The last veda called the Atharva Veda is a collection of magic spells and charms to ward off the evil spirits and diseases. It is considered a non-Aryan work and is the latest addition to the Vedas in later Vedic age.
The Mauryan art is believed to be inspired from Achaemenid or Persian influence. We can find a lot of similarities in terms of form and style in the inscriptions of Ashoka and the Persian king Darius.