दत्त बावनी — Benefits & How to Chant
दत्त बावनी
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting दत्त बावनी
Invokes Lord Dattatreya as 'Sharanaagata-no taaranahaar'
the sure rescuer of all who surrender
Traditionally recited to remove difficulties, fear and obstacles and to gain Datta's protection
Worships the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) united in the one form of Datta
complete devotion
Cultivates total surrender (sharanagati) and the longing repetition of the name 'Datta'
Believed to bring the grace and guidance of the Sadguru into the devotee's life
Recited daily by Datta devotees for peace of mind, courage and steadiness in adversity
Especially powerful on Thursdays and on Datta Jayanti (Margashirsha Purnima)
How to Chant दत्त बावनी
Instructions
Sit before an image of Lord Dattatreya, ideally after a bath, and light a lamp. Recite the Datta Bavani with feeling and full surrender, dwelling on the refrain 'Datta Digambara Datta Digambara'. Many devotees keep a vow of reciting it daily, or 11/21 times during difficulties; in the Rang Avadhoot tradition it is read as a single unbroken prayer of fifty-two verses. Conclude by bowing and asking Datta to keep you at his feet.
Spiritual Significance
The Datta tradition holds that wherever the Datta Bavani is recited with faith, Lord Datta swiftly removes the devotee's calamities — countless followers of Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj relate how recitation during illness, danger or crisis brought sudden relief and protection, true to its promise that Datta is 'the deliverer of all who take refuge in him'.
Origin & History
Source: Datta-sampradaya devotional literature; composed in Gujarati by Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj of Nareshwar
Author: Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj (Pandurang Vitthal Valame), 1898–1968
Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj was a renowned Datta-bhakta who established his ashram at Nareshwar on the banks of the Narmada. Out of his intense love for Lord Dattatreya he composed the Datta Bavani — fifty-two verses in simple, fervent Gujarati that pour out total surrender to Datta as the all-sustaining, compassionate Avadhuta and the very form of the Trimurti. The hymn spread rapidly among devotees and is now recited daily in countless homes and at Datta temples, especially in Gujarat and Maharashtra, as a prayer for refuge, protection and the grace of the Sadguru.