Within contemporary Hindu practice, the Atharvaveda occupies a modest yet distinctive place alongside the other Vedas. It is less central to major temple liturgies and standard Brahmanical ritual sequences, yet it quietly informs many rites that address the concrete concerns of everyday life. Its hymns and mantras, with their focus on healing, protection, and welfare, are drawn upon especially in contexts where safeguarding health, prosperity, and harmony is paramount. In this sense, its influence is more often felt in the background of lived religion than seen prominently in formal public worship.

A significant area of its application lies in healing and therapeutic practices. Mantras from the Atharvaveda are used in rituals for protection against disease and negative influences, and they are incorporated by traditional healers and certain Ayurvedic and folk practitioners in remedial ceremonies. These uses reflect the text’s ancient concern with illness, misfortune, and the restoration of balance, which continues to resonate wherever spiritual and physical well-being are treated as intertwined.

The Atharvaveda also contributes to domestic and life‑cycle rituals. Verses associated with it appear in ceremonies surrounding marriage, childbirth, naming, and house blessing, often with an emphasis on prosperity, protection, and the warding off of misfortune. In such rites of passage, its mantras serve to sacralize transitions and to shield the household from subtle forms of harm, whether understood as envy, ill will, or unseen forces. This domestic orientation aligns with its long-standing connection to the concerns of householders rather than exclusively to grand sacrificial rites.

Another important dimension is its protective and apotropaic role. Mantras derived from the Atharvaveda are employed to counter the evil eye, avert misfortune, and guard crops, livestock, and property. In some settings, they are used in rituals meant to address harmful influences or hostile intentions. These practices highlight a vision of spirituality that does not shy away from the more vulnerable aspects of human life, but instead seeks to surround them with a mantle of sacred speech.

Finally, the Atharvaveda finds particular prominence within regional and folk traditions. Rural communities and local ritual specialists often integrate its themes and verses into community ceremonies, healing rites, and observances directed toward protection and well-being. While its presence in mainstream temple worship may be limited, its practical, this‑worldly orientation ensures that it remains a living source of mantric power wherever religious life is closely tied to the rhythms, risks, and aspirations of ordinary existence.