Atharvan
Atharvan
Primordial fire priest — first to draw fire from heaven
Atharvan is the mythic founder of the fire-priest lineage. His name means "one who knows the paths of fire." Said to have first drawn fire from heaven and established the sacred fire that sustains cosmic order. The Atharvaveda bears his name as its primary transmission lineage.
Key compositions
The foundational hymns of the Atharvaveda trace to the Atharvan lineage — fire rituals, healing, protection, and cosmic philosophy.
A key verse
अथर्वा पुरस्तादग्निमजनयत् । तस्मादस्य अथर्वा अग्निनामा ॥
Atharvan first generated fire. Therefore his fire bears the name Atharvan.
Atharvaveda tradition — on the origin of the sacred fire lineage
Lineage & disciples
Lineage / Gotra
Son of Brahma · oldest of the four rishi lineages
Notable disciples
Angiras (co-founder of the Atharvagirasas)