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Atharvashikha Upanishad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atharvashikha
Bearded Shiva.jpg
The text focuses on Shiva and Om
Devanagari
?????????
IAST
Atharvasikha
Title means
Tip of the Atharvan[1]
Date
1st millennium BCE
Type
Shaiva
Linked Veda
Atharvaveda
Chapters
2
The Atharvashikha Upanishad (IAST: Atharvasikha) is a Sanskrit text that is one
of the minor Upanishads of Hinduism. It is among the 31 Upanishads associated wi
th the Atharvaveda.[2] It is classified as a Shaiva Upanishad focussed on god Sh
iva.[3][4]
The text is composed through the voice of the Sage Atharvan, to whom the Atharva
veda is eponymously attributed. The text discusses and equates Om symbol to Shiv
a as the Supreme Being and Brahman, explaining the spirituality behind its chant
ing and meditation.[1][5] It declares Shiva to be higher than Brahma, Vishnu, Ru
dra and Ishana.[1]
The text is also called Atharvashikhopanishad, and is listed at 23 in the Telugu
language anthology of 108 Upanishads in Muktika canon.[6]
Contents [hide]
1
Nomenclature
2
Chronology
3
Structure
4
Content
4.1
What is the object of meditation?
4.2
Om, Atman, Brahman and Shiva
5
Commentary
6
References
7
Bibliography
8
External links
Nomenclature[edit]
The word "Atharvashikha", states Deussen, means the Tip of the Atharvan .[1] Shikha
also means "particular verse or formula" and "a tuft or lock of hair on the cro
wn of the head".[7]
Chronology[edit]
Deussen states that the text is from the group of five Upanishads which assert g
od Shiva as a symbolism for Atman in Hinduism.[8] Atharvashikha along with the o
ther four Upanishads Atharvashiras, Nilarudra, Kalagnirudra and Kaivalya
are anc
ient, with Nilarudra likely the oldest and Kaivalya the relatively later era Upa
nishad (still BCE) composed closer to the time of Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Mund
aka Upanishad, and Mahanarayana Upanishad.[8] Atharvashikha is probably among th
e later Upanishad in this group, and may be the stage of Hinduism where a transi
tion occurred from Rudra, Ishana and related Vedic deities to one Shiva.[1]
The Atharvashikha Upanishad is, states Parmeshwaranand, a relatively later era c

omposition (still 1st millennium BCE), influenced by the Pashupata Shaivism.[9]

Structure[edit]
The Atharvashikha Upanishad is presented in two sections, with Section 1 dealing
with what is meant by Om and the significance of its syllables, and Section 2 d
ealing with the benefits one derives by meditating coupled with reciting the wor
d Om representing the four Vedas.[10] The text focuses on OM mantra and its bene
fits.[11]
The Atharvashikha Upanishad imitates and repeats some text from other Shaiva Upa
nishads such as the Atharvashiras Upanishad, while expanding on a few aspects co
vered by it.[1] However, a difference between the two texts is that Atharvashira
s never uses the word "Shiva" (instead uses Maheshvara), while Atharvashikha rep
eatedly uses the word Shiva.[12]
Content[edit]
The text discusses "Om" or "Aum" as symbolism for Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Rudra a
nd Purusha-Brahman.
What is the object of meditation?[edit]
The Upanishad opens with sages (Rishi) Pippalada, Angiras and Sanatkumara meetin
g sage Atharvan and ask, "which Dhyana (meditation) is highest?", "what does med
itation comprise of and who should meditate", "what is the object of mediation?"
[13][14]
Om is the highest, replies Atharvan.[13] The text explains the basic meaning of
the divine Om mantra, representing the Para Brahman, the highest Brahman, the "U
ltimate Reality".[13] Om's has four legs, syllables, which symbolize the four go
ds and the four Vedic scriptures.[13] It has also four heads, which stand for ho
ly fires
Garhapatya, Dakshina, Ahavaniya and destructive fire.[10][15]
The four syllables of Om
A (?), U (?), M (?) and the half part (?) are equated w
ith empirical realities, abstract concepts, rituals and gods by the Atharvashikh
a Upanishad.[16][14]
Atharvan explains that the first syllable of Om, "A", represents the Prithvi (Ea
rth), the Rig Veda, the god Brahma
the Creator of the Trimurti, the color red, t
he eight Vasus, the gayatri meter, and Garhapatya, the sacred fire in a househol
d.[10][16]
The second syllable "U" denotes, states the text, the Akasha (sky), the Yajur Ve
da, the color black, the eleven Rudras, the Tristubh meter, and the Dakshinagni
ritual fire.[10][16]
The third syllable "M" represents Heavens, the Sama Veda, the color white, Vishn
u, the twelve Adityas, the Jagati meter and the Ahavaniya ritual fire.[10][16]
The half fourth syllable, which is the hidden part that follows M, represents th
e Atharva Veda, Purusha (the Supreme Being), the spectrum of all colours, the Ma
ruts deities, the Viraj meter and the Samvartaka fire which destroys creation.[1
0][16] It reverberates as the sound of Brahman.[17]
Om, Atman, Brahman and Shiva[edit]
The fourth half mora (syllable) of Om has three specific pronunciation modes
the
short, long and the extra long, states the text.[18] These are related specific
ally to the degrees of utterance one, two, and three matras, units of vocal pron
unciation.[10] This fourth is sant-atman, or "calm-self".[18]
The half syllable is absent in the long pronunciation, the sound which is identi
fied as the illumination of the soul. When uttered as a long reverberation, asse

