The Atharvaveda Samhita

The Atharvaveda Samhita—the fourth and final Veda, containing 730 hymns and 6,000 mantras composed between 1200-1000 BCE, presenting a unique blend of sacred ritual, healing practices, protective charms, philosophical speculation, and esoteric knowledge that reveals the practical spiritual life of ancient India.

The Atharvaveda (from atharvan, referring to the fire priests who specialized in domestic rituals) stands apart from the other three Vedas in its focus on everyday life, healing, protection, and practical spirituality. While the Rigveda, Samaveda, and Yajurveda primarily concern grand sacrificial rituals performed by priests, the Atharvaveda addresses the concerns of ordinary people—health and disease, love and marriage, prosperity and protection, longevity and death. It contains hymns for healing illness, warding off evil, ensuring successful childbirth, attracting love, protecting crops, and countless other practical purposes, alongside profound philosophical hymns that rival the Upanishads in depth.

What you'll discover:

• 730 hymns organized into twenty books (kandas) covering healing, protection, and daily life
• Healing mantras and Ayurvedic knowledge—the origins of Indian medicine
• Protective charms against disease, demons, enemies, and misfortune
• Philosophical hymns including the Prithvi Sukta (Hymn to Earth) and speculations on time, death, and brahman
• Domestic rituals for marriage, childbirth, agriculture, and household prosperity
• Esoteric knowledge of magical practices and occult sciences
• The origins of Tantra, yoga, and Ayurveda in Vedic tradition
• Complete unabridged edition with proofed Sanskrit and comprehensive indexing

The Atharvaveda reveals a different dimension of Vedic spirituality than the other Vedas. Here we find not just cosmic speculation and grand ritual but intimate prayers for healing a sick child, charms to protect against snakebite, mantras to ensure a good harvest, hymns to attract a lover or reconcile estranged spouses. This is religion as lived by ordinary people—practical, immediate, concerned with the challenges of daily existence. Yet alongside these practical concerns are some of the most profound philosophical hymns in Vedic literature.

What makes the Atharvaveda essential for your contemplative library is its unique position in Hindu tradition. It preserves ancient healing knowledge that became Ayurveda, magical practices that influenced Tantra, and philosophical speculation that anticipated the Upanishads. The famous Prithvi Sukta (Hymn to Earth, 12.1) is one of the earliest and most beautiful expressions of ecological consciousness, celebrating the earth as mother and expressing reverence for all life. The hymns on time (kala), death (mrityu), and brahman explore ultimate questions with philosophical sophistication.

The Atharvaveda also reveals the worldview of ancient India—a universe populated by devas (gods), asuras (demons), rakshasas (evil spirits), and countless other beings; a world where words have power, where mantras can heal or harm, where ritual action affects cosmic forces. This magical worldview, often dismissed by modern rationalism, represents a sophisticated understanding of consciousness, intention, and the power of focused awareness—themes that resonate with contemporary interest in meditation, energy healing, and mind-body medicine.

Historically, the Atharvaveda was initially excluded from the Vedic canon because of its focus on magic and practical concerns rather than grand sacrifice. Yet it was eventually accepted as the fourth Veda and became associated with the Brahma priest who oversees all rituals. Its influence on later Hindu practice—especially Tantra, yoga, and Ayurveda—has been profound and enduring.

This complete unabridged edition presents all 730 hymns of the Atharvaveda Samhita with proofed Sanskrit terms and synced versions, making this unique Veda accessible for serious study. Whether you're interested in the origins of Ayurveda and healing practices, the roots of Tantra and esoteric traditions, or the practical spiritual life of ancient India, the Atharvaveda offers invaluable insights.

Perfect for: Students of Hindu philosophy and Vedic literature, practitioners and students of Ayurveda seeking textual foundations, those interested in the origins of Tantra and esoteric traditions, scholars of ancient healing practices and medical anthropology, students of comparative religion and magic, readers interested in practical spirituality and domestic ritual, anyone studying the Upanishads seeking their Vedic context, and contemplative readers drawn to the intersection of healing, philosophy, and sacred practice in ancient India.

This paperback edition presents the complete unabridged Atharvaveda Samhita with proofed Sanskrit and comprehensive indexing—the unique fourth Veda that reveals the practical spiritual life, healing wisdom, and esoteric knowledge of ancient India.