Atharva Veda : Question from Manoj

07/12/2009 manoj
Adharvam
What's the importants of this veda


15/12/2009 Krishnan Kartha
Atharva Veda : Content
Atharva veda is of secondary or subsequent origin as I understand. I have found most of the Athrva sukthas and slokas in other vedas.There are some unique sookthas but the form and content exposes their origin and period. However, a sloka in Rigveda need not be found in Atharva Veda with same usage or style. For understanding this point, we should know about Rishi, Chandas and Devatha.

Each sloka in veda has a rishi. He is the exponent of the potency of the said sloka. He was the one who had tested the usage of the mantra and obtained results. We pay our respects to him before proceeding with the use of a mantra.

Chandas is the meter, like the vruttha in malayalam. Devatha is the abstract form behind the mantra. Vedic Devathas (vaidika devatha) are different from Puranik Devathas. Ganapati Siva Vishnu etc are Puranic devathas.They were created later on. Vaidik devathas are ethereal forces which are connected with daily human life.Like dreams, Night, Morning etc etc.

Now, I have noticed that same mantra has different rishis and devathas in Rigveda and Atharva veda. This is due to the mode of utility. Examples for this are not appropriate at the moment so I am excluding.

As I said earlier, there are some original atharva mantras and sukthas. Some of them have similarities with Rig Sukthas. I belive that they might have been originally there in Rgveda but removed later on. Period and authentiicity of some other mantras are to be questioned in the light of shift of style in them. Those are debatable issues. Not of our interest.

Now the question comes as to how the generation of Atharva ensued and why . 15/12/2009 Krishnan Kartha
Atharva2:Flight from Jnana to Upasana
The vedas were primarily used for acquiring wisdom. For Jnana. Accordingly yajnas were orgnaised by offering things into sacrificial fire and the aspirants duly obtained wisdom. This is evident even today as a seeker of fire obtains perception over and above the average human being.

But there were bye products too in these yajnas. They included harvest, rains, fertility etc etc. Man's selfish nature prompted him intoprobe into this phenomenon. Sceintists were there even then who used to disect things. They found that some mantras chanted in peculiar manner results in addition of welfare in the personal life as well as social life. They probed further amd earmarked appropriate mantras for appropriate results. When there are positive generative effects there has to be negative destructive results too. This made them seperate the positive manthras from negative manthras. The use of such mantras became more in Yajnas and Yajnas were started to be organised for specific purposes than for general well being of mankind. The selfishness of some users proved to be detrimental to the sustanance of the society. Thus the social ethics stepped in to the shoes and seperated destructive ones and banned individuals from using it. Since the potency was known to all concerned, prohibition was not effective. This resulted in origination of Grihya suthras and Srautha sutras. Many people have written these sutras. Grihya Sutras prescribed code conduct for the individuals and prescribed Grihya (domestic) yajnas one can hold at home. Srautha Sutras desribed Havir Yajnas & Soma Yagas to be organised by a group of individuals or soceity only.

This is how vedas were started to be used for UPASANA(Seeking).When you seek,the sought also is created. Thus slowly puranic devathas originated. The original purpose of vedas,ie Wisdom,was forgotten. Scholars like Jaimini embarked on new school called Poorva Meemamsa. They propogated that for going into heaven some deeds were needed. They framed some rites and routines later known as hinduism 15/12/2009 Krishnan Kartha
Atharva3: Compilation of Atharva
When the social reformers found that segregation as domestic and social yajnas is of no use to check on selfish use of vedas, they forcefully removed and spoiled those mantras. But vested interests compiled them again into one volume and thus originated Atharva veda.

Subseqently the original slokas were put back to other vedas. But the difference of usage and style in Atharva continued.

This is my inference from my own research. There may be people agrreing or disagreeing to this. However I have not read anywhere about the shift from jnana to upasana, but i firmly believe that this must have been the flow of events. 15/12/2009 Krishnan Kartha
Atharva4: Utility
The vedic chants in Atharva veda provides many useful tips to daily life. Thus most of the upa veda or sub vedas originated from Atharva. Natya Sasthra, Dhanurveda, Ayurveda etc. The Atharva deals with the utitlity of many herbs and plants. It provides protective mantras for ones wealth possessions cattle etc etc. Many useful mantras are there. I have found some mantras useful for starting work on earth for building etc, than the ones in other vedas. We use it for yajnas for erecting yagasalas etc. Prayers to earth. They are very poetic and indeed motivates us.

Do you need anything more? if so please ask. Thanks