History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.781

v6.c81.781

There are many conjectures about the origin of the Dasarā festival. Some, relying on the usages of some parts of India to offer to gods ears of new corn, of hanging on the doors of the house the ears of green or unripe paddy and of putting in the turban young sprouts of wheat and the like, hold that it is more or less an agricultural festival Others hold that as, about Dasarā monsoon rains stop, swollen rivers abate and crops are near being garnered, it is the most suitable time for marching on an expedition and that therefore the origin is due to military exigencies. I incline to the latter view In ancient countries other than India, there was a fixed season when kings went to battle For example, we read in II Samuel chap. 11 1 'And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that, David sent Joab' The cult of Śamī is very ancient. Two logs of wood (*aranīs*) from an Aśvattha tree growing inside a Śamī were employed in producing fire by attrition for Vedic sacrifices. Fire symbolizes vigour and valour and logs of Śamī are helpful in producing fire and śamī wood is very hard. In the Atharvaveda (VII. 11 1) we have the words 'the Aśvattha tree rides Śamī'. The Tai. Br I. 2. 1 16 refers to Agni being produced from Aśvattha that is 'Śamīgarbha' and Tai. Br. I. 2 1. 7 connects Śamī with śānti (the removal of adverse signs). In the Tai. Ā. (VI 9. 2.) we read 'O Śamī! remove from us (destroy) sins and enmities' (śamī śamayāsmad-aghā dveṣāṁsi). It had some affinity with Navarātra also, as the latter celebrates the military exploit of Devī against Mahiṣāsura, and was therefore celebrated immediately after Navarātra. The word 'Dasarā' is derived from 'daśa' meaning 10 and 'ahan' (a day)