View source for Atharvan

{{Short description|Author of Atharvaveda in Hinduism}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox character
| family   = [[Brahma]] (father)
| image    = Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png
| caption  = [[Atharva Veda]] written by Atharvan
| children = [[Dadhichi]]
}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
'''Atharvan''' ({{langx|sa|अथर्वन्}} {{IAST3|Atharvan}}, [[nominative]] [[Grammatical number|singular]]: अथर्वा {{IAST3|Atharvā}}) is a legendary [[Vedic]] sage ([[rishi]]) of Hinduism, who along with [[Angiras]], is supposed to have authored ("[[shruti|heard]]") the [[Atharvaveda]]. He is also said to have first instituted the fire-sacrifice or [[yajña]]. Sometimes he is also reckoned among the seven seers, the [[Saptarishi]]. His clan is known as the Atharvanas. Atharvan married Shanti, daughter of [[Prajapati]] [[Kardama]], and had a great sage [[Dadhichi]] as a son. He is referred to as a member of the [[Bhrigu]] clan.

According to the [[Mundaka Upanishad]] and other texts, he was the eldest son and ([[Manasaputra]]) born from mind of the creator deity, [[Brahma]].

== Etymology ==
Vedic ''atharvan'' is cognate with [[Avestan]] ''āθrauuan'' / ''aθaurun'', "priest", but the etymology of the term is not yet conclusively established. It was once thought to be etymologically related to the [[Avestan]] ''[[atar|ātar]]'', but that is now considered unlikely (Boyce, 2002:16). It has been suggested by scholars that the Vedic and Avestan terms are not of Indo-European origin, and are derived from the [[Substratum in Vedic Sanskrit#Language of the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC)|BMAC substrate]].[https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A2884808/view]

==See also==
*[[Vedic priesthood]]
*[[Dadhichi]]
*[[Manasaputra]]

==References==
*[[Boyce, Mary]] (2002). "Āθravan". Encyclopædia Iranica. New York: Mazda Pub. pp.&nbsp;16–17. Available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/atravan-priest (accessed on 30 December 2012).
*{{cite book|first=A. |last=Lubotsky |author-link=Alexander Lubotsky |chapter=The Indo-Iranian Substratum |title=Early Contacts between Uralic and Indo-European: Linguistic and Archaeological Considerations |editor1-first= C. |editor1-last=Carpelan |editor2-first=A. |editor2-last=Parpola |editor3-first=P.|editor3-last=Koskikallio |location=Helsinki |publisher=Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura |date=2001 |pages=301–317}}
*[[Witzel, Michael]] (2003). "Linguistic Evidence for Cultural Exchange in Prehistoric Western Central Asia". ''Sino-Platonic Papers'' Volume 129. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations.

{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Rishis]]
[[Category:Hindu mythology]]


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