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)
108 (of 459)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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389 79
An image of the Earth is made of the size of gocarma.
The image is brought to the pandal and is placed to the north
80 of the altar with the mantra: yasyam vedim
Images of
mountains are installed therein with the mantra: giravas te
81 parvata... and they are decorated with gold, silver,
installed there with the mantra: sa manda s膩n膩
jewels, pearls, corals etc to the accompaniment of the
mantra: yad ada岣� samprayati岣�
Images of rivers are
83 and they
82 are filled with rasas. Images of seas are installed with the
84 mantra: apam agram asi
and herbs are placed in the image of
e Earth with the mantras: vanaspati岣� saha devair
brhaspatina
86 85
and
The image of the earth that is thus prepared is paid
87 homage to with the mantra: nidhim bibhrati bahudha... and
(79) The word gocarma is explained by GGP 1.39 as follows:
啶嬥お啶啶曕ざ啶む 啶い啷嵿ぐ 啶掂ぞ 啶むた啶粪啶犩い啶� 啶膏啶曕啶むぎ啷嵿イ
啶ぞ啶掂啶掂い啷嵿じ啶啶班じ啷傕い啶距え啶距 啶椸啶氞ぐ啷嵿ぎ 啶栢た啶むた 啶む 啶掂た啶︵啶� 啷�
[峁沺ameka艣ata峁� yatra v膩 ti峁ａ弓hati sa峁僰峁泃am|
b膩vvatsapras奴t膩n膩峁� gocarma khiti ta峁� vidu岣� ||
] But this seems to be too big a size here. Hence it is
better to understand the word in its literal sense -'of
the size of a cow's hide'. Cf. f.n. 12 in the section
'Ritual' below.
(80) AV XII.1.13.
(81) AV XII.1.11.
(82) AV III.13.1.
(83) AV XIV.2.6
(84) AV XVI.1.6.
(85) AV XII.3.15.
(86) AV XIV.2.53-58.
(87) X AV XII.1.44.
