Story of Dattatreya and Yaduraja

Story of Dattatreya and Yaduraja

Yaduraja said to Dattatreya ji, “He is not strong enough like him; people are burning in greed & sexual desire; but he is not impacted by all these”.
 
Dattatreya said: “Rajan! I have understood that there is no pleasure in worldly things; hence, I have detached myself from these things and stabilized the sight on the witness (Jivatma) which gives bliss; permanent pleasure or bliss is inside & not in sensual pleasures; whatever Prarbdh (actions already commenced) gives, I accept it happily”.
 
Spiritual Significance:
Dattatreya ji explained that he had twenty four spiritual teachers as under:

1. Ist teacher - Earth – it nourishes others despite suffering. – Learning – Forbearance, to remain undisturbed even if oppressed, keep healing others even if they injure you.
2. IInd teacher – Wind – it moves freely unattached. – Learning – keep contented and solitariness (free, alone, unattached).
3. IIIrd teacher – Sky – it is boundless and limitless. – Learning – Jivatma & Parmatama are endless and indestructible.
4. Ivth teacher – Water – it provides to everybody life and coolness. Learning – to remain pure and without discrimination or arrogance and to provide coolness to others.
5. Vth teacher – Fire – it reforms and shapes things. Learning – Heat of intelligence & knowledge purify and burn misbehavior done by others.
6. VIth teacher – Moon – it waxes and wanes but its self doesnot change. Learning – In life, birth-death, health-disease, prosperity-poverty, fame-defame etc. comes and goes. It should not disturb peace of mind.
7. VIIth teacher – Sun – it performs duty without fail for the benefits of others. In rains, its light reflects on water droplets and appears different but infact it is one sun. Learning – one should be benevolent and dutiful without arrogance. Jivatmas appear several in different forms but actually belong to one source, Parmatama.
8. VIIIth teacher – Pigeons – they loose life in hands of hunders. Learning – One should not have excessive attachment to any thing or anybody as everything is transient & everybody has to die.
9. IXth teacher – Python – He eats whatever comes on the way. Learning – Be contented, whatever life gives.
10. Xth teacher – Ocean – it receives many rivers but remain same. Learning – One may receive flow of several sensuary inputs, but remain undisturbed.
11. XIth teacher – Patanga (Moth) – Deceived by senses, it goes to the fire and kills. Learning – Senses can deceive. Sensual pleasures are liked and create passion but are harmful.
12. XIIth teacher – Black Bee (भंवरा) – it attaches to lotus petals and looses his life. It can prick the wood but can’t prick lotus petals as it is attached to it. Learning – The world is like beautiful lotus petals. Do not be attached to it. Human being can also become divine, if remains unattached.
13. XIIIth teacher – Elephant – He looses life for lust. Hunters put fake cow-elephant in a pit and elephant runs for a possible mate, and falls into pit. Learning – One should not fall into traps of sensory gratification. The seeker should not be in trap of opposite sex.
14. XIVth teacher – Honey bee – It collects honey whole life and honey is taken away by hunter. Learning – Instead of piling up wealth, on should donate it.
15. XVth teacher – Deer – He looses life in fear. Hunters beat drums and scare him into a waiting net. Learning – don’t succumb to the pressure of others.
16. XVIth teacher – Fish - Fish is lured by taste of meat in fishing net and caught to death. Learning - Greed or taste destroys. 
17. XVIIth teacher – Prostitute – Pingla prostitute waited for her customers’ whole night. Once she thought, instead of waiting for lustful males, she should attain the almighty. She abandoned the sex life and adopted spiritual life. Learning – Expectation is pain. Seek meaning of life and adopt spirituality.
18. XVIIIth teacher – Hawk – Hawk picks up a large chunk of food, but other birds harass him, when it drops its food other birds leave him. Learning – Don’t accumulate, take only as much as required and donate rest.
19. XIXth teacher – Child - Be a child, curious, innocent, blissful.
20. XXth teacher – Maiden – Guests came for engagement of a poor girl. She tries her best to feed the guest, as she cooks she avoids attracting attention to her kitchen and poverty, by taking out all her bangles except one on each wrist. Learning - Seeker should avoid attention and stay in solitude.
21. XXIth teacher – Arrowsmith - He was so much absorbed in building arrow that he failed to notice the king's procession that passed his way. Learning – when concentration is necessary for worldly task, it more required for self-realisation.
22. XXIIth teacher – Snake – Snake moves alone. Learning – Seeker should also move alone.
23. XXIIIth teacher – Spider – Spider builds a beautiful web, destroys and abandons the web, then restarts again. Learning - don't get entangled by your own bodily needs, be ready to abandon it, go with your jivatma.  
24. XXIVth teacher – Caterpillar – Larva is closed in a tiny nest but ultimately becomes a butterfly. Learning – The seeker starts from insignificant and by meditating on the almighty, he might attain almighty. 

Yaduraja saluted Guru Dattatreya.
 
Source:
Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran by Shri Ramchandra Keshav Dongra ji Maharaj