Prabhākara (Ātreya Ṛshi)

Prabhākara · prabhā-kara, “the maker of light”

Prabhākara has other meanings too: see all meanings of Prabhākara.

Prabhākara is a ṛshi born in the vaṃśa (line) of Atri Maharshi. When Sūrya, struck down by Rāhu, was falling from the sky and the world lay in darkness, light came through Prabhākara alone: he said “Svasti be to you!”, and Sūrya did not fall. He married all ten daughters of King Raudrāśva of the line of Pūru, and he became the founder of the Ātreya gotras, the family lines with Atri at their head. His ten sons, masters of the Veda, are known as the Svastyātreyas.

The ten daughters of Raudrāśva

In Chapter 13 of the Brahma Purāṇa the munis ask the Sūta to tell them the vaṃśas of Yayāti‘s sons, and the Sūta begins with the line of Pūru. Pūru’s son was Suvīra, his son Manasyu, his son Abhayada, his son Sudhanvan, his son Subāhu, and his son Raudrāśva. Raudrāśva had ten sons and ten daughters. The daughters were Bhadrā, Śūdrā, Madrā, Śaladā, Maladā, Khaladā, Naladā, Surasā, Gocavalā and Strīratnakūṭā.

The ṛshi Prabhākara, born in the vaṃśa of Atri, became the husband of all ten.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Sūrya held in the sky

On Bhadrā, Prabhākara begot the famous (yaśasvī) Soma. This Soma is his son, not Candra.

Once, at an eclipse, Sūrya was struck down by Rāhu and was falling from the sky, and the world was plunged in darkness. Then light came about through Prabhākara alone. Prabhākara said, “Svasti be to you!”, a blessing of auspiciousness, and at once Sūrya stopped and did not fall from the antariksha, the mid-air.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Founder of the Ātreya gotras

Prabhākara became the founder of the Ātreya gotras, of which Atri is the head. The Sūta adds that in yajñas the devas granted strength (bala) to Atri.

On his ten wives Prabhākara begot ten sons. They were veda-pāragas, masters of the Veda, and founders of gotras, and they became famous by the name Svastyātreyas: the Ātreyas of the “svasti” that their father spoke to Sūrya.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13