Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Atri included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of Atri
The son of .
Atri Ѳṣi was one of the mānasaputras of . The mānasaputras were: Ѳī, ṅg, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu (Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 65, Verse 10).
One of the ٲṣi.
Brahma’s sons, Ѳī, ṅg, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and ղṣṭ are known as the ٲṣi (seven sages). (Ѳٲ, ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 208).
Creator of the pracetases.
The sage ʰ峦īԲ was born in the family of Atri Ѳṣi. Ten Pracetases (ʰ貹پ) were born as the sons of this Muni. (Ѳٲ, Śپ Parva, Chapter 208).
Citra Śikhaṇḍī.
Among the seven Munis known as Citra Śṇḍī, we see Atri Ѳṣi as one of the Aṣṭaprakṛtis which form the basis of the Universe.
Important events.
(1) How Ѳ屹ṣṇ became Atri’s son. śⲹ貹 had a son named Kaśipu. He was a very mighty ruler and carried on his reign in an ungodly manner. In a terrible battle which took place at that time between the Devas and Asuras Kaśipu was killed. ʰ岹 became the Asura King. Then there was a battle between Indra and ʰ岹. After six years' war, ʰ岹 withdrew, defeated. Later Ѳ, the son of Virocana (grandson of ʰ岹) became emperor of Asuras. War broke out again between Ѳ and Indra. In this war, Ѳ屹ṣṇ helped Indra. The Asuras were utterly defeated. They sought refuge with Śܰ, the Asura guru. Śܰ promised to help them. He set out to the ᾱⲹ to receive a powerful mantra from Ś. The Asuras kept waiting for Śܰ’s return.
At this stage, Ѳ屹ṣṇ who was the protector of Indra, came to Śܰ’s ś and killed Śܰ’s mother, Kāvyamātā. Seeing this impudence of Ѳ屹ṣṇ, ṛg Ѳṣi was enraged and cursed him that he should be born many times in human wombs. It is on account of this that Ѳ屹ṣṇ had to take many (incarnations). It was in this way that Ѳ屹ṣṇ incarnated as ٲٳٰⲹ, the son of Atri. (ٱī Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha).
Atri and ʲś.
It was a time when ղṣṭ and վś峾ٰ were in a state of mutual ill-will. Once King ṣa岹 was going about in the forest on a hunting expedition. He met Śپ, the eldest son of ղṣṭ in the forest. The King did not respect him properly. Śپ transformed ṣa岹 into a ṣa by his curse. The ṣa who was also a cannibal, first swallowed Śپ himself. վś峾ٰ offered whatever help he could, to destroy ղṣṭ’s family. ṣa岹 ate successively all the 100 sons of ղṣṭ. ղṣṭ, in great sorrow and Sakti’s wife, ṛśyԳī lived in an ś. ṛśyԳī was pregnant at the time of Śپ’s death. In due course she gave birth to a boy who was called ʲś and who later on became the father of ղ. when ʲś grew up, he came to know that his father Śپ was eaten by the ṣa. Enraged at this, he started a ⲹñ to annihilate the whole race of ṣas. As the ⲹñ gained intensity and force Atri Muni arrived there with certain other Ѳṣis and dissuaded ʲś from the ⲹñ. (Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 181).
Atri’s dispute with Vainya.
Atri Ѳṣi and his wife once got ready to go for Vanavāsa. At that time the poor Ѳṣi’s wife was in great distress because they had no money to be distributed to their disciples and children. She requested her husband to go to King Vainya and to beg for some money. Accordingly the Ѳṣi visited King Vainya at his yāgaśālā (The shed where a yāga is held). He began to flatter Vainya by saying that he was the first among kings and so on. Vainya did not like it. He began to dispute with Atri. Vainya remarked that Indra was the first King. To settle the dispute they went together to Բٰܳ Muni. Բٰܳ sent them away reconciled. After that Vainya gave Atri much wealth. After distributing all this wealth among their sons and disciples Atri and his wife set out to the forest to perform penance.
How Atri became Sun and Moon.
