Questions of King Milinda Part 01

SR No.: 007681
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1890
Total Pages: 2695
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 47 MB

Page 1481

xxxviji
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
samani, atharvangirasah, brâhmanâni, itihåsân, purânâni, kalpân, gåthåh, nârâsamsih.
The only mention of the Atharvan as a literary type in Sankhâyana's Srauta-sâtra is at XVI, 2, 2 ff., again in the
. series, riko vedah, yagurvedah, atharvavedah The AV. in the remain- (in connection with bheshagam), angiraso vedah ing srauta- (in connection with ghoram), sarpavidya, ratexts.
kshovidya, asuravidya, itihâsavedah, purânavedah, sâmavedah. Very similarly in Åsvalâyana's Srautasútra X, 7, i ff., riko vedah yagurvedah, atharvânah vedah (with bheshagam), angiraso vedah (with ghoram), vishavidya, pisákavidya, asuravidya, purânavidya, itihaso vedah, sâmavedah. These passages are essentially identical with Sat. Br. XIII, 4, 3, 3 ff., above; their chief interest lies in the differentiation of atharvan and angiras, respectively as representatives of the auspicious (bheshagam) and terrible (ghoram=âbhikärikam) activities of this Veda ; cf. above, p. xviii ff. In the Pañkavimsa-brâhmana, XII, 9, 10; XVI, 10, 10, the Atharvan charms are mentioned favourably: bheshagam va atharvaâni, and theshagam vai devânâm atharvano bheshagyâyais vas rishtyai. Cf. also XXIII, 16,7; Käth. S. XI, 5 (cf. Ind. Stud. III, 463).
The Vågasaneyi-samhità mentions the traividya (or rik and sâman without yaguh) frequently, IV, 1.9; VIII, 12 ; XVIII, 9. 29. 67; XX, 12; XXXIV, 5; XXXVI, 9; the Atharvan is nowhere mentioned in connection with the other three. Once at XXX, 15=Tait. Br. III, 4, 1, 11, a woman that miscarries (avatoka) is devoted to the Atharvans; the reference, in the light of AV. VI, 17; Kaus. 35, 12 (a charm to prevent miscarriage), seems to be to Atharvan hymns or Atharvanic practices. Otherwise the word atharvan occurs in connections that admit of no special, or at any rate obvious, reference to the fourth Veda, VIII, 56 ; XI, 32. Neither is there, as far as is known, any mention of the Atharvan in the Maitrāyani-samhità, the Aitareya and Kaushitaki-brâhmanas, or Kâtyâyana's and Lâtyâyana's Srauta-sútras.
The position of the Atharvan in the srauta-literature according to this evidence is what might be naturally
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