ATHARVA ŚIRĀ UPANIṢAD AND ATHARVA VEDA

The Atharvaśirā Upaniṣad and the Atharva Veda

 

There are innumerable external evidences to show that the Atharvaśirā upaniṣad [ASU] is featuring Rudra alone as the Brahman. There is this term ‘Atharvaśiras’ in different vibhakti-s also occurring in scriptures where it means the Atharva Veda [AV] and not the ASU.  This article seeks to distinguish the two occurrences across a spectrum of scriptures.

 

Here are some such instances where the occurrence is undoubtedly referring to the ASU. A feature that is distinguishing this is that the occurrence of the ASU is always in the context of Rudra, Śiva:

 

Kūrmapurāna:

 

स लब्धा परमं ज्ञानमैश्वरं प्रपितामहः

प्रपेदे शरणं देवं तमेव पितरं शिवम्  ६५

ओङ्कारं समनुस्मृत्य संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना

अथर्वशिरसा देवं तुष्टाव च कृताञ्जलिः  ६६ [[ here the word is used in the tṛtīyā vibhakti]

 

योगाभ्यासरतश्चैव रुद्राध्यायी भवेत्सदा 

अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येता वेदान्ताभ्यासतत्परः  ३१  [ here the word is used in the ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti]

 

अथर्वशिरसा चान्ये रुद्राद्यैरर्चयन् भवम्  १०५  [here the word is used in the tṛtīyā vibhakti]

 

नमो देवाधिदेवाय महादेवाय ते नमः 

त्र्यम्बकाय नमस्तुभ्यं त्रिशूलवरधारिणे  १०६

प्रणवासक्तमनसो रुद्रजप्यपरायणान्

अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येत्तॄन्धर्मज्ञान्परिवर्जय  १७  [here the word is used in the ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti]

 

Sūtasamhitā:

 

अथर्वशिरसा देवमस्तुवंश्चोर्ध्वबाहवः । [here the word is used in the tṛtīyā vibhakti]

अन्यैर्नानाविधैः सूक्तैः श्रीमत्पञ्चाक्षरेण च ॥ १३

[The gods, with their hands raised above their heads, sang the praise of

Lord Rudra with the ‘atharvaśiras’ and other sūktas and also the

Panchākṣara.] [This raising the hands above while praising is stated exactly so in the very Atharvaśirā Upaniṣad as well:  ते देवा रुद्रमध्यायंस्ततो देवा ऊर्ध्वबाहवो रुद्रं स्तुवन्ति ॥ १॥]

 

Padmapurāṇa Śivagītā:

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_giitaa/shivagiitaa.html?lang=hi

अग्रगं गरुडारूढं शंखचक्रगदाधरम् ।

कालाम्बुदप्रतीकाशं विद्युत्कान्त्या श्रिया युतम् ॥ ३८॥

 

जपन्तमेकमनसा रुद्राध्यायं जनार्दनम् ।

पश्चाच्चतुर्मुखं देवं ब्रह्माणं हंसवाहनम् ॥ ३९॥

 

चतुर्वक्त्रैश्चतुर्वेदरुद्रसूक्तैर्महेश्वरम् ।

स्तुवन्तं भारतीयुक्तं दीर्घकूर्चं जटाधरम् ॥ ४०॥

 

अथर्वशिरसा देवं स्तुवन्तं मुनिमण्डलम् । [tṛtīyā vibhakti]

गङ्गादितटिनीयुक्तमम्बुधिं नीलविग्रहम् ॥ ४१॥

 

श्वेताश्वतरमन्त्रेण स्तुवन्तं गिरिजापतिम् ।

अनन्तादिमहानागान्कैलासगिरिसन्निभान् ॥ ४२॥

 

कैवल्योपनिषत्पाठान्मणिरत्नविभूषितान् ।  [clear that the Kaivalyopaniṣat is Rudra-specific]

 

अथ पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः ॥

 

श्रीराम उवाच ॥

 

भक्तिस्ते कीदृशी देव जायते वा कथंचन ।

यया निर्वाणरूपं तु लभते मोक्षमुत्तमम् ।

तद् ब्रूहि गिरिजाकान्त मयि तेऽनुग्रहो यदि ॥ १॥

 

श्रीभगवानुवाच ॥

 

