Vaidic Nibandha : (Essays on Vedic literature) 1939 

Atharva veda : 

Athervan  and  Angiras  together form Atherva Veda. Initially it did not have the status of Vedas. It was awarded later. 

This Veda contains Abhichar (black magic) mantras related to  women, there are mantras to get a husband, as also to get a wife, for conception, to beget a son, to avoid natural abortion, to avoid conception, for man and woman relations. Some mantras indicate that there was a dominance of women over men. 

The following topics are discussed in this Veda : Medicine, obstetrics, agriculture, health, polyuria, heart diseases, dropsy. There is a mantra for a patient suffering from urinary track blockage. It says a fine iron wire is used to open the track.
There is discussion on Takman, a variety of ague fever. The symptoms and treatment are described.

Panchajan :

The word appears frequently in Vedic literature. However, the meaning of this word is disputable. According to one view, there were five separate human races. Another view is that these were five communities.  It is also said these were five peoples from five different regions. The author says, it was the name for the entire human  community on the earth. He has discussed this subject in detail with the support of evidence and references. 

Chaturvarnya : 

 Initially,  The society was a unified entity with people doing social duties necessary for the life activities of a society. Later the society was differentiated into three communities according to their duties. They were Brahman, Vaishya and  Kshatriya. Shudra community was a separate entity from the beginning. However, the author is of the view that this subject needs to be further reviewed. 

Though there were four classes in the Vedas, Chaturvarnya system was established in Smruti period. With the sole intention of improving their lot, Shudras   were incorporated into the Chaturvarnya.

Later in the chapter, social structure and life of Parsi community is compared with Vedic society. A comparison is also made between Das and shudras on the one hand and Roman Petricion and Flabian people.

Avestic Dev :

 It is a popular belief that Parsis the followers of Zarathushtra  and the ancestors  of  Hindu Aryans were living together. This  belief is based on the reference to Asur  in Vedas and Dev of Avesta.
The people called Dev and ancestors of present Parsis co-existed. However, they had animosity. Parsis had hatred against Dev, the community from the south of Caspian sea. 

Aitareya Brahman : 

This Brahman is a part of Rgvedic school. It must be about three thousand years old. This observation is based on the fact  that there is no numismatic mention whatsoever in this Brahman. The scripture contains 40 chapters in 8 sections. Various rituals are described. 
It is prescribed who is not (and who is) eligible to officiate as a priest in the  yajna. There are procedures about how to kill an animal. It was also laid down who would eat which portion of the sacrificed animal. 

Indra is supreme among Dev. But he is vulnerable to punishment if he does any wrong. Many virtues of Dev are listed. 

In this Brahman period, marriage system existed. Family relations were established. Certain etiquettes were laid down. Daughter-in-law was required to cover her face in the presence of father-in-law. Polygamy for men was in practice. However, a woman could not have more than one husband. People wore high quality clothes. Chariots and boats were being used for transport. The animals in the countryside included mules, goats, horses, cattle, elephant, buffalo and pig. Besides being used in yajna, cows were used to feed guests.                .
Seasons were identified and named. A year was divided into twelve months. Day started at night. It was a custom to say – “I was born on such and such night”. (not on such and such day). Geographical description of the earth is given. 

Some indications are there about the concept of morality in those days. To steel lotus fibres, not to admit a guest into the house at dusk were considered offences.  The loot obtained in war was distributed among soldiers. One fourth portion of the loot was given to the driver of the chariot. 

Pitrusamskriti : 

Agnishwatta and Barhishada are the two categories  of  ancestors.  In ancient times, it was a practice to perform shraddha (reverence) of  forefathers. Pitrupooja (worship of father) was the main duty of a person. There were goshthashraddha (reverence offered to cows- to get them). And ashwashraddha (reverence offered to horse) besides regular, occasional, for specific desire and  at pavarna. There was also a yatrashraddha to be performed before leaving for abroad. Shuddhishraddha or ghrtashraddha for self  purification.

Pitar were performing their duties at  aparanha ( in the afternoon) . 
There was a difference in the style of wearing sholder cloth in the three communities. Dev people wore the cloth over the left shoulder whereas  Pitar people did it over right shoulder. Manushya community had the cloth round the neck hanging in front. These styles are still existent. 
Each of these communities had its own convention and rules. This is discussed. 
It is evident that pitrpooja  (worship of forefathers) was prevalent in whole of the world in ancient times. Christians  and Muslims gave it up. In China and Japan, devotion to or worship of forefathers is considered as good culture.

The author, in the end, expresses the possibility that shraddha ritual could be non-Vedic. Vedic rshis may have incorporated it in their system. 

Tretagni : 

There are three agnis (agni = fire) in the Shrti-directed rites. They are- Ahavaniya, Garhapatya and Dakshina. Outside India, there is only one agni for worship. Then why Hindus adopted three agnis for worship? This is discussed in this chapter. 

In the Rigved times, there was only one agni for yajna. Several evidences suggest that Dev community had Ahavaniya agni, Pitar had Dakshina agni and Manushya had Garhpatya agni.
Asprushya : (Untouchables)

Asprushya is a recent term. In ancient times, such concept was not there. Historical aspect of this term is discussed in this chapter. Gandhi’s views  on this are supported.
Several communities were incorporated into Chaturvarnya  to  make a uniform social system. However, some communities remained outside this system. 

Anuloam marriages were allowed between the main four communities of the Chaturvarnya. Pratiloam was not encouraged. The children born by  pratiloam  marriage were not accepted  in Chaturvarnya system. Such progeny then became a part of  Chandal  community, and  they were called  Low-Chandals. 

The community outside Chaturvarnya were Chandal, Nishad, Antyaja. The original meaning or connotation of Asprushya (untouchable) was non-Chaturvarnya only (or outsider).
Mahatma Gandhi is doing great service by soliciting to admit outsiders into Chaturvarnya  just  as  Shudras  were admitted  to  Chaturvarnya.

Anuloam : Marriage between higher class(varna) man and lower caste woman.
Pratiloam : Marriage between higher class(varna) woman and lower caste man (e.g. brahman bride and kshudra bridegroom)

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