Atharvaveda
Also called: Atharva Veda · Topic: The Vedic Age · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 7 "India's Cultural Roots"; Class 9, Ch 5 "State and Society up to 1000 CE"
Meaning
The Atharvaveda is the fourth of the four Vedas. Its hymns try to ward off evil and treat illnesses of the body and the mind. It also deals with the worries of daily life, such as health, safety, family and crops. This makes it a valuable source on the beliefs of ordinary people. Together with the Ṛigveda, it names the Vedic assemblies (the sabhā, samiti and vidhata). It is therefore an important source on early Vedic political life.
Example
The Atharvaveda calls the sabhā and the samiti the 'two daughters of Prajāpati'. This shows how much these assemblies were respected. The sabhā was a smaller body of elites that mainly gave justice. The samiti was a larger body that decided on policy.
Don't confuse with
- Ayurveda: a later 'subsidiary Veda' (upaveda) that deals with medicine as a full system. The Atharvaveda is one of the four original Vedas, and its healing hymns are just one part of it.
Related concepts
- Vedas
- Rigveda
- Rig Veda family books
- Yajurveda
- Samaveda
- Brahmana texts
- Aranyakas
- Upavedas
- Vedangas
- Kalpa sutras