यो वेदाध्ययनं यज्ञं दानानि विविधानि च ।

मदर्पणधिया कुर्यात्स मे भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ २॥

 

नर्यभस्म समादाय विशुद्धं श्रोत्रियालयात् ।

अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैरभिमन्त्र्य यथाविधि ॥ ३॥ [This mantra is in the ASU]

 

उद्धूलयति गात्राणि तेन चार्चति मामपि ।

तस्मात्परतरा भक्तिर्मम राम न विद्यते ॥ ४॥

 

सर्वदा शिरसा कण्ठे रुद्राक्षान्धारयेत्तु यः ।

पञ्चाक्षरीजपरतः  स मे भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ ५॥

 

भस्मच्छन्नो भस्मशायी सर्वदा विजितेन्द्रियः ।

यस्तु रुद्रं जपेन्नित्यं चिन्तयेन्मामनन्यधीः ॥ ६॥

 

स तेनैव च देहेन शिवः संजायते स्वयम् ।

जपेद्यो रुद्रसूक्तानि तथाथर्वशिरः परम् ॥ ७॥ [The word ‘atharvaśiraḥ’ refers to the ASU in the dviteeyā]

 

कैवल्योपनिषत्सूक्तं श्वेताश्वतरमेव च । [Kaivalya and Śvetāśvatara are Rudra-specific]

ततः परतरो भक्तो मम लोके न विद्यते ॥ ८॥

 

 

Linga purāna:

http://tinyurl.com/jawhnbb

 

संपूज्य शिवसूक्तेन त्र्यंबकेन शुभेन च।।
जप्त्वा त्वरितरुद्रं च शिवसंकल्पमेव च।। ६४.७६ ।।

नीलरुद्रं च शाक्तेयस्तथा रुद्रं च शोभनम्।।
वामीयं पवमानं च पंचब्रह्म तथैव च।। ६४.७७ ।। [This shows that the Nilarudra Upaniṣat too is addressed to Shiva only]

होतारं लिंगसूक्तं च अथर्वशिर एव च।। [dvitīyā vibhakti]
अष्टांगमर्घ्यं रुद्राय दत्वाभ्यर्च्य यथाविधि।। ६४.७८ ।।

 

Vasishtha dharma sūtra:

 

Here, in this Dharma sūtra, there is a prāyaśchitta ritual which enjoins chanting of the Atharvaśirā Upaniṣad. That such is the case and not the Atharva veda here is clear from the purificatory fruit accruing from chanting the ASU:

 

 

//य इदमथर्वशिरो ब्राह्मणोऽधीते अश्रोत्रियः श्रोत्रियो भवति, अनुपनीत उपनीतो भवति, सोऽग्निपूतो भवति स वायुपूतो भवति स सूर्यपूतो भवति स सोमपूतो भवति स सत्यपूतो भवति स सर्वपूतो भवति स सर्वेर्देवैर्ज्ञातो भवति स सर्वैर्वेदैरनुध्यातो भवति स सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु स्नातो भवति तेन सर्वैः क्रतुभिरिष्टं भवति गायत्र्याः षष्टिसहस्राणि जप्तानि भवन्ति इतिहासपुराणानां रुद्राणां शतसहस्राणि जप्तानि भवन्ति । प्रणवानामयुतं जप्तं भवति । स चक्षुषः पङ्क्तिं पुनाति । आ सप्तमात्पुरुषयुगान्पुनातीत्याह भगवानथर्वशिरः सकृज्जप्त्वैव शुचिः स पूतः कर्मण्यो भवति ।//

 

Such a purificatory fruit is stated at the end of the Kaivalyopanishat, for having chanted the śatarudriyam, too.

