Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 460

112
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
According to another belief, a gbost, as | As soon as it is ascertained that a man is stated above, takes an airy form and enters possessed by an evil spirit, somebody catthe body through any channel through which ches hold of the top-knot of the man air can enter the body. It leaves the body or ties it into a knot. Next he is lashed by the same route.1
with a whip or chain until the ghost in him There is also a belief that evil spirits cries out "Please don't beat me. I shall enter the body of a man through any part
leave, the body and shall never return." of the body and under their influence Then the ghost is told that it is a liar, that the person possessed, dances, jumps, foams it said a thousand times that it would leave or sits idle
the body and not return, but it did not do There is a further belief that a ghost
it. No faith, therefore, would be put in its enters the body through the thumb and gets
word. After a haggling dialogue of this
kind and on the ghost's confirmation of its out by the ears, 3
offer never to return by some satisfacAccording to some, a ghost makes its way
tory oath or assurance, the top-knot is into the body through the anus and its exit
unloosed and the ghost disappears.10 by the same route.*
A third method is to subject the person Others maintain that it enters the body
possessed to the fumes of red chillies or through the nostrils and gets out by the
of black wood, or to tie a sacred thread same passage.
round his elbow. Some say that it finds an entrance and
After one of these processess has been outlet through the skull.c
performed to expel the ghost, the victim There are others who are of opinion that
gives a dcep yawn, and it is said that the the immaterial form of a ghost can find
ghost goes out in the yawn. Next the admission into the body by the right side
relieved person is given water to drink, and and egress the same way.?
an exorcist is engaged to take measures to It is said that when the body is unclean,
prevent the possibility of the ghost's a ghost can enter it through any of the return. 11 organs.
In a book entitled Brahman Nighanta To drive away an evil spirit from the Ratnakar is described the method of driving body of a person, a conjuror, Vanjha, Koli away an evil spirit from the body of a man Vàghri, Atit, Fakir or other exorcist is en- by an offering of dhup or frankincense. gaged to set a dànklàn* and to offer a victim The dhup to be used for this purpose must and frankincense to the evil spirit, which be made of gugal, and it must be offered is supposed to drive the spirit out by the with honey and clarified butter, repeating same route by which it entered the body to the following mantra :
Another method of driving away an evil "Amen. Bow to the divine Lord of the spirit from the body is as follows
evil spirits, the Lord whose teeth, jaws, and
· The School Master of Ganod,
2 The School Master of Patan. Vào. 3 The D. E. Inpector, Gohilwad.
4 The School Master of Luvarin. 5 The School Master of Bantva,
• The School Master of Rajpara, The School Master af Valo.
8 The School Master of Ganod,
· The School Master of Dbank. + If a lock of the hair of the person possessed by an evil spirit be knotted round and round while ibe exorcist is trying to cast the spirit, it cannot get out.-The School Master of Vanod. Mr. K. D. Desdi.
• Srep.3. 11 The School Master of Patan Vao.