Pre-Religion Indian Wisdom Part IV

This is Part IV of a 5 part series on Pre-Religion Indian Wisdom. Here we introduce Atharva Veda This series on Vedic Literature is not based on any formal study. The idea is to call attention to the immense possibilities of going deeper in search of knowledge which is already curated by our forefathers. Tomorrow we'll conclude this series with the mention of major Upanishads 🙏-Warrier (V T Panchapagesan reminded me yesterday : Vedas in general convey one basic thing in life : How Humans have to live conveying through : Rig Veda With Poetic in form Yajur Veda With Prose in form Sama Veda With Song in form Human brain grasps when they are in threes. They were people with Chaturved Thrived Dvived who could chant three Vedas by heart I had a Colleague in Bombay by name Chaturvedi. He knew not what it was when I asked him! This is the present condition we are in. V T Panchapagesan) M G Warrier Pre-Religion Indian Wisdom Part IV Atharva Veda A https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6655/atharva-veda Briefly : The hymns in the "Atharva Veda" are dedicated to prolonging life and healing illnesses, seeking cures from herbs, gaining a lover or partner, or world peace and the nature of good and evil. Originally, only the first three Vedas were recognized and accepted, with the "Atharva Veda" eventually being accepted later on. Some sources state that this Veda is the origin of medicine, Tantra and yoga, containing one of the earliest references to breathing techniques and the practice of yoga. B Atharva Veda/Speaking Tree https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/mantravidya-of-atharva-veda The primary texts elaborating the prayoga (application) of Atharva Veda are five in number. They are Kausika Gruhya Sutram, Vaitana Srouta sutram, Angirasa Kalpam, Nakshatra Kalpam and Santhi kalpam. The applications of Atharva Veda mantras can be broadly classified under the following heads. In addition to these, it is noteworthy that there are also parts dealing in adhyatma, extolling virtues of brahmacharya, atithi satkara etc. The kandam 14 is devoted entirely to marriage ceremony and the kandam 18 to funeral rites. The mantras of kandam 20 are also found in Rigveda. Therapeutic. For treatment of fever, dysentery, excessive urination, deep ulcers, urinary block, acute constipation, diseases of the head, possession by evil spirits, jalodara, vatha, pitha and kapha vikaras, cough and other kapha vikaras, bleeding from wounds, excessive bleeding during menstruation, heart diseases, jaundice, visarpa, leucoderma, tuberculosis, leprosy, goiter, diseases arising out of alcoholism, diseases of ear, eyes, tongue, head etc., infertility (both male and female), hereditary diseases, excessive thirst, gynecological problems, various kinds of poisoningand fractures. C Know More about Atharva Veda https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/essay/bhesajjakkhandhaka-chapter-on-medicine/d/doc1085583.html Excerpts : The Āryans had their polytheistic religion in which the natural forces (such as the sky, the rain, the wind, the thunder, etc.) were deified and worshipped. The hymns praising the gods were collected as the Ṛg Veda. Later, three other texts–the Sāma Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda–were also compiled. The Sāma Veda is a collection of verses to be chanted for liturgical purposes, the Yajur Veda contains sacrificial formulae used by the priests, and the Atharva Veda comprises mainly of magical spells and incantations for more secular purposes (such as dispelling diseases or evil spirits, praying for health, longevity, happiness and prosperity, maintaining domestic, social, or political security, conducting sorcery, imprecating, and so on). These four Vedas formed the earliest literary sources of the Āryans, which are believed by scholars to have formed between 1500-1000 Before Common Era.[2] Among these oldest texts of the Āryans, the earliest evidence of Indian medicine can be noted, mainly in the Atharva Veda and some in the Ṛg Veda. The medical information is found scattered in the Ṛg Veda and the Atharva Veda, but not as a collected part (Zysk 1991, 14; 1996, 4-5). The medical data found in the Vedas reveals predominantly a religious and magical approach to disease and healing. Diseases were thought to be caused by gods or demons, which occurred when people breached taboos, did things against the gods, or received sorcery (Zysk 1991, 15; 1996, 7-8). For instance, the god Varṇa was associated with moral order and he caused oedema as punishment to those who disobeyed his commands. Another example is Rudra who would impose disease on people as well as being a guardian of healing herbs (Basham 1976, 1819). Even poisoning by venomous insects or animals was regarded as demonic (Zysk 1996, 8). Thus treatment was primarily magico-religious–in the form of prayers or hymns–with the purpose of getting pardons from the gods, expelling the demons, and/or breaking the harmful magic (Mazars 2006, 5). Magical rituals were also important components of the therapy. These included recitation of charms, dancing, use of religious objects (such as amulets or talismans that were usually made of healing plants), burning of fragrant plants, and so on (Zysk 1991, 16-17; 1996, 9).[3] The practical approach of medicine can also be noted during the Vedic phase, although the magico-religious approach was the chief practice. D World News Day* September 28, 2022 https://worldnewsday.org/ World News Day's organizers, The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and WAN- IFRA's World Editors Forum (WEF), expect more than 500 news organizations to use World News Day as a platform to demonstrate the value of fact-based journalism. *Cannot wait for Collage to open 🙏-Warrier