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)
208 (of 255)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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235
adi (103), bh奴t膩di (105), asmaisatadi (127), and
d墨rgh膩yutv膩di (131). By adopting the gana method the APr盲t.
has made its extent concise, but this saving is made "at
the expense of its reputation and value as an authority for
43 the readings of its text"
The Pr盲tisakhyas are not, strictly speaking,
grammatical treatises. They are, at the best, concerned
with recording phonetic and other kindred peculiarities which
characterise the samhitas of their schools. But as
Visvabandhu Shastri has pointed out, of all such treatises,
those relating to the AV are perhaps most grammatical in
character, that is, they bear greater affinity to regular
grammar and have, to a large extent, adopted grammatical
technique 44.
Another significant point regarding the phonetic
manuals belonging to the AV is worth noting. The
Pr盲tisakhyas generally refer to divergent opinions of
different authorities on grammar. Even P膩峁噄ni does it. It
is, however, strange that the CA and the APr盲t. hardly
45 refer to any other authority either for approbation or for
general enunciation. These treatises are, indeed,
conspicuous in not referring to any contemporary or ancient
teacher of grammar and phonetics.
(43) Surya Kanta, op. cit., notes, p. 53.
(44) The Atharva-Pr盲tisakhya, intro., p. 31.
(45) CA 2.24 refers to S盲katayana.
