The Atharva-veda Described

Overview

Ralph T. H. Griffith’s 1897 work presents a selection from the Atharvaveda, the fourth Veda, with explanatory notes, classified hymn selections, and analytical review. Published by the Christian Literature Society for India in London, this 90-page volume makes accessible portions of a Vedic text that differs markedly from the other three Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda) in its focus on practical religious concerns, magical formulae, healing charms, and domestic rituals. Griffith’s selection and commentary provide English-speaking audiences an introduction to this distinctive Vedic literature.

About Ralph T. H. Griffith

Ralph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith (1826-1906) was one of the first European scholars to translate the entire Vedic corpus into English. After studying at Queen’s College, Oxford, he spent most of his career in India as principal of Benares College (1853-1878), where he undertook the monumental task of translating all four Vedas. His translations include the Rigveda (1889-1892), Yajurveda (1899), Samaveda (1893), and Atharvaveda (1895-1896). This 1897 volume represents a selection and introduction to his complete Atharvaveda translation, designed for general readers rather than specialists.

The Atharvaveda: Character and Content

The Atharvaveda differs from the other three Vedas in several respects:

Liturgical Status: While the Rigveda, Yajurveda, and Samaveda (“trayi vidya” or “threefold knowledge”) were recognized from antiquity as comprising Vedic revelation, the Atharvaveda’s canonical status was initially disputed. It gained full acceptance by the time of the Gopatha Brahmana and became associated with the Brahman priest who supervised Vedic rituals.

Content and Purpose: Unlike the sacrificial hymns of the Rigveda or liturgical formulae of the Yajurveda, the Atharvaveda contains:

• Charms and spells for healing diseases
• Incantations to secure prosperity, long life, and children
• Spells to harm enemies or rivals
• Domestic and agricultural rituals
• Philosophical hymns anticipating Upanishadic thought
• Cosmological speculations

Historical Significance: The Atharvaveda preserves older forms of popular Vedic religion less sanitized by Brahmanical systematization. It reflects the magical and practical religious concerns of ordinary people—health, prosperity, protection from enemies, successful agriculture—rather than the elaborate sacrificial theology of other Vedas.

Structure and Composition

The complete Atharvaveda exists in two recensions (Shaunaka and Paippalada), with the Shaunaka version becoming standard. It comprises 20 books (kandas) containing approximately 730 hymns and 6,000 verses. Composition dates range from approximately 1200-900 BCE, though some material may be older.

Book Organization:

• Books 1-7: Arranged by syllable count of verses
• Books 8-18: Mixed arrangements
• Book 19: Supplementary material
• Book 20: Borrowed from Rigveda

Philosophical and Religious Content

While primarily practical, the Atharvaveda contains important philosophical hymns:

Cosmological Speculations:

• Hymn to Prithvi (Earth) describing the Earth’s majesty and bounty
• Hymn to Kala (Time) as primordial principle
• Hymn to Skambha (Cosmic Support)

Social and Ethical Teachings:

• Descriptions of Brahmacharya (student life)
• Hymns on righteous conduct (vrata)
• Marriage hymns and family prayers

These philosophical sections anticipate themes developed in the Upanishads, showing continuity between earlier and later Vedic thought.

Griffith’s Selection and Methodology

This 1897 volume does not contain Griffith’s complete translation but rather:

• Representative selections from across the Atharvaveda
• Classification of hymns by type (healing, protective, cosmological, etc.)
• Explanatory notes contextualizing each selection
• Analytical review of the Atharvaveda’s character and significance

Griffith’s approach aimed to introduce the Atharvaveda to general readers who might find the complete text overwhelming or its magical content alienating. His selections emphasized the more philosophically interesting and ethically acceptable material while providing sufficient examples of healing charms and magical formulae to convey the text’s distinctive character.

Historical Context of Publication

Published by the Christian Literature Society for India, this work reflects late 19th-century missionary and scholarly interest in Hindu sacred texts. The Christian Literature Society published translations of Hindu and Buddhist scriptures for comparative religious study, often with the implicit goal of demonstrating Christianity’s superiority. However, scholars like Griffith, while operating within missionary institutional frameworks, pursued genuine philological and historical understanding of Vedic literature.

The 1890s saw intense scholarly activity in Vedic studies, with Griffith, Max Müller, and others making the Vedas accessible to English-speaking audiences. These translations shaped Western understanding of ancient Indian religion and contributed to comparative religious studies as an academic discipline.

Scholarly Significance

Griffith’s work made the Atharvaveda known to English-speaking audiences at a time when even scholars familiar with the Rigveda often neglected the Atharvaveda. His translations, while sometimes criticized for literalism that obscured poetic qualities, provided reliable access to Vedic texts. Modern scholars continue to consult Griffith’s translations alongside more recent works, and his complete Atharvaveda translation (1895-1896) remains available and referenced.

Digital Preservation

This 90-page work has been digitized from the University of Toronto library and is freely accessible through the Internet Archive, ensuring continued access to Griffith’s introduction to and selection from the Atharvaveda for students and scholars of Vedic literature and ancient Indian religion.