History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.12

v7.c89.12

In the Tai. S. the words 'śamayati' and 'śānti' are frequently used often in the same passage or context. For example, it is said "Rudra¹¹³⁹ is the fierce (or harsh) one among gods...; He (the priest) does as it were a harsh thing when he recites (that passage containing the word) Rudra; 'in the path of Mitra' he says for the sake of appeasing". There is a similar passage in the Ait. Br. While prescribing the recital of a ṛk verse (Ṛg. II. 33. 1) in the Āgnimāruta-śastra the Ait. Br. changes the original words of the latter half of the verse in the Ṛgveda and also suggests another verse altogether for recital (I. 43. 6 'śaṁ naḥ karatyarvate sugam meṣāya meṣye nṛbhyo nārībhyo gave') because in the first place that verse begins with the auspicious word 'śaṁ' and in the second place because that verse, though the *devatā* (deity) thereof is Rudra, does not expressly mention that word; the result, says the Ait. Br., is that that verse being one of appeasement (śānti) the priest secures long life and procures long life for the sacrificer