A History of Sanskrit Literature c10.24

c10.24

In its main contents the *Atharva-veda* is more superstitious than the *Rigveda*. For it does not represent the more advanced religious beliefs of the priestly class, but is a collection of the most popular spells current among the masses, who always preserve more primitive notions with regard to demoniac powers. The spirit which breathes in it is that of a prehistoric age. A few of its actual charms probably date with little modification from the Indo-European period;