ATHARVAN

Atharvan / atharva was a legendary Vedic sage (rishi) of Hinduism who along with Angiras is supposed to have authored ("heard") the Atharv ved. He is also said to have first instituted the fire-sacrifice or yagna. Sometimes he is also reckoned among the seven seers or Saptarishi. His clan is known as the Atharvan's. Atharvan married Shanti, daughter of Kardama rishi, and had a great sage Dadhichi as a son. He was referred to as a member of the Bhrigu clan.

Vedic atharvan is cognate with Avestan priest, but the etymology of the term is not yet conclusively established. "Attempts have been made to connect the term with Avestan atar- "fire" (not attested in Vedic); but these have been prompted by what is probably a mistaken assumption of the importance of fire in the ancient Indo-Iranian religion." (Boyce, 1982:16)

Atharvan means fire priest, and still a common name in India and Iran. Atharvan is the person (man) who discovered the fire. Viswamitra read about it and in the Rig Ved and he introduced the Adhimantha (rubbing Arani sticks together) to start the Yagna fire.

Atharv ved contains mantras, a mixture of prose and poetry, by which one can ward off ill energies and can be assured about the destruction of one’s enemies. It has references to deities not mentioned in the other vedic literature and has mantras addressed to fierce spirits. Today known to us today as “mantrikam.”