War in Ancient India c4.s6.t5.8

c4.s6.t5.8

Every empire, not to speak of every small independent State, was obsessed by the fear impulse, as the psychologist calls it.⁴⁹ A sense of insecurity of life was often lurking in the State mind, and this led to the organisation of an elaborate machinery of defence. Many hymns in the *Atharva Veda* reflect this state of mind, which are designated under the group *abhaya gaṇa* of *Kauśika Sūtra* (16-8). A few of them may be reproduced here.*