m.Name of the priest who is said to have been the first to institute the worship of fire and offer soma- and prayers (he is represented as a prajāpati-, as brahmā-'s eldest son, as the first learner and earliest teacher of the brahma-vidyā-, as the author of the atharva-veda-, as identical with aṅgiras-, as the father of agni-, etc.)
mn. (ā-, a-) the fourth or atharva-- veda- (said to have been composed by atharvan-, and consisting chiefly of formulas and spells intended to counteract diseases and calamities)
अथर्वन् m. [अथ-ऋ-वनिप् शकन्ध्वादि˚ Tv.; probably connected with some word like athar fire] 1 A priest who has to worship fire and Soma. -2 A Brāhmaṇa. -3 N. of the priest who is said to have first brought down fire from the heaven, offered Soma and recited prayers. [He is represented as the eldest son of Brahmā sprung from his mouth; as a Prajāpati appointed by Brahmā to create and protect sub-ordinate beings, who first learnt from Brahmā and then taught the Brahmavidyā and is considered to be the author of the Veda called after him. His wife was Śānti, daughter of Kardama Prajāpati. He had also another wife called Chitti; he is also considered identical with Aṅgiras and father of Agni.] -4 Epithet of Śiva, Vasiṣṭha. वृतपदपङ्क्तिरथर्वणेव वेदः Kir. 1.1. -(pl.) Descendants of Atharvan; hymns of this Veda; जिष्णुं जैत्रैरथर्वभिः R.17.13. -र्वा-र्व m. n., ˚वेदः The Atharvaveda, regarded as the fourth Veda. [It contains many forms of imprecations for the destruction of enemies and also contains a great number of prayers for safety and averting mishaps, evils, sins or calamities, and a number of hymns, as in the other Vedas, addressed to the gods with prayers to be used at religious and solemn rites; cf. Mv.2.24. मूर्तिमभिरामघोरां बिभ्रदिवाथर्वणो निगमः. It has nine Śākhās and five Kalpas, and is comprised in 2 Kāṇḍas. The most important Brāhmaṇa belonging to this Veda is the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa, and the Upaniṣads pertaining to it are stated to be 52, or, according to another account 31.] [cf. Zend atharvan, Pers. áturbán.] -Comp.
-अधिपः N. of बुध Mercury (सामवेदाधिपो भौमः शशिजो$- थर्ववेदराट्). -निधिः, -विढ् m. receptacle of the (knowledge of) Atharvaveda, or conversant with it; गुरुणा- $थर्वविदा कृतक्रियः R.8.4.1.59; (अथर्वविधिपदेन दुरितोपशमन- निमित्तशान्तिकपौष्टिकप्रवीणत्वं पौरोहित्यो चितत्वं द्योत्यते Malli.) -भूताः (pl.) those who have become Atharvans, Names of the 12 Maharṣis. -शिखा, -शिरस् n. (अथर्वणो वेदस्य शिखा शिर इव वा ब्रह्मविद्याप्रतिपादकत्वेन श्रेष्ठत्वात्) N. of an Upaniṣad dealing with Brahmavidyā. अथर्वशिरसो$ध्येता ब्रह्मचारी यतव्रतः Mb.13.9.29. -संहिता A text of collection of hymns of अथर्ववेद. अथर्वसंहितायाजी विदधे विधिवद्धुतम् Bm.1.869.
The name in the singular denotes the head of a semi-divine family of mythical priests, of whom nothing historical can be said. In the plural the family as a whole is meant. In a few places an actual family seems to be referred to. Thus, for instance, they are mentioned as recipients of gifts in the Dānastuti (‘ Praise of Gifts ’), of Aśvattha’s generosity; their use of milk mingled with honey in the ritual is referred to f and a cow that miscarries (ava-tokā) from accident is dedicated to the Atharvans, according to the Taittirīya Brāhmana.
noun (masculine) a priest who has to do with fire and Soma (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of the priest who is said to have been the first to institute the worship of fire and offer Soma and prayers (he is represented as a Prajāpati) (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of Śiva (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
Prāṇa (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
Soma (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
Vasiṣṭha (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
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