Avadhuta Dattatreya

King Parikshit listened with a troubled heart as Shukadeva Goswami spoke.

"What am I hearing, Lord?" the king asked. "Uddhava was a man of deep wisdom and devotion. Then why did he break down like an ordinary person?"

Shukadeva replied gently, "O King, the very source of Uddhava’s wisdom and devotion was Narayana himself, moving on earth in human form. When the time of that Lord’s departure came near, Uddhava understood it. That is why his heart became restless."

Parikshit leaned forward. "What had Uddhava seen, Lord?"

Shukadeva said, "Over Dwaraka, huge and frightening birds were flying through the sky. Thick black clouds were covering the sun. Eclipses were appearing again and again, by day and by night. The sky and the air of Dwaraka were filled with fearful and inauspicious sounds. Sages and holy men had stopped coming there. Seeing all this, Uddhava became deeply disturbed."

"But did he know these signs pointed to Shri Krishna’s departure?" asked the king.

"Yes," said Shukadeva. "Uddhava had seen evil dreams. Not only he, but many wise men in Dwaraka were seeing such dreams at that time. Uddhava heard all this, and being a yogi, he quickly understood the meaning."

Then Shukadeva described what happened next.

Uddhava ran to Krishna in great fear. Breathless and trembling, he cried, "O Lord, what am I seeing all around? I have never seen such signs of evil before. Lord, what is happening in Dwaraka? These are signs of terrible danger."

Krishna looked at him with calm compassion and said, "Be calm, Uddhava. Come and sit here."

At once Uddhava remembered himself and was filled with sorrow and shame. "Forgive me, Jagannivasa. I even forgot to bow to you. Alas, alas, what a sin I have done. Forgive me, Lord, forgive me."

Krishna said, "You have committed no sin, child. You are innocent, spotless. Rise, Uddhava. Do not grieve like this. This grief does not suit you. Rise, child, rise."

But Uddhava could not steady his heart. "O Lord, you say I am spotless, but surely we have done some wrong. Otherwise why would you leave us?"

"Be calm, Uddhava. Listen to me."

Uddhava shook his head. "No, Lord. Please do not ask me to be calm. I will not be able to obey this command of yours."

Then, with fear burning in his chest, he asked the question he had already understood in his heart. "Lord, Lord, Lord, is what I am thinking really true? Are you now eager to return to your eternal home?"

Krishna answered plainly, "Yes, Uddhava, you have understood correctly. The time has come for me to return."

Those words struck Uddhava like a thunderbolt.

"But what will happen to us then, Lord?" he cried. "All these days, in sitting and rising, in sleep and waking, you have been with us. Wherever we went, whatever we did, you were with us in everything. You have become one with our very souls, Lord. Without you, without you, our living itself has no meaning. No meaning."

Krishna said, "Time, life, and flow never stop, Uddhava. They only move forward. People, under the spell of illusion, try to hold them, try to stop them. But is that possible? Can you bind the flow, Uddhava? Then why are you so afraid?"

Uddhava answered, his voice shaking, "Please do not say such things, Lord. How can we live without you? You are mixed into our very being, O God. We have worn your blessed garlands. We have put on our bodies the sandalwood used by you. We have worn nothing except your blessed clothes. We have accepted only your grace, not your illusion. It is the pain of losing you that we fear, Lord. It is truly terrible."

Krishna said, "This pain of separation is also illusion, Uddhava. Have you still not understood that?"

"We understand, Lord," Uddhava replied, "but we cannot go beyond this circle of illusion. We simply cannot, O God. Even sages, after so much renunciation, penance, and celibacy, cannot do it. Then how can we, ordinary people, do it, Lord? We are truly very confused."

Krishna spoke tenderly. "All your confusion will go away, Uddhava. Just remember always all that I have done and all that I have said during my divine play in this world."

Uddhava said, "We remember your teachings, your words, every day. O Supreme Soul, all your deeds stay forever awake in our minds. But we cannot live without you, Lord. The pain of separation from you is a hundred times sharper than a snake bite."

Krishna said, "Why do you think of separation, Uddhava? I am always present."

