A son of Brahma. According to the Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 65 verse 10, the other manasaputras were Marichi, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu. The above, along with Vasishta made up the saptarishis according to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208. He is also the creator of the Prachetas. A descendant of Atri was Prachinabarhis, whose sons were the Prachetas, according to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208. As per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 335, he is also one of the seven sages called Chitrashikhandis.

Kashyapa had a son named Kashipu who ruled his kingdom and antagonised the devas. During a war between the devas and asuras, Kashipu was killed, and Prahlad became king. Prahlad continued the war with Indra but gave up after six years. Later Mahabali, son of Virochana and Prahlad’s grandson became king. Mahabali also fought with Indra, and the devas vanquished the asuras with Vishnu’s health. The asuras approached Shukra, their guru, who promised to help them. Shukra proceeded to the Himalayas to get a powerful mantra from Shiva. While the asuras waited for him, Vishnu, to help Indra, reached Shukra’s ashram and killed his mother Kavya. The sage Bhrigu was angered at this, and cursed Vishnu that he would have to be born several times as a mortal. This was the reason behind Vishnu’s many avatars. According to Devibhagavata Skanda 4, Vishnu was also born as Atri’s son Dattatreya.

During the timewhen Vasishta and Vishwamitra were rivals, a king called Kanmashapada visited the jungle for a hunt. There, he met Shakti, eldest son of Vasishta. The king didn’t respect him enough and Shakti turned him into a rakshasa, who immediately ate Shakti up. He started helping Vishwamitra to eliminate Vasishta’s clan, and ate up all hundred of Vasishta’s sons. Vasishta was saddened and began living in an ashram, along with Shakti’s wife Adrishyanti, who was pregnant at the time of Shakti’s death. She gave birth to Parashara, father of Vyasa. When he grew up, Parashara learned how his father had died, and immediately started a yajna to eliminate rakshasas. When the yajna started becoming successful, Atri arrived there with a few other sages and discouraged Parashara, according to Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 181.

Atri and his wife once decided to go on a vanavasa. Atri’s wife was saddened that they didn’t have money to give to their disciples and children. She asked Atri to approach the king Vainya for alms. Accordingly, Atri went to the king and even praised that Vainya was the first king. Vainya didn’t agree and said that Indra was the first king. To end the dispute, they approached the sage Sanalkumara, who settled it for them. Vainya then gave Atri all the wealth he desired. Atri and his wife distributed this among their disciples and proceeded to the forests.

Once, during a war between devas and asuras, the asuras eclipsed the sun and the moon. The world was enveloped in darkness, and the devas started losing. They approached Atri for help. He immediately transformed himself into the sun and the moon. The moon gave the devas light and the sun started scorching the asuras. The devas won the war. This was told to Arjuna by Vayu according to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 156.

Bhishma once told Yudhishtira a story about what kind of people brahmins should accept alms from. Once the sages Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishta, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Pashusakha, along with Arundhati and Ganda traveled around the world, and wanted to reach Brahmaloka. At that time, a drought descended on the land, and the king Vrishadarbhi called the sages to give alms to them, but they refused. The king was angry at this. He made offerings to Ahavaniyagni and raised the rakshasi Yatudhani (Kritya). He asked her to kill the sages. She waited  for them in a lotus pond, which lay on the sages’ path. But the sages recognised her and burned her. According to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 93, they then ate the lotuses and continued on their way.

The Mahabharata mentions Atri advising an emperor called Nimi, also Atri’s descendant. This is in the context of Bhishma explaining to Yudhishtira how the concept of ‘shraadh’ was created. Atri had a son called Dattatreya who became king. Nimi was Dattatreya’s son. Nimi’s son died after living for a thousand years. A grief-struck Nimi conducted a shraadh for his son. According to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 91 verses 20-44, Atri arrived there to advise Nimi on the significance of shraadh.

