Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेदः)
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The Atharvaveda (Samskrit: अथर्ववेदः)
व्युत्पत्तिः नामाभिधानं च ॥ Etymology and nomenclature
शाखाः ॥ Recensions
The Caraṇavyuha, a later era Sanskrit text, states that the Atharvaveda had nine shakhas, or schools: paippalāda, stauda, mauda, śaunakīya, jājala ,jalada ,brahmavada, devadarśa and cāraṇavaidyā.[1]
Organization
The Srautasutra texts Vaitāna Sūtra and the Kauśika Sūtra are attached to the Atharvaveda Shaunaka edition, as are a supplement of Atharvan Prayascitthas, two Pratishakhyas, and a collection of Parisisthas.[2]
Contents
The contents of the Atharvaveda contrasts with the other Vedas.
Samhita
Surgical and medical speculations
Atharvaveda 4.15
Charms against fever, jaundice and diseases
Atharvaveda 5.21
Remedy from medicinal herbs
Atharvaveda 8.7
Spells and prayers to gain a lover, husband
The contents of Atharvaveda have been studied to glean information about the social and cultural mores in Vedic era of India.[3]
Atharvaveda 2.36
Speculations on the nature of man, life, good and evil
Atharvaveda 10.2.4 - 10.2.14
Prayer for peace
Some hymns are prayer qua prayer, desiring harmony and peace. For example,
Atharvaveda 7.52
Brahmana
Upanishads
Mundaka Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad
Prashna Upanishad
Manuscripts and translations
Influence
Medicine and health care
Khare and Katiyar state that the Bharat's tradition directly links Ayurveda to Atharvaveda.[4]
Literature
The verse 11.7.24 of Atharvaveda contains the oldest known mention of the Indic literary genre the Puranas.
References
- ↑ BR Modak (1993), The Ancillary Literature of the Atharva-Veda, Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan, ISBN 9788121506076, pages 15 (footnote 8), 393-394
- ↑ SS Bahulkar (2003), Samskararatnamala: An Atharvanic Prayoga, in Pramodasindhu (Editors: Kalyan Kale et al, Professor Pramod Ganesh Lalye’s 75th Birthday Felicitation Volume), Mansanman Prakashan, pages 28–35
- ↑ Rajbali Pandey (1969), Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120803961, pages 162-163, Chapter 8
- ↑ CP Khare and CK Katiyar (2012), The Modern Ayurveda, CRC Press, ISBN 978-1439896327, page 8