Datta Avatars in Kaliyuga

Datta in Sanskrit means: "The One that is donated", to help the beings to find the Path back to Truth.

Lord Dattatreya was born of Rishi Atri and Anausya. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words, Datta (means Giver) and Atri (Sage Atri). Lord Dattatreya considered as guru of environmental education, gained enlightenment by his observation from surrounding, which provided him 24 gurus. These gurus explain the problems of mundane attachments, and teach the path towards the spiritual self-realization of the Supreme.

Shri Paadha Sri Vallabha :

Shri Paadha Shri Vallabha is considered as first of the Avatar (incarnation) of the deity Shri Dattatreya in Kaliyuga. As per some of the experts, he is supposed to have lived from 1320 AD to 1350 AD. He was born in Pithapuram.

Shripada srivallabha was born to Sri Appalaraja Sharma (of Aapastambha Shakha Brahmin) and Sumathi on Bhadrapada Sudha Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturdi) as the third son of Aappalaraja Sarma and Sumati. As he finished his studies of Vedas, Shastras and "Upanayan" (Munja) by the age of seven he started preaching on these. By 16, he said that he is married to "Vairagya-stree" (Vairagya means Dispassion, stree means Woman) and left home for Kashi. To satisfy His crying mother, he made his two elder brothers (who were blind and lame) as scholars, and asked them to take care of their parents. He left Pithapuram for Badrikedar towards North. After the pilgrimage, he went to Gokarna Mahabaleshwar in South. After spending 3 years at Mahabaleshwar he went to Shri Shaila mountain (Sri Sailam). He spent most of his later life staying in Kuravpur ( Kuravapuram).

Shri Nrusimha Saraswati :

Shri Nrusimha Saraswati (AD 1378 to 1459) was the next avatar of Shri Dattatreya in Kaliyuga. Born to a Sri Madhav Ji and Amba Bhavani Ji, a Deshastha Brahmin family in Karanjapur, amazed everyone from the time of his birth, by uttering clearly the "Pranava-Nadam" (the sound of OM) instead of crying.

He was a quiet child and did not speak much during childhood. After his Upanayana, not only he started speaking but giving Lecturing on vedas and Brahmins.  Giving their parents twin brothers, He left home on a pilgrimage to Kashi to take Sannyasa from Shri Krishna Saraswati. The second part of his name came from this guru, who eventually named him Shri Narasimha Saraswati.

After becoming a guru, Saraswati visited several holy places around the country before returning to Karanja at age 30 to meet his parents. He thereafter visited various Holy places and during the course of his wanderings blessed many devotees, had caused many divine miracles to happen and resurrected many forgotten Holy places like Karaveerapuram, Bhillavati, Ganagapuram etc. finally settled in Ganagapura, Karnataka for the last 20 years of his life.

Many parts of Saraswati's life are told in the Shri GuruCharitra, written by Saraswati Gangadhar. The book is written as a conversation between Siddha (who is a disciple of Shri Narasimha Saraswati) and Namdharak who is listening to Siddha. This book till date serves as a holy book for Datta Sampradaya devotees.

Swami Samarth Maharaj :

Swami Samarth Maharaj also known as Akkalkot Swami Maharaj is the another incarnation of Lord Dattatreya in this Kaliyuga. His existence in physical form is dated in the nineteenth century AD.

Maharaj first appeared at Akkalkot on a Wednesday around the September–October period in the year 1856 AD near Khandoba Mandir. He stayed in Akkalkot for close to twenty two years. Like all other Datta avatars, his parentage, name, native place, etc., remain obscure to this day. 

On the evening of a Tuesday in the month of April 1878, Swami requested his disciples to take him to the Banyan Tree when amidst the singing of Bhajans (Songs in the praise of Lord) Swami sitting in the Padmasana (yogic posture) attained Samadhi.

Sri Saibaba of Shirdi :

Sri Sai Baba, one of the foremost saints of modern India, the last avatar (incarnation) of Lord Dattatreya in this age of Kaliyuga.

Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, at about 16 years old. He was revered by both his Muslim and Hindu devotees, and during, as well as after, his life on earth it remained uncertain if he was a Muslim or Hindu himself. Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to the guidance of the true Sadguru.

The Ahimsa aspect of Jainism, the renunciation aspect of Buddhism, the Dharmic aspect of Lord Rama the Nishkama-Karma aspect of Lord Krishna, the universal-love aspect of Jesus, the universalbrotherhood aspect of Islam-all are found harmoniously blended in Sai Nath's way of life.He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other gods depending on the faith of devotees.The presence of Dhuni (sacred fire) was a temple to the Hindus and the Parsees, the nimbaru (niche) on the western wall made it look like a mosque and to the Christian it was a church where the bells announce prayers. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba attained his "Mahasamadhi" on the auspicious "Vijayadasami" day in 1918.