AkHaNDbHaRAtHere is the profound story of how the Avadhuta Lord Dattatreya realized the highest truth by observing the Nature, and learning from 24 Gurus that were all aspects of the world around him. It is a beautiful story of how the Supreme Truth is available to anyone whose consciousness has awakened, and it shows us how different aspects of Nature can teach us about the nature of Consciousness itself.
This story is found in the Srimad Bhagvatam where Krishna narrates the story of Dattatreya to one of his dearest disciple/friend Uddhava. This conversation is also known as the Uddhava Gita. Dattatreya was said to be the son of Rishi Atri and Devi Anusuya . Atreya because he was from the lineage of Rishi Atri. There is a story which says that king Yadu he went to the forest, and there he met Lord Dattatreya who was an avadoota. Avadoota means one who is totally one with the nature, one who has renounced all the worldly belongings and comforts and is totally free. So he saw that the Avadhoota was living there in the jungle without any friends and family and any possessions. He wondered how is this possible, as he was looking so blissful. Much more so than the king or anybody he knows. He approached him with a lot of reverence and he asked him, how come you are so happy and blissful staying here in the jungle without any worldly comforts what is the secret.
And Lord Dattatreya replied, my dear king, I am so comfortable without anything because my bliss, contentment and joy it arises from the realization of the self. I have realized my true nature. I know who I am and what I am and I know the nature of this whole creation. This realization can be attained by anybody who has the keenness of perception, who has that clarity, that sincerity. Because I have got this knowledge from 24 Guru’s /Master’s that are present all around me, that are present around you as well. Then he explains to the king, I will tell you about my 24 Gurus who have allowed me to realize my true nature.
If you see the picture of Dattatreya he is always usually depicted with 3 faces. It is said that he is an incarnation an avatara of all the 3 divinities, Bramha the Creator, Vishnu the maintainer and Shiva the Transformer/Destroyer. So he is an embodiment of the trimurtis. He is projected as having all the qualities so he is depicted having 3 heads and 6 arms and with him usually you find 4 dogs. The 4 dogs are embodiment of the 4 Vedas which symbolizes that he has the complete knowledge. You will also find a cow with him that symbolizes the mother earth because he is so connected to the earth, to the nature, to the creation.
These 24 Gurus have a deeper meaning also. 24 things in the nature that Dattatreya observed in the nature that allowed him to understand different aspects of the supreme truth or the path to self-realization.
Earth: The 1st Guru is Mother Earth. Have you observed Mother Earth. She is so compassionate, people trample the earth, they hurt her, plough the earth, they destroy the earth, cut the trees and the same time she sees that she is not partial towards anyone. She gives freely and unconditionally to everyone. She represents dharma. Having that tolerance, patience, forgiveness where she is totally dedicated to the welfare of all the other living beings of the whole world. Performing her duty, doing what needs to be done without being partial, saying this is a good person, I will give him fruits and this is a bad person and I won’t serve him. She has total commitment, devotion, dedication & compassion, the patience, the forbearance.
Wind: The 2nd Guru is the Wind. If you observe the air, the wind it is pure. It doesn’t have any odour or any smell and its impartial. The wind will blow anywhere it blows in a valley, garden or even a garbage place. It doesn’t have any preference and it doesn’t get shaken even though it blows somewhere where the smell is not good, it may carry the smell for some time. It doesn’t get tainted. Any sadhak or spiritual speaker should be like the air. You are living in the world of dualities of opposites but we don’t get shaken. Sometimes you become happy, sometimes sad. Taking both in the same way. It goes as per its nature wherever it has to go and it brings coolness. In the same way our action should be soothing to the people around us should give comfort to wherever we go. Without having that preference that I only want to go to nice places and meet nice people
Sky: The 3rd Guru is the Sky. The Sky symbolizes the qualities of our soul our self/consciousness which is also omnipresent. The sky or the space is everywhere and it is untouched by whatever happens in the space. Sometimes there may be smoke, dust, pollution but the space itself does not get polluted. The colors in the sky change when the sun rises and sets yet the sky or the space itself doesn’t get affected. It remains untouched and untainted. Sometimes the sky is cloudy, sometimes it may be clear but the space, the sky itself remains unaffected. Similarly the soul in us remains unaffected remembering/knowing, whatever body may carry it. So wherever we go , whatever happens, knowing that the emotions, the thoughts, the experiences, the situations around us do not affect the soul, the consciousness.