Once there was a fierce battle between Devas and Asuras. Owing to the shower of arrows from the Asuras, the Sun and Moon became dim. Darkness spread everywhere. The Devas began to grope in the dark. They requested Atri Ѳṣi to find a remedy for this. Moved by their distress, Atri suddenly transformed himself into the Sun and Moon. The Moon gave light to the Devas. The Sun burnt up the Asuras by his intense heat. Thus the Devas were saved. This story was told by Bhagavana, to Arjuna. (Ѳٲ, ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 156).
Atri and King Vṛṣādarbhi.
In the Ѳٲ we find a story about a difference of opinion between King Vṛṣādarbhi and some Ѳṣis. This story was told by īṣm to ۳ܻṣṭ about the kind of persons from whom Brahmins may accept gifts. Once the Munis, śⲹ貹, Atri, ղṣṭ, 屹Ჹ, Gautama, վś峾ٰ, Jamadagni, and Paśusakhā, with ܲԻī and Ҳṇḍ, who were the wives of two Munis, travelled round the world. Their object was to go to Brahmaloka. At that time there was drought in the world. King Vṛṣādarbhi, the son of Ś, suggested that the above-mentioned Munis should be called and given wealth. They refused to accept it. Vṛṣādarbhi became angry. He performed Homa in Āhavanīyāgni and from the Ծṇḍ, the ṣaī Yātudhānī (ṛt) arose. Vṛṣādarbhi sent Yātudhānī to destroy Atri and all other Munis. As Yātudhānī was guarding a lotus pond in the forest, the munis led by Atri happened to come that way. The Ѳṣis were able to recognize Yātudhānī. They beat her with their tridaṇḍu (Trident or a kind of magic wand) and reduced her to ashes. After satisfying their hunger by eating the lotus flowers the Ѳṣis went to Brahmaloka. (Ѳٲ, ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 93).
Atri and Ś.
There is a passage in the Ѳٲ in which Atri gives advice to the emperor Nimi who belonged to Atri’s family. The story of how Ś originated in the world which īṣm had told Dharmaputra was retold by Atri. A son named ٲٳٰⲹ was born to Atri, the son of . ٲٳٰⲹ became King. Nimi was his son. Nimi’s son died after one thousand years. Nimi who was in deep grief at the death of his son, ordained a Ś in memory of his son. On that occasion Atri Ѳṣi came there and explained to Nimi the importance of Ś. (Ѳٲ, ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 91, Verses 20-44)
How , վṣṇ and Maheśvara (Ś) were born as sons of Atri.
There is no other woman in the ʳܰṇa who surpasses Śīlāvatī in her fidelity to her husband. In order to enable ś, her husband, to satisfy his passion, she once carried him on her own shoulders to a prostitute’s house. On the way, ṇḍⲹ Muni pronounced a curse that ś should die before sunrise. The grief-stricken Śīlāvatī pronounced a counter-curse that the sun should not rise on the next day. As the sun failed to rise, the հūپ (, վṣṇ and Ś), accompanied by Բū, Atri’s wife, went to Śīlāvatī. Բū persuaded Śīlāvatī to withdraw her curse. The հūپ who were happy at the success of their mission (of bringing about the Sunrise) asked Բū to demand any boon she wanted. Բū expressed her wish that the հūپ (, վṣṇ and Ś) should be born as her sons and they agreed.
Ѳ屹ṣṇ, under the name of ٲٳٰⲹ, was born as the son of Բū. Ś was born to her under the name of ٳܰ. There is a story about it in the ṇḍa ʳܰṇa. Once Ś got angry with the Devas. They began to flee for life. But alone did not run away. Ś who became more furious at this, pinched off one of the heads of . Still he was not pacified. ī who was alarmed, approached Ś and begged him to suppress his anger. At her request, Ś’s fury was transferred and deposited in Բū, Atri’s wife. ٳܰ is the embodiment of that element of Ś’s fury.
