Bhagwan Shri Dattatreya is known as Avinashi (non-destroyable), Siddharaj, Yogiraj etc. He has been ever advising and guiding his devotees in the worldly and spiritual affairs, yogasadhana and devotion to God. He had many Avatars from Vedic times to date. Of these, sixteen Avatars are regarded as the chief ones. ‘Shri Gurucharitra’ is a great volume in Marathi in ovi form, which depicts the life-mission of Shripad Shri Vallabha and Shri Narsinha Saraswati, the two Avatars of Datta which took place in the Kaliyug. In the fourth chapter of this volume, the account of the birth of Shri Datta under the parentage of Atri-Anasuya in Krityug has been given. This is the fifth Avatar amongst the above mentioned sixteen Avatars. The celebration of the birth days of the sixteen Avatars of Shri Datta, was introduced at Ambejogai (Marathwada), Maharashtra by Shri Datta’s great favourite devotee Shri Dasopant. This was recorded by the revered Vasudevanand Saraswati, another great devotee of Shri Datta and he wrote in Sanskrit ‘Shri Dattatreya Shodash Avatar Jayanti Kalp’. Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Pandurang-shastri Goswamy has written a most erudite precious volume ‘Dattopasana Kalpadrum’ in Marathi to depict all the information about Shri Dattatreya from Vedic times.

Hence it can be really called ‘An Encyclopedia’ of Shri Datta. It has five parts and the fourth part depicts elaborately the biographies of sixteen Avatars of Shri Datta, based on the Sanskrit script of revered Vasudevanand Saraswati. The devotees of Shri Datta may keenly desire to know about these Avatars and so I am attempting to give this account in brief.

FIRST AVATAR - YOGIRAJ
    After the creation of this universe the living beings had to suffer from miseries as per their past actions. This made Brahmadeo anxious and so he surrendered to Shri Vishnu, the Lord of the universe saying,“Dattoham Dattoham” (I give myself). Shri Vishnu appeared before Brahmadeo and advised him to practise yoga and know the eternal principle whereby he was relieved of the miseries, and had the peace of mind. Those, who recite“Dattoham Dattomam”, will also gain the same fruit. This Avatar took place on Kartik Shuddha 15, Krittika Nakshatra, Wednesday, first prahar at sun-rise.