Atharva Veda-nature & classification

-Arun Kumar Upadhyay, (M) 09437034172

arunupadhyay30@yahoo.in
1. Vidy and Mahvidy-Vidy is ruti (= hearing), i.e. perception from outside
by purua. Mahar is surrounding of pura (any structure, town) in which
purua dwells. Mahvidy is, thus, perception by mahar or effect on it by actions
of purua.
Original reference background or Brahma is atharva (tharva = shaking, atharva
= tranquil). From this, 3 steps of ruti-(1) form of a body, (2) coming of
information and (3) knowledge-give rise to 3 vedas-k, Yaju, Sma. For creation
as a whole-form, motion, field of influence (sma) of body in which it can be
perceived are-k, yajur, sma. These are called-agni (condensed form or energy,
fire), vyu (air, motion), and ravi (= sun, its field of light)-also.

Four meanings of root verb vid correspond to 4 vedas -

Element Veda Meaning of Vid Pini dhtupha
Form k Exist (4/60)
Motion Yaju Gain (6/141)
Knowledge Sma Know (2/57)
Background Atharva Consider, place of thought (7/13, 10/177)
- (/) (/), (/), (/),
(/)
,
, ( ///)
All forms are from k, all motion from Yaju (or Yajur), all field of influence is
Sma, the complete is created by Brahma (Atharva).
2. Nature of Veda-Veda is the real world or its representation in words. Parallel
link between world & word is called Vk-artha-pratipatti
(1) , (Raghuvama 1/1)
(2) ()
abda (sound or Vedas) is Nirajana (non- attached), eternal. The whole world is
running with the artha (meaning, or form) of this abda only. )
(3) , , (
//) =From Vk (word) only Vedas are created, chhanda (meter) and mitra
(friends) also are joined by words. All beings are joined through word. So word is
all.
Muakopaniad (1/1/1-5) tells that Brahm was first among Devas who
established world-order & its protector. He explained Brahma-vidy as foundation
of all knowledge to his eldest son Atharv. Later on, it branched into Par
(unification) & Apar (classification) vidys, out of which Apar was classified
into 4 vedas and 6 angas.
,

1

, , () :, , :,
, , , , ()- (/)
Veda is the real world or its following aspects-(1) Infinite information content
(vijna) which led to creation (2) Process of creation (yaja), (3) Perception
process and its stages, (4) Structure of world (veda-purua)-structure is called
pura, its dweller is purua, (5) Different zones called agni, vyu, ravi of space, (6)
Chain of creation and dissolution (7) Elements or their qualities etc.
(1) ( /)
This veda (alternate reading-deva) is called Vivakarm (creator of world),
Mahtm (universal soul), and is always present within hearts of all beings.
(2) ( )
We have heard from chain of sages that Veda is himself Nryaa and
Svayambh.
(3) ( , /)
4 classes of men, 3 lokas (spaces), and 4 stages of human life, past, present and
future creation-all arise from Vedas.
(4) ( , /)
All five elements are created from Vedas only as per function and quality-abda
(sound), spara (touch), rpa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell).
(5) (, /)
For progress of yaja (creation), the eternal Brahma (root veda) in form of
Ataharva (= un-shaking or un-changing) extracted symptoms of 3 vedas- k,
Yajur, Sma from Agni (fire, earth, first born or leader), Vyu (air, motion,
intermediary), and Ravi (field of sun or its light, influence).
(6) ( )
From that sarvahuta (everything consumed) yaja, k and Sma were created.
From that Chhandas (partitions, meter of poetry, Atharva-veda) were created.
Yaju (creation process, conscious being) was created from that.
(7)
( //)
= From the breath of that Great Being are gveda, Yajurveda, Smaveda,
Atharva-ngirasa, Itihsa (history), Pura (sequence and cause of creation),
Vidy (techniques), Upaniads (principles), lokas (praise or description of
beings), Stra (aphorims), Vykhyna (lecture), Anu-vykhyna (supplementary
explanations). All these are His breath only.
Veda in word form is replica of veda as world, that is dev (feminine)-
(1)
( /)
= Two forms of Brahma are known-one is word, another is beyond that (world).
Person thorough in word form reaches supreme Brahma.
(2)
( /)
= Dev (goddess) is in word form consisting of pure k, Yajur, sonorous chanting
of Sma from udgtha (start) to nidhna. Dev is three-veda, all-powerful,
influencing Bhava (iva), talk among whole world and destroyer of sorrows.
(3) ( //, ///, /)
= Devas created Dev as Vk (word).
3. Some pairs of Atharva- Atharva itself is divided into two parts in various
ways-
(1) Aum and Atha-These were the two words which were used first by Brahm-
( /)

