The subordinate literature of the Atharva was evolved in an order diametrically opposite to that of the other Vedas. The oldest work is the Kaucika Sutra, which gives the ritual for the employment of these hymns and has its closest analogies in the Grhya Sutras. Later the Atharvans advanced the claim that their Veda was the fourth Veda, the Saria Vidyi or "complete knowledge" that always loomed up behind the consciousness that each of the other Vedas was only the fraction of a greater unit; that this was the Veda of the fourth priest, the Brahman, who exercised a general super vision of the sacrifice, and consequently that this important office could be filled only by an Athar van ; finally that the Purohita or house chaplain of the king must be a member of their school.
To suppOrt these claims were needed works treating of the duties of the Brahman such as existed for the other priests in the other Vedas. Accordingly there were composed the Viitana Sutra (a crauta Sutra) and the Gopatha mana. Furthermore a large number of Upani pads came to be attached to the Atharva.
A complete Kalpa Sutra contains also a Dharma Sutra, or a collection of aphorisms on the law, chiefly from its religious side. Those of Apastainba, Hiranyakecin and Baud hayana — all belonging to the Taittiriya divi sion of the Black Yajur Veda—have been preserved; the Dharma castras of Gautama (Sawa Veda) and Vasig.ha (Rig Veda) are in reality also Dharma Sutras. Kalpa, however, is only one of the six Vedangas or glimbs of the Veda* into which tradition divides the whole Sutra literature. The others are giks4, nunciation"; chandas, ((metre'; vokarcepa, . • L ggrammar , ntruKta, gtymology* and botifo, gastronomy.* The beginnings of these sciences
generally go back to the Brahmanas; in the Sutras they are elaborated and then flourish in the post-Vedic period. Of special works are to be mentioned the Praticalchyas ((relating to the calcha,* or phonetic treatises, whose object is to explain the relationship of the Sariahita and Pada-patha texts. For grammar the great work is that of Panisii, which as the norm of the classic language requires fuller treatment under that head. Etymology is represented by Yaska's Nirukta. The Sutras are completed by the Pa ricistas or Supplements. Finally there are the Prayogas, "(manuals* and Paddhatis, that give a more connected picture of the sacri fice and indices called Anukraminis that treat the literature from various points of view.
Bibliography.— The best work of reference on all subjects connected with India is still in course of publication: (Die Grundrisse der Indo-Arischen Philologie and Altertumskunde, begriindet von Georg Baler fortgesetzt von F. Kielhorn' iStrassburg 1896). It contains the fullest citation of the literature of the subject. Many of the texts have been translated into English in The Sacred Books of the East,' edited by Max Muller, Oxford. In English there are the translation of Weber, 'History of Indian Literature' (3d ed., London 1892) ; and of Kaegi, The Rig Veda' (Boston 1886) ; also (A History of Sanskrit Literature,' by A. A. Macdonell (New York 1900) ; Bloomfield, M., The Religion of the Veda' (New York 1908) ; and Keith, A. B., The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda> (Cambridge, Mass. 1917), all of which give besides a treatment of the subject a fuller bibliography.