According to the promise, also took his birth as the moon from Բū, the wife of Atri. (For that story, see ʱŪ鴡մ). There is a story about that also in the ṇḍa ʳܰṇa. Once when was performing the task of creation, he experienced carnal passsion. ī was the offspring of that passion. When saw her, he fell in love with her also. This made him feel angry towards 峾𱹲. He pronounced a curse that 峾𱹲 should be burnt up in the fire from Ś’s eye. (This is why 峾𱹲 was later burnt to death by Ś). Although 峾 had retreated from his passion had not been suppressed. transferred his passion to Atri Ѳṣi. The Ѳṣi gave it to Բū, his wife. Since she was unable to bear such a violent passion, she gave it back to her husband. That passion emerged from Atri’s eye in the form of the Moon. This is why lovers experience strong passion for each other at the time of the rising of the moon. (ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapters 39-43).
Atri and Ҳṅg ٱī.
Once, while Atri Ѳṣi was performing penance in 峾da forest, there was a terrible drought in the country. At that time, his wife Բū made a Śliṅga of sand and offered worship to it. Then Atri asked her to give him a little water. There was no water anywhere. Suddenly Ҳṅg ٱī appeared there and said to Բū: "There will be a hole here. Water will come out of it in a torrent."
Pure water began to flow from the place pointed out by Ҳṅg ٱī. Բū begged Ҳṅg ٱī to stay there for a month. Ҳṅg ٱī agreed to do so on condition that Բū would transfer her Tapaśśakti to her for one month.
Atri was pleased by drinking the water. He asked Բū where she got such nice fresh water. She explained to him all matters. Atri expressed his desire to see Ҳṅg ٱī. She appeared before him at once. Բū prayed to her that Ҳṅg should continue to exist in the world always. Ҳṅg ٱī answered that she would do so if Բū was prepared to give her the fruit of one year’s Tapaśśakti and of devoted service to her husband. Բū agreed to that condition. Suddenly Ś appeared there in the shape of a ṅg. At the request of Atri and Բū Ś took his seat there permanently assuming the name of "Atrīśvara". (Ś ʳܰṇa).
Other Details.
1. Besides ٲٳٰⲹ, ٳܰ and Candra. Atri had another son, ʰ峦īԲ. (Ѳٲ, ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 208, Verse 6).
2. Many 屹첹 had been born in Atri ղṃśa. (Ѳٲ, Vana Parva, Chapter 222, Verses 27-29).
3. When the Kaurava-ṇḍ war was raging with great fury, many Ѳṣis went to ٰṇa and advised him to stop the battle. Atri Ѳṣi was one of them. (Ѳٲ, ٰṇa Parva, Chapter 190, Verse 35).
4. On another occasion, a King named Soma performed a Ჹūⲹ (Royal sacrifice). Atri Ѳṣi was the chief priest at this yāga. (Ѳٲ, Śⲹ Parva, Chapter 43, Verse 47).
5. Atri was also among the Ѳṣis who had gone to witness ʲśܰ峾’s tapas. (ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapter 64).
6. ṻ岹, 5th Ѳṇḍ was composed by Atri. (ṻ岹 ṃh, Preface).
7. Once the Asuras put Atri Ѳṣi into the Śatadvāra yantra (a machine of torture with a hundred holes). ṻ岹, 1st Ѳṇḍ, 16th Anuvāka, ūٲ 51).
8. Once the Asuras tried to burn Atri alive. (ṻ岹, 1st Ѳṇḍ, 16th Anuvāka, ūٲ 112).
9. The Asuras at another time made Atri lie down in a machine with a large number of holes and tried to burn him alive in it. At that time he prayed to the śԲ and they liberated him. (ṻ岹, 1st Ѳṇḍ, 17th Anuvāka, ūٲ 116).
10. Atri was among the Ѳṣis who visited Śrī Rāma, on his return to ǻ after the war with 屹ṇa. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa).
11. From the navel lotus of վṣṇ was born, Atri from , Soma from Atri, and Purūravas from Soma were born. (Agni ʳܰṇa, Chapter 12).
12. Atri begot by Բū, Soma, ٳܰ and ٲٳٰⲹ Dzī. (Agni ʳܰṇa, Chapter 20).