What is the significance of chanting Shri Gurudev Datta?
In the recent times, since spiritual practice and the rituals of shraddha (Rites for the deceased) are not performed as before, most people face problems due to the subtle-bodies of ancestors. Only evolved individuals can advise if there is a possibility of a problem in the future or if an existing problem is due to the subtle-bodies of deceased ancestors. If you are not fortunate enough to be guided by an evolved individual, then inferring that inability to find a suitable marriage partner, marital disharmony, inability to conceive, miscarriages, giving birth to a premature child, giving birth to a retarded or handicapped child, deaths in childhood etc. are problems which could be due to subtle-bodies of deceased ancestors, undertake spiritual practice as advised ahead.
Chanting the Name of Shri Datta based on
the severity of the distress experienced due to ancestral problems
1. To prevent problems or to overcome a mild problem, chant ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ daily for one to two hours.
At other times, to prevent problems arising out of destiny and for spiritual progress, an average individual or seeker in the primary stage should chant the Name of his Kuladevata (Family Shri) as much as is possible.
2. If the problem is moderate in nature, chant ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ along with the Name of your Kuladevata for two to four hours daily. Also, go to a Datta temple every Thursday and perform seven circumambulations, and chant one to two malas of ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ in the temple. Do this for about a year. After this, chant three malasof ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ everyday.
3. If the problem is severe in nature, chant ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ for atleast four to six hours daily.
Importance of chanting the Name of Shri Datta in the Pitrupaksha
By chanting the Name of Shri Datta in Pitrupaksha(The dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapad, when rites are performed for the deceased ancestors), the onward sojourn of the ancestors is faster. Hence, during this period, chant for atleast six hours (or seventy-two malas) daily.
1. Ancestors gaining momentum
Majority of people in Kaliyug do not perform spiritual practice and hence, they are entrapped in Maya. As a result, their subtle-bodies remain dissatisfied after death. Such dissatisfied subtle-bodies get entrapped in the Martyalok (Region of the dead, situated between the earth and the Nether region). By chanting the Name of Shri Dattatreya, the ancestors entrapped in Martyalok gain momentum. Thereafter, depending on their karma they advance to progressively higher regions. Thus, automatically the trouble caused by them to their descendants on the earth reduces.
Some people build the last resting place for their deceased family members in front of or beside their residence and regularly worship them with flowers. As a sign of affection and remembrance, their photographs are put up in the house. In some places, to commemorate the ancestors it is a tradition to keep coins in the temple at home. All these acts entrap the subtle-bodies of the deceased family members in such places. Consequently, their spiritual sojourn is obstructed and they also have to undergo suffering. King Bhagirath performed severe austerities to liberate his ancestors, and brought Ganga onto the earth. This is an ideal example of repaying the debt unto ancestors. If we keep our ancestors entrapped in gross objects as mentioned above and do not chant etc. to provide them with momentum, we fail to repay the debt unto the ancestors. In such cases, since they remain distressed, they create obstacles in our spiritual practice. To repay the debt unto our ancestors and to provide them with momentum, we should chant ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ and perform shraddha for them.
2. Creation of a protective sheath
Energy generated by chanting the Name of Shri Datta creates a protective sheath around the individual chanting the Name.
However, the extent of benefit depends on the quantity and quality of our chanting, which besides other factors, depends on our spiritual level.
What does the spiritual protective chant of Shri Gurudev Datta represent?
The protective chant of Shri Gurudev Datta represents the Name of Shri Datta, an aspect of God. One of His functions in the Universe is alleviating distress caused due to the subtle bodies of ancestors. God carries out His mission in the Universe through the three major principles of Creation, Sustenance and Destruction. Shri Datta’s ability is derived through a combination of these three major principles of God i.e. Creation 10%, Sustenance 80% and Destruction 10%. His manifest divine energy is 10% while 90% of His divine energy is unmanifest.
The concept that our deceased ancestors can cause trouble in our lives is very alien to us. However people have experienced an immense improvement in their lives by repeating Shri Datta’s holy Name of ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’

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