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)
3 (of 255)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
30
in the AV are the forerunners of the sublime philosophy of
the Upanisads wherein we have, in the words of Schopenhauer
"the fruit of the highest human knowledge and wisdom" and
wherein we meet with "almost superhuman conceptions."
The various names by which the AV is known may be
said to refer to this heterogeneous nature. Each of these
names indicates some significant aspect of the contents of
that Veda. The AV alludes to its own class of literature as
6 Atharv盲ngirasa-veda, 2 Brahmaveda鲁 and as Bhesaja. It is
also called Bhrgvangirasa-veda, 5 Angiroveda, Atharvaveda
and as Ksatra and Yatu. The MBh. refers to it as the Veda
of the Pancakalpins. 10
8 11
In the names Atharv盲ngirasa and Bhrgvangirasa, the
two-fold nature of the AV becomes clearly evident. It
embodies two types of ritual1 the wholesome (the Bhaisaja,
(2) AV X.7.20; also Mh.III.305.20; VIII.40.33; Xain.Sm.
I.312; Manu Sm. XI.33.
(3) AV XV.6.8; also GB I.1.22, 2.16,19,5.15,19; II.2.6;
AVP I.15.1; 2.1.1, 2.1; 23.1.2; 33.1.1 etc.
(4) AV XI.6.14.
(5) Kaus. 63.6; 94.3,4; Vait.I.5; GB I.1.28,39, 2.9,18,
3.1,2,4. Culika Up. 11 designates it as Bhrguvistara
and Vayu Purana (61.72) as Bhrguvistara.
(6) SB. 13.4.3.8; GB I.1.8; TS 7.5.11.2; Pan 5.2.37.
(7) GB 1.29; sss 16.2.10; PGS 2.1.7; HGS 2.19.6; BGS 4.5.1.
(8) SB 14.8.14.2; Br Up. 5.13.1.4.
(9) SB 11.5.2.20.
(10) MBh. XII.342.99; XIII.14.309.
(11) Cf. GB I.2.18; Kaus. 3.19; Vait 5.10. It is, perhaps,
for this reason that SB (13.4.3.3) counts Atharva and
Angirasa as separate Vedas.
