Maharishi Atri, Anushya devi and Dhatathreya - Saptha Rishi

Athreya Gotra people must know about this wonderful saint at least now.

Maharishi Atri

He is among the three main seers who propounded the sacred thread (after Brihaspati) which has three strands symbolising Creation (Brahma and the letter A), sustenance (Vishnu and the letter U) and Dissolution (Shiva{m} and the letter M). Together these three strands show the vow that a Brahmin takes to recite and adhere to Aum.

The first three threads is the Brahma vrata (promise of the Brahmin) and is related to Bhu loka (earth plane). The second set of three threads is given after marriage and is related to the Bhuva loka (solar system) while the third set of three threads Deeksha (initiation)and is related to svarga loka (heavens).

A Sapta Rishi: He is among the Sapta Rishi (seven luminous or eternal sages in the sky) symbolized by the great bear and the seven stars around it. Named Megrez in Latin. The star is also considered as δ (Delta) or the 4th star in the Great Bear constellation.

Seer of Rig Veda: He is the seer of the fifth Mandala (Book 5) of the Rig Veda. He had many sons and disciples who have also contributed in the compilation of the Rig Veda and other Vedic texts.
His Life: Atri maharishi is one of the ten sons of Creator Brahmaand first of the Saptha Rishis, created by just the will of the Almighty and therefore designated as a Maanasa-putras (mentally generated issues). There were ten of these. Atri's wife is Anasuyaa or Anusiya devi, a daughter of Kardama Prajapati and an embodiment of chastity.

Trinity test of Anasuyaa: Once trinity decided to test the chastity of Anasuyaa. They came to Anasuyaa's house as Brahmins and request for food with the condition that she has to serve it nude. Anasuyaa without any hesitation agreed to that. In turn she used her pativrita shakti to convert the brahmins into child and offered them food without any dress. Trinity could revert back to their original form only after she did herself on the request of gods. Trinity blessed them with three sons being sons: Dattatreya, Chandraatri and Krishnaatri.

Rama, the son of Dasaratha, visited Atri Maharishi's Ashram during his fourteen years of stay in the forest. It was Atri who showed the way to Dandakaranya forest to Rama, after showering his hospitality on him.

Atri Maharishi is considered to be one of the great discoverers of sacred Mantras of Hinduism. In his family line there were a few other seers of mantras namely: Shaavaashva, Avishtir, and Purvaatithi. There were also other great Rishis in that line: Mudgala, Uddaalaki, Shaakalaayani, Chaandogya, etc.

Source(s):

http://english.turkcebilgi.com/Atri

Atri Maharishi : In Hinduism , Attri ( Sanskrit : अत्रि ) or Atri is a legendary bard and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapatis , and a son of Brahma , said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya communities who adopt Atri as their gotra . Atri is the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi ) in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara

The Legend Of Maha Sati Anasuya

Maha Sati Anasuya

Maha Sati Anasuya is generally quoted as the model of chastity. She was the wife of Atri Maharishi, a great sage and one of the Sapta Rishis (Sapta means seven and rishis mean sages in Sanskrit). She was well established in Pativrata Dharma.

Maha Sati^* :- Maha means great or big; Sati means Sati" means a virtuous woman So Maha Sati means great virtuous woman.

Pativrata Dharma^* :- 'Pati' means 'husband' and 'Vrata' means 'vow'- Pativratam is a great vow for a woman. A Partivrata is a chaste woman who have taken the vow of ‘Pativratam' who sticks to her Partivrata Dharma, even at the risk of her own life. Who is faithfully devoted to her husband, who she worships him as a lord and who serves him with all her heart, mind and soul.

Maha Sati Anasuya served her husband with intense devotion. She did severe Tapas for a very long time in order to beget sons equal to the Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

Tapas^* :- Tapas refers to a personal endeavor of discipline, undertaken to achieve a goal, accompanying suffering and pain.

Wanting to grant Maha Sati Anasuya her desire to beget sons equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, Sarasvati (wife of Lord Brahma) Lakshmi (wife of Lord Vishnu) and Parvati (wife of Lord Siva) requested their husbands to test the Pativrata Dharma of Maha Sati Anasuya, wife of Atri Maharishi, and ask her to give them Nirvana Bhiksha, that is, to give them food in a naked condition.

The Tri-Murtis, (Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) through their Jnana-Drishti ((supernatural vision) knew the divine wishes of their divine wives (Goddesses Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati) and the wish of Maha Sati Anasuya. They agreed. The Tri-Murtis (Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) took on the forms of Sannyasins, (Wandering holy ascetics) and appeared before Maha Sati Anasuya and asked her to give them Nirvana Bhiksha that is, to give them food in a naked condition. Maha Sati Anasuya was in a great dilemma. She could not say ‘No’ to the Sannyasins.She had to maintain her Pativrata Dharma also. She meditated on the form of her husband, took refuge in his feet and sprinkled over the three Sannyasins a few drops of water which were used for washing the feet of her husband. The Tri-Murtis (Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) were converted into three children on account of the glory of the Charanamrita (Holy water). At the same time, there was accumulation of milk in the breast of Maha Sati Anasuya. She thought that those children were her own children and fed them with the milk in a nude state and put them to the cradle. She was eagerly expecting the arrival of her husband who had gone for taking his bath.

As soon as Atri Rishi came back home, Maha Sati Anasuya related to him all that had happened during his absence, placed the three children at his feet and worshipped him. But Atri knew all this already through his divine vision. He embraced all the three children. The three children became one child with two feet, one trunk, three heads and six hands. Atri Rishi blessed his wife and informed her that the Tri-Murtis (Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) themselves had assumed the forms of the three children to gratify her wish.

Sage Narada went to Brahma-Loka, Vaikuntha and Kailasa and informed Goddesses Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati that their husbands had been turned into babies through the power of the Pativrata Dharma of Maha Sati Anasuya when they asked her Nirvana Bhiksha and that they would not return unless the Goddesses asked for Bhartri Bhiksha (Praying for return of the husbands) from Maha Sati Anusuya. Goddesses Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati appeared before Maha Sati Anusuya and asked for Pati Bhiksha: (Praying for return of their husbands) Maha Sati Anusuya duly honored the three Goddesses and with folded hands prayed to them that her wish should be fulfilled. Then the three Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Siva appeared in their true form before Maha Sati Anusuya and Sage Atri Rishi and said, "This child will be a great sage according to your word and will be equal to us according to the wish of Maha Sati Anasuya. This child will bear the name of Dattatreya". Then they disappeared.

Maha Sati Anasuya thus became the mother of Lord Dattatreya (the sage-avatar of Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva), the sage Durvasa and the moon-god Chandra.

Lord Dattatreya

Lord Dattatreya, son of Maha Sati Anasuya and Sage Atri Maha Rishi is always practicing austerity. He is an avadhut .He is truly the Lord of Yogis. The four dogs are representations of the four Vedas. He was created out of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Wikiepedia says about saptarishis as follows:

1. The Shatapatha Brahmana and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.2.4) acknowledge the names of seven rishis (or Saptarshis) as: