By Swami Harshananda
Several rites are performed while entering a newly-built house. One such rite consists in making the house śānta.[1] In a vessel of water a little rice, barley and a piece of gold are deposited. The priest goes round the house three times from left to right, sprinkling the water on the house with the śantātīya mantras.
These are the fifteen mantras of the Ṛgveda.[2] Since the word śam (peace) occurs several times in it, the mantra itself is called śantātīya. Several deities are addressed to bestow peace like
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore