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)
90 (of 255)
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in view of the facts that the Vait. mainly deals with Srauta
ritual and that YV, more than any other Vedic samhita, is
vitally connected with that ritual. At one place 12 isthe
Vait. expressly states that the deity, the material for
oblation and the sacrificial fees are to be known from the
XV. The first half of the Vait. agrees with the K盲tiya
S奴tras. 13
The commentary on the K盲tss refers to the Vait.
at a number of places 14 as Vait膩na or Atharvana Sutra. The
dependence of the Vait. on the SV is seen at two places.15
The form and contents in the case of the Brahmanas,
and especially in the case of the Srauta Sutras, are quite
stereotyped and the Vait. is not an exception to this rule.
It deals with the sacrifices in the usual traditional order
and hence in the following summary of its contents its
special characteristics have been mainly given.
The first adhyaya of the Vait. prescribes in detail
the duties of the Brahman priest. He is to sit to the south
of the sacred fire and is to do the anumantrana.
(f.n. 11 contd.)
16 Various
Sutra, pp. 80 f. Index C. Mantras from the VS, D. from
TS, E from TB and F. from TA.
(12) 1.8. devata havir daksina yajurvedat.
(13) i.e. K盲tss. cf. Garbe, op. cit., p.vi.
(14) 2.2.19; 3.2.6; 3.4.24; 3.7.19; 4.11.1.
(15) 35.23: sarvatra samsth盲stomastotriyam samavedapratyayam
and 42.13: sarvatra kamakl峁沺ti岣� samaved膩t.
(16) Anumantrana means reciting the prescribed mantra
immediately after a particular action in the sacrifice,
for instance, an offering, is made.
