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 2a - The nature of the Parisistas (of the Atharvaveda)
140 (of 459)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
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The ritualistic use of the AV is well established by
its two sutras, namely Kaus. and Vait. The Kalpas also have
made an extensive use of the AV-mantras, as has been already
noted, and the Parisistas have exhaustively employed the
mantras of the AV in ritual and in religious observances as
will be seen from what follows.
ЕИ
Ritual
It is evident that the simple act of making an
offering developed in course of time into a regular system,
it became more and more complicated and involved a number
of ceremonial formalities. Elaborate rules came to be laid
down in respect of such items as the place to be chosen
for the sacrifice, the kind and size of the woods by means
of which the fire is to be churned out, the altar, the
kunda, the fuel, the various implements, the objects for
offering and many other details. The AV-Parisistas from 21
to 28 deal at some length with the characteristics of many
of these items and the following statement is based mainly
on these Parisistas.
1. The Site
A sacrifice is to be performed at an auspicious place
and hence the site should be carefully selected. It should
be free from impure trees like slegmataka (cordia latifolia),
