Atri

Origins of Atri Mṛṣhi

In the epoch when Brahmā was preparing to create the fourteen worlds, and even before the emergence of the jīva-koṭi, he willed a partner in that grand task. From his tapas he manifested Atri Mṛṣhi, for Atri is but a portion of Brahmā himself. Among the ṛṣis there is no hierarchy—each is a direct embodiment of Īśvara.
Upon his birth, Atri asked Brahmā, “Why have you created me? What purpose do I serve?” Brahmā replied, “O Child, I require your aid in the work of creation. Through your tapas and its power, bring forth the jīva-koṭi.”

Atri’s Unending Tapas

Atri then entered prolonged tapas. Attaining ātma-jñāna and realizing the essence of Brahman, he nonetheless persisted in rigorous practice. So intense was his austerity that a blinding radiance streamed forth from his two eyes, a brilliance too fierce for even the ten directions to bear. When he proposed to distribute it among the ten quarters, each realm found it unbearable and cast it back. Thus it condensed into a mighty orb—the Tejas Gupta— which he cast into the infinite cosmic ocean. When even the ocean churned in pain, Brahmā descended to earth and gave that Tejas a human form. Cooled and tempered, it appeared in the sky as a male form. The gods rejoiced, chanting Soma mantras in praise of Brahmā for averting great peril.

Marriage to Anasūyā

Brahmā then proclaimed, “Atri performs great tapas. From his penance emerged this terrible radiance, now tempered into a divine person. In his future he shall wed Anasūyā. As he was born from tapas, when he enters her womb he will grant her a son.”
Of the eight daughters and one son of Prajāpati Kaśyapa, one was Anasūyā. Recognizing Atri as her destined consort, Kaśyapa married them—and thus Anasūyā, daughter of Kaśyapa, took Atri as husband.

Anasūyā’s Tapas and the Trimuṛti’s Test

In Atri’s presence, Anasūyā had no duties, for he needed nothing worldly. She too entered tapas alongside him, her own devotion as steadfast as his.
When the Trimūrti came to test her paṭivratya, they asked for a meal. Anasūyā offered them arghya and water. They then demanded, “Only if you serve us naked will we partake.” She assented, and with her mantric power, transformed her tapas into water, offering it to the three as milk. They, soothed by her devotion, united into the triple-headed Dattātreya.

The Birth of Soma

Though Anasūyā had borne Dattātreya by tapas, no other children manifested—so Atri and Anasūyā journeyed to Mount Dakṣa to invoke progeny. The Trimūrti appeared and declared, “None of us is superior; from our very essence you shall receive a worthy son.” From Atri’s eyes there then sprang Soma, who became the Moon-god.

Worldly Duties and Dharma

Once Atri spoke to Anasūyā, “Our wishes are fulfilled. Now our worldly life is complete. I shall depart for tapas; will you join me, or raise our children here?” She answered, “The children are young and require sustenance. Go to King Priyuccakra for wealth; it is improper to abandon them.” Understanding her dharma, Atri sought funds from the king.

The king replied, “I will grant wealth if you aid me in my aśvamedha. My son is to guard the sacrificial steed.” When Indra, in disguise, attempted to seize the steed, the king’s son asked whether to slay the intruder. Atri advised, “If he harms the sacrifice, he must be struck—regardless of his identity.” Thus, the prince’s arrow wounded Indra, who fled, abandon­ing the horse.

To confirm this act of dharma, they consulted Sanat-Kumāra, who declared Atri’s action entirely proper: in praising only the Viṣṇu-aspect of the king, he did not offend the king’s other attributes.

Blessing the Sun and Moon

When the devas and asuras wounded both Sūrya and Soma during their wars, the luminaries sought refuge with Atri. He bestowed upon them radiant bodies that would never again be harmed by asura weapons.

Hospitality to Sītā, Rāma, and Lakṣmaṇa

In the Rāmāyaṇa era, Sītā, Rāma, and Lakṣmaṇa visited Atri’s āśrama. Atri welcomed them. Sītā requested instruction in paṭivratya from Anasūyā, and Anasūyā revealed the secrets of her devotion to Sītā.

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The Atri’s Philosophy, Saṃhitā and Dharma­śāstra

Worshipped by numerous ṛṣis and brāhmaṇas, Atri delivered profound teachings on proper conduct. His teachings are preserved in the Atri Saṃhitā, which opens with the declaration that liberation arises through viewing Viṣṇu as the indwelling protector. He first expounded the Vaiśākha school’s distinction between amūrta (fire-offering) and sāmūrta (icon worship), laying the groundwork for temple ritual and homa to be performed in tandem.

