Atharvaveda
अथर्ववेद
The Veda of Healing, Charms & Philosophy
The fourth Veda — a treasury of healing hymns, protective charms, philosophical speculation, marriage rites, funeral liturgy, and the practical wisdom of everyday Vedic life.
Start ReadingAbout This Book
The Atharvaveda (Shaunaka recension) is the fourth of the four Vedas, traditionally attributed to the sages Atharvan and Angiras. Unlike the liturgical focus of the Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda, the Atharvaveda addresses the full spectrum of human experience — from healing diseases and warding off evil to philosophical inquiry into Brahman. It contains 6,015 mantras across 728 suktas, organised into 20 kandas.
How This Book Is Organised
The Atharvaveda is structured across four levels of hierarchy.
Kandas
20 major books
Anuvakas
Sections within each Kanda
Suktas
Hymns within each Anuvaka
Mantras
Verses read one by one
Available Reading Features
This edition of the Atharvaveda on Vedapath includes:
Original Sanskrit verses (Devanagari)
IAST transliteration for guided reading
Word-by-word meanings
Griffith & Whitney English translations
Rishi, Devata, Chandas, healing context, and ritual procedure
Kandas of the Atharvaveda
The Atharvaveda is divided into twenty Kandas.
Each Kanda addresses a distinct domain of Vedic knowledge.
Kanda 1
Healing & Protection
Hymns for healing diseases, warding off evil spirits, and invoking divine protection for home and family.
Kanda 2
Remedies & Counter-Charms
Mantras for counteracting sorcery, curing ailments, and restoring harmony through Vedic rituals.
Kanda 3
Love, Unity & Statecraft
Hymns addressing love, marriage, social unity, and kingly governance with mantras for success.
Kanda 4
Royal Power & Cosmic Order
Mantras for royal consecration, cosmic order, and the mystical powers of Brahmanic knowledge.
Kanda 5
Expiation & Purification
Hymns of expiation, purification rites, and mantras for removing sin and securing divine favor.
Kanda 6
Daily Rites & Blessings
Short hymns for everyday blessings — health, cattle, crops, rain, and safe travel.
Kanda 7
Prayers & Invocations
Invocations to Agni, Indra, Varuna, and other deities for strength, wisdom, and longevity.
Kanda 8
Virility, Healing & Cosmic Hymns
Hymns addressing physical vitality, healing snake-bites, and the cosmic mysteries of life and death.
Kanda 9
Marriage & Cosmic Cow
Sacred marriage hymns and the famous Kamadhenu sukta celebrating the mystical cow.
Kanda 10
Mystical Knowledge & Charms
Esoteric mantras, mystical knowledge hymns, and powerful charms for protection and dominion.
Kanda 11
Brahman & Rudra
Philosophical hymns on Brahman, the cosmic principle, and powerful hymns to Rudra-Shiva.
Kanda 12
Prithivi Sukta & Earth Worship
Contains the celebrated Prithivi Sukta (Hymn to Earth) and hymns on cosmic geography.
Kanda 13
Rohita & the Sun
Hymns glorifying Rohita (the Sun) as the cosmic creator and sustainer of all life.
Kanda 14
Wedding Hymns
Sacred wedding liturgy — mantras for the bride, groom, and the sanctification of marriage.
Kanda 15
Vratya & Asceticism
Hymns on the Vratya (wandering ascetic) and the mystical power of penance and austerity.
Kanda 16
Pacification & Shanti
Mantras for pacification of anger, diseases, and malevolent forces — hymns of peace.
Kanda 17
Sun & Cosmic Praise
A single extended hymn glorifying the Sun as the supreme cosmic deity.
Kanda 18
Funeral Rites & Ancestors
Hymns for funeral ceremonies, ancestors (Pitrs), and the journey of the soul after death.
Kanda 19
Miscellaneous Hymns
A supplementary collection of hymns covering healing, charms, philosophy, and ritual.
Kanda 20
Kuntapa & Liturgical Hymns
The Kuntapa hymns — liturgical verses shared with the Rigveda for soma rituals and cosmic praise.
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