Still Uddhava wept. "But we will no longer be able to see this radiant form of yours, O Madhava. We will not be able to touch you. Please, please take me with you too, Narayana. Wherever you go, take me there, Lord, take me there."

At this point King Parikshit asked, "Samba, the son of Krishna, had been cursed by sage Durvasa that he would give birth to an iron club, and that club later brought destruction to the Yadavas. I have heard this, Lord. But could not Narayana himself stop this destruction, Acharyadev?"

Shukadeva nodded. "There was no work he could not do, O King. Rather, he chose not to do it. Do you remember Gandhari’s curse? On the field of Kurukshetra, after seeing the lifeless bodies of countless Kaurava princes and warriors, Gandhari cursed Krishna. She said that his own clan too would be shattered before his eyes in the same way."

"Yes, Lord," said Parikshit. "I have heard of that curse."

Shukadeva continued, "How could he allow the power of that truthful and devoted woman to become false? That power itself was his own expression. If her words became false, then he too would become false. And sage Durvasa was like a divine Brahmin. How could his words become false?"

Parikshit said, "But nothing happens in this world without Krishna’s will, Acharyadev."

"You are right, O King," said Shukadeva. "Everything that begins must also end. The world was standing at the meeting point of ages. Now the age would change. The old age had to be erased. If he did not leave, how could his age come to an end? Besides, there was another very serious reason."

"What reason, Lord?"

"The Yadavas had become proud," Shukadeva said gravely. "They were drunk with power, pride, wealth, and glory. God never forgives arrogance, Parikshit. Remember this. So he wished to destroy this Yadava society, which he himself had built, before his own eyes."

Only Uddhava fully understood this. That is why he longed to go with the Lord to the highest abode. But Krishna said to him, "Uddhava, though you are my servant, by your own qualities you are very close to my heart. You are my dear friend. But your time to go has not yet come. Still, I tell you this: as soon as I leave the mortal world, the age of Kali will begin."

Uddhava asked, "And in whose hands will this city of Dwaraka remain protected, Lord?"

Krishna answered, "Exactly seven days from today, the sea will rise and swallow this city of Dwaraka. So I tell you, after I leave this earth, do not stay there, Uddhava."

Uddhava bowed his head. "I will not stay there. But leaving my relatives and family, where shall I go then, Lord?"

Krishna said, "O Uddhava, you are a deeply righteous and holy person. But as soon as Kali Yuga enters the earth, people will turn to the path of unrighteousness. You will never be able to fit in there. So cut the ties of affection for relatives and friends, fix your mind on me, and move freely in this world without attachment."

Shukadeva paused and said to the king, "For Uddhava, giving up his life would have been easier than obeying this command."

Parikshit sighed. "Yes, Lord. His beloved Master was about to leave. How could he bear such news?"

Shukadeva said, "That is why Uddhava became so restless. Then Shri Krishna began to teach him spiritual truth, so that his senses could be controlled and his illusion cut away. Janardana began to explain the wisdom of the Vedas to him."

Krishna said to Uddhava, "If you understand the Vedas, all your unrest will go away. Your mind will become peaceful, child. You will understand that I am the whole universe, and outside me there is nothing anywhere. Then there will be no birth or death for you. That is true renunciation."

Uddhava folded his hands and said, "O Lord, you are Yogeshwar himself, the root of all yoga. For my good, you have advised me to follow the path of renunciation. But what will those do who are your devotees, yet stay tied to worldly thoughts? And those who do not seek you will never gain freedom then."

"Why do you think such things, Uddhava?" Krishna asked.

Uddhava answered honestly, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I have still not become free from worldly ties and wealth. How will I follow this teaching of renunciation, Lord? Burned and troubled by the wildfire of sorrow, I have come to remember you. Save me, O Supreme Lord."

Krishna said, "What is there in this world? Tell me. Think, Uddhava, think. Awaken your wisdom. Then you will understand for yourself what is right and what is wrong. Only then will you be free from evil desires."

"Can one be saved from evil, Lord?" asked Uddhava.

"Certainly," Krishna said. "Among all living beings, only human beings can do that, because human beings have knowledge. Only human beings can feel me."

