The Atharva Veda is one of the four Vedas. The samhita (hymns) portion of Atharva Veda is different from the hymns found in other three Vedas (Rig Veda, Sama Veda and Yajur Veda) in that it is not concerned with sacred rituals but focuses more on spells for healing illnesses, removal of demons etc. It also contains hymns about domestic rituals, such as marriage, initiation, and death. Text regarding royal rituals and the duties of the court priests are also present in the Atharva Veda.
The likely composition date of Atharva Deva is said to be between 1200 BCE – 1000 BCE.
The Upanishad portion of Atharva Veda includes three very influential Upanishads – Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and Prashna Upanishad. There are also a large number of “minor” Upanishads included in the Atharva Veda. Scholars regard them as later additions to the Veda.