rts the text, it rises upwards, resonating with Om-kara, the universal sound.[18
]
Chapter 2 begins stating that Om is also called Pranava, because it makes all Pr
anas (vital breath, life force) to give Pranama (bow down).[18] Om, states the t
ext, should be mediated upon as the origin of the Vedas and origin of all the go
ds.[18]
A meditation on Om relieves (Samtarayati) the meditator from fears and sorrows.[
18] As Vishnu in Om, it conquers all and fixes the mind in the highest Atman.[19
] As Brahma, it withdraws all senses.[19] As Ishana, it sets the whole world int
o activity.[19] It is through Om that Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Ishana came into
being, as did all creatures and the deities of sensory organs in them.[15][19]
Brahman,
The Lord
Fivefold
The holy

Vishnu and Rudra too,

and also the Blissful (Shiva)
as these five gods,
sound is proclaimed.

?Atharvashika Upanishad, Chapter 2, Translated by Paul Deussen[20]

Even utterance of the word Om for a second is stated to be superior to performan
ce of one hundred yajna sacrifices. Further, Shiva is equated to Om. All knowled
ge, all Yoga practice, all meditation is about Shiva Mahadeva, states the text.[
15][20]
The Om-sound, asserts the Upanishad, is Shiva.[20]
Commentary[edit]
The Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara (c. early 8th century CE), apart from providi
ng commentary on major Upanishads, which are well recorded, is also credited wit
h bhasya (commentary) on a few minor Upanishads which include the Atharvashikha
Upanishad.[21] This is considered highly doubtful by scholars such as Paul Hacke
r and Natalia Isaeva, and it is likely the minor Upanishads were commented on by
different persons who were also named Shankaracharya.[22]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Deussen 1997, p. 779.
Jump up ^ Prasoon 2008, p. 82-83.
Jump up ^ Farquhar 1920, p. 364.
Jump up ^ Tinoco 1997, p. 87.
Jump up ^ Farquhar, John Nicol (1920), An outline of the religious literature of
India, H. Milford, Oxford university press, p. 364, ISBN 81-208-2086-X
Jump up ^ Deussen 1997, p. 557.
Jump up ^ Monier Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology, Oxford Uni
versity Press, shikha
^ Jump up to: a b Deussen 1997, p. 769 footnote 1.
Jump up ^ Swami Parmeshwaranand (2004). Encyclopaedia of the Saivism. Sarup & So
ns. p. 196. ISBN 978-81-7625-427-4.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Ramachander, P. R. "Atharva Sikha Upanishad (Part of
the Atharva Veda)". vedarahasya.net.
Jump up ^ Keith Johnson (1 April 2006). Om for Every Day. Lulu.com. pp. 8 . ISBN 9
78-1-4116-8876-6.
Jump up ^ Deussen 1997, pp. 769, 779-782.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Deussen 1997, p. 780.
^ Jump up to: a b Georg Feuerstein (2003), The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory
and Practice, Shambala, ISBN 978-1570629358, page 309
^ Jump up to: a b c Hattangadi 1999.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Deussen 1997, pp. 780-781.
Jump up ^ Deussen 1997, pp. 779-781.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Deussen 1997, p. 781.

^ Jump up to: a b c d Deussen 1997, pp. 781-782.

^ Jump up to: a b c Deussen 1997, p. 782.
Jump up ^ Deussen, Paul (24 May 2012). The Upanishads. Courier Corporation. pp.
10 . ISBN 978-0-486-15711-5.
Jump up ^ Paul Hacker (1995), Sankaracarya and Sankarabhagavatpada: Preliminary
Remarks Concerning the Authorship Problem', in Philology and Confrontation: Paul
Hacker on Traditional and Modern Vedanta (Editor: Wilhelm Halbfass), State Univ
ersity of New York Press, ISBN 978-0-7914-2582-4, pp. 41 56
Bibliography[edit]
Deussen, Paul (1997). Sixty Upanishads of the Veda. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. IS
BN 978-81-208-1467-7.
Prasoon, Prof.S.K. (1 January 2008). Indian Scriptures. Pustak Mahal. ISBN 978-8
1-223-1007-8.
Hattangadi, Sunder (1999). "??????????????? (Atharvashikha Upanishad)" (PDF) (in
Sanskrit). Retrieved 16 January 2016.
Tinoco, Carlos Alberto (1997). Upanishads. IBRASA. ISBN 978-85-348-0040-2.
External links[edit]
Atharvashikha Upanishad in Sanskrit
[show] v t e
Hinduism topics
[show] v t e
Om.svg The 108 Upanishads
Categories: UpanishadsSanskrit textsShaiva texts
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