Sage Atri is treated as one of the ten Prajapatis or Lords of creation. Lord Brahma ordered Atri and his wife Anasuya, daughter of Daksha, to commence the creation of the universe. According to one myth, all the three deities take birth as their children at their request. Lord Brahma took birth as the Moon, Lord Vishnu as Dattatreya and Lord Shiva as sage Durvasas.