Atri
Encyclopedia
This article is about the sage named Attri. See also the gotra
named Atri
. For the Italian city, see Atri, Abruzzo
In Hinduism
, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard
and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapati
s, 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
..
Atri and Anasuya Devi. Brahmarshi Atri is the seer of the fifth mandala (book) of the Rigveda
. He had many sons, including Datta
, Durvasa
and Soma
who are the incarnations of the Divine Trinity Brahma
, Vishnu
and Rudra
respectively. The trimurti channeled through Brahmarsi Atri when they granted boons to his wife Devi Anusuya for helping the Sun to rise in the east everyday. Soma is called Chandratreya or Chandratre
, and Durvasa is Krishnatreya or Krishnatre. Somatreya (Chandra) established the Someshwara Jyotirlinga, used to overcome all kinds of passion. Soma, as the incarnation of Brahma, has the power to cause any species to continue.
(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.
and first of the Saptha Rishis, created by just the will of the Almighty and therefore designated as a Maanasa-putras. There were ten of these. Atri's wife is Anasuya
or Anusiya devi, a daughter of Kardama Prajapati and an embodiment of chastity.
was made the head of the Kaurava
army after Bhisma's fall. Dronacharya fought ferociously. The wounded and the dead soldiers was thousands. Their cry of pain rented the skies. Blood flowed on the battle field. Dead bodies got piled up and provided the food for the birds of prey. In this carnage which went beyond all human estimation, Drona stood like a mad hero of demonic proportion.
Sage Atri was very worried because if Drona continued this he would cause destruction and human misery beyond proportions, Atri and Gowthama
came to the battle field along with their five of their companions. It was at this time Dharmaraja had shouted at the instance of Sri Krishna saying that Ashwathama was killed. This put Drona off completely. He lost all hope in his life. He became mad with anger. This sent danger signal all around.
Sage Atri felt sad for him and talked to him in a friendly manner, consoling him, Dear friend, all along you have done everything against Dharma
. This war you are engaged in is the best proof. It is enough and stop it. Stop this carnage. You are a good man. This act is not in tune with your status.
You are a scholar of Vedanta par excellence. You have been a Brahman and you have got to practice dharma. This cruel act does not befit you.
Give up your weapons, fix your mind in our glorious Sanathana Dharma. I am sorry, you have wielded the most terrible Brahmastra
on the innocent soldiers! Put an end to your meaningless killing.'
When Atri said that, Dronacharya decided to give up his arms and stop killing. He drove away his anger, jealousy, and sense of revenge and his heart became pure. He sat in a yogic posture and started to meditate amidst the cries of pain, killing, flow of blood on the battle field. He concentrated on Lord Vishnu and closed his eyes and never opened them again until he left his body and started his journey towards the lord. Hence Sage Atri's kind nature helped save him.
. 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 or Durvasa
.
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.
Attri Maharishi is considered to be one of the great discoverers of sacred Mantra
s 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.
Attri-samhita and Attri-smriti are two works attributed to Attri.
Till the present day, a number of Brahmin families have this sage's name at the head of their lineage, which indicates that he or his descendents tutored that whole lineage.
The confrontation of sage Durvasa with Ambarisha is a very famous story in Shrimad Bhagavatam. Ambarish was a great devotee of Vishnu and adhered firmly to the truth. He performed a Yagnya with such great devotional fervour that Lord Narayan was pleased to bless him with Sudarshana Chakra (Sudarshana meaning "good looking") and which manifested as a wheel of prosperity, peace and security to his kingdom. Once, Ambarisha performed the Dvadasi Vratha, which required that the king must start a fast on Ekadashi and break it at the start of Dvadasi and feed all the people. As the moment of breaking the fast was drawing near, the mighty sage Durvasa arrived and was received with all honours by Ambarish. Durvasa agreed to the king's request to be his honoured guest, and asked the king to wait until he finished his bath in the river and returned. As the auspicious moment approached when the king had to break his fast to fulfill the vow of the vratha, Durvasa did not turn up. On the advice of the sage Vasishtha, the king broke his fast by taking a Tulasi leaf with water, and waited for the arrival of sage Durvasa to offer him food.
Durvasa felt that Ambarisha had violated the respect due to a guest by breaking his fast before the guest had taken his meal, and in his rage created a demon to kill Ambarisha, out of a strand of his hair. Lord Narayan's Sudarshana intervened, destroyed the demon and started chasing Durvasa himself. Durvasa went to Brahma and Shiva for protection. Both pleaded their inability to save him. He went to Lord Narayan himself, who said that he could do nothing as he was bound by the blemishless devotion of Ambarisha and suggested that the sage should seek the king's pardon. Durvasa went to Ambarisha, who prayed to Lord Vishnu to recall the Sudarsana and save Durvasa.
