Triguna Trimurti

In Hindu iconography, multiple heads on a deity represent their qualities or aspects. Dattatreya is a three-headed deity; hence, he is also called Trimurti. His three heads embody qualities of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, personifications of universal powers of creation, preservation, destruction.

In the Sankhya school of Indian philosophy, Purush and Prakriti are two eternal realities of the universe. Purush constitutes consciousness, and Prakriti is the principle of energy/matter. Prakriti comprises the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether; and three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas, which are part of the universal mind. Sattvic's qualities are purity, devotion, compassion, empathy and generosity. Rajasic are desire, ambition, passion, energy and perseverance. Tamasic qualities are ignorance, inertia, depression and attachment.

In spiritual people, sattva guna is predominant; in politicians, social reformers and industrialists, rajas guna; in lazy, pessimistic and despondent people, tamas guna.


The Maitrayaniya Upanishad states that in the trinity, Brahma is the personification of rajas guna, Vishnu of sattva guna, and Mahesh is the presiding deity of tamas guna, helping people overcome inertia, despair and ignorance. Dattatreya, having the qualities of the trinity, is the lord of gunas and is called Triguna Trimurti. Dattatreya is a 'trigunatit', the traditional term in yog for the one who has transcended the influence of gunas and the mind, and is established in the Self. He is therefore called the 'Guru of Gurus'.

Datta Jayanti is on December 14