Atri

Quick Facts

About Atri

A son of the Grandsire and one of the seven rishis, husband of the faithful Anasuya and father of Durvasa. At Vainya's horse sacrifice he praised the king as foremost of sovereigns and was contradicted by Gautama, and the assembly of munis upheld him; he took the gold and gave it away to his sons before going to the woods.

In Their Words

I am called Atri because I cleanse the world of sin, and I will not unsay a true praise.

Atri

Traits

• Primordial
• Outspoken
• Generous
• Contentious

Story Appearances

• The Praise That Cost a SageThe sage who praised Vainya and was upheld
• The Theft of the Lotus StalksOne of the famished seven rishis
• Why Gold Is the Highest GiftAuthority on the gift of gold

Stories Featuring Atri

18 further tales on this site name Atri, in canonical reading order.

• Ancient BeginningsThe Line of the Moon, from Soma to ShantanuAdi Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Lineages of Gods and DemonsVaishampayana recites the descent of every creature from Brahma and the daughters of DakshaAdi Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Court of Sages at the Dvaita LakeAn exile that filled up with brahmanas instead of soldiersVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• Damayanti Alone in the ForestHalf a garment, a hunter, and a road out through strangersVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Children of AgniMarkandeya names the whole family of fires, from the daughters of Angiras to the rivers who mothered themVana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Boon Somadatta Asked ForA wrestling match at Devaki's self-choice, and the son born a generation later to answer itDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Head That Followed IndraA treaty kept to the letter and broken in every other wayShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Vow of BrahmacharyaBhishma on the rules of abstention, and the duct called ManovahaShanti Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Road of WorksBrahman and the first Rishis stand a thousand years on the shore, and sacrifice is foundedShanti Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Tribes Beyond the PaleBhishma names the peoples of the borders and dates them to the ending of the first ageShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Three Born of the FireBhrigu, Angiras and Kavi rise from a libation, and three gods claim themAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Savitri Mantra of SalutationsBhishma gives Yudhishthira the roll of names to be said at dawnAnushasana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Names That Cleanse SinAsked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kingsAnushasana Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Three Sages Who Saved the GodsAgastya burns the Danavas, Vashishtha brings down the Sarayu, and Atri becomes the moon and the sunAnushasana Parva ‧ 13 min
• How Vishnu Got the DiscusUpamanyu tells Krishna where Sudarsana came from, and Krishna climbs Himavat to ask Mahadeva for a sonAnushasana Parva ‧ 23 min
• Gifts Under the Lunar MansionsNarada tells Devaki what to give under each star, and the gods ask Brahman for ground to stand onAnushasana Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Wind Answers the Thousand-Armed KingKartavirya boasts, and an invisible voice begins to argueAnushasana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Eight Who Questioned BrahmaThe ladder from the Unmanifest down to a bodyAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 21 min

Character Arc

1. 1The QuarrelGautama calls his praise of the king nonsense before the munis
2. 2The VerdictKashyapa and the assembly find for Atri
3. 3The GivingHe divides the king's gold among his sons and departs

Key Relationships

• Son➝Brahma
• Father➝Sage Durvasa
• Disputant➝Gautama
• Fellow rishi➝Vashishtha

Places in Atri's Story

Drawn from the stories Atri appears in.

• Pratishthanaप्रतिष्ठान
• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Forest Hermitageवन आश्रम
• Naimisharanyaनैमिषारण्य
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Mahishmatiमाहिष्मती
• The Oceanसमुद्र
• Yamunaयमुना
• Saraswatiसरस्वती
• Sarayuसरयू
• Brahmalokaब्रह्मलोक
• Indraprasthaइंद्रप्रस्थ

Related Characters

Others counted among the Sages & Others.

• ✦Sage Kanva
• ◎Eklavya
• ★Shukracharya
• ♛Vrishaparva
• ♛Yadu
• ✧Princess Amba