Many sectors of
contemporary Hindu society, including many "modern" urban Hindus,
recognize the reality of witchcraft.
Malevolence, jealousy, and greed are the driving elements of
witchcraft, and some individuals use them to hurt others or destroy what they
have.
Witches may use spells, the evil eye (nazar), or pronounce
curses on people to accomplish their goals.
Pregnant women and small children are supposed to be more
vulnerable to their abilities, and these individuals are also thought to be
more prone to be cursed, since jealousy over their good fortune is said to
arouse a witch's rage.
The suitable countermeasure is to execute numerous rituals
of protection, which will shield the individual from harm.
Witchcraft may manifest as an exceptionally prolonged
disease or weird behavior in those who are affected; harsher cures are required
for these folks.
The language of possession and exorcism may be regarded as a
"idiom" (using traditional Indian cultural categories) for what
contemporary psychiatrists could term the diagnosis and treatment of mental
illness, as Sudhir Kakar skillfully demonstrates.
Sudhir Kakar, Shamans, Mystics, and Doctors, 1991; and David
F. Pocock, "The Evil Eye," in T. N. Madan (ed. ), Religion in India,
1991, for further details.
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