History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.27

v7.c89.27

The Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa closely connects the śamī tree or branch with the conjuring away or appeasing the terrible or angry aspects of deities in the following myth¹¹⁴⁶ "Prajāpati created Agni; he (Prajāpati) became afraid 'this Agni might burn me'. He (Prajāpati) pacified (the terrible flame or glow of) Agni with śamī (branch); that is the beneficent or happy aspect of śamī in that the equipment required for Agni is full of śamī in order to appease Agni and for freedom from being burnt thereafter.' The idea is that Agni, the moment it was created had a fierce and evil aspect, that was removed by the use of the śamī and śānti means an action or rite that appeases the evil aspects of a deity and makes the deity beneficent. Similarly, the Aitareya-brāhmaṇa says:¹¹⁴⁷ "He recites the verse 'they worship you with offerings whatever abodes you may have; . he says: O Soma! move towards houses in such a way as not to kill the sons (of the sacrificer).' Houses are indeed called 'duryā' and the house of the sacrificer is afraid of the king Soma when he approaches the sacrificer's house; when he (the priest) repeats this (verse) he thereby appeases him (king Soma) by a śānti (propitiatory rite); he (Soma) becoming beneficent (by the respetition of the mantra) does not kill the progeny or the cattle (of the sacrificer)." The idea is that king Soma might be angry with the sacrificer if there be any defect in the sacrificial rite and that when the hotṛ priest repeats the verse '*avirahā o-*' that verse is the cause of appeasement.