Water: The 4th Guru was the water. If you see the water quenches the thirst and gives life to everyone. Even the plants, trees, flowers they are alive because there is water in the ground. Water serves everyone, makes life possible on this planet. Yet if you look at the water it is so humble, it is never proud of itself. Water always seeks the lowest place. Water teaches us the quality of being humble and pure. We should maintain the purity in our speech, our actions and at the same time we may good and support wherever we go at the same time without feeling proud, taking pride in that.
Fire: The 5th Guru was the fire. If you notice, fire is present in everything, in latent form. Whatever you put in the fire it will burn and yet even though the fire can burn everything, it doesn’t get affected. You put something pure clean or impure. The fire itself remains pure. It doesn’t have a specific shape, its very fluid. Whatever u put in the fire wood, log, twig it takes that shape i.e. the fire accepts whatever is offered into it. The sage also, the wise person, the spiritual seeker should receive whatever people give him, not reject anything. Receive everything and then by the power of his knowledge, sattva, because of his inherent purity he purifies whatever is offered in it. So even though he is receiving something from someone who is sinful, impure, that doesn’t matter. We should not shy away from that. Through his power he will purify that. So not rejecting and saying that this food is impure this is pure, I will only take food from this person or this place. Then purifies it through his sadhana, knowledge and he remains untouched.
Moon: The 6th Guru was the Moon. If you observe the moon, it waxes and it wanes, it looks like it becomes bigger and smaller when its shape and size changes. But if you observe its only apparent that it changes in size or in shape , the moon itself remains the same. And it doesn’t have any light of its own, its light comes from the sun. In the same way a wise person is untouched by life’s experiences and what happens to the body. The body is first young and then it becomes old. Sometimes you get sick, sometimes you feel healthy Sometimes it looks good, sometimes it doesn’t look good, so all these things happen to the body. But a wise person knows that this is only apparent, the consciousness inside remains untouched. And the only beauty which reflects from the body is a reflection from the soul inside.
Sun: The 7th Guru was the sun. If you see the sun is only one, but then it gets reflected in so many objects. It may be reflected in a puddle, lake stream, in a mirror It looks like there are many, but in the end there is only one. And it is this one sun that gives life to everything on this planet. At the same time whatever happens to the earth does not affect the sun. So we know as a wise person, all of these beings that we see, the life in this planet is a reflection of that one supreme consciousness that is there in so many beings. That is what makes it possible for them to live. Yet whatever happens to these beings will have no effect on the consciousness itself.
Pigeon: The 8th Guru was the pigeon. Once there lived 2 pigeons and there was a nest with a baby pigeon. The parent pigeons had gone to fetch some food for the children. A hunter came, he put a net over the nest and caught those baby pigeons .Just that moment the parents they came back, the mother and the father. The mother she flew into the net as she didn’t want to be separate from her young ones. Father pigeon realizing that they are all there, he also flew into the net. That is all they all got caught and died. The attachment for worldly relationships can become an obstacle for liberation. So he said I learned not to get too stuck with these worldly relationships because that can become a downfall and obstacle on the path.
Python: The 9th Guru was a Python. The python if you see is very lazy and peaceful. It does not hunt, doesn’t go around looking for a prey. Its just sitting in one place waiting patiently for some prey to come near it and then it will swallow it. So in a way he is very dispassionate, he waits for whatever food comes his way. He is very contented. In the same way a wise person, a sadhak should not run after all the worldly pleasures , He should be contented, being in one place meditating. When he learns to be contented with whatever comes his way that is when he can really progress. Python taught me this quality that having that faith and being contented having that faith that whatever is needed will come.
