Dattatreya , Datta or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh he is a syncretic deity, In Bengal he is be an as 'Trinath',avatar of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, collectively known as the Trimurti.In other regions, and some versions of texts such as Garuda Purana, Brahma Purana and Sattvata Samhita, he is an avatar of Vishnu only. Several Upanishads are dedicated to him, as are texts of the Vedanta-Yoga tradition in Hinduism.One of the most important texts of Hinduism, namely Avadhuta Gita (literally, "song of the free soul") is attributed to Dattatreya.Over time,
Dattatreya has inspired many monastic movements in Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism, particularly in the Deccan region of India, south India, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himalayan regions where Shiva tradition has been strong. His pursuit of simple life, kindness to all, sharing of his knowledge and the meaning of life during his travels is reverentially mentioned in the poems by Tukaram, a saint-poet of the Bhakti movement.According to Rigopoulos, in the Nath tradition of Shaivism, Dattatreya is revered as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya of the Nathas, the first "Lord of Yoga" with mastery of Tantra (techniques), although most traditions and scholars consider Adi Nath to be an epithet of Lord Shiva.According to Mallinson, Dattatreya is not the traditional guru of the Nath Sampradaya but instead was co-opted by the Nath tradition in about the 18th century as a guru, as a part of Vishnu-Shiva syncretism. This is evidenced by the Marathi text Navanathabhaktisara, states Mallinson, wherein there is syncretic fusion of the Nath Sampradaya with the Mahanubhava sect by identifying nine Naths with nine Narayanas. Dattatreya iconography varies regionally.
In Maharashtra, for example, he is typically shown with three heads and six hands, one head each for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who represent the Trimurti, the 3 main gods in Hinduism, and one pair of hands holding the symbolic items associated with each of these gods: japamala and water pot of Brahma, conch and discus of Vishnu, trident and drum of Shiva.He is typically dressed as a simple monk, situated in a forest or wilderness suggestive of his renunciation of worldly goods and pursuit of a meditative yogic lifestyle. In paintings and some large carvings, he is surrounded by four dogs and a cow, which symbolise the four Vedas and mother earth who nourishes all living beings.In the temples of southern Maharashtra, Varanasi, and in the Himalayas, he is shown with one head and two hands accompanied by four dogs and a cow.
An annual festival in the Hindu calendar month of Margasirsa (November/December) reveres Dattatreya and is known as Datta Jayanti. Shailaputri : Shailaputri , is the daughter of the Mountain King Himavat, and is a manifestation and form of the Hindu mother goddess Mahadevi, representing herself as the pure form of goddess Parvati.She is the first Navadurga venerated during the first day of Navratri, and is a reincarnation of Goddess Sati. History: Shailaputri is the Adi parasakti, who was born in the house of King of Mountains “Parvat Raj Himalaya”.
The name “Shailaputri” literally means the daughter (putri) of mountain (shaila). Variously known as Sati Bhavani, Parvati or Hemavati, the daughter of Himavat - the king of the Himalayas. The embodiment of the power of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, she rides a bull and carries a trident and a lotus in her two hands. In previous birth, she was Sati, daughter of Daksha Once Daksha had organized a big Yagna and did not invite Shiva. But Sati being obstinate, reached there. Thereupon Daksha insulted Shiva. Sati could not tolerate the insult of husband and burnt herself in the fire of Yagna. In other birth, she became the daughter of Himalaya in the name of Parvati Hemavati and married Shiva. As per Upanishad, she had torn the egotism of Indra, etc. Devtas. Being ashamed they bowed and prayed that, "In fact, thou are Shakti, we all Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are capable by getting Shakti from you." In some scriptures like Shiva Purana and Devi-Bhagavata Purana, the story of Mother Goddess is written as follows:
Maa Bhagwati in her earlier birth was born as a daughter of Daksha Prajapati. Then her name was Sati and she was married to Lord Shiva. But in a sacrificial ceremony organized by her father Prajapati Daksha, her body was burned in the yogic fire, because she could not bear the insult of her husband Lord Shiva by her father Prajapati Daksha in the sacrificial ceremony. In her next birth she became Goddess Parvati, the daughter of Parvat Raj Himalaya. Other avatar of navadurga is the incarnation of mother Parvati, she also incarnated her as 32 vidyas, who was again known as Hemavati. In her Hemavati aspect, she defeated all prominent gods. Like her previous birth, in this life also Maa Shailaputri (Parvati) married Lord Shiva.She is Devi of the root chakra, who, upon awakening, begins her journey upwards. Sitting on a cow and making her first journey from the Muladhara chakra.