His work further addresses karma, pratiṣṭhā, pūjana, and utsava in five parts: temple construction; subsidiary ; daily worship rites; mahāpāṭha and mahābiṣeka; and festival rites. A corresponding treatise, the Atri Smṛti, elaborates duties of each varṇa, expounds penance, charity, and ancestor rites, and provides procedures for atonement in case of ritual error. A ten-chapter Ātreya Dharmaśāstra further codifies daily duties and penalties for misconduct, affirming the validity of varṇa-bound rituals while rejecting caste-based untouchability.

Through his vast and inclusive vision, Atri united the paths of temple ritual, homa, icon worship, and philosophical contemplation—forming a comprehensive guide for both householders and renunciants alike.

Beyond the Bhāgavata itself, the Purāṇic lore preserves countless tales of the gurus and their lineages. It is through the descendants of these ṛṣis that our sacred culture endures. We call ourselves “āryas” precisely because we are born of the Ṛṣīs—such is the ārṣa-dharma. Those who know the divine essence assume the title of ṛṣi, and so it is to their lineages that we turn to apprehend the nature of Īśvara.

The Imperative of a Guru

The direct revelation of Īśvara’s nature does not come unbidden to the individual. Even one who yearns intensely for divine vision remains beset by doubts: How shall I approach? What must be done? Are my questions proper, or misguided? Such questions afflict the human heart.
It is the guru—embodied as the great ṛṣi—who provides authoritative answers. The Vedas themselves, though apauruṣeya, reach us through the mouths of ṛṣis. For them, the Veda is śruti; for us, it is ṛṣi-prokta. This distinction must never be forgotten.

Ṛṣi Lineage as Living Tradition

That the Veda comes through ṛṣi-mouths points to their supreme greatness. Why did Īśvara choose them to proclaim His word? Because in their exalted state they manifest the divine. Their histories are therefore of paramount interest: by hearing them, by remembering them, we invoke their blessings. The Purāṇas weave together these stories, placing ṛṣis side by side so that their remembrance becomes a living path for seekers.

Dharma and the Cycle of Life

We must attend to our duties: to earn wealth righteously, to care for wife and children, to secure proper sustenance and clothing. None of these is unrighteous—each person must fulfill these duties. Yet even as we act, we must never forget the world’s impermanence. To regard transient existence as enduring is ignorance. To work with devotion, yet keep in mind the fleeting nature of fruits, dispels pride and curbs unwholesome desires. This awareness liberates us from countless faults.

The Example of Śukadeva and the Efficacy of Śravaṇa

When Parīkṣit stood to listen to the Bhāgavata for seven days, Śukadeva’s discourse yielded liberation for all. For us, who live amidst sense distractions, to sustain such listening in daily life is challenging. Hence we turn to the saints—adorned with the same revelations—to guide us. By contemplating their lives and teachings, we rekindle in our minds the discerning insight (viveka) and devotion (bhakti) necessary for liberation.

The Role of the Īśvara’s Will

In each event of this world, the divine will operates subtly. Though we attribute all outcomes to Īśvara’s icchā, it is ultimately our karma that shapes results. The Lord does not promise specific boons to each mortal; rather, His supporting presence allows the fruits of action to mature. Our errors in desire cannot be laid at His feet, for He has not bound us to any particular promise. Thus the ṛṣis—through whom we learn both the Vedic injunctions and the nuanced wisdom of action—stand as indispensable guides for those who seek the Lord beyond the veil of māyā.

Submergence and Restoration of the Gopas and Cows

Once, Bhagavān Brahma withdrew from the cowherds (gopas), their families, and the cattle—removing them entirely from perception. Though Śrī-Kṛṣṇa later restored them, the episode reveals that even a universe reflected within the eternal Brahman is itself transitory. Whatever form Īśvara may assume, that manifestation too will dissolve back into the Supreme. Brahman had thought, “I am the Creator of these gopas, these men and cows; if I withdraw them, nothing remains.” But Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā dispelled this sense of agency, teaching that the world continues by divine ordinance, not by Brahman’s individual will.

The World as the Lord’s Lila

Imagine a drama with ten characters: a poet conceives the play, writes the roles, and actors come forth to enact it exactly as written. Though they speak and move, their sole agency lies in fulfilling the poet’s vision. So too Brahman, though creator of māyā’s manifestations, remains only the indirect cause (nimitta-mātra). Īśvara—Kṛṣṇa—reveals that Brahman, even if it vowed to dissolve creation, the cosmic drama persists by the Lord’s will. This is the supreme teaching to Brahmā himself.