Honey Bee: 10th Guru Honey Bee. If you notice the bee gathers honey from so many flowers, but it does it very skillfully. It knows which flower to go, it takes only little honey carefully so it knows it doesn’t hurt the flower. In the same way a wise person should be able to take the wisdom from the different sources of knowledge , different scriptures, he knows what to take, what he needs, thus accumulating the essence of it and making honey out of it. Certain flowers close at night so if he goes too late he will get stuck in the flower. Knowing when and where what to gather, the discrimination and that skill without causing disturbance is what I learned from the honey bee.
Honey gatherer: There is the person who gathers honey who is the 11th Guru. The honey been gathered so much of honey and the whole hive is full. If he doesn’t come, the honey gatherer comes and he takes that . In the same way whatever you gain in life knowing that one day you have to leave it. Being ready to leave this world. Not unnecessarily accumulating things because anyway one day it will be taken away. One day death will come to this body and you have to leave all those things that you have collected. So knowing how much to take and also not keeping it to yourself and sharing it with people before its too late because one day it will be taken away.
Hawk: 12th Guru One day I saw a hawk , it caught one prey . When it flew with the prey, the bigger birds like vulture or eagle saw that and started to attack that bird. Finally the bird dropped the prey and the bird flew away peacefully. So the same way if you accumulate too much, if you hold on too tightly to some big worldly things others will try to come and take that away from you and you will become miserable. So leave all these world possessions and become free from that.
Ocean: The 13th Guru was the Ocean. If you see the ocean is self contained .The ocean doesn’t flow into the river, it doesn’t cross its own boundaries. At the same time the ocean is very quite, the deeper the ocean , the more settled it is. There maybe a little disturbance, of ripples of waves in the surface but inside it is totally quite. And if you notice however much water flows into the ocean in the rainy season, the level remains the same. And however dry, the dry season maybe the ocean remains the same. In the same way, the sage, the wise person is always calm and peaceful inside Whatever is happening around him outside he does not get affected. He does not get overwhelmed or elated by joy or happiness and he doesn’t get depressed with sorrow. He is available for everybody and yet he does not step outside his own boundaries. He is content within himself.
Moth: The 14th Guru was the Moth. The moth gets attracted by the light of the fire and without realizing it, flies into fire and gets burnt. He doesn’t even think One who has the knowledge, that discrimination he has to use that otherwise we get caught up in all the worldly pleasures , we get caught up in the cycle of life and death and again and again we have to be reborn because we get lost in that and we lose ourselves. So having that discrimination and not being attracted by it weather its lust, greed or all the pleasures of the world.
Elephant: The 15th Guru is the Elephant. What the hunters do that they make a fake place and put one of the female elephants and put some smell on it and a male wild elephant thinks it is a female when he wants to mate with her, he runs after and falls into the pit. Same way a sadhak should overcome the feeling of lust otherwise we get caught and lost in it. We will not get the right path and we will lose ourselves in it
Deer: The 16th Guru is the Deer. The deer is fond of music and the hunters use music sometimes to attract the deer and trap it. They lure them with that. Similarly any attraction for passion or any sensual desires becomes an obstacle for the spiritual progress. You want to hear nice music, or have tasty food, all these sensual pleasures become obstacles on the path.
Fish: The 17th Guru wad the Fish. If you see the fish, if it sees some food in front it will take it , it will not think. The fisher puts a bait around the fish, when the fish tries to eat it , it gets caught because of the bait. In the same way we have to control our tongue our tastes, the tongue is also sense of speech. So having control over the tongue and all the sense organs. At the same time you see the fish doesn’t leave its home ever. It doesn’t come out of the water. In the same way we should be content within ourselves , the state of awareness of the self.
