Atharva Veda Dictionary

Veda:

Veda. "Knowledge". "Ritual lore". Usually applied to the texts of the orthodox Aryans. These four principle Vedas are the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. In the current Kali Yuga there are so many contradictory interpretations of fragmented and corrupted Vedic texts that they have become irrelevant. The true "scriptures" for this age are the Tantras.

(See also: Veda , Tantra, Tantra Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Kaivalya Upanishad: (Sanskrit) A philosophical text of the Atharva Veda. This treatise teaches how to reach Siva through meditation.

(See also: Kaivalya Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Kasyapa (Sanskrit). A Vedic Sage; in the words of Atharva Veda, "The self-born who sprang from Time". Besides being the father of the Adityas headed by Indra, Kasyapa is also the progenitor of serpents, reptiles, birds and other walking, flying and creeping beings.

(See also: Kasyapa , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Pippalada (Sanskrit). A magic school wherein Atharva Veda is explained founded by an Adept of that name.

(See also: Pippalada , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Asuras (Sanskrit). Exoterically, elementals and evil, gods - considered maleficent; demons, and no gods. But esoterically - the reverse.

For in the most ancient portions of the Rig Veda, the term is used for the Supreme Spirit, and therefore the Asuras are spiritual and divine It is only in the last book of the Rig Veda, its latest part, and in the Atharva Veda, and the Brahmanas, that the epithet, which had been given to Agni, the greatest Vedic Deity, to Indra and Varuna, has come to signify the reverse of gods.

Asu means breath, and it is with his breath that Prajapati (Brahma) creates the Asuras. When ritualism and dogma got the better of the Wisdom religion, the initial letter a was adopted as a negative prefix, and the term ended by signifying "not a god", and Sura only a deity. But in the Vedas the Suras have ever been connected with Surya, the sun, and regarded as inferior deities, devas.

(See also: Asuras , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Vedas: 1. The four Vedas of the earliest Sanskrit hymns and verses: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. 2. Equivalent to shruti, "revelation," comprising the Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads as the eternal and unauthored source of Hinduism.

(See also: Vedas , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Sannyasa Upanishad: (Sanskrit) An Upanishad of the Atharva Veda. It deals with the transition to the vanaprastha and sannyasa ashramas.

(See also: Sannyasa Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jabala Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Atharva Veda. This short scripture teaches of knowledge attained in renunciation.

See: Upanishad.

(See also: Jabala Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Prashna Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Atharva Veda and is divided into six sections addressing six questions asked of sage Pippalada by his disciples, regarding life, Realization and the mantra Aum.

(See also: Prashna Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Atmabodha (Sanskrit) (from atman self + bodha wisdom)

Wisdom of self; knowledge or wisdom of the hierarch or highest portion of any being. Also a work by Sankaracharya; likewise one of the Upanishads of the Atharva-Veda.

(See also: Atmabodha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Mandukya Upanishad or Mandukyopanisad (Sanskrit) [from manduka frog]

A short but important Upanishad of the Atharva-Veda.

(See also: Mandukya Upanishad, Mandukyopanisad , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Mundaka Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Atharva Veda and teaches the difference between the intellectual study of the Vedas and their supplementary texts and the intuitive knowledge by which God is known.

(See also: Mundaka Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Shandilya Upanishad: (Sanskrit) Belongs to the Atharva Veda. Discusses eight forms of yoga, restraints, observances, breath control, meditation and the nature of Truth.

(See also: Shandilya Upanishad , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Hinduism Lexicon on A

From aadheenam to axis.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Hinduism Lexicon on A

The Vedas 

The Vedas are the Divine scriptures of ancient India and in modern times can be traced as least as far back as 12,OOO B.C. a lthough it is generally accepted tat the Vedas appear at different times of the cosmic creation forte benefit of human society. They are considered to be the revelations of the Divine nature, and its relationship within and without us. "Mantra" is the term used to mean Divine sound vibration or the word of God. There are teachings of mantras (hymns), teachings of ritual, theology, and philosophy at the root of all the vedic sciences. The point of all is the knowledge of the soul called "atma vidya", being our real "self" and separate and distinct from the material body , and the material world which surrounds us.

Read more here: » The Vedas: Divine scriptures of ancient India - The Vedas

The Brahmanas and the Aranyakas: There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-VedaÑthe Aitareya and the Sankhayana. - The Rig-Veda, - says Max Muller, - is the most ancient book of the world. The sacred hymns of the Brahmanas stand unparalleled in the literature of the whole world; and their preservation might well be called miraculous. -

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Brahmanas and Aranyakas: The Brahmanas and the Aranyakas in the Hindu Scriptures

Vedas are four in number: The Rig Veda , the Sama Veda , the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda . Each of these four Vedas has four parts: the Samhita, the Brahmana, the Aranyaka, and a number of Upanishads. The first three parts of all the Vedas are collectively called the Vedas , and the fourth and the last, the Upanishads, are collectively called Vedanta .

These four parts of the Vedas represent the historical order of their development over millennia. The Samhitas are the most ancient, and of them, the Rig Veda Samhita is the earliest. The Samhitas are considered the Vedas proper; the Brahmanas , the Aranyakas and the Upanishads are periodic additions, made by way of growing with the changing times.

(See also: The Vedas , God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » The Vedas: Physics is the New Bhashya of Vedanta  

According to the Hindu view of creation, it was sound and not light that appeared first. In Vedic parlance it is called Nada Brahma or the Sound Celestial. Vedic rishis believed that the evolution of the Brahmand or universe was caused as a result of Bindu Visphot or an atomic explosion, that produced infinite waves of sound, which represent cosmicascent and expansion.

The sound was a monosyllable: Om . Since Om is related to the beginning of the universe, Hindus consider it the most sacred syllable with which Vedic mantras commence.

(See also: Sangeet Marga , God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sangeet Marga: Sangeet Marga - Path To Moksha  

The Hymns of Dirghatamas in the Rig Veda

Some scholars have claimed that the Babylonians invented the zodiac of 360 degrees around 700 BCE, perhaps even earlier. Many claim that India received the knowledge of the zodiac from Babylonia or even later from Greece. However, as old as the Rig Veda, the oldest Vedic text, there are clear references to a chakra or wheel of 360 spokes placed in the sky. The number 360 and its related numbers like 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 108, 432 and 720 occur commonly in Vedic symbolism. It is in the hymns of the great Rishi Dirghatamas (RV I.140 - 164) that we have the clearest such references.

Read more here: » Vedic Origins of the Zodiac: The Hymns of Dirghatamas in the Rig Veda

The Four Vedas and Their Sub Divisions : The Veda is divided into four great books: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Four Vedas: The Four Vedas in the Hindu Scriptures

Introduction to Hinduism

Statistically, there are over 700 million Hindus, mainly in Bharat (India), and Nepal. Hinduism is referred to as Sanatana Dharma, the eternal faith. Hinduism is not strictly a religion. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu. He can question the authority of any scripture, or even the existence of the Divine.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Introduction to Hinduism

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the later developments in classical Sanskrit literature.

The six scriptures are: Srutis, Smritis, Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas and Darsanas.

The four secular writings are: Subhashitas, Kavyas, Natakas and Alankaras.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Scriptures: A full overview of the Hindu and Vedic Scriptures