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Atha means starting base or foundation. So the root single veda is called
Atharva. Some uses of word atha, ath, athpi are given below-
( //, . ///, /)
( //), ( //,)
( //, //, /)
( //, //),
( //)
Aum is atart as well as classification. Its root is Vindu (dot) which indicates
vacuum or uncreated universe. There are 9 stages of creation, called Saga.
Bhgavata pura counts 10 sargas including the abstract source. For each of 9
stages, spread of source matter is like water (Ap), created matter within
boundaries is Bh (the verb means-to exist) or earth. Intermediate stages are
clouds (mixture of air, water) or boar (amphibian animal of land and water).
Varha means both cloud and boar. For 9 stages, there are 9 clouds (Bible,
Genesis,1) and 9 scales of time in Srya siddhnta, (15/1). Vindu has mtr,
which is eternal base- ( /)
In Tantra, mtr (meter, time to pronounce short vowel) is further divided 8
times with to 1/512 mtr for 9 stages of creation.
Remaining 3 mtr of Aum are A, U, M which indicate various triples including 3
vedas-k, Yaju, Sma (e.g. see Mkya upaniad). There are many verses
quoted below from k and other Vedas which contain the name Atharva. This
counters the propaganda that k was the first Veda and Atharva was last. Like
Puras, veda was one, classified later on.
(2) Ghora & atharva -Atharva is tranquil base (tharva = to shake). Ghora is
active, intense energy. This is also called ngiras-atharva which can be used to
counter enemies.
- ( /)
Angir had devised method to counter Pai who stole Go = means of production.



( //, )
= When Pai tribe of Asuras stole the cows of Bhaspati), Angir is performed
Vaya (weaving of elements) yaja for Indra for the first time. Angirs were joined
with radiant fire and through best yaja act named amy (creating harmony,
calm) they took back all the wealth of Pais including Gau (cow, moving energy
which produces), Ava ( horses, driving force like sea winds (4) Atharv, the
eldest son of Brahm (human) first made the path of yaja. With strength of this
yaja only, Indra was able to vanquish Pais. Atharv came in front of cows (or
started yaja called Go). Uan, son of Kavi assisted Indra in destruction of
Asuras. We satisfy that immortal Indra with offerings.
(3) Bhgu-Angir-Bhgu is force of attaction, called gravitational force. Angir is
radiation. These opposit processes cause creation. Radiation of energy creates 9
levels of creation, called Nava-gv. However, compact forms are due to mutual
attracion-that is like Soma which remains at a place-either dispersed or in
compact shape.
, ( //, //, /,
///, /)

( /)
= O Agni (first born)! You are at head of world which has been created out of
water-like uniform matter (pukara = from water, lotus) as lotus due to churning
of Atharv (sage, fixed frame-Atharva veda as foundation). Son of Atharv was

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Dadhya (sage, solid planets like curd-size of dadhi-sea in Bhgavata) who burnt
first fire which destroyed Vtra (Asura king, darkness due to round cover) and its
pura (town or any formation).
p of two forms Bhgu-Angir has created 3 vedas-
--
( /)
(4) Par and apar vidy-These are also called vidy and avidy in short.
Avidy is classification of science, vidy is unification.
( //)
(5) Agni-soma, iva-akti, teja-rasa-These pairs are listed and explained in
Bhat Jbla upaniad- -
- -
- -
-
-- --
----- -
-- -- -
- ()
--- -- -
-- - --
- -
Agni or Angir (flame, radiation) is of 2 types-intense (ghora), bright (normal,
Teja)
Teja is also of 2 types-Surya (creative) anala (burning, destruction).
Soma is static matter-dispersed or compact. Opposed to that Agni is dense
matter or energy which radiates away.
iva is perception, knowledge. akti is arrangement (chiti = design) of matter in
various forms. , ( /)
(6) One and 2 birds-Creation needs an instrument or machine with 7 parts
called Supara (bird) as its parts are stated like a bird. One bird (supara)
entered the ocean (p), by transformation (pka) in mother field of p, the
worlds were created. The bird and earth loved each other. In Andhra Pradesh
having largest cultivation in coastal India, farmers are called Reddy, as they love
(redhy) the land-
()
( //, /)
Observer and active forms of that bird are tm and jva-
-
( //, //, /, //)
Unattached observer is aja (male) and creative form is aj (female)-
--
, -- ( /)
The bird which does not eat or consume is aunaka (eating nya = zero). The
bird which eats Pippala (desired object, apple in English version of Bible). Thus
the preamble of aunaka branch describes static creation of 3 levels and 7 lokas
,
( , )
= These 3 sevens cover the world and take all forms. Vchaspati (lord of Vk =
field of sun or of galaxy) may place their balas (energy) in me.
This is by purua (male aspect, creator)-
( , /)

