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)
129 (of 459)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
410
The practice of releasing a bull in the name of God
190 is common to this day in India
15. The Indra-Mahotsava
This festival, also known as Indra-Maha, is one of
the important royal ceremonies and is treated in Kaug. 140.
The AVP 19 repeats that kandika from the Kaus. adding some
more mantras to those employed at the offering of the obla-
tion and giving a fuller treatment of the omens that may
occur. According to Conda, the true purpose of utsava
(festival) is to stimulate or resuscitate the vital powers
of nature and to further man's consciousness of his own
special power. In this sense, festivals possessed, for the
Vedic Aryan, not only recreational value; for him they were
useful and necessary duties. The etymology of the word,
utsava, from the root Su (to stimulate), also supports its
191 magical character.
The Indra-Mohotsava is started in the bright half of
(190) The bulls which are so released often become a nuisance
in the market-place.
(191) "Skt. utsava - 'festival'," India Antiqua (Leiden 1947),
pp. 146-55. Gonda has elsewhere emphasized the magico-
religious significance of the words alamkara (F.W.
Thomas Comm. Vol., Bombay 1939), bhusana ("The meaning
of bhuá¹£ati," Wageningen 1939), guru (BSOS XII, pp.
124-31) etc.