In Mahābhārata, during the exile of the Pandavas, Durvasa turns up with several disciples at the place where the Pandavas were staying. During this period, the Pandavas obtained their food by means of the Akshaya Patra, which would become exhausted for the day once Draupadi finished her meal. When Durvasa arrived there was no food left to serve him, and the Pandavas were very anxious as to what would be their fate if they failed to feed such a venerable sage. While Durvasa and his disciples were away at the banks of the river bathing, Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna for help. As always, they were once again saved by Him, who visited them, and partook of the lone grain of rice that remained in the Akshaya Patra and announced that He was satisfied by the meal. This satiated the hunger of Durvasa and all his disciples too, as the satisfaction of Lord Krishna meant the satiation of the hunger of the whole Universe. The sage and his disciples then left, blessing the Pandavas.
But on the other hand he was also famous for his boons if he grew happy with someone. An example in this context would be the boon he gave to Kunti, wife of Pandu and mother of the mighty Pandavas which enabled her to call or invoke any god of her choice. It was by the use of this mantra which Durvasa gave her that she was able to call the following gods:
Surya—he blessed her with a son named Karna.
Yama—he blessed her with a son named Yudhisthira, eldest of the Pandavas.
Vayu—he blessed her with a son named Bhima, the mightiest of all Pandavas.
Indra—he blessed her with a son named Arjuna, the great archer and
Ashwini Gods—they blessed Madri (Pandu's second wife) with twins named Nakula and Sahadeva.
, Vishnu
and Siva
. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya."
In the Nath tradition
, Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar
or incarnation of the Lord Shiva
and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya
of the Nathas. Although Dattatreya was at first a "Lord of Yoga" exhibiting distinctly Tantric
traits, he was adapted and assimilated into the more devotional cults; while still worshiped by millions of Hindus, he is approached more as a benevolent god than as a teacher of the highest essence of Indian thought.
Patañjali (Devanāgarī
पतञ्जलि) (fl.
150 BCE or 2nd c. BCE) is the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga
practice, and also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a major commentary on Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi. However, whether these two works are that of the same author or not remains in some doubt.
In recent decades the Yoga Sutra has become quite popular worldwide for the precepts regarding practice of Raja Yoga
and its philosophical basis. "Yoga" in traditional Hinduism
involves inner contemplation, a rigorous system of meditation
practice, ethics
, metaphysics
, and devotion to God, or Brahman
. At the same time, his Mahābhāṣya, which first foregrounded the notion of meaning
as referring to categorization
, remains an important treatise in Sanskrit linguistic philosophy.
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
named Atri
Atri (clan)
Atri/Attri is a clan or gotra of Rishi Attri. The people of this clan are predominantly Brahman, Jats and Rajputs.Attris live in all parts of India but dominantly in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.-See also:* Brahman,* jaat...
. For the Italian city, see Atri, Abruzzo
In Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapati
Prajapati
In Hinduism, Prajapati "lord of creatures" is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation, and protector of life. He appears as a creator deity or supreme God Viswakarma Vedic deities in RV 10 and in Brahmana literature...
s, and a son of Brahma, said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya communities who adopt Atri as their gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
. Atri is the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
) in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara
Manvantara
Manvantara or Manuvantara , or age of a Manu , the Hindu progenitor of mankind, is an astronomical period of time measurement. Manvantara is a Sanskrit sandhi, a combination of words manu and antara, manu-antara or manvantara, literally meaning the duration of a Manu, or his life span .Each...
..
Brahmarshi Attri
Atri Gotra is from the lineage of BrahmarshiBrahmarshi
In Hinduism, a Brahmarshi is a member of the highest class of Rishis , especially those credited with the composition of the hymns collected in the Rigveda....
Atri and Anasuya Devi. Brahmarshi Atri is the seer of the fifth mandala (book) of the Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
. He had many sons, including Datta
Dattatreya
Dattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
, Durvasa
Durvasa
In Hindu mythology, Durvasa , or Durvasas, was an ancient sage, the son of Atri and Anasuya. He is supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is known for his short temper. Maledictions or curses he gave in his rage ruined many lives. Hence, wherever he went, he was received with great reverence ...
and Soma
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
who are the incarnations of the Divine Trinity Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and Rudra
Rudra
' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
respectively. The trimurti channeled through Brahmarsi Atri when they granted boons to his wife Devi Anusuya for helping the Sun to rise in the east everyday. Soma is called Chandratreya or Chandratre
Chandratre
Aatri, Chandratre / Krishnatre are Indian surnames.Atri Gotra is from the lineage of Brahmarshi Atri and Anusuya Devi. Brahmarshi Atri is the seer of the fifth mandala of the Rigveda. He had many sons, including Soma, Datta, and Durvasa, who are the incarnations of the Divine Trinity, Brahma,...