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= Devas tied the great Purua as pau in extending the yaja with 7 paridhi
(circumference) and 3x7 samidh (fuel).
Pippalda branch focuses on created matter and its consumption which is called
feminine aj etc. So it starts with prayer of Dev-
,
,
( - //, //)
This is Jala-skta, i.e. description of water like expanse which is called Ap.
Previous verse is
po-hih etc.-famous Aghamaraa-skta (purification by water). Dev (lord of
space or water in it) may give us peace and all Ap may be for our drink (use).
She may become source of peace, well being.
4. Branches-Atharva veda branches are stated 9 or 50-
- (//)- , ,
, , - , ,
, ,

( )
Charaa-vyha of aunaka gives branches of Vedas as per Brhma (of
Svyambhuva Manu) and ditya (Vaivasvata Manu) sampradyas (tradition).
ditya tradition was revived by Yjavalkya, who is stated to have received
Vedas from Sun, just like Maya Asura received astronomy from Sun (Srya-
siddhnta).
Brahma tradition- Sumantu
Kabandha Vedaspara
Jjali Kumuddi aunaka Moda Brahmabala Pippalda aukkya Nistpana
Babhru Saindhavyana
Mujakea
ditya tradition- aunaka
Kumuddi Jjali Jbla Saindhavyana Babhru
Mujakea
9 branches of Atharva are listed as-Paippala, Dnta, Pradnta, Snta, Sautna,
Brahmadvala, aunaka, Daivdaran, Charaavidy.
This is similar to Smaveda whose 1000 branches are stated but only 13 are
counted. The large number indicates influence zone of earth in space. Smaller
number indicates the ahargaa scale measure. A distance d in ahargaa (or
Ahar) is called n in terms of radius r of earth- d = r x 2 (n-3). (Bhadrayaka
upaniad, 3/3/2)-
Influence (gravitation zone) up to 50 radius of earth is r x 2 (9-3).
Visibility is up to 1000 radius = r x 2 (13-3).
Another feature is that 21 branches of gveda are indicated by first verse of
Atharva (aunaka). Commonly available branch is aunaka. One version of
Paippalda branch was taken from Kashmir to Berlin University and copied in
Roman script. Prof Raghuvir copied it and rendered back into Devangar script in
1945. Some manuscripts of Paippalda branch were collected from Khiching
(Mayurbhanja) in Orissa Museum from where it was taken by Prof Dipaka
Battacharya of Shanti-niketan University. He published first 15 (out of 20) parts in
first volume with his own corrections from Oriental society. Many corrections or
changes were based on the concept that no veda contains any astronomical or
scientific material. This is obviously incorrect as the dhidaivika meaning is
based solely on astronomy. Pandit Kunjabihari Upadhyay of Puri (journalist by
profession) collected some manuscripts and fragments from Bhadraka, Athagarh

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etc and has published complete Paippalda branch by laborious checking with
originals. Most of the manuscripts did not contain svara-marks and Prof
Rupakishr Shastri has proposed these marks in revised edition. These will be
based on marks in aunaka branch. There is a risk that we may miss some
crucial meaning by wrong marking.
5. Contents- Both the available branches of Atharva have almost same verses
arranged differently. As it has been called Brahma-vidy and foundation of all
knowledge, Brahma has been described in great detail in all its aspects. One of
its upaniads is named as Brahma-vidy and Atharva itself is called Brahma-
veda. Atharva means tranquil, balanced etc. (which does not Tharva = shake).
So, it contains methods of medicine (to keep body in equilibrium), meditation
(balance of mind), statecraft (peace & order in state), marriage (family peace),
agriculture (foundation of civilization, society), journey of soul (link between
generations) etc more specifically. Some verses are common with other Vedas
also, but here these have been clearly arranged as per the topics.