Oudumbara Deekshaa Dattaavadhuta Rakshaa!

November 5, 2005

Posting of Shreeram Balijepalli made in Dattareya

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Dear Dattavallabhas,

Mama Datta Sampradayam Pranatosmi Nityam!

Deeksha means a period of intense penance and mental focus on the deity.One is under many 'niyamas' during the Deeksha period.

Yama means God of death and Niyama means that which keeps God of death.meaning that which keeps one from damnation in hell fire!

Deeksha also is a means to say to the deity that "I respect you and love you and do not mind my discomfitures for your sake."

Kaliyuga needs such deeksha more as the minds of human beings are so polluted that it needs some sort of detoxification. Some sort of mental detoxification to think of divine.

There are many deekshas of which the most popular is Iyyappa deeksha in which the devotee ties an irumudi to his body/head.

Many male deities have this deeksha regimen because they do not want any sexual vibration during the period of devotion.This does not however mean that female deities are free.They have even greater regimens.

Oudumbara,the Indian fig tree, is the favourite tree of Dattatreya.

It symbolises renunciation and higher wisdom.

Even during Upanaya the would be dwija is given an Oudumbara danda in some traditions and Ashwatta danda in some traditions.

Some Datta-yogis sit in Oudumbara Asana/simhasana.

Oudumbara emnates subtle saatvic vibrations conducive to the spiritual development of the aspirant.According to Dattatreya, the liberated one need not have any particular appearance, lifestyle, religion or social role. He/she may be a naked yogi or a prince, may appear pious or blasphemous, ascetic or hedonistic. The important thing is that, for the liberated soul, there is no "doer" of an action, and no beneficiary. One acts without thinking "this will give me pleasure" or "this is what I ought to do." This is similar to ideas found in other, apparently completely different, mystical traditions such as Sufism

Because of this, Dattatreya is often regarded as antinomian, i.e. outside morality. He is often depicted as sitting naked in a cremation ground, embracing his shakti (goddess/female energy), drinking wine and eating pork (which is as abhorrent to Hindus as it is to Muslims or Jews). Nevertheless, followers of Dattatreya (such as the Nathas) normally adhere to the principle of ahimsa or non-violence, since a liberated soul would have no reason to harm others. Similarly there can be no egotism or selfishness, since there is no ego or self to experience these things. What Dattatreya, like other Tantriks, is opposed to is morality without function: the laws of religious or political dogma which are adhered to simply because they are there. Performing forbidden acts (like the cremation ground party) has a certain value in breaking taboos, but such acts in themselves have no value; the wine-drinker is not superior to the

teetotaller, the lover is not superior to the celibate - or vice versa. For example, in this overly health-conscious age, there is a certain liberating value in smoking the occasional cigarette, but this doesn't mean that nicotine is good for you.

Dattatreya is usually depicted with three heads, symbolising Brahma/Shiva/Vishnu, past present and future, and the three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. He is portrayed sitting in meditation with his shakti beneath the audumbara (wish-fulfilling) tree. In front of him is a fire pit, and around him are four dogs. These are sometimes said to symbolise the four Vedas, but since Tantra is outside the tradition of the Vedas, this symbolism is probably a later addition. In Tantrik meditation, the meditator mentally throws hunks of meat, symbolising ignorance, attachment, aversion and clinging to life, to the dogs, while the final piece of meat, symbolising ego, is thrown into the fire pit.

The word datta in Sanskrit means "gift" or "the act of giving" (the grammatical term "dative" comes from the same root). In Tantrik philosophy, all sense-impressions and experiences are gifts, which the liberated soul in turn gives back to the universe. Thus there is no reason to cling to anything, or to fear anything.

Odumbara Deeksha is done for varying periods

40,21,11or7 days as the case,capacity and concentration maybe.

Some do it even for a mandala(7 weeks)

Deeksha is taken for the fulfillment of any particular desire as also for loka kalyana.During the period of Deeksha some Dattatreya Mnatra is chanted as an anusthan to give faster results and to please Avadhootaraya Dattadigambara more.

Oudumbara Deeksha Modalities:

1. Salt,chillies and acidic items like citrus fruits,Tamarind etc are not consumed during the deeksha period.This is done to prevent Rajasic thoughts from entering the mind and to keep the mind 'vimala'(pure) to imbibe the essence of the Datta mantra chanted.

Only sweet items and items without the above mentioned flavours are allowed. Sweet items are saatvic in nature provided there is not ghee in it too much.Ghee again is aphrodisiac and will tempt a person to have a sexual union during the period of deeksha and hence has to be avoided.

However if the ghee is in the form of a Datta homa as part of Havisanna then it is alloed in moderation.