 

http://peterffreund.com/Vedic_Literature/kalpa/dharma/vasishtha_dharma_sutra.html

 

सर्ववेदपवित्राणि वक्ष्याम्यहमतः परम्
येषां जपैश्च होमैश्च पूयन्ते नात्र संशयः १०

शतरुद्रियमथर्वशिरस् त्रिसुपर्णं महाव्रतम्
गोसूक्तं चाश्वसूक्तं च शुद्धाशुद्धीये सामनी १४

 

Again:

 

अथ खल्वयं पुरुषो मिथ्या व्याकरोत्ययाज्यं वा याजयत्यप्रतिग्राह्यं वा प्रतिगृह्णात्यनन्नं वाश्नात्यनाचारणीयमेवाचरति १ तत्र प्रायश्चित्तं कुर्यान्न कुर्यादिति मीमांसन्ते २ न कुर्यादित्याहुः ३

न हि कर्म क्षीयत इति ४ कुर्यादित्येव तस्माच्छ्रुतिनिदर्शनात् ५ तरति सर्वं पाप्मानं तरति ब्रह्महत्त्यां योऽश्वमेधेन यजत इति ६ इति चाभिशस्तो गोसवेनाग्निष्टुता यजेत ७ तस्य निष्क्रयणानि जपस्तपो होम उपवासो दानम् ८ उपनिषदो वेदादयो वेदान्ताः सर्वच्छन्दःसंहिता मधून्यघमर्षणमथर्वशिरो रुद्राः पुरुषसूक्तं राजनरौहिणे सामनी कूष्माण्डानि पावमान्यः सावित्री चेति पावनानि ९

 

The above are all famous prāyaschitta-related portions of the Veda.

 

Here too it is the ASU as this is also a prāyacchitta context, where even the aghamarśaṇa sūkta is included:

 

Gautama dharma sutra:

 

http://peterffreund.com/Vedic_Literature/kalpa/dharma/gautama_dharma_sutra.html

संहिता मधून्यघमर्षणमथर्वशिरो रुद्राः पुरुषसूक्तं राजतरौहिने

 

सामनीबृहद्रथन्तरे पुरुषगतिर्महानाम्न्यो महावैराजं महादिवाकीर्त्यंज्येष्ठसाम्नाम

The ASU is mentioned in the Bodhāyana Dharma sūtra too.

 

Agnipurāṇam:

http://www.aa.tufs.ac.jp/~tjun/data/gicas/ap2_frame.html

 

अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येता सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । 21ab [ṣasṭhī vibhakti]
प्राधान्येन तु मन्त्राणां किञ्चित् कर्म तवेरितं ॥ 21cd

 

Here too, the chanting of the Atharvaśira Upaniṣad is meant as it says: freedom from all sins, which is a phalam of reciting this ASU as per that Upaniṣad itself.

 

 

 

 

 

Instances where the term ‘atharva śiras’ refers to Atharva veda [AV]:

 

Lakshminarasimhastotram:

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_vishhnu/nRisiMhasahasranAmastotra.html?lang=sa

 

परब्रह्मस्वरूपाय पञ्चब्रह्मात्मने नमः ।

नमस्ते ब्रह्मशिरसे तदाऽश्वशिरसे नमः ॥ ७१॥

अथर्वशिरसे नित्यमशनिप्रमिताय च । [The Lord is referred as one having Atharva Veda as head]

नमस्ते तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राय लोलाय ललिताय च ॥ ७२॥

 

Mahabharata references:

http://www.rsvidyapeetha.ac.in/mahabharatha/sort-mbh/all-mbh-sort.html

अथर्वशिरसा चैव नित्यमाथर्वणा द्विजाः। 14-92-51 अ.पा.g. [refers to AV in the tṛtīyā vibhakti] [This verse will be discussed later in this article]

ऋतुकालाभिगामी च धर्मपत्नीषु यः सदा। वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातो विप्रः पङ्क्तिं पुनात्युत।।	13-137-28a 13-137-28b
अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येता ब्रह्मचारी यतव्रतः। सत्यवादी धर्मशीलः स्वकर्मनिरतश्च सः।।	13-137-29a 13-137-29b

[refers to AV in the ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti] [The context is those who are eligible to be inducted into the śrāddha ceremony]

 

Another usage similar to the above, from the Skandapurāṇam 6.217:

 

अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि ये शस्ताः श्राद्धकर्मणि ॥
ये ब्राह्मणाः पुरा ख्याताः पापानां पंक्तिपावनाः ॥ २१ ॥
त्रिणाचिकेतस्त्रिमधुस्त्रिसुपर्णः षडंगवित् ॥
यश्च विद्याव्रतस्नातो धर्मद्रोणस्य पाठकः॥ २२ ॥
पुराणज्ञस्तथा ज्ञानी विज्ञेयो ज्येष्ठसामवित् ॥
अथर्वशिरसो वेत्ता क्रतुगामी सुकर्मकृत् ॥ २३ ॥ [The knower of the Atharva śiras (AV)]