Then, to teach him, Krishna began to tell a story from ancient times.

"Listen, Uddhava," Krishna said. "Let me tell you a story. Once King Yadu, the wise son of Yayati, saw a young avadhuta Brahmin who knew the three times and wandered fearlessly through the world. Seeing him, many questions arose in the king’s mind. So he respectfully called him and asked, 'O holy Brahmin, I have been watching you for some days. You are learned, your form is worthy of praise, and your speech flows like nectar. But why do you do no work? Why do you behave like a madman or a fevered man? Do you have no duty in this world?'"

The avadhuta gave no answer. He only stood silently.

Then King Yadu again asked with respect, "Holy Brahmin, it seems to me that you are completely without desire. The wildfire of worldly life cannot even reach you. You are always absorbed in your true self. How did you find such joy within yourself? Please answer me."

Krishna continued, "My ancestor King Yadu was a man of blessed wisdom. His devotion to Brahmins was endless. After asking this question, he stood with bowed head, waiting for the answer. Seeing this, avadhuta Dattatreya began to speak.

"'Maharaj, through my own understanding I have learned from many teachers. Because of that, I have been able to move freely and happily everywhere in the world. I will tell you about my teachers and what I learned from them.'"

Yadu said eagerly, "Please tell me, lord. I am eager to hear."

Dattatreya replied, "Then listen to the names of my teachers. They are the earth, the air, the sky, water, fire, the moon, the sun, the pigeon, the python, the ocean, the moth, the bee, the elephant, the honey gatherer, the deer, the fish, Pingala, the kurara bird, the child, the young maiden, the arrow-maker, the snake, the spider, and the wasp. Maharaj, I took shelter of twenty-four teachers and learned from their conduct."

Yadu said, "On hearing this, I wish even more to know the details, holy Brahmin. Please describe it all fully. How did you gain learning from them?"

Dattatreya smiled. "Very well. Then I will tell you."

"From the earth," Dattatreya said, "I learned patience and forgiveness. Even after many blows, it does not cry, nor does it take revenge. It silently bears everything. See, O King, all beings in this world act according to their fate, and they face many obstacles. But a steady person should never lose patience. This is what the earth taught me."

King Parikshit, hearing this from Shukadeva, exclaimed, "What a wonderful lesson! I have never heard such teaching before, Acharyadev."

Shukadeva said, "Like you, Uddhava too was amazed while listening."

Krishna went on telling the story.

Dattatreya said, "Mountains and trees are also my teachers. With all their effort, they always work for the good of others. Holy people learn service to others from them.

"From the life-breath inside the body I learned that just as it is satisfied with only the food needed at the time of hunger, in the same way a seeker should take only as much food as needed to keep life going. Too much pleasure of the senses is never good. It makes the mind restless."

Yadu said, "My desire to know and learn is growing more and more."

Dattatreya continued, "From the air outside the body I learned detachment. Air does not make anyone’s good or bad qualities its own. In the same way, a seeker should not become attached to anything. No surroundings should stand in the way of his practice. He should not surrender to either good or bad."

Yadu asked, "Is there anything for Brahmins to learn from smell, holy Brahmin?"

Dattatreya said, "Maharaj, smell is not a quality of air; it is a quality of earth. Though air carries many kinds of smells, it remains steady and pure itself. In the same way, as long as a seeker remains connected with the earthly body, he carries disease, hunger, country, and such things. But when he sees himself not as the body but as the soul, then he becomes untouched by these earthly feelings."

"Holy Brahmin," said Yadu, "hearing this, I very much want to know how the sky taught you."

Dattatreya answered, "O King, though the sky appears differently in different places, in truth it is one whole and unbroken. In the same way, the work of a seeker is to realize Brahman, the soul present within the human body. The soul is whole and unattached. It is so subtle that it must be thought of like the sky. The soul is indestructible. In past, future, present, creation, and destruction, the soul remains the same."

Yadu said, "Ah, what endless knowledge I am receiving from you. Please teach me more."

