Guru Charitra Chapter 1 -

To understand this divine truth, I shall narrate to you the holy story of the . This is the story of Lord Dattatreya, who incarnated as the sage Shripad Shrivallabha and later as Shri Narasimha Saraswati. This book is the very breath of the Guru’s grace.”

‘Your devotion is pure. For the benefit of all humanity, I will now tell you the sacred narrative. This story is the essence of all the Vedas and Puranas. Whoever hears it, reads it, or meditates upon it with faith will have all their sins destroyed, their desires fulfilled, and ultimately attain the supreme abode of Lord Dattatreya.

Invocation (Dhyana)

Suta Goswami smiled, his eyes filled with mercy. He replied:

Led by the sage Shaunaka, they approached the wise narrator, Suta Goswami (also known as Romaharshana), who knew the Puranas and the essence of all scriptures. With folded hands, Shaunaka asked: guru charitra chapter 1

I bow to the Supreme Lord Dattatreya, the Guru of all Gurus, who is the embodiment of the Trinity—Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. He is the ocean of compassion, the remover of the illusion of worldly existence (Samsara). I bow to Lord Dattatreya, who resides in the hearts of His devotees and guides them across the dark ocean of life.

In the sacred Naimisharanya forest, long ago, a great assembly of sages (Rishis) gathered to perform a long Vedic sacrifice. Their hearts were full of devotion, yet troubled by the evils of the Kali Yuga—the age of quarrel and confusion. To understand this divine truth, I shall narrate

I bow to the great sage, Shri Saraswati Gangadhar, who composed this sacred text. I bow to my own Guru, who revealed the light of Self-knowledge.