Īśvara’s Impersonal Agency

Īśvara’s hallmark is that He is not the doer of every event, though all appears to unfold by His ordinance. Brahmā’s creation belongs to relative reality (sāpekṣa-satya), and Brahmā rightly claims authorship there. But the Absolute (pāramārthika-satya) transcends doing; it underlies all change without itself undergoing transformation.

The Reflection of the Eternal

What is real remains ever real; what is reflected must fade. Yet even that temporary reflection cannot exist apart from the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā imparted to Brahmā the profound insight that though the Lord may mirror ignorance as He wills, true being never departs. Creation arises and dissolves by divine ordinance, while the Lord abides as witness and source.

Beyond Form: The Eternal Vishvarūpa

Every avatāra of Īśvara—be it Rāma, Nṛsiṃha, or Kṛṣṇa Himself—carries the same timeless essence. Though their forms passed, the tattva they embody remains ever present. A devotee’s meditation on Rāma today evokes Rāma’s eternality; so too the Lord’s manifestations transcend their mortal frames.

Liberation and the Lord’s Unconditional Grace

Kṛṣṇa did not promise Arjuna invincibility or eternal reign; He simply revealed, “Do thy duty. I am ever with thee.” His assurances never amount to personal pledges of prosperity, for to do so would contradict His impersonal, all-pervading nature. Instead, He invites each soul to act with discernment, to surrender the fruits, and to abide in the witness-consciousness that alone leads to mokṣa.

Kṛṣṇa’s Perceived Relationships with the Gopīs

Śrī-Kṛṣṇa appeared in many forms—husband, son, herdsman, even as cattle. In the realm of the gopas and gopīs, He was said to be the husband of sixteen thousand wives. Yet this “reality” was but the projection of each soul’s own perception. Having departed the village at the age of twelve, the child Kṛṣṇa no longer dwelt among them; still, in that single moment of divine lila, each woman beheld Him in the role her own heart assigned—be it husband, son, mother, or cow. Though Śrī-Kṛṣṇa Himself remained unchanged, every gopī, every cow, simply experienced Him according to her own fervent devotion.

Brahmā’s Hymn to the Saguna Lord

Brahmā composed a sublime hymn in praise of the Lord’s saguṇa (with attributes) form, recognizing that the formless Supreme cannot be comprehended by intellect alone. He taught:

“Attempting to grasp the ultimate principle by force of reason is futile. No amount of learning can confer that realization. One circles endlessly around the truth, as an ox bound to a grinder turns around, while the oil—its essence—never reaches the ox’s mouth. Similarly, the Absolute is ever-present, yet unattainable by speculation. Therefore, when the Lord manifests in human form, love and devotion are your duty. Through that bhakti alone can you attain Him.”

The Path of Devotion

Bhakti and prema (loving devotion) are essentially one and the same. In creation, natural affections abound: a wife loves her husband, a servant trusts his master. These simple, human emotions become the very means to reach the Divine:

• Devotion as Extension of Natural Affection
  Just as you love your spouse or cherish your children, so too you may direct that heartfelt devotion toward Īśvara.
• No Need for New Qualifications
  You need not acquire exotic disciplines or esoteric powers. Whatever virtues you already possess—trust, love, service—apply them to the Lord and you will attain Him.

Universal Accessibility of Bhakti

Because devotion arises spontaneously in every heart, even animals and infants have, in mythic episodes, been drawn to the Divine:

• Gajendra’s Surrender
  The elephant Gajendra reached out to the Lord in his distress.
• Prahlāda’s Love
  The child Prahlāda embodied pure devotion.
• Dhruva’s Yearning
  Young Dhruva aspired to behold the Lord’s feet.

These beings—neither scholars nor yogins—demonstrate that bhakti is accessible to all, in every condition of life.

Applying Human Virtues to the Divine

Śrī-Kṛṣṇa’s lila underscores that whatever role you play—parent, child, friend—you can sanctify it by dedicating your affection to Īśvara. The Bhagavata advises:

“Love the Lord as you love your spouse; serve Him as you serve your master; cherish Him as you cherish your wealth. In that very love, in that very devotion, you will realize the Supreme.”

Thus, Atri Muni’s lineage of devotion finds its culmination in recognizing that the Supreme need not be sought by transcending one’s nature, but by sanctifying it through unbroken love.