Dattatreya Stotram
दत्तात्रेय स्तोत्रम्
What is the Dattatreya Stotram?
Dattatreya Stotram The Dattatreya Stotram is a short Sanskrit hymn to Lord Dattatreya, the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Attributed to sage Narada and preserved in the Narada Purana, it opens with 'Jatadharam Pandurangam' and praises Datta as the healer of disease, the guru of gurus and the one who frees the soul from worldly bondage.
The Dattatreya Stotram is one of the best-loved short prayers to Lord Dattatreya, the sage-god who holds Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together in a single form. Sage Narada is named as its author, and it survives in the Narada Purana; in Maharashtra and Karnataka it is read daily as part of the Datta Sampradaya, and its verses appear woven into the Guru Charitra.The hymn opens with the well-known line जटाधरं पाण्डुरङ्गम् – Jatadharam Pandurangam – picturing Datta as the matted-haired, fair-limbed ascetic who carries the trident, an ocean of mercy, and the remover of every disease. Verse by verse it salutes him as the source of the worlds, the ender of birth and death, and the guru who cuts the knot of worldly attachment. The core selection below is followed by the traditional phalashruti that states the fruit of reciting it.
Dattatreya Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Verse 1 and the closing Phalashruti are the well-attested public-domain text. The full Narada recension continues to about sixteen verses; the selection here is the commonly-recited opening core. Please verify pronunciation with a traditional reciter.
Jatadharam pandurangam shulahastam kripanidhim |
sarvarogaharam devam dattatreyam aham bhaje ||
जटाधरं पाण्डुरङ्गं शूलहस्तं कृपानिधिम् ।
सर्वरोगहरं देवं दत्तात्रेयमहं भजे ॥
Meaning
I worship Dattatreya, the ascetic with matted locks, fair and radiant of limb, holding the trident in his hand. He is an ocean of compassion and the god who carries away every disease.
Jagadutpattikartre cha sthitisamhara-hetave |
bhavapasha-vimuktaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
जगदुत्पत्तिकर्त्रे च स्थितिसंहारहेतवे ।
भवपाशविमुक्ताय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
You are the single cause behind the arising of the universe and behind its holding and its dissolving. To the one who loosens the rope of worldly bondage, salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Jarajanma-vinashaya dehashuddhi-karaya cha |
digambaraya divyaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
जराजन्मविनाशाय देहशुद्धिकराय च ।
दिगम्बराय दिव्याय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
You end the grip of old age and repeated birth and purify both body and mind. To the sky-clad one who owns nothing yet shines with his own light, salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Karpura-kanti-dehaya brahmamurti-dharaya cha |
vedashastra-parijnaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
कर्पूरकान्तिदेहाय ब्रह्ममूर्तिधराय च ।
वेदशास्त्रपरिज्ञाय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
Your form glows with the cool brightness of camphor, and you wear the very shape of Brahman. To the one who knows the Vedas and the sacred sciences to their depth, salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Hrasva-dirgha-krisha-sthula-nama-gotra-vivarjita |
yajnabhoktre cha yajnaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
ह्रस्वदीर्घकृशस्थूलनामगोत्रविवर्जित ।
यज्ञभोक्त्रे च यज्ञाय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
You are untouched by short or tall, lean or stout, and stand beyond any name or family line. You are both the one who receives the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself. Salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Adau brahma madhye vishnur ante devah sadashivah |
murtitraya-svarupaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
आदौ ब्रह्मा मध्ये विष्णुरन्ते देवः सदाशिवः ।
मूर्तित्रयस्वरूपाय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
Brahma at the beginning, Vishnu in the middle, and Sadashiva at the end. To the one being whose nature holds all three of these forms, salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Bhogalayaya bhogaya yogayogyaya dharine |
japayoga-pradhanaya dattatreya namo’stu te ||
भोगालयाय भोगाय योगयोग्याय धारिणे ।
जपयोगप्रधानाय दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Meaning
You are the dwelling of experience and experience itself, fit for yoga and the one who upholds it. To the master for whom repetition of the name and yoga are the heart of the path, salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Phalashruti
Shatrunashakaram stotram jnana-vijnana-dayakam |
idam stotram mahadivyam datta-pratyaksha-karakam ||
शत्रुनाशकरं स्तोत्रं ज्ञानविज्ञानदायकम् ।
इदं स्तोत्रं महादिव्यं दत्तप्रत्यक्षकारकम् ॥
Meaning
This hymn dissolves hostility and grants both knowledge and deeper realization. Greatly divine, this stotram brings Dattatreya vividly into the presence of the one who recites it with sincerity.
