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)
399 (of 459)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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681
have been described in an interesting way.
33 The CV agrees
with Katy膩yana in most of the details. The RV (personified)
he possesses eyes
is said to be of a yellowish complexion;
34 like lotus-petals, has a well-formed (suvibhakta) curly hair
and beard, strong thighs as well as legs and is five spans
(aratni) in height (while standing - Katyayana). The IV
(personified) is tall, has protruding belly and stout neck and
cheeks, is red in colour (or black - K盲ty盲yana) and is six
pr盲desa in height. According to Katyayana, he possesses brown
eyes. The SV (personified) is mighty, fragrant, bright,
soft-speaking and a brahmanya, has long arms but a diseased
skin, is black in colour and has a shrill (katara) voice. He
is six aratnis in height. 35 The sages and Brahma are said to
33. Cf. Caturvarga Cintamani, Vratakhanda II, part 1, p.104
啶嬥啷嵿さ啷囙う啶� 啶氞啶むさ啶班啶｀ 啶膏啶ぞ啶︵啶掂た啶啶溹 啶班ぞ啶膏き啶距え啷嵿い啶� 啷�
啶呧啷嵿し啶ぞ啶侧ぞ啶啶 啶膏啷屶き啷嵿く啶� 啶啶班啶むざ啷嵿啶距ぇ啷嵿く啶え啶距お啷嵿い啶� ||
啶ㄠ啶侧啶む啶げ啶距き啶距じ啶� 啶膏ぞ啶さ啷囙う啶� 啶о啶ぞ啶ㄠえ啶� 啷�
啶呧啷嵿し啶ぞ啶侧ぞ啶ㄠ啶掂た啶む 啶︵啷嵿し啷� 啶掂ぞ啶 啶曕ぎ啷嵿が啷佮ぇ啶班 啶膏啶啶む 啷�
啶呧啶距じ啷嵿く啶� 啶啶むさ啶班啶｀ 啶膏啶ぞ啶оえ啷佮ぐ啷嵿さ啷囙う啶距啷嵿し啶膏啶む啶班ぇ啷冟啷� 啷�
啶掂ぞ啶 啶曕啶侧た啶多お啶距ぃ啶� 啶啶むた啶︵ 啶お啷嵿ぐ啶︵ 啷むイ
啶呧ぅ啶班啶掂ぃ啶距ぎ啶苦ぇ啶� 啶掂啶︵ぞ 啶оさ啶侧 啶曕啶距え啶ㄠ 啷�
啶呧い啶膏啶む啶班 啶� 啶栢啶掂ぞ 啶掂た啶啶班ぞ啶｀啶洁く啶� 啶溹く啶啶班た啶 啷むイ
[峁沢veda岣� cetavar峁嘺岣� sy膩dvibhujo r膩sabh膩nta岣� |
ak峁m膩l膩bhya岣� sai啷宐hya岣� pr墨ta艣c膩dhyayan膩pta岣� ||
n墨lotpal膩bh膩sa岣� s膩maved膩 dhy膩nana岣� |
ak峁m膩l膩nvit墨 dak峁 v膩me kambudhara岣� sm峁泃a岣� ||
aj膩sya岣� p墨tavar峁嘺岣� sy膩dhanurved膩k峁s奴tradh峁沰 |
v膩me kuli艣ap膩峁噄 bh奴tido maprada岣� ||
atharva峁嚹乵idh膩 ved膩 dhaval墨 ka峁乶ana岣� |
atas奴tra峁� ca kha峁璦v膩 vibhr膩峁噊'ya峁� jayapriya岣� ||
] Further Hemadri (p.108) quotes from VDP:
啶嬥啷嵿さ啷囙う啶膏啶む 啶膏啶啶む 啶啶班す啷嵿ぎ啶� 啶啷佮ぐ啷嵿さ啷囙う啶膏啶む 啶掂ぞ啶膏さ啶� 啷�
啶膏ぞ啶さ啷囙う啶膏啶むぅ啶� 啶掂た啶粪啶｀啶� 啶多ぎ啷嵿き啷佮ざ啷嵿啶距い啷� 啷�
[峁沢vedastu sm峁泃o brahm膩 yajurvedastu v膩sava岣� |
s膩mavedastath膩 vi峁ａ箛u岣� 艣ambhu艣c膩t ||
] 34. Katy膩yana calls him white (sveta).
35.
Katyayana describes him in high terms, as being pure,
wearing garlands, and having a clean dress, well-controlled
mind and senses, a huge body and tremulous (k膩tara) or
golden eyes. He is like the Sun in complexion and is
nine aratnis in height.
