Guruji, today is Dutta Jayanthi. Please tell us something about Lord Duttatreya!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Today is also Hanumath Jayanthi and today is also Pitaji’s birthday.
This is the first year he is not physically there but his spirit is here.
Birthdays are there to celebrate and to remember and recollect what good qualities they possessed.
Duttatreya learned from everything in creation.
Atri Rishi had no children, so he adopted Dutta.
Dutta means given, taken or adopted. That is why when one adopts a child, they say ‘Dutta Svikara’.
So Atri and Anasuya had adopted a child who was called Duttatreya and he had Brahma Shakti, Vishnu Shakti and Shiva Shakti.
Many have creativity but they cannot maintain. There are people who are very good at starting things but they don’t continue with it. This creativity is Brahma Shakti.
If you have Brahma Shakti, you can create things but you don’t know how to maintain it.
Vishnu Shakti is to maintain. There are many people who are managers. They can’t create but if something is created and given to them, they do an excellent job in managing it.
So one needs to have Vishnu Shakti also; the energy to maintain what you create.
And then is Shiva Shakti which is bringing transformation or newness. Many can just maintain but whenever a change is needed they don’t know how to bring a transformation; how to take it to another level. So Shiva Shati is essential too!
When you have all three that is Guru Shakti!
A Guru or a guide has to know all the three Shaktis.
So Duttatreya had all three in one which means he is the symbol of Guru Shakti. The power of the guide, creation, maintenance and transformation, all in one!
Duttatreya learned from everything. He observed the whole creation and he learned some lesson from everything.
In Srimad Bhagavatam it is said: it is so interesting how he looked at a swan and learned something from the swan; learned something from the crow; from the trees and he also learned something from an elderly woman.
For him knowledge was flowing from all sides. He was so open in his mind and heart to receive knowledge and amalgamate it in the life.
Observation brings wisdom and you need sensitivity to observe. If you are caught up in your own world, you become insensitive to the messages coming to you from those around you.
When people are caught up in their own stuff they don’t see the other person’s point of view at all. And such people also believe their perception is absolutely right even though you know their perception is incorrect.
This is the first year he is not physically there but his spirit is here.
Birthdays are there to celebrate and to remember and recollect what good qualities they possessed.
Duttatreya learned from everything in creation.
Atri Rishi had no children, so he adopted Dutta.
Dutta means given, taken or adopted. That is why when one adopts a child, they say ‘Dutta Svikara’.
So Atri and Anasuya had adopted a child who was called Duttatreya and he had Brahma Shakti, Vishnu Shakti and Shiva Shakti.
Many have creativity but they cannot maintain. There are people who are very good at starting things but they don’t continue with it. This creativity is Brahma Shakti.
If you have Brahma Shakti, you can create things but you don’t know how to maintain it.
Vishnu Shakti is to maintain. There are many people who are managers. They can’t create but if something is created and given to them, they do an excellent job in managing it.
So one needs to have Vishnu Shakti also; the energy to maintain what you create.
And then is Shiva Shakti which is bringing transformation or newness. Many can just maintain but whenever a change is needed they don’t know how to bring a transformation; how to take it to another level. So Shiva Shati is essential too!
When you have all three that is Guru Shakti!
A Guru or a guide has to know all the three Shaktis.
So Duttatreya had all three in one which means he is the symbol of Guru Shakti. The power of the guide, creation, maintenance and transformation, all in one!
Duttatreya learned from everything. He observed the whole creation and he learned some lesson from everything.
In Srimad Bhagavatam it is said: it is so interesting how he looked at a swan and learned something from the swan; learned something from the crow; from the trees and he also learned something from an elderly woman.
For him knowledge was flowing from all sides. He was so open in his mind and heart to receive knowledge and amalgamate it in the life.
Observation brings wisdom and you need sensitivity to observe. If you are caught up in your own world, you become insensitive to the messages coming to you from those around you.
When people are caught up in their own stuff they don’t see the other person’s point of view at all. And such people also believe their perception is absolutely right even though you know their perception is incorrect.
