Upanishads

Dattatreya Upanishad

Atharvaveda
group of Upanishads – Vaishnava

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Om! O devas, may our ears hear what is auspicious;
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the life span allotted to the devas,
By steadfastly praising them with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderstorm of the evil and wicked, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune!
Om! Let there be peace in me!
Let there be peace in my surroundings!
Let there be peace in the forces that act upon me!

Hari Om!

Once the Creator Brahma, while in satya-loka – his own universal heavenly kingdom – asked Lord Narayana about the efficacy of the taraka-mantra, and He spoke as follows:

"Always remember Me and My glories and remain in union with Me, thinking, 'I am Datta, the supreme Lord.' Those who meditate in this way do not become entangled in samsara (the cycle of mundane existence)."

After properly meditating on Lord Vishnu as Narayana and Dattatreya, Brahma said: "Yes. Brahman alone, which is infinite and peerless, remains in the end after the negation of everything else."

[Dattatreya's mantras of one, six, eight, twelve and sixteen syllables:]

"Dam" is Hamsa (the breath of Atman), "Daam" with a long sound is bija-name (bija – seed, source), bija of all that exists. Taraka (the saving mantra that allows one to cross the ocean of samsara) is monosyllabic – "Daam". With this mantra one should worship the Lord. Those who have known it are thereby saved from all reincarnation. The meter of the [mantra] is gayatri, rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity (devata) is Dattatreya. This bija permeates everything, this bija of Datta permeates the entire universe. This is the detailed exposition of this divine syllable (akshara).

"Om, Shriim, Hriim, Kliim, Glaum, Draam" is a six-syllable [mantra] that allows one to comprehend the essence of yoga. The meter of the [mantra] is gayatri, the rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya.

The eight-syllable [mantra] is "Dram" or "Draam" with the addition of the syllables "Da, ttaa, tre, yaa, ya, na, mah". In this mantra the word "Dattatreya" (the word "Dattatreya" in the appropriate Sanskrit case) refers to the true (original) Bliss of Consciousness, and the word "namah" refers to the fully manifested Bliss. The meter of the [mantra] is gayatri, the rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya. "Dattatreya" is the inner (potential) part of the mantra and, thus, its bija, "namah" is the shakti (active force) of the mantra.

The twelve-syllable [mantra] is "Om, Aam, Hreem, Krom, ehi (come!) Dattaatreya svaahaa (glory!)". The meter of the [mantra] is jagatiya, the rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya. "Om" is the bija of this mantra. "Svaahaa" is its shakti. Balanced buddhi (mind) is the inner (potential) part of the mantra, "Dram" is its heart (the most secret esoteric part), "Hriim, Kliim" are its head (upper part), "ehi" ("come!") is the highest point. Datta is the kavaca (patron) of this mantra, Atreya is its visual image. The invocation of consecration "svaahaa" is associated with the Shakti aspect of the mantra (being also the esoteric name of Agni's spouse). So it is told here.

A detailed exposition of the sixteen-syllable [mantra]. One has to sacrifice prana, mind (manas), sight, hearing (etc.). This sixteen-syllable mantra is not for one who has not detached (lit. 'cut off') the six [sense organs, including the mind], the ten [five karma-indriyas (organs of action) and the five jnana-indriyas (organs of sense perception)]. One who chants it renders the highest service (ati-seva), being the highest devotee of the Lord (para-bhakta); it elevates the chanter above the gunas. "Om, Aim, Krom, Kliim, Kluum, Hraam, Hriim, Hruum, Saukh" (nine syllables), five-syllable "Da-ttaa-tre-yaa-ya" and two-syllable "svaahaa". The meter of the [mantra] is gayatri, rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya. "Aum" is the bija [of this mantra] (according to another version – "Aim"), "Svaahaa" is its shakti, the four cardinal directions – the inner (potential) part [of the mantra], "Om" is its heart (the most secret esoteric part), "Klaam", "Klim", "Kluum" – the highest point. "Sauh" is its kavacha (protection). Formless (literally "four cardinal directions") is its visual image. The invocation "svaahaa" is associated with the Shakti aspect of the mantra (also being the esoteric name of Agni's consort). He who constantly meditates on [this mantra] attains the state of transcendental Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chid-Ananda), gains happiness (sukhu) and liberation (moksha). "Sauh" is the crown [of this mantra]; the blessed (sri) devotee of Lord Vishnu (vaishnava) by means of this mantra knows the form of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu-rupa).

A detailed exposition of the [mantra] of Dattatreya in the anushtubh metre (all words in the vocative case of praise in 4 quarter-slokas of 8 Sanskrit syllables each). While chanting it, one should look equally (with balanced intelligence – buddhi – and mind – manas) at everything.

"Dattaatreya Hare Krishna unmatta-aananda-daayaka;
Digambara mune baala pishaca jnaana-saagara."

