Mahāśānti

Mahāśānti · mahā-śānti, “the great rite of peace”

The Mahāśānti is the great śānti told by Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa relates its procedure, addressing his hearer as Rājan and Pāṇḍava, in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, in the chapter of the same name. It brings welfare to kings and removes terrible vighnas (obstacles), and by it all durnimittas (bad omens) are stilled.

It is kept at a king’s abhisheka and at his setting out, and at bad dreams, omens, adverse grahas, an earthquake, war, eclipses and many other times. Vaidika brāhmaṇas build a maṇḍapa with a vedī and a kuṇḍa, set up five kalaśas with the Rudrakumbha in the middle, offer a homa of many mantras, and bathe the yajamāna from the five kalaśas. It gives increase of life, instant victory over the enemy and the gain of a son.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 143

When it is kept

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa names these occasions, in this order:

1. at a king’s abhisheka;
2. at a yātrā, a king’s setting out;
3. at a bad dream;
4. at a bad omen;
5. when the grahas are adverse;
6. when lightning or a meteor falls;
7. when Ketu rises in one’s janma-nakshatra;
8. at an earthquake;
9. at a time of birth;
10. at Mūla-gaṇḍānta;
11. at the birth of twins;
12. when the king’s chatra or dhvaja falls from its place;
13. when a crow, an owl or a pigeon enters the house;
14. when a krūra graha casts its glance, or at a birth under a yoga of krūra grahas;
15. when Bṛhaspati, Śani, Sūrya and Maṅgala stand in the twelfth, fourth and eighth places of the lagna-kuṇḍalī;
16. at the time of war;
17. at the loss of clothing, weapons, gems, hair, cows or horses;
18. when a rainbow is seen at night;
19. when the beam of the house breaks;
20. at eclipses of Sūrya and Candra and the like.

Who performs it

“Pāṇḍava, this Mahāśānti should be done through Vaidika brāhmaṇas of high family and good conduct.” Especially praised are knowers of the Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda and Ṛg Veda, who are pure, possessed of jñāna, devoted to japa and homa, and purified by many vratas such as the kṛcchra. First one performs ārādhanā, and then one begins the rite.

The maṇḍapa and the kuṇḍa

A beautiful maṇḍapa of ten or twelve hastas is made, and in its middle a vedī of four hastas. In the āgneya direction (the south-east) is a beautiful kuṇḍa one hasta in measure, with three mekhalās and adorned with a yoni. The maṇḍapa is adorned with sandal, garlands, toraṇas and the like, and smeared with cow-dung.

The five kalaśas

On the vedī four kalaśas are set in order at the corners, starting from the āgneya, and the fifth in the middle. They are set up with:

• pañcapallava (the five sprouts);
• sarvaushadhi;
• pañcaratna;
• rocanā;
• sandal;
• saptamṛttikā (the seven earths);
• grain;
• water of puṇya tīrthas;
• coconut and the like.

Pañcagavya is prepared by the Brahmakūrca procedure. The kalaśas are consecrated with Vaidika mantras and receive pūjā. The middle kumbha is called the Rudrakumbha. Then come the svastivācana and the agnikārya.

The order of the homa

1. With अग्निं दूतं (Yajus 22.17) the fire is placed in the kuṇḍa.
2. With हिरण्यगर्भ: (Yajus 13.4) the brahmāsana is set up.
3. After agni-pūjā the saṃskāra of the ājya (ghee) is performed, and the materials of the yajña are placed in due order.
4. Reciting the Purusha-sūkta (Yajus 31.1–16) one prepares the caru. When ready it is set on the ground.
5. Eighteen samidhs of śamī and seven of palāśa are put in the kuṇḍa to kindle the fire.
6. The āhutis called āghāra and ājya-bhāga are offered.
7. With जातवेदसे (Ṛk 1.19.1), seven āhutis of ghee.
8. Again with जातवेदसे, homa of the sthālīpāka.
9. With the sūkta तरत् स मन्दी (Ṛk 9.58.1–4), homa four times.
10. With यमाय सोम (Ṛk 10.14.13), adding the word svāhā, seven āhutis.
11. With इदं विष्णुवि (Yajus 5.15), seven āhutis.
12. Twenty-seven āhutis for the twenty-seven nakshatras.
13. Homa with यत्कर्मणा, then the svishṭakṛt homa.
14. Graha-homa with sesame mixed with ghee.
15. Homa for prāyaścitta, which ends the homa.

The abhisheka of the yajamāna

The excellent dvija bathes the yajamāna in order with the water of the five kalaśas, with mantras, for the śānti of his durnimitta:

While the yajamāna bathes, the brāhmaṇas recite śānti, and a stream of śānti-water is poured all around. With नमोऽस्तु सर्वभूतेभ्य: one gives bali-naivedya to the directions. At the end the rite closes with puṇyāhavācana.

Dakshiṇā

To the brāhmaṇas one gives, as one is able, land, gold, cloth, a bed, a seat and dakshiṇā. Food and the like are also given to the poor, to orphans and to eminent śrotriyas.

The phala

The Mahāśānti gives increase of life, instant victory over the enemy and the gain of a son. “As the blow of a weapon is turned aside by armour, so daiva vighnas are removed by this śānti.” For one who is non-violent, self-controlled, who earns wealth by dharma, and who has compassion and gives dakshiṇā, all the grahas become favourable.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 143

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 143, 208