Atri
अत्रि
Atri
Father of Dattatreya + rishi of Rigveda Mandala 5
Consort
Anasuya (one of the great pativratas)
Presiding deity
Soma + Agni + Indra (Atri family deities)
Principal sons
- • Dattatreya (incarnation of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva)
- • Durvasa
- • Soma (the moon)
Veda contribution
Rishi of the 5th mandala of the Rigveda (Atri mandala), composer of ~87 sukta
Rigveda Mandala 5 — ~87 sukta
Associated tirthas
- • Atri ashrama (Chitrakoot, U.P.)
- • Atri kund (Kurukshetra)
- • Mahur (Maharashtra)
Story
Atri is one of the original mind-born sons of Brahma and one of the seven rishis seated in the constellation Ursa Major. With his wife Anasuya — celebrated as one of the supreme pativratas of dharma — he kept an ashrama at Chitrakoot, where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana visited during their forest exile. The trimurti themselves came to test Anasuya; when she fulfilled their condition, they became her sons in the form of Dattatreya, Durvasa, and Soma. Atri is the rishi of Rigveda Mandala 5, the Atri mandala, and his descendants — the Atreyas — became one of the great gotras still active in present-day brahmana lineages.
Key teaching
Dharma + pativrata. The Atri household demonstrates that the spiritual power of a household (grihastha) is no less than that of a renunciate — when sustained by truth and devotion.
Principal scriptures
- • Rigveda Mandala 5
- • Atri Smriti
- • Atri Samhita
- • Ramayana Aranya Kanda 11
Modern relevance
The Atreya gotra remains one of the most widespread brahmana gotras. Atri ashrama at Chitrakoot is still active as a pilgrim site associated with the Rama-vanavasa, and the Mahur shrine in Maharashtra is one of the principal Dattatreya kshetras.