J. Issues Ideas Educ.Vol. 6, No.2, Sep. 2018, pp.

125–127

Issues and Ideas in Education

Journal homepage: https://iie.chitkara.edu.in/

Importance of Atharva Veda in Psychology

Anu Dandona

AIBAS, Amity University, Lucknow

Email: anu.dandona@gmail.com

ARTICLE INFORMATION  ABSTRACT

Received: April 26, 2018 Atharva Veda occupies a unique position among the four Vedas. The other three Vedas deal with
Revised: June 12, 2018 matters of other world, the gods, the nature and supernatural, while Atharva Veda is more worldly. It
Accepted: June 23, 2018 seeks to solve the problems of this world and its common people. It deals with topic like leading a long
Published online: September 03, 2018 and healthy life, to avoid sorrow, to ward off illness, to vanquish or win over the enemy, etc. Atharva
Veda presents a detailed description of the life style of a very early stage of human society, which has
just entered the agricultural stage. The importance of animal wealth cows, oxen, horses is much more.
New kingdoms are being established. Men want to live happy healthy lives upto one hundred years.
Pandit Bhagwat Sharma Upadhyay, in hindi Vishwakosh, says, “The stress in Atharva Veda is not
Keywords:
so much on the use of Karma Kanda or the rituals, as on doing right or wrong, high or low, do-s and
Vedas , Atharva Veda, mental diseases,
don’ts, popular beliefs, and tendencies of life. From this point of view, the importance of Atharva Veda
physical diseases and gunas.
is much more, for the historian, than of the other three Vedas. The first references to puranas, history,
gathas etc. are found here. This Veda also points to many such traditions which are not only older than
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15415/iie.2018.62007 Rig Veda, but really go back to very very old times”.

1. Introduction prescribed but are always accompanied by the mantras or

mental content. Even for preparing the medicines digging,
Of the four Vedas, the Rig Veda seeks to increase knowledge, grinding, pounding of herbs for medicines, separate mantras
the Yagur Veda throws light on right type of deeds and are provided.
duties the Samveda inspires to worship the Ideal Being and Atharva Veda abounds in practical advice. It seeks to
the Atharva Veda shows the way to know the individual provide solutions to everyday needs and problems of the
psyche or self and also to attain power in the world. R.C. common man like snake-bite or pains of joints or fevers.
Sharma says, “The Rig Veda, the Yagur Veda, the Samveda, The advices are for the attainment of Brahma, i.e. higher
bless us for the other world, but the Atharva Veda blesses plains, then how to achieve atma-bal (ego-strength) and
us for the other as well as for this world”. Atharva Veda is at lower levels, how to vanquish the enemy or ward off
also known as the Brahma Veda or Atma Veda. According invisible creatures like rakshas or pishach. The approach of
to Max Muller, “Brahma meant originally force, will, wish Atharva Veda is also integrative in the sense that it treats
and the propulsive power of creation. Atma means breath or body, mind and soul as an integrated total entity. The means
spirit or self. Brahma itself is but self.” Atharva Veda deals which strengthen the body also strengthen the mind. For
with both Brahma and Atma, it is more comprehensive than example, the Paushtikani sutras pray for “the showering of
other Vedas. blessings for a robust (iq"V) healthy body and mind” so that
According to Satavalekar, “Atharva Veda is specially one may live upto a hundred sharats (tosra 'kjn% 'krk) free of
related to Atma (soul) and Mana (Psyche)”. Satvalekar is of diseases and death.
the view that by the Atharva Veda, we get the knowledge Henry Lefever says, “whereas the Rig vedic poets loved
of the soul and the ways to attain the energy of the soul to dwell upon the wonders and beauties of nature and the
(atma-bal), that is why it is known as Atma veda also. The greatness of the gods who created and upheld the natural
Atharva Veda shows the ways and means to do everything, world, those of the Atharva Veda tend to dwell more upon
for example curing illness, victory in war, defeat of enemies the psychological qualities necessary in the sacrificer.” Thus,
through the energy of Mana (psyche). The basic approach on the whole, the approach of Atharva Veda is psychological,
of Atharva Veda is mental or psychological. Medicines are practical and integrative.