2.'Gurucharitra'-The bible for Dattatreya Devotees is sine-qua-non during the period.It has to be completed during the deeksha time.If a seven day deeksha is taken then the Guru Charitra is done a parayana thus

1rst day: Chapter 1 to 7

2nd day: Chapter 8 to 11

3rd day: Chapter 12 to 15

4rth day: Chapter 16 to 17

5th day : Chapter 18 to 19

6th day: Chapter 20 to 21

7th day : Chapter 22 to 23

The original volume contains 52 chapters and it is written in the form of conversation between Naaamdharak and his spiritual Guru Shri Siddha Muni. Several miraculous deeds are associated with these two Gurus - 5 such deeds are relating to Shripad Shri Vallabh (chapters 5 to 10) and 26 are relating to Shri Narasinha Saraswati, (chapters 11 to 51) besides many mythological (pouranik) tales have also been narrated in this volume by way of illustration. But nowadays abridged version of the Gurucharitra by Ekkirala Bharadwaj ji is being read which contains 23 chapters alone. It is upto the aspirant to choose the parayana grantha and do the parayana accordingly.

Many are the blessed souls who, by daily devout study of this work, have earned the grace of Lord Dattatreya and his unerring guidance respecting to their Perfect Masters. A few instances: Vasudeva Sastri (b. 1854), a very poor but devout Brahmin of Mangaon, used to read Sree Guru Charitra since his boyhood. One day, Lord Datta appeared in his dream and said, “Go to Nrisimhavadi. You will get the needed money and company too!” The next morning, a rich man who had earlier got his astrological guidance turned up and paid him Rs.250/-. Meanwhile, his neighbor, a devotee of Lord Datta, requested Sastri to accompany him on a trip to that very place! On the way, when they sojourned at a village called Boregaon, Lord Datta again appeared in his dream and said, “At

Nrisimhavadi, take darshan of Govindaswami!” Accordingly, on reaching the place, even while they were enquiring where Govindaswami lived, the great saint himself approached them and addressed Sastri familiarly, by name and enquired after his welfare!

At that time, Sastri was reading Sree Guru Charitra only formally, as a part of his family-tradition, but not with zeal. One day, Govindaswami said, “Sastri, why not worship Sree Guru?” As Sastri was devoted to the japa of the Gayatri Mantra, the recitation of the Veda and tending the sacred fire, he did not agree. The same night, Lord Datta appeared in his dream and initiated him with a mantra. The next morning, Sree Govindaswami saw him and said, “Hello, you are initiated with a mantra. Now, learn the method of its japa!” and taught him the same. Sastri accepted Sree Govindaswami as his Sadguru and, under his care, grew up to be a Sadguru himself, a sannyasi, entitled Sree Vasudevananda Saraswathi. The then Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri, H.H.Sree

Chandrasekhara Bharathi Swami, hailed him as the very manifestation of Lord Datta.

One young Panduranga took darshan of Sree Vasudevananda Saraswathi at Nrisimhavadi and henceforth considered him as his Guru. Unfortunately for him, the saint attained Mahasamadhi shortly after. Young Panduranga prayed to Datta for guidance when he heard a voice, “Read that sacred book!” thrice. On his way home, he visited his uncle. The latter used to revere his text of Sree Guru Charitra, which he devoutly read everyday. As he grew too old to do so, now he was anxious as to whom he could entrust it. It suddenly struck Panduranga that it was the sacred book, which Datta directed him to read and he gladly received it. He was pleasantly surprised to know that the book was personally given to his uncle by Sree Sai Baba of Shirdi, an avatar of Lord Datta. By deligent and

devoted study of it, he blossomed into Sree Sadguru Rangavadhutha Maharaj of Nareswar.

3. Ingestion of meals must be just once per day.This is to control Jataraagni and concentrate more on Bhootagani.

4. Bhooshayanam-The practice of sleeping on floor without mattress is another practice done to avoid erotic dreams.

5.Brahmacharya of the highest order-mental celibacy is to be maintained during the Oudumbara Deeksha.

6. Bath two times a day with cold water is to be taken.This is done to strengthen the nervous system and also to ward off lazy and erotic thoughts.

7.In the afternoon--Bhiksha (begging alms) from 5 houses is done. This is done to synchronise with the Datta thought that all is got from God in our begging bowl(body).The ietms to be placed in the begging bowl is rice or money.Normally uncooked rice is placed with a few rupee notes by the giver and this is consumed after boiling by the oudumbara deekshaka.This too is cumpulsory.

8. Deeksha vastra of green colour (shawl type) has to be worn.Deeksha is not to be changed till the end of the deeksha period. This is done to negate all comforts of wearing nice and silky clothes and imitate a period of Avadhutic content.

9."Mudupu"-a bag of cloth tied around the wasit of slung over the shoulders-containing 9 one rupee coins sugar,ghee and dry coconut (Copra) have to be tied in a green cloth.

Green symbolises peace and harmony as also spiritual fecundity.

10.Deeksha is done usually with a desire in mind.It might vary from material needs to highly spiritual needs and so the mudupu must be tied with the deeksha sankalpa for the kamya...and then this must be handed over to Dattatreya at the time of Deeksha Viramana(the finishing of the Deeksha).

When this Datta-Oudumbara Deeksha is done,Dattareya takes notice of the devotee and tries to help him both spiritually and materially.

Dattanandam Paramasukhadam!

Yours yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

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