Info on Dattaatreya

[Giri]

The story of Dattatreya is told in many Purana-s, and this is from the
Markandeya purana (15).
        A brahmin named kaushika was enchanted by a courtesan and lost
his wealth, health etc. However, his wife, Shandili was faithful to him.
She even carried him on her shoulders to the courtesan's place. Once, by
mistake, she stepped on Sage Mandavya and the sage cursed both of them to
die by sunrise. Shandili prayed and appealed that the sun may never rise
so that her husband would live. Her prayer was answered and the devas
were in an uproar seeing the world order of time  destroyed. They asked for
the help of Anusuya, the wife of sage atri, to convince shandili.
        Anusuya was able to convince shandili on the condition that
kaushika would live on sunrise. In appreciation of Anusuya's
intervention, the gods granted her three boons. She asked for her
liberation, her husband's liberation and that the three gods Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva be born as sons to her. The wished being granted, from
Sage Atri's eyes issued a light and served as the seed for the divine
sons - Soma, Durvasa, and Datta - partial incarnations of Brahma, Shiva
and Vishnu, respectively.

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        Other purana-s give different narratives (like the one quoted by
Vidya) but all involve the attribution of the name Dattatreya to mean 'Son
of sage Atri.'

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        He is said to have lived a rather unconventional life, first being
a warrior, then renouncing the world and practicising yoga and then
drinking wine and living with a maiden etc to show his disciples that he
could be unattached to such mundane pleasures even if he indulges in them.

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        Regarding the works by him, probably the most controversial is
that it is mentioned in the Markandeya purana that he taught the asthanga
yoga to Patanjali, who then wrote the yoga suutras.
        He is also attributed to the composition of the jivanmukta -gita
which is a short compendium of 23 verses which talks about the jnani
(jivan mukta). Dattatreya is also attributed with avadhuta gita, a text of
eight chapters. Swami Vivekananda once said of this book, 'Men like the
one who wrote this song keep religion alive. They have actually
self-realized; they care for nothing, feel nothing done to the body, care
not for heat, cold, danger, or anything. They sit still enjoying the bliss
of Brahman.'
        Dattatreya is also extensively mentioned in the tripura rahasya.
(The story of Samvrata found in tripura rahasya has been cited by shankara
in his brahma suutra bhashya). The lineage of the Nav Nath sampradaya (of
which modern jnanis like Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramesh Balsekar etc are
part of) traces its origin to dattatreya.
        Dattatreya is also said to have been mentioned in the Mahabharata,
and other readers may actually know the context. I also believe that
certain vaishnavites hold him in high esteem since he is mentioned as a
incarnation of vishnu.

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        This is from my memory of Dattatreya and please excuse me for any
obvious errors.

Giri