Dattatreya was the son of the great sage Atri and Anusuya an embodiment of chastity and pious living. He is an incarnation of the trimurthis (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and an avadutha.

Lord Sri Krishna narrates a story to his friend and devotee Uddhava (known as Uddhava Geeta). Once king Yadu saw Datta wandering in divine bliss in a forest and with humility and curiosity approached the avadutha and asked about the secret of his happiness and the name of his Guru.

To which Dattatreya responded thus,

"My bliss and contentment are the fruits of self-realization. Soul (Aatmaa) alone is my Guru, yet I have gained the necessary wisdom from the whole creation, via 24 individuals who were therefore my Gurus. I shall elaborate the same for you".

I have taken shelter of twenty-four gurus, who are the following: the earth, air, sky, water, fire, moon, sun, pigeon and python; the sea, moth, honeybee, elephant and honey thief; the deer, the fish, the dancing girl Pingala, the kurari bird and the child; the young girl, arrow maker, serpent, spider and wasp…

~Srimad Bhagavatam: Canto 11: Chapter 7: Slokas 33~35

He goes on to elucidate what he learnt from each of the teachers

1. Earth

Mother earth teaches us patience, forgiveness and tolerance. She teaches us to hold in her heart lovingly even those who hurt her.

2. Air

Being pure and odourless, air moves freely among all objects and yet remains unaffected. From the air, I learnt to be unattached though I move with everyone in the world

3. Sky

The soul, like the sky, is omnipresent. It carries the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets within it but is untouched by them. It teaches us to be free of emotions.

4. Water

Water quenches the thirst of every creature. Without pride, water serves all living beings.

Similarly, the sage too should bestow health, peace and joy to every creature that takes refuge at his feet.

5. Fire

Fire consumes everything that is offered to it but is untouched by impurities. Likewise, a sage should accept anything given by others without discrimination and burn it down with the fire of knowledge.

6. Moon

Moon goes through waxing and waning perpetually yet is unaffected by this continous cycle of change. A sage ought not to get affected by the changes to the body with time and also the ups and downs of external circumstances while being connected to the eternal unchanging soul.

7. Sun

Just as the sun being one, appears as the many while being reflected in the many pots. So also the one Brahman appears as the many because of the upadhis (bodies).

8. Pigeon

A hunter cast a net and caught some pigeons. The mother pigeon on seeing this also fell into the trap. The male pigeon followed soon out of love and affection.

A sage cannot fall prey to attachment, lest he becomes trapped in bondage and is led astray from the path of liberation.

9. Python

A Python remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place.

This taught me to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I get to eat (Ajagara Vritti).

10. Ocean

A sea neither increases when more water comes from the rivers nor does it decrease during summer. Just as a sage would remain equanimous during joy and sorrow.

11. Moth

A moth is attracted to the beautiful flames of fire and is destroyed. Similarly, a fool runs after illusory pleasures and gets mired in endless cycles of birth and death.

12. Bee

Just as a bee wanders from flower to flower in search of nectar without hurting them. So also should a sage seeks alms from each household without causing distress to the householder or becoming greedy.

13. Honey Gatherer

Even as the bees work hard for the honey, the honey gatherer takes it all away on a whim. Thus a sage should never go about hoarding creature comforts.

14. Elephant

A male elephant falls into a pit of pain enticed by a paper elephant(female). Similarly, a man overcome by passion is gripped by grief. A spiritual seeker ought to overcome lust.

15. Deer

Song and dance can bring a sage down from the path of spirituality and are thus best avoided on the path of truth.

16. Fish

A temptation of taste leads a fish to its capture and eventual demise. Controlling one's tongue is essential for one's spiritual growth & progress.

17. Dancing-girl Pingala

In the town of videha, a dancing girl by the name pingala waited for a paying customer the entire night. Upon his not arriving, and in abject hopelessness, a realization dawned on her to care for the soul and to not have any expectations from people to live in joy forever.

18. Raven

A raven picked up a piece of flesh and is attacked by other (stronger, hungrier) birds also in search of food. To stop the attack and attain peace it had to drop the food from its beak.

Possessions and sensual pleasures are an inevitable source of pain and avoiding them at all costs is the way to attain mukti.

19. Child

Both a child and a sage are always joyful and free of jealousy, anger, hatred, and ego. Being childlike (not childish) is the gateway to supreme bliss.

20. Maiden

A maiden once received a party that offered her a proposal of marriage. When she went inside to cook food and was beating rice, the bangles made a noise. She removed some bangles but the sound was still there. She then removed all bangles to be able to do the work silently.

Likewise, a spiritual journey should be one of solitude and even the company of other seekers can sometimes be a hindrance.

21. Serpent

A serpent lives in a hole created by others or rests on a tree. A spiritual seeker should not build a dwelling but should stay at a temple or any place available to him adjusting to the circumstances.

22. An Arrow-maker

An arrow-maker didn't notice a king's retinue passing him by as he was wholly engrossed in making the tip of his arrow. This teaches the importance of concentration on the path to self-realization.

23. Spider

A spider gets entangled in the cobweb of its creation and suffers so also does an ignorant man entrapped in his own thoughts. It is best to give up all worldly thoughts and become absorbed in Brahman.

24. Bettle

A wasp catches hold of a worm and brings it to its hive. It stings it and goes on buzzing about it. This makes the worm think only about the wasp and eventually, it turns into a wasp and flies away.

Whatever one thinks one becomes. Thus it's important to think of the lotus feet of the lord in the final moments to escape the cycles of birth and death. Which is only possible only if one cultivates the habit of remembering god all through life.

Summary

The Earth represents the Dharma. The Wind symbolizes freedom of Truth. The Sun, Moon and Ocean emphasise the unchanging Nature of Truth. The Sky shows the Infinite Nature of the Self. The Spider reminds the transient nature of the material world. The Moth, Elephant, Deer and Fish warn against the distraction caused by desires. The Pigeon, Honeybee, Raven and Pingala warn against attachments. The Child evokes happiness. Python and Honeybee emphasise the benefits of simple living. Fire and Water teach the power to purify the contamination of the material world. The Maiden and Snake teach us to avoid any distractions caused by unwanted things. The Arrowsmith teaches us to remain focused and concentrate towards the goal. The Caterpillar teaches that by concentrating on God, one can return to Godhead, the Ultimate Goal.