atri a. [properly attri , Uṇ. 4. 68 , adestriniSca, ad-trin ] Devourer; Rv. 2. 8. 5. — triH N. of a celebrated sage and author of many Vedic hymns. [He appears in the Vedas in hymns addressed to Agni, Indra, the Aśvins and the Viśvedevas. In the Svāyambhuva Manvantara he appears as one of the ten Prajāpatis or mind-born sons of Brahmā, being born from his eye. These sons having died by the curse of Śiva, Brahmā performed a sacrifice, at the beginning of the present Vaivasvata Manvantara, and Atri was born from the flames of Agni. Anasūyā was his wife in both lives. In the first she bore him three sons, Datta, Durvāsas and Soma; in the second she had two additional children, a son by name Aryaman and a daughter called Amalā. In the Rāmāyaṇa an account is given of the visit paid by Rāma and Sītā to Atri and Anasūyā in their hermitage, when they both received them most kindly; See Anasūyā. As a Ṛṣi or sage he is one of the seven sages who were all sons of Brahmā, and represents in Astronomy one of the stars of the Great Bear situated in the north. He is also the author of a code of laws known as atrismfti or atrisaMhitA . In the Purāṇas he is said to have produced the moon from his eye, while he was practising austere penance, the moon being in consequence called atrija, -jAta, -dfgja, atrinetraprasUta, -°praBava , °Bava &c.; cf. also aTa nayanasamutTaM jyotiratreriva dyOH R. 2. 75 and atreriveMduH V. 5. 21. ] -( pl. ) descendants of Atri.