Bhagavan Nityananda’s Ārti as Composed by Shri Balkrishna Maskar
A Reflection on the Datta Paramparā and the Mahāvatāra
Shri Nrusimha Saraswati, revered also as Narsingh Saraswati Swami Maharaj or Guru Maharaj, is traditionally regarded as the second full manifestation of Guru Dattatreya. His Jayanti is observed annually during the sacred month of Pauṣa, and in the year 2025, it fell on December 22. This auspicious occasion holds special significance at Karanja near Washim in Maharashtra, which is venerated as his Janmasthān—the holy place of his birth.
Shri Nrusimha Saraswati traversed vast regions of India—Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh—disseminating spiritual wisdom, reviving dharmic practices, and blessing countless seekers through his teachings and miracles. Many who came into his fold later emerged as great saints themselves, continuing the luminous stream of the Datta Sampradāya. His life exemplifies the ideal of a Sadguru who combines jñāna, bhakti, and anugraha in perfect harmony.
According to the traditional Maharashtrian Hindu calendar, Shri Nrusimha Saraswati Jayanti is observed on Pauṣa Śukla Pakṣa Dvitīyā, the second lunar day of the waxing moon. On this sacred day, devotees remember not only the historical saint but also the eternal Guru principle that manifests repeatedly for the upliftment of humanity.
It is within this spiritual and historical context that Shri Balkrishna Maskar, a devout Dattopāsaka, composed the Ārti of Bhagavan Nityananda. In his inspired vision, Shri Maskar presents a profound theological assertion: that Bhagavan Nityananda, whom he reverently addresses as Mahāvatāra Ādinātha, is the primal source of the entire Datta Guru lineage.
According to Shri Maskar, Bhagavan Nityananda first manifested as Shri Dattatreya, later incarnated as Shri Shrīpād Shrīvallabha, and subsequently as Shri Nrusimha Saraswati. These three are traditionally regarded as Pūrṇa Avatāras of Lord Dattatreya, complete manifestations of the Guru Tattva. Beyond them, there exist many Aṁśa Avatāras—partial manifestations—who also carry forward the Guru’s work in different forms and times.
Shri Maskar goes further to assert that Bhagavan Nityananda is not merely one among these manifestations, but the originating consciousness from which this entire Sadguru Paramparā flows—Ādinātha, the primordial Guru, identified with Lord Shiva Himself. During His lifetime, Bhagavan Nityananda is said to have reenacted the leelās of Shri Dattatreya, Shri Shrīpād Shrīvallabha, and Shri Nrusimha Saraswati—and many more—revealing through lived experience what scriptures convey through words.
Thus, in Shri Maskar’s vision, Bhagavan Nityananda also encompasses within Himself other revered Datta manifestations such as Shri Manik Prabhu, Shri Swami Samarth, and Shirdi Sai Baba. And yet, even after encompassing all these forms, Bhagavan Nityananda remains far more than a composite identity. He stands as a unique, standalone Reality—self-luminous, self-sufficient, and beyond categorisation.
In the Ārti, Bhagavan is praised as one who fulfils the deepest desires of devotees, a Saviour who bears the burdens of his bhaktas, a being who showers special love on children, and a living embodiment of Divine Bliss (Ānanda Svarūpa). Though transcendent and all-pervading, He remains ever-present at Ganeshpuri, accessible to the humble and the sincere.
As a Dattopāsaka, Shri Balkrishna Maskar perceived Bhagavan Nityananda not as confined within any single lineage, but as the living axis of all Guru traditions—at once within the Datta Paramparā and infinitely beyond it. His Ārti is thus not merely a hymn of praise, but a declaration of spiritual vision, recognising Bhagavan Nityananda as the timeless Guru who appears again and again, adapting form while remaining essence.
On this auspicious occasion of Shri Nrusimha Saraswati Jayanti, let us offer our reverent salutations to Bhagavan Nityananda—the all-encompassing Mahāvatāra,
Bhakta-vatsala (beloved of devotees),
Bhakta-pratipālaka (protector of devotees),
Bhakta-abhimānī (one who owns the devotee),
Viśvarūpa Ananteśvara,
Jagadguru Shri Nityananda.
May His grace ever guide, protect, and awaken us.
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