Introduction Vedas Vedangas Praathisakhas Anukramanikas Upavedas Agamas Nine names of Vedas. Rg Veda Yajur Veda Sama Veda Atharva Veda purusha suktam |
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| page is revised on 16th February, 2004 |
| Atharva Veda |
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| by m kishore mohan |
| Atharva means the stationary. The atharva is Prajapati, the god who has given the fire to the mankind. Atharva veda is the action -krya - part of the vedas. Mostly meant for the worldly Knowledge, it is an essential part of education for those who aspire to be the preceptors, also called Angirasa, Atharvangirasa, Bhrg Angirasa,Kshatra( one who acts)or Bhaishajya . The verses of Atharva are called siddha mantras. They include almost exclusively of a wide variety of hymns, magical incantations, and magical spells. Largely for personal, domestic use, it was not originally accepted as authoritative because of the deviant nature of its contents. Scholars believe that it dates from a later time .Eventually it was acknowledged as one of the Vedas, especially after its adoption as a ritual handbook by the Brahmans, the fourth and highest class of priests officiating at the sacrifices Finally, the vedas are an important source for our ancient history. I think we should serioulsy read Vedas and other Hindu books not only as a literature of religion but also, as text books of history. ************** |