Svastyātreyas
Svastyātreya · svasti-ātreya, “the Ātreyas of the svasti”
The Svastyātreyas are the ten sons of the ṛshi Prabhākara of the line of Atri Maharshi. They were veda-pāragas, masters of the Veda, and each founded a gotra, a family line. Their mothers were the ten daughters of King Raudrāśva of the line of Pūru, all of whom Prabhākara married. Their father is the ṛshi whose word of “svasti” held the falling Sūrya in the sky, and who became the founder of the Ātreya gotras, with Atri at their head.
Their father and mothers
In Chapter 13 of the Brahma Purāṇa the munis ask the Sūta for 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. On Bhadrā he begot the famous Soma.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13
The svasti to Sūrya
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. He said, “Svasti be to you!”, a blessing of auspiciousness, and at once Sūrya stopped and did not fall from the mid-air. Prabhākara became the founder of the Ātreya gotras, of which Atri is the head, and the Sūta adds that in yajñas the devas granted strength (bala) to Atri.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13
The ten sons
On his ten wives Prabhākara begot ten sons. They were 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