, and Durvasa is Krishnatreya or Krishnatre. Somatreya (Chandra) established the Someshwara Jyotirlinga, used to overcome all kinds of passion. Soma, as the incarnation of Brahma, has the power to cause any species to continue.
A Sapta Rishi
He is among the Sapta RishiSaptarshi
The Saptarishi are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never actually enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the...
(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
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
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 BrahmaBrahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
and first of the Saptha Rishis, created by just the will of the Almighty and therefore designated as a Maanasa-putras. There were ten of these. Atri's wife is Anasuya
Anasuya
Anusuya Anusuya Anusuya (IAST: Anasūyā, sanskrit:अनसूया Sati Anasuya, also referred as अनुसूया or Sati Anusuya, in Hindu mythology, was wife of the sage Atri and mother of Dattatreya who is considered by some Hindus (in western India) to be an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and...
or Anusiya devi, a daughter of Kardama Prajapati and an embodiment of chastity.
His Main Role in Mahabharata
He had a close connection with Mahabharatha. We all know that DronaDrona
In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
was made the head of the Kaurava
Kaurava
The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...
army after Bhisma's fall. Dronacharya fought ferociously. The wounded and the dead soldiers was thousands. Their cry of pain rented the skies. Blood flowed on the battle field. Dead bodies got piled up and provided the food for the birds of prey. In this carnage which went beyond all human estimation, Drona stood like a mad hero of demonic proportion.
Sage Atri was very worried because if Drona continued this he would cause destruction and human misery beyond proportions, Atri and Gowthama
Gautama Maharishi
Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis Gautama Maharishi is one of the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi of the current Manvantara (seventh). He was one of the Maharishis of Vedic times, known to have been the discoverer of Mantras --...
came to the battle field along with their five of their companions. It was at this time Dharmaraja had shouted at the instance of Sri Krishna saying that Ashwathama was killed. This put Drona off completely. He lost all hope in his life. He became mad with anger. This sent danger signal all around.
Sage Atri felt sad for him and talked to him in a friendly manner, consoling him, Dear friend, all along you have done everything against Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
. This war you are engaged in is the best proof. It is enough and stop it. Stop this carnage. You are a good man. This act is not in tune with your status.
You are a scholar of Vedanta par excellence. You have been a Brahman and you have got to practice dharma. This cruel act does not befit you.
Give up your weapons, fix your mind in our glorious Sanathana Dharma. I am sorry, you have wielded the most terrible Brahmastra
Brahmastra
In ancient Sanskrit writings, the Brahmastra was a weapon created by Brahma.-Features:It is sometimes known as the Brahma Astra . As described in a number of the Puranas, it was considered the deadliest weapon...
on the innocent soldiers! Put an end to your meaningless killing.'
When Atri said that, Dronacharya decided to give up his arms and stop killing. He drove away his anger, jealousy, and sense of revenge and his heart became pure. He sat in a yogic posture and started to meditate amidst the cries of pain, killing, flow of blood on the battle field. He concentrated on Lord Vishnu and closed his eyes and never opened them again until he left his body and started his journey towards the lord. Hence Sage Atri's kind nature helped save him.
Trinity test of Anasuya
Once trinity decided to test the chastity of AnasuyaAnasuya
Anusuya Anusuya Anusuya (IAST: Anasūyā, sanskrit:अनसूया Sati Anasuya, also referred as अनुसूया or Sati Anusuya, in Hindu mythology, was wife of the sage Atri and mother of Dattatreya who is considered by some Hindus (in western India) to be an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and...
. 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
Dattatreya
Dattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
, Chandraatri and Krishnaatri or Durvasa
Durvasa
In Hindu mythology, Durvasa , or Durvasas, was an ancient sage, the son of Atri and Anasuya. He is supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is known for his short temper. Maledictions or curses he gave in his rage ruined many lives. Hence, wherever he went, he was received with great reverence ...
.
Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, 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.
Attri Maharishi is considered to be one of the great discoverers of sacred Mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s 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.
Attri-samhita and Attri-smriti are two works attributed to Attri.
Till the present day, a number of Brahmin families have this sage's name at the head of their lineage, which indicates that he or his descendents tutored that whole lineage.
