he Saivas draw a corresponding distinction between Parama-Siva,
the god in his transcendent nature, and the Siva who figures in the
Trimurti. So the most orthodox Vaishnava and the most bigoted Saiva
can adore this three-headed image of the Trimurti side by side with
easy consciences.

[Footnote 35: This idea in germ is already suggested in Maitr. Upan.,
IV. 5 f., and V. 2.]

This idea of the three gods in one, though it is embodied in some
important works of sculpture such as the famous Trimurti in the Caves
of Elephanta, has not had much practical effect upon Hindu religion.
But it has given birth to at any rate one interesting little sect, the
worshippers of Dattatreya, who are to be found mainly in the Maratha
country. The legend of the saint Dattatreya, which is already found in
the Mahabharata and Puranas and is repeated with some modifications
and amplifications in modern works of the sect,[36] relates that when
the holy Rishi Atri subjected himself to terrific austerities in order
to obtain worthy progeny, the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva visited
him and promised him the desired boon; accordingly his wife Anasuya
gave birth to three sons, of whom the first was the Moon, an
incarnation of Brahma, the second Dattatreya, an incarnation of
Vishnu, and the third the holy but irascible saint Durvasas,
representing Siva. Dattatreya dwelt in a hermitage in the Dekkan: he
indulged in marriage and wine-drinking, which however were not
detrimental to his miraculous sanctity and wisdom, and he became
famous as a benefactor to humanity. He is said to have lived in the
time of Kartavirya Arjuna, the Haihaya king, and to have counselled
the latter to remain on his throne when he wished to resign it. In
older works of plastic art he is sometimes represented by the simple
expedient of placing the three gods side by side, sometimes by
figuring him as Vishnu in the guise of a Yogi with some of the
attributes of the other two; but in modern times he usually appears as
a single figure with three heads, one for each of the great gods, and
four or six arms bearing their several attributes (usually the rosary
and water-pot of Brahma, the conch and discus of Vishnu, and the
trident and drum of Siva), while he is accompanied by four dogs of
different colours, supposed to represent the four Vedas, and a
bull.[37] Observe that in all these types Dattatreya is conceived as
an embodiment of the three gods, which is comparatively a later i