Dattatreya said, "Now let us come to water. Water is naturally clear, cool, and sweet. Water purifies. In the same way, a seeker should be pure, gentle, sweet-spoken, and holy. Even seeing such a person or speaking his name makes everything pure."

Yadu asked, "Did you also receive some teaching from all-consuming fire, holy Brahmin?"

"Of course, Maharaj," said Dattatreya. "Fire too is my teacher. Fire itself is very radiant and full of light. The power of another does not affect it. Since it has no vessel to store food, it burns everything in its own belly. In the same way, a seeker should be strong in penance and inner power. His senses should not control him. Just as fire is visible in some places and hidden in others, so too a seeker should remain hidden in some places and visible in others as needed."

Yadu bowed deeply. "Countless salutations at your feet, holy Brahmin. I have never received such knowledge before. Please tell me also about your other teachers."

Dattatreya continued, "Next let us come to the moon. We see that under the effect of time the shape of the moon changes. But we know well that the moon is still the moon. In truth, its growth and decrease are not real. In just the same way, all the stages of human life from birth to death belong to the body. They have no connection with the soul. The soul is unchanging and undying."

"And the sun?" asked Yadu. "What did you learn from the sun, holy Brahmin?"

Dattatreya said, "What does the sun do, Maharaj? It draws up the water of the earth and then sends it back to the ground in the form of rain. It does not keep that water for itself. In the same way, yogis too do not become attached to whatever they receive through the senses. At the proper time they give it up completely."

Then Dattatreya said, "If one has too much affection or attachment for someone, one must suffer, O King. You know the story of the pigeon, do you not?"

"Which pigeon, holy Brahmin?" Yadu asked. "I do not know that story. I very much wish to hear it. Please tell me in detail."

Dattatreya said, "Listen, Maharaj. In a forest, on the branch of a tree, a pigeon had long lived in a nest with his mate. Living together, they fell deeply in love with each other. They had deep trust in one another. So without worry they slept, sat, ate, and moved about together in the tree. For his mate, that pigeon could bear even great suffering with a smiling face."

"Then what happened?" asked Yadu.

"After some time," Dattatreya said, "the female pigeon became pregnant and laid eggs in the nest. When the eggs broke and the chicks came out, the two pigeons began caring for them. In this way they became so busy raising their children that they became tied more and more to this world and the next.

"One day they became very late while searching for food. Meanwhile, a hunter came to the place where the chicks were playing in the nest."

The hunter looked up and said, "In this nest I see many little birds. If I can catch all of them and take them away, I will gain much. Let me spread my net. Now if I can cleverly get the chicks into the net, that will be enough."

Soon the baby birds were caught.

When the pigeon pair returned, they saw their dear children trapped in the hunter’s net and crying out in pain. Seeing this terrible sight, the mother pigeon rushed toward them. In her grief she forgot her own safety, and as she tried to save them, she too became tangled in the same net.

When the male pigeon saw this, he was overcome with sorrow and cried out, "Alas, alas, alas, I am unfortunate. Surely I am foolish. That is why such a loss has come to me. This householder’s life, the root of my duty, wealth, and desire, is ruined. Alas, my beloved, my children, they will all go to heaven leaving me alone. What will I live with now?"

Blinded by grief, the foolish pigeon saw his family falling into the mouth of death, and he too jumped into the same net.

The cruel hunter was delighted. "What fun! I had only set the trap to catch the chicks together. But now I see the two big birds have also been caught. Good, good, good, the work is done. Now I will take them and leave the forest at once."

And with joy the hunter went away carrying all the birds.

Then Dattatreya asked, "What lesson do we get from this event, tell me, O King?"

Yadu answered, "Please explain it yourself first, holy Brahmin."

Dattatreya said, "A person who feels strong attachment to home, family, and relatives, and stays busy day and night only in caring for them, can never find peace. Just like that pigeon, he keeps suffering along with his dear ones."

Yadu asked, "Then should we not care for our family, holy Brahmin?"

Dattatreya replied, "Maharaj, this human body is itself the open gate to freedom. Even after gaining this body, if a person does not seek freedom and instead remains tied, like the pigeon, to the household of the body, then even after rising high he falls down again. In the language of the scriptures, such a person is called arurukshuta."