Dancing Girl: The 18th Guru was the Dancing Girl, a prostitute. He said I first met a dancing girl called pingala. She waited for a client who said he will come. She waited for a lot of time as he promised her to pay a lot of money if was satisfied with her services. So the whole night she waited and he did not come. She realized that she is neglecting her health. She is wasting her time for something so small. For some small worldly joy or little bit of money. She realized that if I take care of myself, if I realize my true nature I will take care of my soul I will be much more happy and she went to bed. So in the same way we should not wait for other people to give us material benefits, that temptation of getting something. Seeking something from others is a big cause of misery. If you try to please your relations , in your job in a hope to get something from them we become miserable. We lose sight of ourselves, we don’t do justice to ourselves
The Small Child: The 19th Guru was the small child. If you see a small child it is always so happy, so joyful, they don’t have these Gunas like Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. They don’t have worldly desires. They play with a toy, and they don’t think about weather its my toy or someone else’s toy, they don’t have to possess anything. That quality is what we should strive for. That is the quality of an innocent person. You feel at home with anybody. You don’t need anything from outside to make you happy because the highest joy, it is your nature
Unmarried girl: The next Guru was an unmarried girl. . There was a young girl and she was not married yet, she was from a poor family. Some people had come to her house to propose while her parents were not at home. They came with a groom . The family came to see her, she wanted to receive them well because this was an opportunity for her to get married but because her parents were not there, there was nobody to help, she said I will get some food prepared for you. She went into the kitchen and she had to beat the rice but she was wearing the bangles, but she had to beat the rice . People will know that she herself is doing all the work and they are very poor and they don’t have anybody to help her. She dint want them to know that she is poor. So to make sure she removed, broke some of the bangles . When there were only 2 bangles in each hand she found that it still makes noise. So then she broke one more, so that she is wearing only one on each wrist and finished her job quietly. What I learned from this that if there are too many people there will be noise. You see if you put 2 people together there will be an argument. Similarly the path to liberation is something that we have to do by ourselves. Don’t spend too much time with other people, spend more time by yourself.
Snake: The next Guru is the snake who lives alone. 2 sakes don’t live together. It avoids other creatures. It doesn’t make its own house, it will stay in the anthill . So it finds a proper place to stay, it stays there peacefully, at the same time when it sheds its skin it can shed it anywhere. Whenever its time to shed the dead skin and take the new skin it does it. In the same way the sage should not make its own house, you find a place suitable to live with maybe a cave, you stay there and whenever its time to shed this body doing it without any attachment. Just with detachment you shed one skin and you take another skin. So that way he should be ready to leave the body just like the snake is ready to shed its skin very effortlessly.
Fletcher: The next Guru is the one who makes the arrows, the fletcher. Once there was an arrow maker and he was so good at his job, he as so focused. One day he was making edge of the arrow with so much of concentration when the king passed by he dint even greet him. He dint even notice. So that kind of one pointed attention , devotion is essential to realize the self. That concentration, that devotion, if that is strong enough it will make you oblivious to all the worldly pleasures. All the distractions of the world. When you are so focused on the goal all these things won’t tempt you because you won’t even notice them
Spider: The next Guru was the spider because the spider creates the whole web from himself. From his mouth, saliva. He plays in it and then one day he draws the web inside, he swallows it again. In the same way he said, the divine, the supreme consciousness has created this entire creation out of himself and we are all part of that one consciousness, we play in it and then one day the consciousness again takes it back inside itself. So we are not separate, there is nothing outside the divine, outside this universal consciousness, it drives it back into itself.
Caterpillar: If you see the caterpillar, it takes the larva to its place, it paralyzes it, keeps buzzing there and then what happens it that caterpillar makes a cocoon and finally it comes out as a butterfly. The caterpillar is focused on the buzzing sound, weather its fear or love , when the attention is so strong it is reborn as a worm . In the same way when your focus is so strong on the divine, on the lotus feet of the master, of the Guru, Then when your one pointed attention is so strong at the time of death when u you think only of him , then what happens is you attain him. When your focus is solely on the divinity on the supreme then you become liberated, enlightened.