datta means “given;” he is called so because the three gods have “given” themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple formed by Atri (from this name the patronymic Atreya comes) and Anasūyā. He is at the same time the archetype of the renouncer (saṃnyāsin) and one of the lords of yoga in Hinduism. According to some Puranic and vaiṣṇava traditions (Garuḍa Purāṇa, Brahma Purāṇa, Sāttvata Saṃhitā),...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Kavirāj G (1965) Tripurārahasya, Jñānakhaṇḍa, with Commentary Tātparyadīpikā of Śrīnivāsa. Saraswati Bhavana Granthamālā No. 15, Varanasi

    Google Scholar 

  2. Khiste MLS (1932) Tripurārahasya, Māhātmyakhaṇḍa. The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Benares

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chetanananda S (1984) Avadhūta Gītā. Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta

    Google Scholar 

  4. Rigopoulos A (1999) Dalādamamuni, Dattalaharī. L’onda di Datta. Cafoscarina, Venezia

    Google Scholar 

  5. Berntsen M (1988) The experience of Hinduism: essays on religion in Maharashtra. State University of New York Press, Albany/New York, pp 96–106

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rigopoulos A (1998) Dattatreya: the immortal Guru, Yogin, and Avatāra. In: A study of the transformative and inclusive character of a multi-faceted Hindu deity. State University of New York Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  7. Joshi HS (1965) Origin and development of Dattātreya worship in India. The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kambhampati PK (2000) Sri Dattatreya. Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam

    Google Scholar 

  9. Subramanian KN (2006) Wisdom of Sri Dattatreya. Sura Books, Chennai

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Studi umanistici StudiUm, Università degli studi di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Alberto Pelissero

Authors
  1. Alberto Pelissero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto Pelissero .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, Texas, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Pelissero, A. (2018). Dattātreya. In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_50-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_50-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation