The precise historical moment when the Avadhuta Gita emerged cannot be fixed with certainty. Traditional attribution links it to the sage Dattatreya, yet modern scholarship generally regards this as a mythological association rather than a verifiable historical fact. What can be said with some confidence is that the text belongs to the early medieval phase of Advaita literature, when non-dual teachings were being expressed in a highly refined, poetic Sanskrit. The uncertainty of its dating is itself a reminder that such works often arose in a milieu where oral transmission, spiritual experience, and evolving textual forms were deeply intertwined.

Scholarly estimates place the composition of the Avadhuta Gita broadly within the early to high medieval period. Many scholars tend to situate it roughly between the 9th and 12th centuries CE, while acknowledging that some opinions extend the possible window a bit earlier or later. This range reflects attempts to correlate its language, style, and philosophical content with other known Advaita texts of the time. Rather than a single, sharply defined date, the text appears as part of a living stream of Advaitic reflection, crystallizing non-dual realization in a form that resonated with seekers over several centuries.

From a spiritual perspective, this indeterminacy of date can be seen as consonant with the very message of the Avadhuta Gita. A scripture that speaks of the timeless, non-dual Self naturally resists being pinned down to a specific historical moment. The broad scholarly window—spanning several centuries—suggests that what matters most is not the exact century of its composition, but the depth of realization it conveys. In this way, the text stands less as a product of a particular year and more as a testament to an enduring current of Advaita insight.