Shilavati was the wife of Ugrashravas, son of Atri. She was famous for being the most virtuous wife ever. Once Ugrashravas became ill but harboured a wish to visit a brothel. He was unable to walk the way and Shilavati carried him there. They had to pass through the place where Animandavya stood, struck with the trident. Animandavya came to know what had transpired and cursed that Ugrashravas would die before sunrise. Shilavati countered that she would then became a widow, and cursed that the sun would never rise henceforth. The sun didn’t rise the next day. It caused a huge amount of turmoil with the world’s functioning. The devas approached Atri and coaxed Anasuya, Atri’s wife to get Shilavati to withdraw her curse. The trimurtis – Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva were so pleased that they promised Anasuya a boon. She asked for them to be born as her children. They agreed – Brahma was born as Chandra, Vishnu was born as Dattatreya, and Shiva as Durvasa.The Brahmandapurana cites a story behind Brahma’s birth as Chandra. Once when Brahma was immersed in creating the universe, he had a feeling of lust. Thus was born Saraswati. Brahma fell in love with her too, and for this he blamed Kama. Brahma cursed that Kama would be burned by Shiva’s third eye. Though Kama left the place, the feeling lingered in Brahma and he finally transferred it to Atri. Atri passed it on to Anasuya but she couldn’t handle it and gave it back to her husband. It came out of Atri’s eye as Chandra (moon). According to Brahmandapurana Chapters 39-43, this is why the moon exerts an influence over lovers. There’s a tale behind Shiva being born as Durvasa too. Once Shiva was angry with the devas. They started running away. Only Brahma stayed back. Shiva was further angered by this and plucked away one of Brahma’s heads. His anger still did not diminish, and Parvati begged him to somehow control it. Shiva channelised his anger and deposited it in Atri’s womb, and this was Durvasa.

Once, when Atri was meditating in a forest called Kamada, the land was struck by drought. Anasuya built a shivalinga out of sand and started praying to it. Atri, meanwhile, asked Anasuya for water, but she couldn’t find any around. At that time, Ganga appeared before Anasuya and told her that a stream would soon emerge from the earth. It did, and Anasuya asked Ganga to stay with her for a month. Ganga agreed provided Anasuya gave her the tapas energy she acquired in a month. Atri was happy when he got the water and asked Anasuya where she’d obtained such pure water from. When Anasuya told him what had happened, he wanted to see Ganga. Ganga appeared before Atri, and Atri wished that she’d always remain on earth. Ganga said she’d agree provided she received a year’s worth of tapas that Anasuya would earn from her meditation and serving her husband. When Anasuya agreed, Shiva appeared and as per Atri’s and Anasuya’s request, he agreed to remain there as Atrishvara.

According to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208 verse 6, Atri had a son called Prachinabarhis in addition to Chandra, Dattatreya, Durvasa.

According to Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 222 verses 27-29, many Pavakas were boen in Atri’s clan.

As per Mahabharata Dronaparva Chapter 190 verse 35, when the Mahabharata war raged on, several sages appeared before Drona to try and convince him to stop the war. Among them was Atri.

According to Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 43 verse 47, Atri was the chief sage in a rajasuya yajna conducted by Soma.

As per Brahmandapurana Chapter 64, among the sages who came to see Parashurama’s meditation, was Atri.

The fifth mandala of Rigveda was written by Atri.

According to Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 10 Sukta 50, once Atri was caught by asuras and put in a Shatadwarayantra. As per Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 16 Sukta 112, the asuras once tried to burn Atri. According to Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 17 Sukta 116, the asuras put Atri in the Shatadwarayantra and tried to burn him. He started praying to the Ashwis.

As per Uttararamayana Atri was among the sages who visited Rama after he returned to Ayodhya.

According to Agnipurana Chapter 12, Vishnu – Brahma – Atri – Soma – Pururavas. As per Agnipurana Chapter 20 Dattatreya, Soma and Durvasa were born to Atri and Anasuya.