Atharvan and Dadhyañc in Rigveda

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Atharvan and Dadhyañc

Atharvan

Atharvan appears primarily as an ancient priestly figure. He is credited with rubbing forth Agni[1], a paradigm that later priests emulate[2]. The Agni produced by Atharvan becomes the messenger of Vivasvat[3]. In the ritual order, Atharvan is said to have first established order by sacrifice—while the Bhṛgus showed themselves divine by their skill[4]. Through sacrifice he “extended the paths,” after which the sun was produced[5]. Atharvan is also associated with Father Manu and Dadhyañc in ascetic devotion[6], and Indra is invoked as his helper alongside Trita, Dadhyañc, and Mātariśvan[7]. Agni, destroyer of fiends, is urged to burn down the fool “like Atharvan” with divine flame[8].

Collectively, the Atharvans are enumerated among the Fathers alongside the Aṅgirases, Navagvas, and Bhṛgus[9]. In a few Rigvedic places the word atharvan functions appellatively as “priest”: it is an epithet of the seer Bṛhaddiva[10][11], a context in which a seer pours the libation “on the Atharvan”[12], the Atharvans mix Soma[13], and they receive a donor’s hundred cows[14]. The old adjective athar-yú (“flaming”) is also used of Agni[15].

Dadhyañc

Dadhyañc—explicitly called the son of Atharvan[16][17][18]—is named chiefly in Books 1, 9, and 10 of the Rigveda. He appears as a seer who kindled Agni[19] and is grouped with Atharvan, Aṅgiras, Manu, and other ancient sacrificers[20][21].

Myth of the Horse’s Head and the Mead (Madhu)

The Aśvins bestow a horse’s head upon Dadhyañc; with it he proclaims to them the (place of the) madhu of Tvaṣṭṛ[22][23]. The Aśvins win his heart, and then the horse’s head speaks to them[24]. Indra also features in the cycle: seeking the horse’s head hidden in the mountains, he finds it at Śaryaṇāvat and then slays ninety-nine Vṛtras with Dadhyañc’s bones[25]. Elsewhere, Indra, after releasing cows for Trita, grants cowstalls to Dadhyañc (and Mātariśvan)[26]—likely the stalls which Dadhyañc opens by the power of Soma[27].

Character and Later Echoes

In the one older occurrence (RV 6.16.14), Dadhyañc is the son of the ancient fire-priest Atharvan and a kindler of fire. Otherwise he is primarily tied to the secret abode of Soma and to Indra’s cattle-release motif. Because of the horse’s head and his very name, he is difficult to separate from the swift steed Dadhikrā; some scholars infer an original connection with lightning and thunderbolt imagery, and in post-Vedic texts he is commonly called Dadhīca, whose bones are fashioned into Indra’s thunderbolt for slaying Vṛtra.

References (Rigveda)

  1. RV 6.16.13 — Atharvan rubs forth Agni.
  2. RV 6.15.17 — Priests rub Agni as Atharvan did.
  3. RV 10.21.5 — Agni produced by Atharvan becomes messenger of Vivasvat.
  4. RV 10.92.10 — Atharvan first established order by sacrifices; Bhṛgus show divinity by skill.
  5. RV 1.83.5 — By sacrifice Atharvan extends the paths; then the sun is produced.
  6. RV 1.80.16 — Atharvan with Manu and Dadhyañc practises devotion.
  7. RV 10.48.2 — Indra as helper of Atharvan, Trita, Dadhyañc, and Mātariśvan.
  8. RV 10.87.12 — Agni urged to burn the fool “like Atharvan.”
  9. RV 10.14.6 — Atharvans enumerated among the Fathers with Aṅgirases, Navagvas, and Bhṛgus.
  10. RV 10.120.9 — atharvan as an epithet of Bṛhaddiva.
  11. RV 10.120.8 — Related verse in the same hymn cited in the discussion of Bṛhaddiva.
  12. RV 8.9.7 — Seer pours the libation “on the Atharvan.”
  13. RV 9.42 (hymn) — Atharvans mix Soma.
  14. RV 6.47.24 — Atharvans receive a hundred cows from a patron.
  15. RV 7.11 (hymn) — athar-yú, “flaming,” used of Agni.
  16. RV 6.16.14 — Dadhyañc, son of Atharvan; kindler of Agni.
  17. RV 1.116.1 — Dadhyañc associated with the Aśvins (occurrence notice).
  18. RV 1.117.22 — Aśvins give a horse’s head to Dadhyañc; he proclaims the madhu of Tvaṣṭṛ.
  19. RV 6.16.14 — (as above) Dadhyañc kindles Agni.
  20. RV 1.80.16 — Dadhyañc among ancient sacrificers with Atharvan, Aṅgiras, Manu.
  21. RV 1.139.9 — Dadhyañc mentioned with ancient sacrificers.
  22. RV 1.116.12 — With a horse’s head, Dadhyañc reveals the (place of the) mead to the Aśvins.
  23. RV 1.119.9 — The Aśvins win Dadhyañc’s heart; the horse’s head speaks to them.
  24. RV 1.84.13–14 — Indra finds the horse’s head at Śaryaṇāvat; slays ninety-nine Vṛtras with Dadhyañc’s bones.
  25. RV 10.48.2 — Indra gives cowstalls to Dadhyañc (and Mātariśvan).
  26. RV 9.108.4 — Dadhyañc opens cowstalls by the power of Soma.

Notes:

  • Atharvan in the Atharvaveda: brings a Soma cup to Indra; receives a miraculous cow from Varuṇa; companion/kinsman of the gods dwelling in heaven.
  • Atharvan in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa: remembered as an ancient teacher.
  • Dadhyañc in post-Vedic literature: commonly called Dadhīca; Indra’s thunderbolt is fashioned from his bones for slaying Vṛtra.

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