Margashirsha Purnima (Dattatreya Jayanti)
मार्गशीर्ष पूर्णिमा (दत्तात्रेय जयंती / अन्नपूर्णा जयंती)
Margashirsha Purnima marks the appearance of Lord Dattatreya, the unified incarnation of the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), as well as Annapurna Jayanti, honoring the goddess who nourishes all living beings.
November 24, 2026
Tuesday
09:10 AM to 01:20 PM
Auspicious forenoon window
05:22 PM
Chandra Arghya window
November 23, 2026 at 04:30 PM
until November 24, 2026 at 02:40 PM
ॐ द्रां दत्तात्रेयाय नमः॥ ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीं भगवति अन्नपूर्णे स्वाहा॥
Oṁ drāṁ dattātreyāya namaḥ || Oṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ klīṁ bhagavati annapūrṇe svāhā ||
Salutations to Lord Dattatreya, the supreme master and avatar of the Trimurti. Salutations to Goddess Annapurna, the universal nurturer.
Spiritual & Scriptural Significance
Worshipping Lord Dattatreya removes ignorance, mental confusion, and ancestral afflictions (Pitru Dosha), while Annapurna Puja ensures that hunger never visits the devotee's household.
Pauranic Vrat Katha & History
The Bhagavata and Markandeya Puranas narrate that the chaste Anasuya and Sage Atri performed intense tapasya. Pleased by Anasuya's purity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva merged into a single three-headed divine incarnation, born as Lord Dattatreya, who took 24 natural gurus (including the earth, air, water, and animal kingdom) to teach detachment and wisdom.
Step-by-Step Purnima Vrat & Puja Vidhi
- 1Wake up early, bathe, and perform Dhyana of Lord Dattatreya with three heads and six arms.
- 2Clean the kitchen and worship the cooking hearth and food grains as Goddess Annapurna.
- 3Perform Satyanarayan Puja with fresh fruits and kheer.
- 4Donate food, cooked meals, and grains to poor and hungry people.
- 5Offer evening Arghya to Chandra Dev and recite the Dattatreya Vajra Kavacham.
Frequently Asked Questions: Margashirsha Purnima (Dattatreya Jayanti)
Who is Lord Dattatreya?
Lord Dattatreya is the divine incarnation synthesizing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, worshipped as the supreme Adi-Guru of Yoga, wisdom, and universal brotherhood.
Why is Annapurna Jayanti celebrated on this Purnima?
According to scripture, when famine struck the earth, Goddess Parvati manifested as Annapurna in Kashi to distribute divine food, personally serving alms to Lord Shiva.