Sri Dattatreya’s 24 Gurus: Learning from the World in Hindu Tradition - Abstract & Introduction

Oct 15, 2026

Sri Dattatreya, quoted by Lord Krishna in the Uddhava Gita, is presented as a guru whose enlightenment came from observing the world and learning through 24 instructors. The teachings emphasize the futility of mundane attachments, the value of contemplation and forbearance, and a route to spiritual self-realization of the Supreme. As an incarnation of Lord Vishnu appearing in multiple Puranas, His message challenges learner pretensions and urges seeking deeper Truth, framing Earth as sacred, God-aspect, and a transformative puzzle.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

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Pages16

Reading Time40 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Sri Dattatreya’s 24 Gurus: Learning from the World in Hindu Tradition Martin Haigh, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom Abstract Sri Dattatreya, who Lord Krishna quotes in The Uddhava Gita, has been evoked as a guru for environmental education. Sri Dattatreya gained enlightenment by observing the world, which provided Him with 24 instructors. These taught Him the futility of mundane attachments, the benefits of contemplation and forebearance, and a path towards the spiritual self-realization of the Supreme. Sri Dattatreya, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, features in several Puranas where His teachings involve direct challenges to the pretensions and prejudices of the learner. His core message is “never judge by surface appearances but always seek a deeper Truth”: the Earth is sacred, an aspect of God, and a puzzle that challenges the spiritual self to awaken to its true nature. Résumé Sri Dattatreya, cité par le dieu Krishna dans The Uddhava Gita, a été qualifié de gourou en éducation écologique. Sri Dattatreya s’est instruit en observant le monde, qui Lui a fourni vingt-quatre moniteurs. Ces derniers lui ont enseigné l’inutilité de s’attacher au monde terrestre, les avantages deméditer et de connaître le passé ancestral, et une voie vers l’auto-réalisation spirituelle de Dieu. Sri Dattatreya, une incarnation du dieu Vishnou, figuredans plusieurs puranas où Son enseignement pose des défis directs aux prétentions et aux préjudices de l’apprenant. Son message fondamental est de « ne jamais juger selon les premières apparences mais de toujours rechercher une Vérité plus profonde » : la Terre est sacrée, elle est une représentation de Dieu et un casse-tête qui remet en cause le moi spirituelafin d’éveiller sa vraie nature. Keywords: Lord Krishna; Dattatreya; Vaisnavism; environmentalism; environmental education; religion in environmental education; education for sustainable development Introduction Modern concerns about environmental education for sustainable development present a challenge for the great world religions. Environmental degradation is largely a modern concern, but religious practitioners demand guidance about what to do that is grounded in ancient scriptural precedent, so raising questions that, formerly, no one ever thought to ask. This is as true for the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 12, 2007 127 complex web of belief systems called “Hindu” as for more monolithic systems.“Environment” and “sustainability” are rising concerns in both traditional“Hindu” communities and their pioneering fringe of New Religious Movements, such as Swami Vivekananda’s Ramakrishna Mission and Srila Prabhupada’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Partridge, 2005) . Environmental education for sustainable development is, of course, a key concern of our modern age, where the human impact, spurred on by social traditions that stress “me-first” competition and the immediate gratification of desires, and that measure success in terms of material accumulation, threaten to destroy the welfare of all those yet to be born. The United Nations’Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) exists as recognition that our present way of life is unsustainable, that attitudes must change, and that the world must find a way of living as if the future mattered (Haigh, 2005; Lovelock, 2006) . Environmental education for sustainable development recognizes that the way ahead lies in environmental, not economic, responsibility, and it contains the argument that education for sustainable development and environmental education might achieve more when working together (McKeown & Hopkins, 2005) . This paper focuses on some environmental education for sustainable development resources within one world religion that might help foster the change in social attitudes needed to divert our world from a self-destructive course (Laszlo, 2002) . It finds those resources in the Vaisnava and Vedic sc

FAQs

Why is Sri Dattatreya presented as a guru for environmental education?

Sri Dattatreya is described as having gained enlightenment by observing the world, using it as a source of instruction that supports spiritual learning relevant to environmental education.

What do the 24 instructors teach Sri Dattatreya?

They teach the futility of mundane attachments and the benefits of contemplation and forebearance, pointing toward spiritual self-realization of the Supreme.

How does the paper link Hindu scriptures to environmental education for sustainable development?

It argues that resources for environmental education and attitude change can be found in Vaisnava and Vedic scriptures, offering guidance grounded in ancient textual precedent.

Oct 15, 2026

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