The Author(s) 2018. This article is published with open access at www.chitkara.edu.in/publications.
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 J. Issues Ideas Educ.Vol. 6, No.2, Sep. 2018 pp.126

The aim of Atharva Veda, as declared, is the welfare be balanced in the total personality. For example, krodh
of humanity. It helps men to live a rich and full life upto anger, is a tamasik vritti, but a normal person must possess
hundred years and then attain Brahma. Thus rules and a certain degree of anger, to fight against injustice, to assert
regulations are given to live a full healthy life, and in this one’s rights.
context come the diseases and the ways to ward off the According to Atharva Veda (VIII/211, 9, 12) the doshas
diseases. Therapies both mental and herbal are suggested. or corruption or disturbances of rajas and tamas gives rise to
It is in this context that therapeutics comes under the scope mental diseases, hence these doshas have to be discouraged.
of Atharva Veda. The approach and treatment to matter, On physical level the human body is made up of three
thousands of years back, is of course different. To make it elements viz vata, pitta, kapha, which must be in a certain
more intelligible it has to be put in modern terms as far as balanced state for physical health and well-being. Similarly
possible. Modern terms and concepts are to be fitted there, on the, mental level, the human personality has sattva, rajas
without distorting the original matter. and tamas vrittis, which also must be in a balanced state for
Though the reference to rakshas and pichachs are found mental health and well being.
in Atharva Veda, these seem to be more symbolic terms. Every person has the physical gunas and mental vrittis,
For example, the tiniest creatures Krimi (d`fe) are given the but their degrees and combinations are different for each
name raksha’s, so the term rakshas in Atharva Veda seems to one, and this different combination gives the unique quality
symbolize all evil and undesirable elements. or individuality to a person. G.W. Allport in his famous
The Basic Concepts — Atharva Veda contains some trait theory also puts forward a similar view. According to
basic concepts which were taken up by Ayurveda and are Allport the traits are the same for all individuals, but their
prevalent even today among the practising vaidyas. These combinations are different and this difference imparts
concepts are— uniqueness to personality.
The Gunas— According to Atharva Veda the human body The gunas and vrittis are found in a balanced state
is composed of three basic gunas or elements, viz., vata in the normal persons, but when the balance is disturbed,
(wind), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm). From the birth abnormality ensues. Either excess or lack of a guna or
these three elements are present in every human body in a vritti causes abnormality. In his famous book Psycho-
certain balanced way. This equilibrium of elements has to dynamics of Abnormal Behaviour Brown also puts forward
be maintained throughout life. So, the equilibrium of these a-similar view. According to Brown, “The chief tenet of
gunas or elements means normalcy—no disease or disorder, modern psycho-pathology is that abnormal psychological
while any disturbance or disequilibrium of these gunas phenomena are simple exaggerations (i.e. over-developments
causes abnormal condition or disease. or underdevelopments) or disguised, that is perverted
Normality and Abnormality— Normal means a balance or developments, of normal psychological phenomena.”
equilibrium of gunas. Abnormality is a matter of increase or — Brown, IF., 1940
decrease of these gunas, which causes disturbance or disease.
Mental Health and Mental Disease— Like body, the
2. Abnormal Behaviour in Atharva Veda
mental structure also constitutes three elements gunas or
urittis or the characteristics. These are called sattva (true, Atharva Veda treats mental behaviour in very broad terms.
pure), rajas (erotic) and tamas (the black, the low). These are Many behaviour abnormalities are given in detail. The first
the gunas or vrittis of the mind or manas, and are present kanda, in the seventh sukta, two types of diseases are given,
in all human beings, since birth. These vrittis are also found one, adhi—arising out of the body due to wrong diet etc.
in a state of equilibrium. As soon as their equilibrium is Second, vyadhi—arising out of shapa or curse or ill-will.
disturbed, mental disorders emerge. Of these three vrittis, The cure for vyadhi is given as mental peace and relaxation.
sattva is pure and true. It never gets corrupted, Freud’s Rajas We can compare the modern techniques of relaxation for
denotes sensual pleasures, enjoyment. In Freud’s terms it tension reduction.
means Eros (dke). Tamas literally means blackness. It is Mana is always active always working. The best use of
the lowest tendency of evil, of destruction—Thanatos in this active state can be by attaining self development and
Freudian terms. Although sattva is pure, true, but having general welfare of people, by keeping mana engaged in
only sattva-vritti is also not normal. Rajas and tamas may meditation. The mana may also suffer from imaginary fears.
increase or decrease in degrees. In both the ways, when To ward off these fears (Hk;) mantras and rituals are used.
there is an excess or when there is a lack of these two vrittis The fourth kanda deals with many subjects including
the person becomes abnormal. Normality means having bheshaja chikitsa, rit-yagya and atma-vidya or how to make
all the three vrittis in a balanced manner. A normal person mana strong (in modern terms it means ego strength). The
must have rajas and tamas vrittis in him, but they should sixth kanda contains dushswapna nasha, or how to eliminate

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 J. Issues Ideas Educ.Vol. 6, No.2, Sep. 2018 pp.127

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energy”. It is to fulfill this aim that Atharva Veda seeks
to remove all the barriers to a good healthy life to attain
perfect robust health and to prevent and cure diseases of
both body and mind.

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