History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.105

v7.c89.105

The Agnipurāṇa (263. 7-8) refers to these 18 śāntis and says that the best śāntis are Amṛtā, Abhayā and Saumyā. Varāhamihira mentions numerous śāntis on the happenings of several abnormal incidents. For reasons of space nothing can be said here about them. But one śānti deserves to be set out.¹¹⁹⁵ 'If a man perceives Yakṣas, the astrologer should declare that an epidemic is very near; for counteracting them Garga performed a propitiatory rite, viz. Mahāśāntis, offerings, plentiful food, worship of Indra and Indrāṇī.' The Bṛhatsaṁhitā sets out (45. 82-95) certain happenings as not portentous when they happen in certain seasons and quotes several verses of Ṛṣiputra which also occur in Matsya 229. 14-25 with some variations; e. g. in Caitra and Vaiśākha the following are auspicious (and not portents requiring śānti) lightning, meteors, earthquake, blazing twilight, noisy storms, halo, dust in sky, smoke in forests, red sunrise and sunset.