TEXT 3
tasya drgbhyo bhavat putrah
somo mrtamayah kila
viprausadhy-udu-gananam
brahmana kalpitah patih
SYNONYMS
tasyaof him, Atri, the son of Brahma; drgbhyahfrom the tears of jubilation from the eyes; abhavatwas born; putraha son; somahthe moon-god; amrta-mayahfull of soothing rays; kilaindeed; vipraof the brahmanas; osadhiof the drugs; udu-gananamand of the luminaries; brahmanaby Lord Brahma; kalpitahwas appointed or designated; patihthe supreme director.
TRANSLATION
From Atris tears of jubilation was born a son named Soma, the moon, who was full of soothing rays. Lord Brahma appointed him the director of the brahmanas, drugs and luminaries.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic description, Soma, the moon-god, was born from the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (candrama manaso jatah). But here we find that Soma was born from the tears in the eyes of Atri. This appears contradictory to the Vedic information, but actually it is not, for this birth of the moon is understood to have taken place in another millennium. When tears appear in the eyes because of jubilation, the tears are soothing. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, drgbhya anandasrubhya ata evamrtamayah: Here the word drgbhyah means from tears of jubilation. Therefore the moon-god is called amrtamayah, full of soothing rays. In the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.1.15) we find this verse:
This verse describes that Anasuya, the wife of Atri Rsi, bore three sonsSoma, Durvasa and Dattatreya. It is said that at the time of conception Anasuya was impregnated by the tears of Atri.

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