Meaning & Significance
The Dattatreya Stotram works as a garland of salutations. Each verse names one facet of Datta and closes with दत्तात्रेय नमोऽस्तु ते – dattatreya namo’stu te, ‘salutations to you, Dattatreya’ – so the whole hymn is a steady act of bowing.
The opening image sets the tone: an ascetic with matted hair, calm and radiant, trident in hand, described as sarvarogaharam, the remover of every disease. This is why many households turn to the stotram in times of illness and worry. From there the verses widen out. Datta is called the one source of creation, sustenance and dissolution, which places the three cosmic tasks of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in a single figure. He is asked to cut the bhavapasha, the rope of attachment that keeps the soul circling through birth and death.
Later verses stress that he cannot be measured or labelled – not short or tall, without name or lineage – because he is the formless truth wearing a form for the devotee’s sake. The closing phalashruti names the reward plainly: the calming of enmity, the gift of knowledge and realization, and, for the sincere, the living presence of the guru himself.
How to Chant the Dattatreya Stotram
- Prepare – Bathe, then sit facing east or north before an image of Dattatreya or a lit lamp.
- Settle – Light a lamp or incense, take a few slow breaths, and bring the guru to mind with a moment of silence.
- Recite – Begin with the opening verse 'Jatadharam Pandurangam', then move through each verse steadily with clear, unhurried pronunciation.
- Close – Finish with the Phalashruti, say 'Shri Gurudev Datta', and rest in stillness for a minute before rising.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Devotees recite the Dattatreya Stotram for both worldly relief and inner steadiness. Its traditional promises come straight from the hymn’s own words.
- Relief from illness: The refrain 'sarvarogaharam' names Datta as the remover of disease, and the stotram is read at times of sickness and anxiety.
- Freedom from bondage: The prayer to loosen the 'bhavapasha' asks release from the attachments that keep the mind restless.
- Knowledge and clarity: The phalashruti pledges jnana and vijnana, knowledge together with its deeper realization.
- Protection from hostility: Called 'shatrunashakaram', it is chanted to calm enmity, conflict and obstacles.
- Nearness to the guru: As a hymn to the adi-guru, it draws the seeker toward Datta's guiding grace.
- A steady daily anchor: Short enough to fit any morning, it gives a reliable point of focus for regular practice.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Dattatreya Stotram is traditionally credited to the sage Narada and is preserved in the Narada Purana, where Narada is said to have praised Datta by the god’s own grace. In the Datta Sampradaya of Maharashtra and Karnataka the hymn is closely tied to the Shri Guru Charitra, the fifteenth-century biography of Datta’s avatars Shripad Shri Vallabha and Narasimha Saraswati, and is recited as part of daily Datta worship.
The full recension of the hymn runs to about sixteen verses of salutation followed by a short phalashruti. The selection presented here is the commonly-recited opening core, chosen so the prayer can be completed in a few minutes while keeping its heart intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dattatreya Stotram?
It is a short Sanskrit hymn of salutation to Lord Dattatreya, the sage-god who holds Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in one form. Each verse praises a facet of Datta and closes with 'dattatreya namo'stu te', salutations to you, Dattatreya.
Who wrote the Dattatreya Stotram?
Tradition attributes it to the divine sage Narada, and it is preserved in the Narada Purana. It is said Narada was able to praise Datta only through the god's own grace.
When should the Dattatreya Stotram be chanted?
It is usually recited in the early morning after a bath, especially on Thursday, the day of the guru. Datta Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima) and Guru Purnima are the most auspicious occasions.
What are the benefits of chanting the Dattatreya Stotram?
The hymn itself promises relief from disease, freedom from worldly bondage, the calming of enmity, and the gift of knowledge and realization. Devotees also recite it to draw closer to Datta as the guru of gurus.
Who is Lord Dattatreya?
Dattatreya is the son of sage Atri and Anasuya and is worshipped as the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He is revered as the adi-guru, the first teacher, and is often shown with three heads and accompanied by four dogs and a cow.
How many verses does the Dattatreya Stotram have?
The full Narada Purana version runs to roughly sixteen verses of salutation followed by a two-verse phalashruti. The core selection shown on this page presents the opening verses with the traditional closing, so it can be completed in a few minutes.
॥ श्री गुरुदेव दत्त ॥