- Language
- Marathi
- Author or source
- Signed by Sant Eknath in the closing line
- Length
- Four stanzas and a refrain
About this text
Dattatreya is honoured in Maharashtra as one form holding Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and as the first guru of the Datta tradition. This aarti opens on that thought: the three gunas in one person, the master of the three worlds. Its last line reads "Eka Janardani", the signature of Sant Eknath, who named himself Eka of Janardan, his guru.
Families and Datta temples sing it on Thursdays, on Datta Jayanti at the full moon of Margashirsha, and after reading the Guru Charitra. The refrain returns after each stanza.
The text
Stanza 1
त्रिगुणात्मक त्रैमूर्ती दत्त हा जाणा।
त्रिगुणी अवतार त्रैलोक्य राणा॥
नेति नेति शब्द न ये अनुमाना।
सुरवर मुनिजन योगी समाधि न ये ध्याना॥१॥
Trigunaatmak traimoortee datt haa jaanaa
Trigunee avataar trailokya raanaa
Neti neti shabd na ye anumaanaa
Suravar munijan yogee samaadhi na ye dhyaanaa
Know this Datta as the three-formed one who holds the three gunas: the incarnation of the three, sovereign of the three worlds. "Not this, not this" says scripture, and no word or inference reaches him; devas, sages and yogis in samadhi do not hold him in thought.
Refrain, sung again after each stanza
जय देव जय देव जय श्रीगुरुदत्ता।
आरती ओवाळिता हरली भवचिंता॥
Jay dev jay dev jay shreegurudattaa
Aartee ovaalitaa haralee bhavachintaa
Victory, O god, victory to Shri Gurudatta. As the aarti is waved, the worry of worldly life is gone, the verse says.
Stanza 2
सबाह्य अभ्यंतरी तू एक दत्त।
अभाग्यासी कैची कळेल ही मात॥
पराही परतली तेथे कैचा हेत।
जन्ममरणाचा पुरलासे अंत॥२॥
Sabaahya abhyantaree too ek datt
Abhaagyaasee kaichee kalel hee maat
Paraahee paratalee tethe kaichaa het
Janmamaranaachaa puralaase ant
Within and without, you alone are Datta. How could the unfortunate grasp this truth? Even the highest speech turned back from there, so what purpose could reach it? The round of birth and death has come to its end.
Stanza 3
दत्त येऊनिया उभा ठाकला।
सद्भावे साष्टांगे प्रणिपात केला॥
प्रसन्न होऊनि आशीर्वाद दिधला।
जन्ममरणाचा फेरा चुकविला॥३॥
Datt yeooniyaa ubhaa thaakalaa
Sadbhaave saashtaange pranipaat kelaa
Prasann hoooni aasheervaad didhalaa
Janmamaranaachaa pheraa chukavilaa
Datta came and stood before me. With true feeling I bowed with my whole body. Pleased, he gave his blessing, and the round of birth and death was escaped.
Stanza 4
दत्त दत्त ऐसे लागले ध्यान।
हरपले मन झाले उन्मन॥
मीतूपणाची झाली बोळवण।
एका जनार्दनी श्रीदत्तध्यान॥४॥
Datt datt aise laagale dhyaan
Harapale man jhaale unman
Meetoopanaachee jhaalee bolavan
Ekaa janaardanee shreedattadhyaan
"Datta, Datta": so the mind settled on him. The mind was lost and rose beyond itself. The sense of "I" and "you" was sent on its way. Eka of Janardan rests in the thought of Shri Datta.
Where readings differ
Printed copies of this aarti differ in a few words of the second and third stanzas. This page follows the wording most often sung.
Related texts
- Jai Ambe Gauri: Durga Aarti
- Sukhakarta Dukhaharta: Ganesh Aarti
- Aarti Kije Hanuman Lala Ki
- Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki
- Aartis, chalisas, stotras and mantras
The app adds what a page cannot: a japa counter, a sankalp and a daily schedule. Open your devotion screen in the app