Essentials of Hinduism - Atharvana Veda Samhita

Essentials of Hinduism

Atharvana Veda Samhita

Kanda 13:

Funeral Ceremonies:

“O Agni! You have an intimate connection with the Water. I sprinkle Water on your Flames. I pacify all the Herbs through this Action. (This refers to the act of putting out the Fire on the Funeral Pyre).

O Ancestors! You will return to your abode after the Sacrifice is over. But at the Sacrifice, we have offered You many Oblations. Accept them and grant us Food grains and Riches and Prosperous Children.

We will Purify ourselves through our Learning. May we be protected from sin and may we have Long Lives. May we be Blessed with the best of qualities. May we have Subjects and other Riches. The Ancestors will come to the Sacrifice at our bidding. They will listen to our Prayers. They will Protect us and grant us Wisdom. All our Ancestors, from Time Immemorial, will come to this Sacrifice. Let us offer them soma juice. Let us have a plentiful supply of Oblations for them.

The Ancestors have become like Gods themselves. They will come to our Sacrifice with Agni and the other Gods. O Agni! Please bring the Ancestors to this Sacrifice. There are more Suktas in this section on the funeral ceremonies. There are also Suktas on Spritual Upliftment.”

Kanda 14:

Marriages:

When a Bride goes to the house of her Husband, it is her Mind that is her best ornament. It is with her Mind that she attains Happiness in Her Husband’s household. To the chanting of the Mantras from the Vedas, She leaves her Parent’s House. To the chanting of these Mantras, She enters Her Husband’s House. These incantations (chantings) make Her and Her Husband complete and ensure their Welfare.

The Sacrifices that are performed in Her Husband’s House constitute food for the Bride. The Mantras that are chanted there constitute Her Ornaments. Those who accompany the Bride when She first goes to Her Husband’s House are like the Ashvinis themselves. The one who leads the procession is like Agni. The Father of the Bride is like Surya. The Bride goes to Her Husband’s House so that the Husband and Wife may perform Righteous Deeds together and thus attain Heaven.

May the Husband and the Wife always stay united and never be separated. May their House be full of Happiness. May they live through their appointed Lifespans in a Righteous Fashion. The Brahmanas will impart Wisdom to the newly married couple through their Blessings. May the couple perform Righteous Deeds. May they always speak the Truth. May they accumulate a lot of Riches. May the Wife always bear love for Her Husband in Her Heart. May the Husband always address the Wife in pleasant tones and take care of his Wife. Let the Paramatma Bless this Household.

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Kanda 15:

The Paramatma:

The Paramatma is the Creator of all objects. He is Prajapati, the Lord of all objects in the Universe. He is the only One. He is the Brahman. He is the source of all Truth. The Paramatma is the God of all Gods. He is the Supreme Godhead. He is the Lord of all Oceans.

The Paramatma became Great and stood up. Why are you standing? Why don’t you sit? Asked the Gods. Where will I sit? Asked the Paramatma. The Gods constructed a chair for the Paramatma to sit on. The four legs of the chair were the four seasons of Summer, Spring, Autumn and Monsoon. The metres of the Sacred Hymns were the planks for the chair and the Mantras from the Vedas were the canes with which the chair was woven. The Vedas formed the cushion. Those who are learned know all this. The Paramatma ascended this chair and the Gods became his Protectors.

The Paramatma moved downwards and Prithivi, Agni, the Herbs and the Trees bowed down before Him. The Paramatma moved up and Surya, Chandra and the stars bowed down before him. The Paramatma moved in the other directions and the Vedas bowed down before him. So did the metres, the Puranas, the different forms of fire and all the Animals. The seasons and all other objects Worshipped Him. The various Gods showed their Obeisance.

The Paramatma is the source of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and all other classes. He is the source of all Foodgrains. Blessed is the House where he comes as a Guest. Let every Householder welcome such a Guest. Let Sacrifices be performed in the Household when such a Learned Guest arrives.

Kanda 16:

Charms for removing the misery and ensuring victory:

The Water that is in the clouds has been freed. May the Divine Water cleanse me of all pollution and sins. “O Divine Water! Look upon me with favor. May your touch sanctify my skin. I call upon Agni the Purifier. May Divine Energy course through my Body. May I be Blessed and miseries removed. May my ears hear Sacred Wisdom that ensures Welfare. May my eyesight be as sharp as that of an Eagle.

May I never deviate from the Righteous Path. May I never suffer from a shortage of Food. May the Water and the Wind bring me Pleasure. May my Mind be learned and my Heart be Pure. May I never know unhappiness. May my Wisdom be as great as that of Ocean. My Atma is immortal. May it not forsake my Body. May the Sun protect me during the Day.

May I be happy Day and Night. Mitra and Varuna will grant me the breath of Life. Agni will grant me the Energy. Today is the Day when we will attain Victory. We will achieve our Goals. May we be free from all sins. May Usha be pleased through our Prayers. May the Goddess of Learning also be pleased through our Prayers. O Agni! May You and the other Gods remove impediments from

our midst.

We will be Victorious. We will be on the ascendant. Truth, Energy and Learning will reside with us. We will be Blessed with Radiance and our Sacrifices will be successful. Our Atmas will become Radiant. The Energy of the Sun will merge with our Bodies. We will attain Prosperity, Riches and Learning. Our Sacrifices will be Successful.”

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Kanda 17:

Prayer for Victory:

I pray to the Gods so that I may have a Long Life. May I be befriended by the Gods and may I be loved by my people.

“O Surya! Rise and encircle me with Energy from every direction. Your Energy knows no bounds. Make me kindly disposed towards the living Beings that I can see and those that I cannot see. May Surya look upon us with favor.

O Indra! You are Victorious and Learned. You cannot be vanquished in Heaven or on Earth. Grant us Happiness. Your Energy can be found in Heaven and in the Atmosphere. We Pray to You and perform Sacrifices in your Honor. O Learned One! Grant us Happiness. O God! You are the One who protects the four Directions. Bless this World of ours. Show us the Path that leads to Truth.”

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This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.