"What then is the way for a worldly person?" Yadu asked.

"To give too much room to emotion is ignorance," Dattatreya said. "Because of it, a person does not gain freedom. Everything has a limit. One should know that line."

Yadu then said, "You said at the beginning that you also learned from the python, holy Brahmin. Please now tell me about that teaching."

Dattatreya replied, "Maharaj, after catching one prey, the python does not hunt again until that is completely finished. It can pass many days without food. In the same way, a wise person who follows the python’s way keeps all desires far away and lives on whatever comes easily. He remains indifferent to all outer things. This is the lesson I received from the python."

Hearing this, King Parikshit said to Shukadeva, "Lord, I very much wish to know what avadhuta Dattatreya learned from the ocean."

Shukadeva replied, "King Yadu had asked the same question. Listen, Uddhava too heard this from Krishna."

Dattatreya said, "Maharaj, the mind of a seeker should always remain cheerful and deep. His nature should be profound and endless. No reason should create anger in him. In summer and in the rainy season the water in rivers rises and falls, but the ocean is not like that. In the same way, a devotee of God should remain calm like the deep sea through the tides of life. He should not show either great joy or sadness."

Yadu asked, "And the moth? Can it also teach something to people, holy Brahmin?"

"Yes, certainly," Dattatreya said. "Just as the moth, charmed by the beauty of fire, jumps into it and is burned to ashes, in the same way a person who cannot control the senses becomes attached simply by seeing a woman’s body and brings ruin on himself. His fall comes."

Then he asked, "Do you know the teaching of the bee, Maharaj Yadu?"

"No, holy Brahmin," Yadu said. "I do not know. Can it also teach something?"

Dattatreya answered, "As the bee gathers nectar from every flower without judging which is big or small, so a wise person should accept the essence from all scriptures without judging high or low. And from the honeybee I learned this teaching also: a renunciant should never store anything for the future. If he gathers and stores, his life will become miserable."

Yadu said, "O sage, hearing these things, the meaning of life is changing for me. I had never heard, or even imagined, that such lessons could be learned from nature."

Shukadeva then said softly to Parikshit, "Do not forget, O King, nature is truly the greatest teacher of human beings."

Then he continued the story.

Dattatreya said, "The elephant too was among my teachers."

Krishna, while telling all this to Uddhava, said, "Listen, Uddhava, do you know what Dattatreya learned from the elephant? He learned that for a renunciant, it is wrong even to touch the wooden image of a woman."

Uddhava asked, "How did an elephant give such a lesson, Madhava?"

Krishna said, "Listen to it from Dattatreya’s own words, child."

Dattatreya said to Yadu, "Once a huge pit was dug to trap an elephant. But how would the elephant fall into the pit? It had to be attracted. So on the other side of the pit a wooden female elephant was placed. As soon as the elephant moved toward that false female elephant, it fell into the pit."

Yadu said, "I understand, holy Brahmin. For a wise man, attraction toward a woman means death."

Dattatreya continued, "I have also learned from those who gather honey, Maharaj. Those who store things become caught in the illusion of wealth and cannot enjoy it themselves. Someone else takes their wealth away. You have seen greedy householders, O King. A renunciant should never store anything, even by mistake. He should not even listen to the praise of storing. Otherwise he will meet the same fate as that deer."

"Which deer, holy Brahmin?" asked Yadu. "What happened to it?"

Dattatreya said, "Charmed by a hunter’s music, the deer willingly came into his trap. In the same way, hearing worldly talk brings ruin to renunciants. And you know the story of the fish, O King?"

"Please tell me yourself," said Yadu. "What can the fish teach us?"

Dattatreya answered, "For the greed of a piece of meat fixed on a hook, the fish gives up its life. The greed of the tongue is very dangerous, O King. If a person cannot conquer his own taste, he cannot become master of his senses."

Then Krishna paused and asked Uddhava, "Uddhava, can you now begin to see something of how and in what ways a worldly man must practice self-control if he is to become a renunciant?"

