Vedic Religion and Magic: A Discussion

Abstract

Vedic texts are the inter-mixture of religion and magic. Vedic Religion aims at propitiating the gods through Mantras and sacrificial rites. Vedic magic on the other hand, seeks to influence through spells and magical rites, the course of events or situations with or without divine help. There exists enough evidence that the Vedic people practiced witchcraft side by side with religious practices. Over and above the Atharvaveda, which is a book of magical spells, the contents of the other Vedas too are touched by magical practices. This is particularly true of the Vedic ritualistic texts like the Yajurveda and the Brāhmaṇas.