Devanagari
षष्ठमत्रेरपत्यत्वं वृत: प्राप्तोऽनसूयया ।
आन्वीक्षिकीमलर्काय प्रह्लादादिभ्य ऊचिवान् ॥ ११ ॥
Verse text
ṣaṣṭham atrer apatyatvaṁ
vṛtaḥ prāpto ’nasūyayā
ānvīkṣikīm alarkāya
prahlādādibhya ūcivān
Synonyms
ṣaṣṭham
—
the sixth one
;
atreḥ
—
of Atri
;
apatyatvam
—
sonship
;
vṛtaḥ
—
being prayed for
;
prāptaḥ
—
obtained
;
anasūyayā
—
by Anasūyā
;
ānvīkṣikīm
—
on the subject of transcendence
;
alarkāya
—
unto Alarka
;
prahlāda
—
ādibhyaḥ — unto Prahlāda and others
;
ūcivān
—
spoke .
Translation
The sixth incarnation of the puruṣa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasūyā, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlāda and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.].
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Being requested by Anasūyā, the wife of Atri, the Lord became her son as Dattātreya and taught knowledge of the soul to Alarka, Prahlāda and others.
Purport
The Lord incarnated Himself as Dattātreya, the son of Ṛṣi Atri and Anasūyā. The history of the birth of Dattātreya as an incarnation of the Lord is mentioned in the
Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa
in connection with the story of the devoted wife. It is said there that Anasūyā, the wife of Ṛṣi Atri, prayed before the lords Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva as follows: “My lords, if you are pleased with me, and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings, then I pray that you combine together to become my son.” This was accepted by the lords, and as Dattātreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlāda, Yadu, Haihaya, etc.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Being selected by Anasūyā, the wife of Atri, he became her son. This is described in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa in the story of the pativrata:
anasūyābravīn natvā devān brahmeśa-keśavān |
yūyaṁ yadi prasannā me varārhā yadi vāpy aham |
prasādābhimukho bhūtvā mama putratvam eṣyatha ||
Offering respects, Anasūyā spoke to the Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. If you are pleased with me, and consider me worthy of blessing, being merciful, you should become my son.
Ānvīkṣikīm means knowledge of the ātmā.