Atharvaveda

The Atharvaveda (अथर्ववेद) is named after the sage Atharvan. Unlike the first three Vedas which focus primarily on ritual, the Atharvaveda addresses the concerns of daily life including health, healing, protection, and philosophy.

It contains 730 hymns (suktas) with approximately 6,000 mantras, organized into 20 books (kandas). The Atharvaveda is considered the source of Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) and contains numerous healing mantras.

Notable hymns include the Prithvi Sukta (Hymn to Earth), one of the earliest environmental texts expressing reverence for Mother Earth: "The Earth is my mother, I am her child" (माता भूमिः पुत्रो अहं पृथिव्याः). It also contains the philosophical Ganapati Atharvashirsha.