Shloka 82
Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्
अत्रिरवाच अरात्रिरत्रि: सा रात्रियां नाथीते त्रिरद्य वै अरात्रिरत्रिरित्येव नाम मे विद्धि शोभने
atrir uvāca arātrir atriḥ sā rātriṃ nāthīte trir adya vai | arātrir atrir ity eva nāma me viddhi śobhane ||
Atri berkata: “Aku adalah Arātri Atri. Malam itu telah dibuat tak berdaya—bahkan hari ini ia ditaklukkan tiga kali lipat. Maka, wahai yang elok, ketahuilah namaku semata ‘Arātri Atri’.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the symbolic conquest of ‘night’ (darkness, obstruction, helplessness) through spiritual or moral potency, expressed through a meaningful name. Naming here functions as a declaration of achieved mastery—one becomes known by the quality one embodies (dispelling darkness).
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a quotation is given where the sage Atri speaks, declaring himself ‘Arātri Atri’ and stating that ‘Night’ has been made helpless/overcome—‘threefold’—and instructing a addressed ‘beautiful one’ to recognize this as his name.