The Audumbar tree (Ficus racemosa) is a 24-hour oxygen generator and cannot be planted

manually. It grows on its own mainly through the birds, which eat its fruits. Audumbar tree is
associated with Guru Dattatreya, one of the main Hindu deities and cutting or dishonoring the
tree in any way is considered as a sin. So, by associating with Hindu deity, it has been protected,
so that no one would cut it. Audumbar Deeksha gives Ashta siddhi and the desires of the
devotees will be fulfilled whoever performs this Deeksha with full dedicated devotion on Lord
Dattatreya. This Deeksha is familiar from the time of Eknath Panth period. The Deeksha should
be taken under the guidance of proper Guru only. If one is blessed with Deeksha from a Guru,
he/she must do it according to the guidelines prescribed by the Guru only. Generally, Datta
Deeksha is started and ended in a Datta kshetra or Datta temple. Many and many experiences
are there for the devotees who have taken this Deeksha and fulfilled their desires like Marriage,
Putra santhaana, improvement of financial status, Business development, curing of health
problems, very good education, best results in examinations, Getting of Job, Clearing of Genuine
legal affairs and so on. The Deeksha can be taken by anyone irrespective of the age, caste, creed
and marital status. This Audumbar/Datta Deeksha is highly recommended, propagated and
popularized by Shri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji of Mysore. It is astonished to know that,
some of the devotees are in this Deeksha for a period of 365 days.

AUDUMBARA USES:
 The roots, bark-skin, fruits, lates and leaves of Audumbar have great medicinal value.
 Audumbar is used both, internally as well externally, externally the latex is applied on
chronic infected wounds to alleviate edema, pain and to promote the healing.
 The tender leaf buds are applied on the skin, in the form of paste, to improve the
complexion.
 The decoction of leaves is salutary in washing the wounds for better cleansing and
healing.
 The decoction of its bark-skin is an effective gargle in stomatitis and sore throat.
 Internally, Audumbar is used in vast range of maladies.
 The decoction of bark skin is extremely useful in diarrhea, dysentery and ulcerative colitis.
 In children, the latex is given along with sugar to combat diarrhea and dysentery.
 The cold infusion of ripened fruits mixed with sugar, is salutary in Rakta pitta is effectively
controlled with the decoction of bark-skin.
 In diabetes, the ripe fruits or bark-skin decoction is beneficial, as it works well as anti-
diuretic.
 The decoction of leaves is an effective remedy in glandular swelling, abscess, chronic
wounds, cervical adenitis etc.
 In uterine bleeding, abortion, leucorrhea and vaginal bleeding the decoction of its bark-skin
is given orally, as well as in a form of basti (enema).
Every human has an influence of Navagrahaa, and Lord Shani is the devotee of both Shiva and
Narayana. Guru is the Nayakatwam for Lord Shani. Abhishekas, Poojas and Archanas give super
benefit for those suffering from them alefic effects of Shani.  Any astrological feature, any star
or any malefic placement ranging from sapthavaarshika shani (Elanaati shani/Saade-sath
shani/Ashtami shani/Kantaka shani) can be avoided by sincere pleas to Shri Guru deva
Dattatreya. Deeksha means a period of sincere austerity towards a deity by concentrating all
vital energies only for that deity.   Deeksha is the transfer of the sacred golden energy of divine
grace, which descends and initiates the journey into higher states of consciousness. Deeksha
can also be seen as a divine surgery for brain where there is a process of transformation in the
parietal lobes and an activation of the frontal lobes which results in the experience of non-
separation, the experience of unconditional love, joy and peace which will eventually lead to an
enlightenment and oneness. Deeksha does not belong to any religion or any belief or spiritual
path.
The Audumbar vriksha or cluster fig tree is a variety of fig-tree held sacred in India. It is said to
flower at intervals of long centuries.  It is a large tree that provides dense shade and edible fruit.
Devotees of Lord Dattatreya preferably observe their penance (reading of sacred books,
meditation etc.,) under this tree. Dried twigs of this tree are used in Homam-sacrifices.
Its leaves are commonly used as cattle fodder.  Dattatreya and his five principal avatars
reside in an Audumbar vriksha. Audumbar tree which is the favorite of Lord Dattatreya is used
for the Deeksha.  Audumbar Deeksha is a Mukthi Deeksha. Mukthi Deeksha in Hindu philosophy
is said to be a transfer of divine energy given by a Guru to a disciple.

