The book is based on the life of Shri Narshimha Saraswati, his philosophy and related stories.
Shri Guru Charitra begins with the story of a character called Naamdharak, who is a personification of a common man, buried with mundane burdens.
This is how the chapters progress into either a story or an incident-miracle or biographical anecdotes from the life of a holy Datta incarnation.
Nrusimha Saraswati is born in Karanja in Washim district of Vidarbha in Maharashtra and at a very young, he adopted Sanyasi life style, travelling to holy places across India.
Since chapter 13, Guru Charitra chronicles the life journey of Sree Nrusimha Saraswati.
Stories connected to Rudraksh, Bhasma (holy ash), Ashvatt tree, Karma, sins and atonement Pryashchitta are also explained by Sree Guru himself.
Possible years and dates are given according to descriptions of the lunar and stellar events calendar mentioned in the Shri GuruCharitra.
The tradition believes that the legendary Nath sampradaya yogi and Hatha Yoga innovator Gorakshanath was inspired and shaped by Dattatreya.
Regional efforts and texts of the Nath tradition such as Yogi sampradaya vishkriti discussed Dattatreya.
Dattatetreya's theology emphasizing simple life, kindness to all, questioning the status quo, self pursuit of knowledge and seeking spiritual meaning of life appealed to Bhakti sant-poets of Hinduism such as Tukaram and Eknath, during an era of political and social upheaval caused by Islamic invasion in the Deccan region of India.
The use of his symbolism was one of the many syncretic themes of this period where the ideas of Vaishnavism and Shaivism holistically fused in popular imagination.
The Mahanubhava sampradaya, propagated by Sri Chakradhar Swami, has five Krishnas as the incarnations of god, of which Dattatreya is one.