History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c89.37

v7.c89.37

Water also is declared as a means of effecting the removal or appeasement of evil effects. The Ait. Br. remarks¹¹⁵³ "they say what is the atonement (prāyaścitti) if a person's sacrificial material (milk or rice) when put on a fire for cooking spurts out or overflows? (The reply is) 'he should make it go down with water for the sake of śānti; water indeed is (a means of) śānti and then he should touch the material (that has fallen out) with his right hand and recite a mantra (that is specified) or he should recite another ṛk verse 'by whose power the worlds are made fixed', which is addressed to Viṣṇu and Varuṇa; Viṣṇu indeed is the saviour against what is badly sacrificed (i. e. the defects in it), while Varuṇa protects (i. e prevents obstacles to securing the fruit of) what is well sacrificed; (this latter mantra is recited) for śānti in regard to both (defects as well as good points). This is the prāyaścitti in this case." It should be noticed that here śānti (rite) and prāyaścitti are identified. The Śāṅkhāyana¹¹⁵⁴ Br. also (III. 6) says "waters are (means of) śānti, (they are) an antidote and therefore after pronouncing the word 'vaṣaṭ' the priest touches water." In the Tai. Ār. (IV. 42) there are 37 mantras of śānti used in the Pravargya rite. Some of these occur in the Ṛgveda-saṃhitā e. g the 8th (Vāta ā vātu bheṣajam) is Ṛg. X. 186. 1, mantras 15-17 are equal to Ṛg. IV. 31. 1-3; mantras 22-24 are Ṛg. X. 9. 1-3. The same Āraṇyaka (IV. 26-35) and Baud. Śr. S. IX. 18 contain several mantras for śāntis, some of which are interesting and are set out here to show how the theory of śāntis was being expanded or enlarged. "If the¹¹⁵⁵ sacrificial vessel called *mahāvīra* (in Pravargya rite) of the hot milk for the Gharma offering were to be stolen by a thief, one should offer in the Gārhapatya fire an oblation of ghee with the *sruva* ladle to the accompaniment of the mantra 'May Day and Night disclose thee as thief". 'If a wild¹¹⁵⁶ forest dog were to bark (while the Pravargya rite is on), the priest should repeat by way of a magic formula the text 'vi gā Indra vicaran spāśayasva' (O Indra, observe the cows while you move about'), should cast a kindled firebrand on both sides with the words 'O Agni, converse with Agni, and then he worships Agni with the words 'O Agni, salutation to thee once, twice, thrice &c' If a vulture screeches he recites the formula 'you are undistinguishable (from other birds) since you have blood in your beak', if an owl or she-owl hoots he recites the mantra 'In this way the owl approaches &c.'. Therefore it may be said that śānti is used in the early Vedic texts in several senses viz. (1) the state of being freed from evil aspects or effects, (2) means of appeasing or removing evil aspects, such as water, a Vedic verse or hymn, (3) rite for appeasement.