The following is an extract of Chapter 19 of Shree Gurucharitra which describes the glory of
Audumbar. Greatness of Audumbar:
Namdharak: leaving other holy trees why Shri Guru lived under the Audumbar tree? Greatness of
Ashwattha is described even in the Vedas, why then he preferred Audumbar?
Siddha: Shri Vishnu took Narasimha avatar to kill the demon Hiranyakashyipu. He tore the belly
of the demon by his nails. And took out the intestines and put them around his neck as a wreath.
Narasimha’s nails were filled with strong poison and so caused great heat in his body. Shri
Lakshmi took Audumbar fruits and thrust Narasimha’s nails in them. The poison and the heat of
the body subsided, and Lakshmi Devi and Narasimha Swamy were pleased. So, they blessed the
Audumbar tree “You shall always bear fruits and people will worship you as the Kalpataru. Strong
poisons will be subsided even by your sight and sterile women will get issued if they worship you
with devotion.
Audumbar is a Kalpataru in kaliyuga, hence Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswathi Swamy who is the
second incarnation of Lord Dattatreya lived under it. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara live here
in the form of Shri Dattatreya. Hence, as Dattatreya is a combination of Brahma, Vishnu and
Maheswara, wherever the Datta kshetras are there, one can observe that Lord is under this
Audumbar tree. When Shri Guru lived at Narsobawadi, 64 yoginis used to come to him at midday
and take Shri Guru to their place under the waters of the river, worshipped and offered him
delicious food and Shri Guru would return to his place under the Audumbar. Even today also, that
Audumbar tree can be seen by the devotees who are visiting the Dattakshetra Narsobawadi.

Significant practice aspects of this Deeksha and Scientific reasons behind the Deeksha:

who can do It?

This Deeksha can be done by any one irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion and Gender.

Which Day?
It can be started on Shubha Muhurta. Generally preferred because of its association with Lord
Dattatreya. Normally many Dattatraya devotees start on or ends on the day of Datta Jayanthi.
Duration of the Deeksha?
The Deeksha is for the duration of 3 days, 7 days, 11 days, 21 days, 40 days. 40 days Deeksha is
called Mandala Deeksha and many try to do for more than 3 days. It is also believed by many
devotees that one who takes up this Mandala Deeksha for 16 years will get the Darshan of Lord
Dattatreya at the end of the 16th year. One point to note here is, if one decides on a duration,
one must stick to it and should not deviate as it is a holy promise.

Whether Women can take this Deeksha?

Women can do the Deeksha too unlike Ayyappa Swamy Deeksha which can be done only by men.
But during the five days when nature works for them, they must abstain from this Deeksha and
then again carry on with the Deeksha (if they have taken 40-day Deeksha Sankalp). Women
generally do 21 days Deeksha to avoid this problem.

(1) Deeksha vastram:

Deeksha vastram means the dress to be worn during the Deeksha period. Wearing a Deeksha
vastra has the following benefits.
1.A sense of belonging to the Lord.
2. Healing effect of the color.
3. Grace of the presiding Lord appreciating the devotee’s efforts to please him/her.
4. Discipline and Austerity.
Deeksha vastram for Audumbar Deeksha is green. The significance of the color is that it is the
color of the leaf of the Audumbara tree.
Green being healing color and a color of abundance is most conducive for both spiritual and
material progress. Green also has disinfectant and purifying properties. Green is mid-way within
the color spectrum, therefore, it is the color of balance and harmony. It is also the color of the
soul, reflecting the fact that the soul is the liaison between the spirit and the earthly/bodily
personality. Because green is midway in the color spectrum, it can be very easily be influenced
by higher and lower aspects of the person. When green is dragged down within the aura, and
appears murky, it indicates a person who is rather jealous of what others have, possessive,
selfish, cunning, and manipulative.
“Green with envy” is a truism, based on the aura. A very murky green indicates chronic
depression, when illuminated from above, it denotes a person who seeks to expand his or her
own, as well as the general sense of individuality, one who is well balanced, sympathetic, and
compassionate. Therefore, the color to be worn for Dattatreya Deeksha is green and the material
must be a simple cotton or linen (not silk or synthetic)
Men: Should wear green color dhoti and green shirt or Green angavastra and even if a shirt is
worn, a green cotton shawl must be worn with a Mudupu.
Women: Should wear all green too –saree, blouse and inner garments too along with a Mudupu
too.

(2) Mudupu:
Mudupu means “a tie” in Telugu/Tamil/Kannada/Malayalam.  One’s desires must be tied in a
“MUDUPU” and it is normally done to plead the Lord to fulfill those desires and make one’s mind
free of desires by placing all the following materials   by sanctified and blessed by Lord
Dattatreya  by reciting Datta nama  in a ¼ meters of Green cloth and have to close the vastra by
tightly tying all the four corners of the vastra.
The materials to be kept in Mudupu are
1. Nine one-rupee coins Number of coins -leaving thoughts of money behind.
2.One spoon of Kalakand (Crystallized sugar candy) or sugar -leaving thoughts of hunger and
taste behind
3.One spoon of Cow Ghee -leaving thoughts of deha poshana (feeding the body) behind
4.Dry coconut (Copra)-Leaving egoistical thoughts behind (Copra is significant of human head
and head is where ego-center is spiritually)
5. One date-fruit