As from her father to her husband the awakening Shakti, beginning her search for Lord Shiva or making a move towards her Shiva. So that, in Navratri pooja the first day Yogis keep their minds concentrated on Muladhara. This is the starting point of their spiritual discipline. They started their Yogasadha from here. Shailaputri is the Muladhara Shakti to be realized within Self and sought for higher depths, in the yogic meditation. It is the rock of spiritual standing and the whole world gets strength from the Shailaputri aspect of Purna Prakriti Durga. From the Yogic point of view, the First Navratri is considered to be very auspicious day. This is the Yogic start for being in tune with the Divine Mother Durga.
Those who want to have any kind of initiation in the Shakti Mantras, can have it on the First of Shukla Pratipada. The aspiration of a devotee is to reach higher and further higher, for spiritual evolution, and for the attainment of Siddhi, which is perfection associated with Ananda (bliss). Verily, Shailaputri is the Muladhara Shakti to be realized within Self and sought for higher depths, in the YOGA-meditation. This is an experience in the soul-searching of Immutable within human existence. Shailaputri is the physical consciousness of the Divine Mother Durga. She is truly Parvati, daughter of the King Hemavana, as described in the Shiva Purana. Shailaputri is the manifestation of this earth planet, which includes what is apparent on this earth, and within the globe. Shailaputri covers all the hills, vales, water resources, seas and oceans, including atmosphere. Therefore, Shailaputri is the essence of the earthly existence. Her abode is in the Muladhara Chakra. The divine Energy is latent in every human being. It is to be realized. Its color is crimson. The Tattva (element) is Earth, with the Guna (quality) of coherence, and with the Bheda (distinct) characteristics of Ghraana(the smell).
Mahagauri: Mahagauri is the eighth form among the Navadurga aspects of the Hindu mother goddess Mahadevi. She is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri. According to Hinduism, Mahagauri has the power to fulfill all the desires of her devotees. The one who worships the goddess, gets relief from all the sufferings in life. Legends: The story of Mahagauri's origins is as follows: The demons Shumbha and Nishumbha could only be killed by a virgin, unmarried form of Parvati.
Hence, as advised by Brahma, Shiva repeatedly called Parvati as "Kali" for no reason, in a rather mocking way. Parvati was agitated by this teasing, so she performed severe penance to Brahma so as to get a golden complexion. Brahma explained his inability to grant her a boon and instead requested her to stop her penance and slay the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha.
Parvati agreed and went to take a bath in the Ganga river in Himalaya.Parvati entered in the Ganga river and as she took a bath, her dark skin washed off from her person entirely and she came back out as a beautiful golden woman, wearing white garments and apparels, so she gained the epithet "Mahagauri".She then appeared in front of the gods who were praying to her at the Himalayas for the destruction of Shumbha and Nishumbha, and worriedly asked who was being worshipped by them.
She then reflected herself as the black Kaushiki Durga and answered her own question saying that the gods were praying to her being defeated by the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. After absorbing her back, Parvati then turned black out of pity for the gods and was called Kalika.She then transformed into Chandi (Chandraghanta) and killed demon Dhumralochan. Chanda and Munda were killed by Goddess Chamunda who appeared out from the third eye of Chandi. Chandi then killed Raktabija and his clones, while Chamunda drank their blood. Parvati turned into Kaushiki again and killed Shumbha and Nishumbha, after which she transformed back into Mahagauri. Hence Parvati killed Shumbha and Nishumbha, giving her the titles of Mahasaraswati or Ambika in the Shiva Purana and the Devi Mahatmya (part of the Markandeya Purana) respectively. Mounted upon the back of a ox, she rode back home to Kailash, where Mahadev was waiting for her.
The two became reunited once again and lived happily with their sons, Kartikeya and Ganesh.Mother Gauri is Devi, Shakti or the Mother Goddess, who appears in many forms, such as Durga, Parvati, Kali, and others. She is auspicious, brilliant and protects the good people while punishing those who perform evil deeds. Mother Gauri enlightens the spiritual seeker and removes the fear of rebirth by granting salvation. Bhumi: Bhumi also known as Bhudevi and Vasundhara, is a Hindu goddess who is the personification of the Earth. She is a consort of the god Vishnu. According to Vaishnava tradition, she is the second aspect of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, along with the aspects of Sridevi and Niladevi.[2] Varaha, the third avatar of Vishnu, saved her from the demon Hiranyaksha and later married her, making her one of his consorts. She is regarded as the mother of Narakasura, Mangala, and Sita.
The name "Bhumi" derives from the Sanskrit word 'Puhumi' - the original name of the goddess. She is known by various names such as Bhuvati, Bhuvani, Bhuvaneshwari, Avni, Prithvi, Varahi, Dharti, Dhaatri, Dharani, Vasudha, Vasundhara, Vaishnavi, Kashyapi, Urvi, Ira, Mahi, Ela, Vasumati, Dhanshika, Vasumati, Hema, and Hiranmaya. Bhudevi is depicted as seated on a platform that rests on the back of four elephants, representing the four cardinal directions.
She is usually portrayed with four arms, holding a pomegranate, a water vessel, a bowl containing healing herbs, and another bowl containing vegetables, respectively.She is also sometimes depicted with two hands, the right hand holding a blue lotus known as Kumuda or Utpala, the night lotus, while the left hand may indicate the pose of Abhayamudra, the fearlessness or the Lolahasta Mudra, which is an aesthetic pose meant to mimic the tail of a horse. Padma Purana The episode of the devas seeking the assistance of Vishnu's Varaha avatar in rescuing Bhudevi is described in the Padma Purana:
They sought the shelter of Narayana, Visnu. Then knowing that wonder, he, Visnu, the holder of a conch, a disc, and a mace, took up the Boar-form, existing everywhere and having no beginning, middle or end. The highest lord full of everything, having hands and feet on all sides, having large fangs and arms, struck the demon with one fang. The mean son of Diti, with his huge body pounded, died. Seeing the earth fallen (from the demon’s head), he lifted it with his fang, and putting it on sesa’s head as before, took up the form of a Tortoise.1 Seeing great Visnu of the form of the hog, all deities and sages, with their bodies bowed with devotion, praised him. — Padma Purana, Chapter 237 Brahmanda Purana Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakashipu, was a devotee of Vishnu.
The father did not like the son’s devotion to Vishnu. He punished Prahlada in a number of ways. Once, he threw down Prahlada from the top of a high building. At that moment, Bhudevi appeared there and received him in her arms. Bhudevi is the consort of the anthropomorphic Varaha, an avatar of Vishnu.In the Satya Yuga, the demon Hiranyaksha kidnapped her and hid her in the primordial waters, and Vishnu appeared as Varaha to rescue her. Varaha slew the demon and retrieved the Earth from the depths of the ocean, lifting it on his tusks. He restored Bhudevi to her rightful place in the universe, and proceeded to marry her. Mangala, and according to Vaishnava tradition, Narakasura, were the sons of Varaha and Bhumi. Narakasura was the first born of Bhudevi.
There are two stories about Narakasura's birth. In the first one, he was the first son of Bhumi and Varaha. He was born when Bhumi requested Varaha for a son. Narakasura later performed a penance to receive a boon that only his mother would be able to kill him. In the second one, Narakasura's father was Hiranyaksha and was born when Hiranyaksha's horns touched Bhumi.Narakasura is believed to have been the founder of the legendary Bhauma dynasty among the Boro people.
Sita, the wife of Rama, emerged from the earth, and thus Bhumi is her spiritual mother. The tale goes that there was once a drought in Mithila, the hometown of Sita. Janaka, the future father of Sita, was ploughing the ground. Under his plough, he found a baby girl (Sita). Rain showered upon the earth and Janaka and his wife, Sunaina, decided to adopt the girl. As Sita was born from the earth, she was also known as Bhumija.