aTarvan m. [ aTa-f-vanip SakaMDvAdi° 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 subordinate beings, who first learnt from Brahmā and then taught the Brahma-vidya 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 Citti; he is also ( pb ) considered identical with Aṅgiras and father of Agni.] 4 Epithet of Śiva, Vasiṣṭha. -( pl. ) Descendants of Atharvan; hymns of this Veda; jizRuM jEtrEraTarvaBiH R. 17. 13. — rvA-rva m. n. , °vedaH 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 mUrtimaBirAmaGorAM biBradivATarvaRo nigamaH . It has nine Śākhās and five Kalpas, and is comprised in 20 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. āturbān .] Comp. — aDipaH N. of buDa Mercury ( sAmavedADipo BOmaH SaSijo ' TarvavedarAw ). — niDiH, -vid m. receptacle of the (knowledge of) Atharvaveda, or conversant with it; guruRA'TarvavidA kftakriyaH R. 8. 4 , 1. 59 ; ( aTarvaviDipadena duritopaSamananimittaSAMtikapOzwikapravIRatvaM pOrohityocitatvaM dyotyate Malli. ) — BUtAH ( pl. ) those who have become Atharvans, N. of the 12 Maharshis. — SiKA, -Siras n. [ aTarvaRo vedasya SiKA Sira iva vA brahmavidyApratipAdakatvena SrezWatvAt ] N. of an Upaniṣad dealing with Brahmavidyā.