Dattatreya Aarti
श्री दत्तात्रेय आरती – त्रिगुणात्मक त्रैमूर्ती
What is the Dattatreya Aarti?
Datta Aarti The Dattatreya Aarti, beginning 'Trigunatmak Traimurti Datta ha jana', is a classic Marathi aarti by Sant Eknath that honours Datta as the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
The Dattatreya Aarti is one of the best-loved Marathi devotional songs, sung at Datta temples and during the evening lamp offering. Its opening line, Trigunatmak Traimurti Datta ha jana, names Lord Datta as the single form in which Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh come together. The verses are attributed to Sant Eknath, who signs the closing line as Eka-Janardani.
Dattatreya Aarti Lyrics (English)
Roman transliteration for easy chanting. Tap “Meaning” under any verse for the English translation.
Refrain
Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Shri Gurudatta
Aarti ovalita harali bhavachinta
Jai Dev Jai Dev
Trigunatmak Traimurti Datta ha jana
Triguni avatar trailokya-rana
Neti neti shabda na ye anumana
Survara munijana yogi samadhi na ye dhyana
Meaning
Know Datta as the three-fold form, the one lord of the three worlds in whom the three gunas meet. His nature is beyond words, so even the sages' 'neti, neti' cannot pin him down, and gods, munis and yogis cannot hold him in their meditation.
Sabahya abhyantari tu eka Datta
Abhagyasi kaichi kalel hi mata
Para hi paratali tethe kaicha heta
Janma-maranachahi puralase anta
Meaning
You alone are Datta, present both outside and within all things. The luckless mind cannot grasp this truth. Where even the highest speech turns back, no motive remains, and the long round of birth and death reaches its end.
Datta yeuniya ubha thakala
Bhave sashtange pranipata kela
Prasanna houni ashirvada didhala
Janma-maranacha phera chukavila
Meaning
Datta came and stood before the devotee, who bowed low in full prostration with heartfelt love. Pleased, the lord gave his blessing and set the devotee free from the wheel of rebirth.
Datta Datta aise lagale dhyana
Harapale mana zale unmana
Mi-tu-panachi zali bolavana
Eka Janardani Shridatta-dhyana
Meaning
Repeating 'Datta, Datta', the mind settles into that one thought, then dissolves and grows still. The sense of 'I and you' is sent away, and Eka-Janardana rests wholly in the contemplation of Shri Datta.
Meaning & Significance
The heart of this aarti is the idea of Datta as Trigunatmak Traimurti, the single deity who carries the roles of creator, preserver and dissolver together. Where most aartis praise one god, this one points to the unity behind all three, which is why Datta is shown with three heads and six arms. The lines move from that grand vision down to a very personal promise: whoever holds Datta in steady thought is carried past worldly worry and the cycle of birth and death.
The closing signature, Eka-Janardani, marks the verses as the work of Sant Eknath, the 16th-century Marathi saint-poet. Because the song ends with the mind losing the sense of ‘I and you’, it doubles as a short teaching on surrender: devotion is not just praise, it is letting the self quieten until only the name of Datta remains.
How Do You Perform the Aarti?
- Light the lamp. — Set a diya with ghee or oil and, if you have one, a picture or murti of Lord Dattatreya facing you.
- Offer the flame. — Hold the aarti thali and move the lamp in slow clockwise circles before the image while singing.
- Sing the refrain and verses. — Begin with 'Jai Dev Jai Dev Jai Shri Gurudatta', then sing the four verses, returning to the refrain between them.
- Close with the name. — End on 'Eka Janardani Shridatta-dhyana', bow in prostration, and share the lamp's flame and prasad with those present.
What Are the Benefits of Singing This Aarti?
Devotees sing the Datta Aarti for inner calm and to keep the mind fixed on the guru principle that Dattatreya represents.
- Eases worldly worry: The refrain itself asks that 'bhavachinta', the anxiety of everyday life, be lifted as the lamp is offered.
- Steadies the mind: The repeated call of 'Datta, Datta' works like a simple japa that draws a scattered mind back to one point.
- Honours the guru: Datta is revered as the first guru, so the aarti is a daily way to bow to the teaching principle within.
- Fits any evening: Short and easy to learn, it suits both a home shrine and a temple gathering during the evening lamp offering.
Who Wrote This Aarti?
The verses are traditionally attributed to Sant Eknath (about 1533 to 1599), the Marathi saint-poet of Paithan, who signs his compositions with the pen-name Eka-Janardani after his guru Janardana Swami. The aarti has been passed down for centuries within the Datta Sampradaya and is sung across Maharashtra, especially at shrines linked to Datta and his later forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dattatreya Aarti?
The Dattatreya Aarti, beginning 'Trigunatmak Traimurti Datta ha jana', is a classic Marathi aarti by Sant Eknath that honours Datta as the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
What does 'Trigunatmak Traimurti Datta' mean?
It means Datta is the three-fold form who unites the three gunas and the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, in a single deity who rules the three worlds.
When is the Datta Aarti sung?
It is sung at the evening lamp offering, on Thursdays which are linked to Datta, and especially during Datta Jayanti, the festival marking his birth.
Who composed the Dattatreya Aarti?
It is traditionally attributed to Sant Eknath, the 16th-century Marathi saint-poet, who signs the last line with his pen-name Eka-Janardani.
What are the benefits of singing this aarti?
Devotees sing it to ease everyday anxiety, steady a restless mind on the name of Datta, and bow to the guru principle that Dattatreya embodies.
॥ जय श्री गुरुदत्त ॥