 

Yet another from the Kūrmapurāṇam in the same context of śrāddha induction:

 

व्यास उवाच

स्नात्वा यथोक्तं संतर्प्य पितॄंश्चन्द्रक्षये द्विजः

पिण्डान्वाहार्यकं श्राद्धं कुर्यात्सौम्यमनाः शुचिः  १

पूर्वमेव परीक्षेत ब्राह्मणं वेदपारगम्

तीर्थं तद्धव्यकव्यानां प्रदानानां च स स्मृतः  २

ये सोमपा विरजसो धर्मज्ञाः शान्तचेतसः

व्रतिनो नियमस्थाश्च ऋतुकालाभिगामिनः  ३

पञ्चाग्निरप्यधीयानो यजुर्वेदविदेव च  [Yajurveda]

बह्वृचश्च त्रिसौपर्णस्त्रिमधुर्वाथ यो भवेत्  ४  [Ṛgveda]

त्रिणाचिकेतश्छन्दोगो ज्येष्ठसामग एव च  [sāmaveda]

अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येता रुद्राध्यायी विशेषतः  ५  [The knower of the Atharva śiras (AV)]

 

An aside:

[Śiva sahasranāma of MB]

 

अथर्वशीर्षः सामास्य ऋक्सहस्रामितेक्षणः।। 13-17-91

यजुःपादभुजो गुह्यः प्रकाशो जंगमस्तथा।  [This word अथर्वशीर्षः though not the ASU, just by the word ‘śīrṣa’ meaning ‘head’, only refers to the AV being the ‘head’ of Śiva, the sāma veda being the mouth, the Rgveda the innumerable limitless eyes and the Yajurveda, the hands and feet of the Viśvarūpa Śiva]

 

A similar stuti is there in the MB:

 

http://sarit.indology.info/exist/apps/sarit/works/anu%C5%9B%C4%81sanaparva__adhy%C4%81ya_042.html

अथ दानधर्मपर्व ॥ 1 ॥

ब्रह्मणा देवान्प्रति श्रीनारायणमहिमप्रतिपादकगरुडमुनिगणसंवादानुवादः ॥ 1 ॥

 

ऋग्यजुःसामवक्त्राय अथर्वशिरसे नमः ।

हृषीकेशाय कृष्णाय द्रुहिणोरुक्रमाय च ॥

 

It is a stuti of Nārāyaṇa praising Him as one with the Rg, Yajus and Sāma veda-s as the Mouth/Face and the Atharva Veda as the Head. Here by no means the ASU can be taken, for, the component ‘śiras’ in the (bahuvrīhi) compound word qualifies the person, Narayana. One can see the similarity with the above-stated Śivasahasranāma of the MB where Śiva is praised as one with the Atharva Veda as the Head. The only difference is the word ‘śīrṣa’, a synonym for ‘śiras’ is used there.

 

Here too, the term ‘Atharvaśiras’ refers to Atharva veda, similar to the above-cited MB stuti of Narayana:

 

Vāmana purana:

 

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/3zt

 

सहस्रशीर्षाय नमो ब्रह्मशीर्षाय ते नमः।
नमः सहस्रनेत्राय सोमसूर्यानलेक्षण।।। ८७.२०
नमश्चाथर्वशिरसे महाशीर्षाय ते नमः। [chaturthī vibhakti, denoting the person who has the AV as the head],
नमस्ते धर्मनेत्राय महानेत्राय ते नमः।। ८७.२०

 

A typical case of mistaking the term ‘atharvaśiras’ to mean the upaniṣad by that name:

 

The blogger says:

http://narayanastra.blogspot.in/p/on-symbols-and-practices-of-vaishnavism.html

 

Quote

//The stalwart scholar Sri U. Ve. Krishnaswamy Iyengar asks us here to note the following explicit statement of Sri Krishna regarding atharva-siras in the Mahabharata:

atharvairasā caiva nityam ātharvaṇā dvijāḥ
stuvanti satataṃ ye māṃ te’pi bhāgavatāḥ smtāḥ (14_004_3378 – 14_004_3379)

Meaning: (You must) know that those AtharvaNa brAhmaNas who chant the atharvashiras daily as part of their worship of Me (KrishNa) are also bhAgavatas, my devotees.

