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)
186 (of 255)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
213
also defines correctly which alphabets are called sosmanah
(aspirates), anun盲sik盲岣� (nasals), aghosah (surds) and
ghosavanta岣� (sonants) (10-13). It then proceeds to the
consideration of the vdatta, anudatta and svarita accents
(14-17). Further it states the place and organ of the
production of different classes of sounds like kanthya,
jivhamuliya etc. (18-28). It classifies the sounds also
according to the degree of the contact of the tongue with
the organ of production (29-36). Then the peculiar nature
of the vowels r and (37-39) and of the sandhyaksaras
(diphthongs) is described (40-41).
The second p盲da of the first adhyaya opens with the
9 statement that a visarjaniya is an abhinisth膩na (42) and
10 defines the places where abhinidh膩na occurs (43-48). Then
a conjunct consonant and its phonetic value are defined. It
is stated that the latter half-part of the first constituent
has the same organ of production with the second constituent
(49-50). Vowels are classified as short and long (51-54)
and it is pointed out to which vowel the consonant in a word
(9) The word abhinisthana (which means a 'sounding forth' or
'resonance') does not form part of the grammatical
language of the Pr盲tisakhyas or of Panini. Probably
it is an ancient name for visarjaniva as is seen from
the fact that it is often mentioned in the Grhya Sutras.
(10) Abhinidh膩na probably represents the emission of un-
intonated breath that passes between two cononants while
uttering a conjuct like marud bhi岣� (II.29.4) or apsu
(1.6.2). Cf. Pr盲t. 6.5,11; VPr膩t. 4.16.