(3) Niyamas
“Niyamas” means the rules for the union of soul to the Lord.
The basic important Niyama of the Deeksha is the devotee should not eat the items having the
tasty nature of Chilli, Salt and Citrus (amla). These three items are basis for Trigunas. Lord
Dattatreya is TRIGUNAATHEETHA. Hence, the person who is taking the Deeksha must leave all
these items during Deeksha period and can take sweet items and fresh curd with cooked
rice/chapati or Dosa without salt/ fried Potato without salt etc.
1. Men and Women should not indulge in kshura karmas of any kind. Kshura karma means
“removing hair, nails etc.,
The spiritual energies flow to the extremities and thus removing them will impede the flow and
divert one’s mind to thoughts of beautification of one’s body and hence ego too.
2. Brahmacharya must be practiced during the period of Deeksha (total abstinence from sex-
thought, word and deed). One have to avoid the reading of Novels, watching TV serials, movies
etc.,
3.Tobacco and allied products in any form should not be taken (not to mention any other modern
narcotic or addictive drugs unless prescribed by doctor for medicinal purposes)
4.The houses where there is a death/birth become not viable for the performance of this
Deeksha. If one has taken Deeksha and if the above events occur, then the Deeksha must be left
immediately.
5.Dattatreya Pooja must be done with either Sahasranamavali (1008) or Ashottara
shathanaamavali (108). Pooja can be done with different flowers and leaves (if possible, with
Bilva or Audumbara leaves also)
Pooja must be done twice in a day i.e., morning and evening minimum.
6. One must take bath over head with cold water only every day in the morning and in the
evening.
7. One must leave the chappals/shoes during the Deeksha period.
8. The devotees must wear a mala of Tulsi/Rudraksha/Audumbar beads
9.A small branch of the fig tree (Audumbar vriksha) should be tied to the mala to represent
renunciation (temporary) from worldly activities
10.One must sleep on floor (Bhoo shayanam) either on bare floor or just a simple cloth in the
house away from bed room and sleep on your right side to control erotic dreams.
11.Ekabhuktam: Having full-meals just once per day in the afternoon and tiffin during night
times.
12.Deeksha must be taken under proper guidance of a Guru. There must be solid determination
to refrain from consumption of wine, non-vegetarian food, eggs, onions, garlic, chilies, tobacco
and other narcotic drugs, salt, sour items, spicy items etc., If possible, one must take
alms/bhiksha (uncooked items) from at least 5 houses on every day at 12 noon. These items have
to handed over to the temple.
13.One should not consume some fruits/vegetables which might have some characteristics
which are in the above list like sourness, saltiness etc., like lemon, orange, Grapes, Tomato
14.When going to any Marriage reception or Bhojanam, one must refrain from consuming the
above items and can restrict oneself to a simple diet there too. As far as possible, one should
avoid hotels and dining out.
15.Datta stavam for 9 times and Datta stotra or any other Datta mantras like
Malamantra/Vajrakavacha must be chanted every day during Deeksha. Recitation Datta stavam
for 9 times is mandatory.
Inner recitation of “Digamabara Digambara Shree Paada Vallabha Digambara” should be done
always during the Deeksha period. Shree Gurucharitra parayana should be completed atleast
once during the Deeksha period.
16.Audumbar vriksha Pooja must be performed atleast once during the Deeksha period. The
Pooja must be performed with Shodasopachara and Audumbar paduka stavam.
On the last day of Deeksha, one must perform Mahanyaasa Poorvaka Ekadasha Rudrabhisheka,
Anaghavratha/Satya Datta vratha and Datta Homamm in a proper manner. If possible, it is better
to perform Annadana also. Pleasant manners and sweet speech during the Deeksha period and
one should address everyone as “DATTA” when addressing gents and “DATTA-AMMA” when
addressing ladies. If anyone abuses the Deeksha devotee, the devotee must refrain from
retorting back and must quickly vacate that place and chant “JAYA GURUDEVA DATTA” and
must forgive that person whole heartedly. If one cannot do this then the whole purpose of the
Deeksha is frustrated.

(4) Deeksha virmana: Successful completion of the Deeksha and finishing touches. Deeksha
viramana should be taken in a Datta temple or any Datta kshetra like Ethipothala or any other
kshetra.
The Mudupu which was tied in the beginning of the Deeksha must be given to the priest of the
temple where the Deeksha viramana is taking place. After the Deeksha viramana, one can take
normal food and can attend regular domestic duties as usual from the next day of Deeksha
viramana.

(5) Miscellaneous matters: Full faith in Lord Dattatreya and Permission from elderly
persons/Guru must be obtained before taking the Deeksha.
Full faith in the fact that “I” and Datta shakti are one. Ladies in the house who are not doing the
Deeksha should observe rules during their menstruation for 5 days by not mingling in the house
and should not cook the food till they are free from impurity and shuddhi is to be done on the fifth
day with Panchagavyam also. Those who do Sandhyavandana and other Nimmitta and Nitya
Karmas must continue those in addition to Datta japa and Datta Pooja.