Note that Krishna clarifies two issues here:

1) He clearly states, as a matter of fact, that the atharvasiras is part of his worship (as opposed to other devas)

2) He also adds “te api bhAgavatAH” – “they are also my devotees”. Note the usage of “api”. It indicates that these atharva-siras upAsakAs are also his devotees, which means there is something that they do which may be regarded as unconventional and different from other devotees. This is nothing but the pAshupata vrAtins who have bhasma-dhAraNa as part of their injunctions.

There was no doubt in the first place as to whom the atharvasiras was directed towards for worship, since krishNa says that it is part of his daily worship in a nonchalant manner. However, there could have been a doubt as to whether those who worship krishNa this way are inferior as compared to other devotees. By the usage of “api”, krishNa says that these people are no lesser than the other devotees. The usage of “bhAgavatAH” shows that these devotees serve the Lord just like the others. The ashes are used in the worship of KrishNa only.

Just like some forms of the Lord accept Bilva and other offerings which are usually popular among other deities, this atharvasiras upAsaNa is a special case.//

Unquote

 

A response to the above:

 

The above is a complete mistake by that ‘stalwart’ (and by extension, his followers, the bloggers) due to the mistaken meaning for the word ‘atharvaśiras’. He took this word to mean the popular atharva śirā Upaniṣad, while in fact, in that Mahābhārata verse, it simply means the ‘atharva veda’.  The mistake arose partly because he took the verse in isolation without considering the immediately preceding verse:

 

http://sarit.indology.info/exist/apps/sarit/works/%C4%81%C5%9Bvamedhikaparva__adhy%C4%81ya_118.html

 

ऋग्वेदेनैव होता च यजुषाऽध्वर्युरेव च ।

सामवेदेन चोद्गाता पुण्येनाभिष्टुवन्ति माम् ॥

अथर्वशिरसा चैव नित्यमाथर्वाणा द्विजाः ।

स्तुवन्ति सततं ये मां ते वै भागवताः स्मृताः ॥

 

Lord Krishna is saying that all the four Vedas are means for worshiping him. The word atharvaśirasā in the instrumental simply means: by the atharva veda. There is also no ‘api’ here.

 

Just prior to the above lines, is this line in that chapter of MB:

न शूद्रा भगवद्भक्ता विप्रा भागवताः स्मृताः ॥

[śūdra-s are not bhagavad bhakta-s, brāhmaṇa-s (alone) are considered bhāgavata-s]  In proof of this statement Krishna says the above lines.  Thus, all the four-vedic brḥmaṇa-s are bracketed by the word ‘bhāgavata-s’ in that twin-verse, ‘they, all the four categories, indeed are bhāgavata-s’. There is no way that, as the blogger has mistaken, the ātharva-s are ‘also’ included by Krishna.

 

http://tinyurl.com/h47j6mg

 

The Four Veda-s are associated with the four priests who officiate in a typical śrouta yaga: Hotā [Ṛgveda], Adhvaryu [Yajurveda], Udgātā [Sāma veda] and Brahmā [Atharvaveda]. These four are the ones the above twin verses of the MB are referring to.

 

To make it unmistakably clear that the usage there is about the AV only and not the ASU, we have the following:

 

There is a usage similar to this in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa: Bālakāṁda.

 

https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/commentaries?field_commnetary_tid=8&field_kanda_tid=1&language=dv&field_sarga_value=15

 

।। 1.15.2 ।।

इष्टिं ते ऽहं करिष्यामि पुत्रीयां पुत्रकारणात् ।
अथर्वशिरसि प्रोक्तैः मन्त्रैः सिद्धां विधानतः ।। 2 ।।

 

[By the method and mantras stated in the Atharvaśiras …..] (here the word is used in the saptamī):
The commentary:
किमब्रवीदित्यतः इष्टिमित्यादि । पुत्रकारणात्पुत्रप्राप्तिहेतोः, ते पुत्रीयां–पुत्रप्राप्तिनिमित्तभूताम्, निमित्ताधिकारे ‘पुत्राच्छ च’ इति छः, अथर्वशिरसि प्रोक्तैः मन्त्रैः विधानतः—कल्पसूत्रतः सिद्धामिष्टिं करिष्यामि । इत्युक्तेव्ति शेषः ।। 1.15.2 ।।

