Raja Ravi Varma painting of Dattātreya
The Dattātreya Upaniṣad (Sanskrit: दत्तात्रेय उपनिषद्), also called the Dattātreyopaniṣad, is a Sanskrit text and one of the minor Upaniṣads of Hinduism. It is attached to the Atharvaveda, and classified as a text of the Vaiṣṇava sect, which worships the god Viṣṇu.
The Dattātreya Upaniṣad appears in the Telugu language anthology of 108 Upaniṣads called the Muktikā canon, narrated by Rāmā to Hanumān, where it is listed at number 101.
The text is a Tantra and Vaiṣṇava work, likely one of the relatively recent, 14th- or 15th-century CE era composition compared to other Upaniṣads. The text presents a Vaiṣṇava mantra that is the most popular mantra in Dattātreya tradition, as well as a series of tantric mantras for the worship of sage Dattātreya, a form of Viṣṇu. The text asserts that the worship of Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa and Dattātreya leads one to the nature of Truth-Bliss-Knowledge.
The Dattātreya Upaniṣad is divided into three khandas or sections. The first khanda opens with the creator god Brahmā asking the god Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa) how to overcome samsara", the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Viṣṇu replies that he is Dattātreya (Dattā), the Supreme God and one should meditate on Viṣṇu in the form of Dattātreya to free oneself from samsara. After following Viṣṇu's advice of meditating upon him as Dattātreya, asserts the text, Brahmā realizes that the infinite and peerless Brahman is realized, as the residuum after one meditates neti, neti ("not this, not this") negation process on the phenomenal universe.
The text presents various mantras of Dattātreya. The single-syllable mantra is considered the important mantra in Tantra for a deity. Dattātreya's dam is described as the haṃsa (swan), interpreted as the atman (soul) that dwells in all jivas (living beings). Its lengthened form dāṃ is described to symbolize Parabrahman, the Supreme Brahman. The phoneme of dāṃ, drāṃ is popular in Dattātreya worship. The six-syllable mantra "Oṃ srīṃ hrīṃ klīṃ glauṃ drāṃ" is given. This mantra shows Tantric and Śakta influences, and contains a reference to Dattātreya's Śakti (female counterpart), denoted by hrīṃ. Srīṃ denotes Lakṣmī, Viṣṇu's consort/śakti, thus Dattātreya's Śakti is in the mantra. The eight-syllabled "Drāṃ Dattātreya namaḥ" follows. It means 'drāṃ obeisance to Dattātreya'.
The text says that "Dattātreya" stands for Satcitananda (literally "being, consciousness, bliss"), while namaḥ denotes Bliss. This is followed by the twelve-syallabled and sixteen-syllabled mantras of Dattātreya, "Oṃ Āṃ Hrīm Kroṃ Ehi Dattātreya svāha" and "Oṃ Aiṃ Kroṃ Klīṃ Klauṃ Hraṃ Hrīṃ Hrauṃ Sauḥ Dattātreya svāha" respectively. Both mantras show Śakta impact and have terms like kroṃ, hrīṃ etc. which represent Dattātreya's śaktis. The mantra denotes to the "Tantric blissful union" of Dattātreya and Lakṣmī, similar to the god Śiva and goddess Śakti. The poetic meter of the mantras is Gāyatri, the associated rishi (sage), who is believed to have composed the mantras, is Sadāśiva and presiding god is Dattātreya.
After the syllable mantras, the text presents the mantra – "Dattātreya Hare Kṛṣṇā ..." – in Anuṣṭubh metre. It praises Dattātreya as Hari and Kṛṣṇā, names of Viṣṇu. It identifies the god as an "antinomian ascetic", calling him a "crazy" (unmatta) bliss-dweller, a naked ascetic (digambara) and muni, a sage who has observed a vow of silence. It calls him a child and a piśāca (demon), hinting towards his role as violator of moral laws. Finally, Dattātreya is called an ocean of knowledge, conveying his role as a great Teacher; this mantra is one of the most popular mantras of sage Dattātreya as a deity.
The second khanda begins with the mālā-mantra ("garland-mantra") of Dattātreya, "Oṃ Namo Bhagavate Dattātreyāya ...", which is prescribed to be used in japa. The hymn says that Dattātreya is propitiated easily by simply remembrance. He is the "dispeller of great fears", giver of great knowledge and who dwells in Consciousness and Bliss. He is called "crazy" (unmatta), child and demon, as earlier. Dattātreya is exalted as a great yogi, an Avadhūtā and the son of Sage Atri and his wife Anasūyā. He is described as the manifestation of all mantras (incantations), Tantras (esoteric scriptures or knowledge) and powers. He is said to fulfill the wishes in a devotee's heart, destroy worldly bondage, destroy the effects of malignant grahas (celestial bodies), take away sorrows and poverty, cure diseases and bring great joy to the mind.
The last khanda, in tradition of Upaniṣadic literature, tells the advantages of reading the text. He who learns the vidya (knowledge) and the mantras in the scripture is sanctified and earns the merit of reciting the Gāyatri Mantra, the mahā-rudra hymns and Oṃ mantra numerous times, and is cleansed of all sins. Meditating on the mantra taught, asserts the text, leads the yogi to transmute, fuse with the supreme and realize god within himself.
Source - https://www.vyasaonline.com/dattatreya-upanishad/
