176
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 9, Ch. 14]
PURPORT
According to the Vedic description, Soma, the moon-god, was born from the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( candramā manaso jātaḥ ). 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. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura says,  dṛgbhya ānandāśrubhya ata evāmṛtamayaḥ : “Here the word  dṛgbhyaḥ  means ‘from tears of jubilation.’ Therefore the moon-god is called  amṛtamayaḥ , ‘full of soothing rays.’” In the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.1.15) we find this verse:
atreḥ patny anasūyā trīn jajñe suyaśasaḥ sutān dattaṁ durvāsasaṁ somam ātmeśa-brahma-sambhavān
This verse describes that Anasūyā, the wife of Atri Rṣi, bore three sons—Soma, Durvāsā and Dattātreya. It is said that at the time of conception Anasūyā was impregnated by the tears of Atri.
TEXT 4
सोऽयजद् राजस्रयेन विजित्य भुवनत्रयम् । पत्नीं बृहस्पतेर्दर्पात् तारां नामाहरद् बलात् ॥ ४ ॥
so 'yajad rājasūyena vijitya bhuvana-trayam patnīm bṛhaspater darpāt tārām nāmāharad balāt
saḥ —he, Soma;  ayajat —performed;  rājasūyena —the sacrifice known as Rājasūya;  vijitya —after conquering;  bhuvana-trayam —the three worlds (Svarga, Martya and Pātāla);  patnīm —the wife;  bṛhaspateḥ —of Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods;  darpāt —out of pride;  tārām —Tārā;  nāma —by name;  aharat —took away;  balāt —by force.