The meaning of this mantra:

"O Dattatreya, [you are] Hari, Krishna and the blissful madman who bestows bliss!
O naked ascetic, who has taken the vow of silence, child, wandering demon (pishaca), ocean of knowledge!"

The meter of the [mantra] is anushtubh, rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya. Dattatreya is her heart, "Hare Krishna" is her head (upper part), "unmatta-aananda" is the highest point, "daayaka muna" is her kavaca (protection), formless (digambara) is her visual image, "pischaaca jnaana-saagara" is an invocative exclamation. By this anushtubh-mantra the intoxication of illusion (maya), the sin of low (atheistic) birth and other vices are eliminated. She bestows all blessings and liberation (moksha).

Thus is related in this Upanishad.
Thus ends the first chapter [of the Dattatreya Upanishad].

Here you should say "Om".
Om! Glory to Lord Dattatreya ("Om namo Bhagavate Dattaatreyaaya"), who is propitiated by remembrance [of His name], who dispels the great fears [of samsara], who bestows the highest knowledge, who is of the nature of Bliss-Consciousness, who appears in the form of a child, a blissful madman and a wandering demon, a great yogi, avadhuta (a naked wandering monk), who increases the bliss of Anasuya (His mother), the son of Atri, who bestows the fruits of all desires!
Here one should say "Om".
Glory to the savior who liberates from the burden of worldly existence!
Here one should say "Hreem".
Glory to the bestower of all kinds forces!
Here you should say "Krom".
Glory to him who attracts all kinds of perfections!
Here you should say "Sauh".
Glory to him who excites all minds!
Here you should say "Shriim".
Here you should [also] say "Mahom".
Glory to him who lives [a very] long time!
Here you should say "Vashat".
Overcome, overcome [low tendencies]!
Here you should say "Vaushat".
Attract, attract [the divine]!
Here you should say "Hum".
Turn away, turn away [from the animal beginning]!
Here you should say "Phat".
Drive away, drive away [demonic tendencies]!
Here you should say "Tha, Tha".
Freeze, freeze (focus on the divine)!
Here you should say "Kha, Kha".
Kill, kill [the animal tendencies]!
Glory to the perfect, glory to the perfect!
Svaahaa, nourish, nourish [my subtle body]!
Eliminate, eliminate the highest mantras, the highest yantras, the highest tantras [of my enemies]!
Avert, avert [negative influences] planets!
Avert, avert diseases!
Eliminate, eliminate suffering!
Drive away, drive away poverty!
Nourish, nourish the body!
Fill, fill the consciousness with joy!
Glory to You, the true form of all mantras (mystical spells), yantras (mystical drawings), tantras (mystical powers) and pallavas (their subspecies and branches)!
Om – glory to Shiva (Om namah Shivaaya)!

Thus is narrated in this Upanishad.
Thus ends the second chapter [of the Dattatreya Upanishad].

Thus it is narrated here. The meter of the [mantra] is anushtubh, the rishi is Sada-Shiva, the presiding deity is Dattatreya. "Om" is its bija, "Svaahaa" is shakti, "Draam" is the inner (potential) part of the mantra. He who practices this knowledge obtains the result of worshipping the eight murtis (an epithet of Shiva meaning the five elements, mind, ego, and prakriti – matter, or, according to Shakuntala, the five elements, the sun, the moon, and the priest) and the eight mantras. He who daily properly practices the knowledge given here obtains the merits of purification attained [in other ways] by worshiping Vayu (the deity of wind), Agni (the deity of fire), Soma (the deity of nectar), Aditya (the deity of the sun), Brahma (the Lord of creation), Vishnu (the Lord of preservation), Rudra (the Lord of destruction and purification); Obtains the result of repeating the Gayatri mantra hundreds of thousands of times, the Maha-Rudra mantra hundreds of thousands of times, the Pranava (the "Om" mantra) many tens of millions of times; removes the sins of hundreds of previous births; purifies [the karma] of society; purifies oneself from the sin of killing a Brahmin (a member of the highest caste – a priest); purifies oneself from the sin of killing a cow; acquires the merit of ritually giving gold (equal to the weight of a priest), etc., as gifts; is purified of previously committed terrible sins; is freed from all sins completely; is freed from the sin of not observing fasts and eating forbidden food; obtains the fruits of repeating all the mantras and practicing all the yogas; becomes a Brahmin who has realized Brahman. Let the devotee of the Lord (bhakta) understand this teaching and thus attain the fruits of innumerable merits! Thus he becomes a jivanmukta.

Thus Bhagavan Narayana spoke this Upanishad to Lord Brahma.

Om! O devas, may our ears hear what is auspicious;
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the life span allotted to the devas,
By steadfastly praising them with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderstorm of the evil and wicked, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune!
Om! Let there be peace in me!
Let there be peace in my surroundings!
Let there be peace in the forces that act upon me!

Hari Om Tat Sat!

Thus ends the Dattatreya Upanishad.