Deity Datta’s Arti

Deity Datta’s Arti has been composed by Saint Eknath Maharaj, as a result, it is full of Chaitanya (Divine consciousness).

Now let us listen to Deity Datta’s arati.

Arti Hymn

त्रिगुणात्मक त्रैमूर्ति दत्त हा जाणा ।
त्रिगुणी अवतार त्रैलोक्यराणा ।
नेति नेति शब्द न ये अनुमाना ।
सुरवर-मुनिजन-योगी-समाधि न ये ध्याना ।। १ ।।

( Trigunatmak traimurti datta ha jana I
Triguni avatar trailokyarana I
Neti neti shabda na ye anumana I
Survar-munijan-yogi-Samadhi na ye dhyana II 1 II )

जय देव जय देव जय श्री गुरुदत्ता ।
आरती ओवाळीता हरली भवचिंता ।। धृ० ।।

( Jai dev jai dev jai shrigurudutta I
Aarti ovalita harali bhavachinta II Dhr.II )

सबाह्य अभ्यंतरी तू एक दत्त ।
अभाग्यासी कैंची कळेल ही मात ।
पराही परतली तेथे कैंचा हेत ।
जन्ममरणाचा पुरलासे अंत ।। २ ।।

( Sabahya abyantari tu ek dutt I
Abhagyasi kainchi kalel hi maat I
Parahi paratali tethe kaincha het I
Janmamaranacha Purlase anta II Jai. II 2 II )

दत्त येऊनिया उभा ठाकला ।
सद्भावे साष्टांगे प्रणिपात केला ।
प्रसन्न होऊनी आशीर्वाद दिधला ।
जन्ममरणाचा फेरा चुकविला ।। ३ ।।

( Dutt yeoniya ubha thakla I
Sadbhave sashtange pranipat kela I
Prasanna houni ashirwad didhala I
Janmamaranacha fera chukvila II Jai. II 3 II )

दत्त दत्त ऐसे लागले ध्यान ।
हारपले मन झाले उन्मन ।
मीतूपणाची झाली बोळवण ।
एका जनार्दनी श्री दत्तध्यान ।। ४ ।। – संत एकनाथ

( Dutt dutt aise lagle dhyan I
Harpale man jhale unman I
Mi tu panachi jhali bolvan I
Eka janardani shri dutt dhyan II 4 II – Saint Eknath )

Implied meaning of some difficult words in the Arati

Let us understand implied meaning of some of the difficult words present in the Arati. This would help in realizing the greatness of the Deity and increasing our devotion unto Him.

1. ‘त्रिगुणात्मक त्रैमूर्ति दत्त हा जाणा ।’ means that Deity Datta (due to His mission) is composed of triguns (The three basic components of the human body – Sattva, Raja and Tama) and has 3 faces. Deity Datta’s birth was from a fraction of the trinity of Deities (Deity Brahma, Shrivishnu and Deity Shiva). Since the trinity of Deities represent Creation, Sustenance and Destruction, although they are trigunatit (The state beyond triguṇas (Three spiritual components)), depending upon their mission they support Sattva, Raja, Tama.

2. ‘नेति नेति शब्द न ये अनुमाना ।’ implies that the Vedas tried to describe Deity Datta’s features, however since they could not reach any conclusion, they described Him as ‘नेति नेति’ which means ‘not like this, not even like this’.

3. ‘सबाह्य अभ्यंतरी तू एक दत्त ।’ means from inside-out You are Datta, i.e. made up of Gurutattva (Guru’s Principle), Ishwartattva (God Principle).

4. ‘अभाग्यासी कैंची कळेल ही मात ।’ means how can we, the unlucky and ill-fated ones, realize Your importance?

5. ‘पराही परतली तेथे कैंचा हेत ।’ since the para vani (Mode of speech of a seer where one experiences non-duality with the Name) was also useless in describing Your features, what was the intention here? As Deity Datta’s form is beyond turyavastha (Fourth state beyond waking, sleep and dream), para vani is also incapable of describing Him. Therefore being unable to describe Him, the para vani turned back.

6.‘जन्ममरणाचा पुरलासे अंत ।’ means Deity Datta’s form is constant, infinite and has no beginning or is existing since time immemorial. In this context, the words birth and death have no relevance.

7. ‘जन्ममरणाचा फेरा चुकविला ।’ means Deity Datta has liberated me from the cycle of birth and death and blessed me with Moksha (Final Liberation).

8. ‘मीतूपणाची झाली बोळवण ।’ means that after attaining non-duality, the feeling of your-mine has vanished.

We pray unto Deity Datta to bestow upon you the ability to recite His Arati with bhav and avail the Anand (Bliss) from awakening of spiritual emotion through the recitation.

Source : Sanatan’s Holy Text ‘Datta’