Besides the major incarnations, there have been many other occasions, when he had designed to be born to men of great austerity and tapas, one such incarnation is the Dattatreya form, which he assumed for the sake of sage Atri. Worshipped as the Trinity aspect of the almighty, the lord appeared in this particular form to fulfil the wishes of Atri and Ansuya. Sage Atri is one of the Saptarishis and derives his name from the fact that he had transcended the tree gunas of matter (sattva, Rajan and tamas) indicating that he is a realized soul. The pious couple undertook severe penance sustaining themselves only on air without partaking even water, for the sake of progeny. When they prayed to Lord and six arms (representative of the trinity brahma, visnu and siva) He is symbolic of a composite image of the three gods. His reputation in the puranas is because of his extreme knowledge. His birth day falls on Margsiris Krisnasdashmi. A mythological story pertains to the birth. Once Narada, the sage of gods went to meet gods in Swarg Lok (heaven) but not meeting them, be only met their consorts Savitri, Lakshmi and Parvati. During his visit, Narada felt that they were all proud of their loyalty towards their husbands. Narada, in his smiling faced typical tone said that he had not seen a more loyal wife than Anasuya, the wife of saint Atri. The three wives, out of jealousy coaxed their husbands to make Anasuya, immoral. The three gods went to Atri’s ashram and in disguised forms, sought food in charity from Anasuya. Anasuya requested them to go, have a dip in the Ganges and come back. When the three returned, they put fourth a condition that if she stood naked before them, then only they would take food. Anasuya smelt the rat and sought advice from her husband Atri. Atri, of foresight, gave her some water to wash their feet and sprinkle water on them Anasuya did, as advised. All the three gods turned into small infants, who started suckling her breast and enjoyed themselves in a cradle. The three goddesses, after long wait, sought advice from Narada who pointed them to Atri’s ashram, the three went there and asked Anasuya about their husbands. Anasuya indicated them to a cradle, in which three infants were playing and sucking their fingers. Unable recognize, the goddesses requested Anasuya to identify them. Anasuya told them that as they had sucked her breast and had been her children, so they had sucked her breast and had been her children, So they must remain with her. On this bright illumination, as a composite result of the three gods, appeared and a three headed and six armed Dattatreya appeared. Anasuya sprinkled water given by her husband Atri, and these gods came into themselves in original form.
