Surrounded by four dogs that represent the four vedas—Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—and the holy cow, Lord Dattatreya stands carved in bronze, face serene with wisdom. The cow is a physical manifestation of mother earth herself, providing nourishment to Dattareya. When he was born to the ancient sage Atri and his wife Anusuya, the tradition of Guru-Shishya (teacher-student) hadn’t existed.
From his childhood, he began wandering the world, seeking explanations from the cosmos. On these sagely wanderings, he observed nature in its habitat and came to an entire twenty four observations in nature that became his teachers. He is often celebrated as the first teacher. During the events of the Mahabharata, he is recalled as an exceptional teacher and rishi who held a vast amount of knowledge. He learned from the earth, the wind, the oceans, animals, insects, workers, and even a courtesan. Here, he stands with his three heads, a nod to the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Shiva). His lowest right hand is blessing his disciples while his lowest left holds a pot of water. His middle hands hold a damru and a trident, while the top two hands hold a conch and the sudarshana chakra (discus).
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