The Three Who Came to Ṛkṣa

Brahmā told Atri to bring forth offspring, and Atri went with his wife to Ṛkṣa, one of the great mountains. It was a forest of palāśa and aśoka trees, all in flower, and on every side it sounded with the running waters of the river Nirvindhyā. There Atri stood on one foot for a hundred years, holding his breath and living on air, and thinking of one thing only: I take refuge in the one who is Lord of the world. May he give me offspring like himself.

A fire went out from the sage's head and scorched the three worlds, earth, sky and heaven. Then Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva came together to his hermitage. Atri asked them which of them he had called, and they laughed and told him that the three of them were the one he had meditated on, and that sons would be born to him who were portions of them. When the lords of the gods had given him the boon he wished for, Atri and his wife honoured them, and the two of them watched as the gods went back to their worlds.

Then Anasūyā bore three sons of good name. Soma was born from Brahmā's portion, Datta, the master of yoga, from Viṣṇu's, and Durvāsa from Śiva's.