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)
87 (of 255)
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(b) The Vait膩na Sutra
The other Sutra belonging to the AV, namely, the Vait.
is of the nature of a Srauta Sutra. That the Vait. is more
directly related to the Saunakiya recension can be seen from
the fact that it quotes the Paippal膩da mantras in full.'
In the Atharvaniya Paddhati to Kaus. (1.6), the Vait. is
cited as Saunakiya Sutra.2 The Vait. obviously derives its
title from its first word Vit膩na (a sacrifice). It is
comparatively a small text and consists of eight adhyayas
which are further divided into 43 sections called kandikas.3
Six adhyayas of the Atharva Prayascitta are further included
5 in it, thus making a total of fourteen adhyayas."
One may naturally expect that the Vait. being one of
the ancillary texts of the Angirasa Veda should, like the
Kaus., mainly deal with the magical application of the
mantras of the AV. A close study of this text would, however,
reveal that actually such is not the case. It describes, as
(1) Vait. 10.17; 14-1; 24.1.
(2) Cf. Bloomfield, "The position of the Vait. in the
literature of the AV", JAOS XI, p.377.
(3) The division of the eight adhyayas into the kandikas is
as follows: Adhyaya I.1-4; II.5-10; III.6-24; IV.25-27;
V.28-30; VI.31-35; VII.36-38; and VIII.39-43. The Vait.
is quoted with reference to the kandika and the sutra
therein.
(4) The colophon at the end of the APray. in some MSS. (cf.
JAOS XXXIII, p.144) mentions the last adhyaya as the
14th adhyaya of the Vait. Cf. Keith, History of Sanskrit
Literature, p.281.
(5) It may be noted that the Kaus. also contains fourteen
adhyayas.