Durvasa
In Hinduism, Durvasa (दुर्वास) is an ancient sage, son of Atri and Anasuya. He is supposed to be an incarnation of Shiva. He is supposed to be the only rishi whose penance goes up whenever he curses somebody. He is known for his short temper. Maledictions or curses he gave in his rage (known as Shapa) ruined many lives. Hence, wherever he went, he received great reverence from humans and Gods alike. For example, in Abhigyāna Shakuntala, written by Kalidasa, he curses the maiden Shakuntala that her lover will forget her. It became true.The confrontation of sage Durvasa with Ambarisha is a very famous story in Shrimad Bhagavatam. Ambarish was a great devotee of Vishnu and adhered firmly to the truth. He performed a Yagnya with such great devotional fervour that Lord Narayan was pleased to bless him with Sudarshana Chakra (Sudarshana meaning "good looking") and which manifested as a wheel of prosperity, peace and security to his kingdom. Once, Ambarisha performed the Dvadasi Vratha, which required that the king must start a fast on Ekadashi and break it at the start of Dvadasi and feed all the people. As the moment of breaking the fast was drawing near, the mighty sage Durvasa arrived and was received with all honours by Ambarish. Durvasa agreed to the king's request to be his honoured guest, and asked the king to wait until he finished his bath in the river and returned. As the auspicious moment approached when the king had to break his fast to fulfill the vow of the vratha, Durvasa did not turn up. On the advice of the sage Vasishtha, the king broke his fast by taking a Tulasi leaf with water, and waited for the arrival of sage Durvasa to offer him food.
Durvasa felt that Ambarisha had violated the respect due to a guest by breaking his fast before the guest had taken his meal, and in his rage created a demon to kill Ambarisha, out of a strand of his hair. Lord Narayan's Sudarshana intervened, destroyed the demon and started chasing Durvasa himself. Durvasa went to Brahma and Shiva for protection. Both pleaded their inability to save him. He went to Lord Narayan himself, who said that he could do nothing as he was bound by the blemishless devotion of Ambarisha and suggested that the sage should seek the king's pardon. Durvasa went to Ambarisha, who prayed to Lord Vishnu to recall the Sudarsana and save Durvasa.
In Mahābhārata, during the exile of the Pandavas, Durvasa turns up with several disciples at the place where the Pandavas were staying. During this period, the Pandavas obtained their food by means of the Akshaya Patra, which would become exhausted for the day once Draupadi finished her meal. When Durvasa arrived there was no food left to serve him, and the Pandavas were very anxious as to what would be their fate if they failed to feed such a venerable sage. While Durvasa and his disciples were away at the banks of the river bathing, Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna for help. As always, they were once again saved by Him, who visited them, and partook of the lone grain of rice that remained in the Akshaya Patra and announced that He was satisfied by the meal. This satiated the hunger of Durvasa and all his disciples too, as the satisfaction of Lord Krishna meant the satiation of the hunger of the whole Universe. The sage and his disciples then left, blessing the Pandavas.
But on the other hand he was also famous for his boons if he grew happy with someone. An example in this context would be the boon he gave to Kunti, wife of Pandu and mother of the mighty Pandavas which enabled her to call or invoke any god of her choice. It was by the use of this mantra which Durvasa gave her that she was able to call the following gods:
Surya—he blessed her with a son named Karna.
Yama—he blessed her with a son named Yudhisthira, eldest of the Pandavas.
Vayu—he blessed her with a son named Bhima, the mightiest of all Pandavas.
Indra—he blessed her with a son named Arjuna, the great archer and
Ashwini Gods—they blessed Madri (Pandu's second wife) with twins named Nakula and Sahadeva.
Dattatreya
Dattatreya is considered by Hindus to be god who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity BrahmaBrahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya. He is the son of Atri, hence the name "Atreya."
In the Nath tradition
Nath
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu initiatory tradition and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge"...
, Dattatreya is recognized as an Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
or incarnation of the Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya
Adinath Sampradaya
The Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
of the Nathas. Although Dattatreya was at first a "Lord of Yoga" exhibiting distinctly Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
traits, he was adapted and assimilated into the more devotional cults; while still worshiped by millions of Hindus, he is approached more as a benevolent god than as a teacher of the highest essence of Indian thought.
Patañjali
Also Known as Somadatta and Chandraatreya.Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
पतञ्जलि) (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
150 BCE or 2nd c. BCE) is the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
practice, and also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a major commentary on Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi. However, whether these two works are that of the same author or not remains in some doubt.
In recent decades the Yoga Sutra has become quite popular worldwide for the precepts regarding practice of Raja Yoga
Raja Yoga
Rāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...
and its philosophical basis. "Yoga" in traditional Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
involves inner contemplation, a rigorous system of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
practice, ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, and devotion to God, or Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
. At the same time, his Mahābhāṣya, which first foregrounded the notion of meaning
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
as referring to categorization
Categorization
Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Categorization implies that objects are grouped into categories, usually for some specific purpose. Ideally, a category illuminates a relationship between the subjects and objects of knowledge...
, remains an important treatise in Sanskrit linguistic philosophy.