Uddhava replied, "Yes, Lord, I understand that this path is difficult, but not impossible. But it needs intense practice and a clear mind. Otherwise how will one learn, and how will one understand what is right and what is wrong?"

Krishna said, "If the mind is not clear, it will not become subtle, Uddhava. Only when the eyes and mind are open can one become like Dattatreya."

Then Krishna continued the ancient teaching.

"Dattatreya next told King Yadu the story of a courtesan. He said, 'Maharaj, long ago in Mithila, in the city of Videha, there lived a courtesan named Pingala. She was very beautiful and lived as she pleased. She loved no man. She loved their wealth. Pingala waited for wealth. But after some time no one came to her house. Pingala became restless. After waiting a long time, she finally gave up her life as a courtesan. Detachment arose in her mind.'"

Yadu said, "Yes, Maharaj, you may call it detachment. But even in such detachment there is joy. She became free from slavery to body and mind. Then in her mind Pingala composed a song."

"What song, holy Brahmin?" Yadu asked.

Dattatreya said, "At the heart of that song was hatred for her own life and for prostitution. She blamed herself in sorrow because she had tried to buy happiness by selling herself to wicked men for money. Shall you hear the meaning of her song, O King? I heard that meaning from Pingala’s own mouth."

Then he spoke Pingala’s words.

"'Alas, alas, alas, what wrong I have done. Blinded by delusion, I wanted only pleasure and worldly enjoyment. That is only momentary happiness. Can these wicked, deceitful men give me happiness? I was blind with delusion. I could not understand that my true happiness lives in my own heart. The voice of my heart, he alone is love and the highest truth.'"

Yadu was astonished. "Can such realization really come to a courtesan, holy Brahmin? I am very, very surprised."

Dattatreya replied, "Detachment leads a person on the path of upliftment. When detachment comes, one can feel the presence of the Supreme Soul, Maharaj. Pingala too reached that state. I heard her words. In her own mind she was saying, 'This body is only a little house. And its fine covering is only skin, nails, hair, filth, and urine. Alas, alas, alas, I ignored my own heart because of attraction to it. Wrong, wrong, a great wrong I have done. Today I will surrender myself to that Supreme Soul. I will surrender.'"

Yadu asked, "Did Pingala really do that, holy Brahmin?"

"Yes, Maharaj," Dattatreya said. "By the blessing of Lord Vishnu, detachment arose in her mind. This detachment removed all the pain from her heart. Free from all ties of pleasure, home, and worldly life, she found peace. I saw her take shelter in God."

"What a wonderful change!" Yadu exclaimed.

Dattatreya said, "From courtesan Pingala I learned that if God’s grace falls on someone, anyone can attain him. A restless mind can at once become steady. The day she understood that God was her everything, that day she slept in peace, O King. She no longer had to wait at the door. I found the trace of Pingala’s unspeakable peace, Maharaj. I found it."

Shukadeva said, "Listening to this from sage Dattatreya, Yadu was amazed. He had thought of Pingala as sinful and fallen, and he had never before heard that even she could become a devotee in this way."

Then King Parikshit asked, "When Pingala slept that peaceful sleep, what is the meaning of that event, Acharyadev?"

Shukadeva answered, "The day courtesan Pingala gave up hope in men, from that very day she slept in comfort. She became happy. All worry left her mind, O King. In every age Lord Vishnu has come to earth in different forms and through different beings, and has taught people. He arranged it so that even foolish and ignorant people could move toward freedom. Sage Dattatreya was learning wisdom for life from nature and society."

Parikshit said with humility, "If one can take even a tiny part of that teaching, human life becomes blessed. But I do not know whether I will ever become worthy of receiving such teaching. Still, I want to hear more of this avadhuta’s wisdom, Lord. Please show me your grace."

Shukadeva looked upon the king with affection and said, "Today I see in you the same eagerness that lived in Krishna’s devoted Uddhava, Parikshit. Shri Krishna showed his dearest devotee the path of detachment by telling him the words of the avadhuta. I too will answer the questions of life within you, Parikshit. I will tell you how great those teachers are whom we see before our eyes and still ignore. May your vision open, O King, open wide."