Essay name: Atharvaveda ancillary literature (Study)
Author:
B. R. Modak
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
The essay studies the ancillary literature of the Atharva-Veda with special reference to the Parisistas. It does so by understanding the socio-cultural and philosophical aspects of ancient Indian life. The Atharvaveda addresses encompasses all practical aspects of life from health and prosperity to rituals and sorcery.
Chapter 1 - Ancillary Literature of the Atharvaveda (other than the Parisistas)
185 (of 255)
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sive than the VPr盲t. and the RPrat. Yet it bears here and
there a more generally grammatical character than is the case
with the remaining pr盲tisakhyas. A reference may, however,
be made in this connection to a peculiar characteristic of
the CA, namely, that its rules have a scope which is wider
than is actually warranted or required by the vocabulary of
the Saunakiya recension of the AV. This has necessited the
commentator to fabricate illustrations to explain some of
its rules.
The authorship of the CA is traditionally ascribed to
Saunaka but this Saunaka can be hardly identified with
Saunaka, the author of the RPr盲t. Very little, indeed, can
be said of the author of the CA. A reference to Saunaka is
no doubt made in that work at 1.8. The author of the CA
appears to have been a member of the Saunakiya carana, found-
ed by the author of the Sakala-Pr盲tisakhya.
The contents of the CA may be summarised as follows:
The first pada of the first adhyava starts by defin-
ing the scope of the whole treatise. It is said that the
work aims at dealing with, mainly, the euphonic
combinations in the samhita. Then it points out the
alphabets which may come at the end of words (3-9). It
(7) Cf. Weber, The History of Indian Literature, p. 151;
IS IV, pp. 79-82.
(8) It is stated that all the vowels except 1, visarga and I
as well as the unaspirated surds and nasals excepting
the palatals can occur as finals in words.