।। 1.15.3 ।।

ततः प्रारब्धवानिष्टिं पुत्रीयां पुत्रकारणात् ।
जुहाव चाग्रौ तेजस्वी मन्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा ।। 3 ।।
The commentary:
मन्त्रदृष्टेनेति । मन्त्रपूर्वकतया कल्पसूत्रदृष्टेनेत्यर्थः ।। 1.15.3 ।।

 

This was discussed here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/samskrita/xRspP3dyyro/QDq7rzPNfpEJ

 

The relevant portion of the discussion is:

 

Quote:

// 2) अथर्वशिरसि = अत्र -शिरसि = वेदः वा?

 

अथर्व नाम वेदः, ऋग्यजुःसाम- अथर्व-नामसु चतुर्थः। तस्य शिरः = वेदान्तः, उपनिषत् इति सामान्यतोऽर्थः। अथर्वशिरसीति अत्र वेदभागविशेषः, ब्राह्मणभाग उच्यते। अत्र विशेषेण प्रकरणात् अथर्वशिरसि  = अथर्ववेदे प्रोक्तै: पुत्रेष्टिसाधकत्वेन निर्णीतैर्मन्त्रै: //

Unquote

 

What is stated above, in the Rāmāyaṇa, by the word ‘atharvaśiras’ is by no means the famous Upanishad by that name.  For, there is nothing in that Upanishad which teaches a method to obtain an offspring.

 

[It looks like there is indeed a vidhānam in the Atharva veda, going by this reference in the Agnipurāṇam:

http://www.aa.tufs.ac.jp/~tjun/data/gicas/ap2_frame.html

अथर्व्वविधानं ।
पुष्कर उवाच ।
साम्नां विधानं कथितं वक्ष्ये चाथर्व्वणामथ । 1ab

 

Puṣkara said: After having stated the vidhānam as per the Sāmaveda, now I shall talk about the ‘atharvaṇa’ (vidhānam):

One anuṣṭhāna from this atharva veda is related to obtaining a son:

 

अयन्ते योनिरित्येतत् पुत्रलाभकरं भवेत् । 19ab

 

Perhaps the VR and commentary thereon are referring to this.]

 

Similar is the usage in the Mahābhārata cited above. It is by the brāhmaṇa bhāga of the AV that one worships the Lord, if it is meant to say ‘by performing his veda-ordained karma-s’. The other three names: hotā, adhvaryu and udgātā mentioned explicitly in the MB verse is upalakṣaṇa to the brahmā (implicitly mentioned) by the term ‘atharvaśirasā’. All are ‘stutis’.

 

Incidentally, the reference to the worship of Krishna through all the Veda-s is not to be mistaken to be the deity Krishna, but Brahman, for such expressions as the above are found to be with respect to Shiva too in other scriptural sources.

 

This is yet another usage of the word in the Mahabharata itself, in the context of those persons who are fit to be invited to officiate in a śrāddha ceremony [already cited in the foregoing]:

 

अथर्वशिरसा चैव नित्यमाथर्वणा द्विजाः। 14-92-51 [refers to AV in the tṛtīyā vibhakti]
[There is this reference too in the MB:

ऋतं सत्यं परं ब्रह्म स्तुवन्त्याथर्वणा द्विजाः। 13-16-48 ]

अथर्वशिरसोऽध्येता ब्रह्मचारी यतव्रतः। सत्यवादी धर्मशीलः स्वकर्मनिरतश्च सः।।	13-137-29a 13-137-29b
ऋतुकालाभिगामी च धर्मपत्नीषु यः सदा। वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातो विप्रः पङ्क्तिं पुनात्युत।।	13-137-28a 13-137-28b

 

The one referred to above is a brahmachārin who has done the Atharva Veda adhyayana. The others are: a householder who is observing svapatnī vrata, etc.

 

Synopsis:

 

The term ‘atharvaśiras’ is used in many instances across the scriptural literature.  As to what exactly it means, whether the Atharva Veda or the Atharvaśirā Upaniṣad, is to be carefully examined in each instance by taking the context, etc. into account.  Samples to explain both the meanings have been presented in the foregoing.

 

https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Atharvashiras%20Upanishad&item_type=topic

 

Om Tat Sat