14 Colorado College Studies. 



lent for purging witchcraft, simply because any sliglit indisposi- 

 tion that could be" removed by the use of the oil, was attributed 

 to the power of witches. Smallpox or cholera are due, they 

 think, to the spells of witches also, since the gods do not stoop to 

 these things, though they have them in their powers. It is the 

 producing of evil results which makes the witches; for so long 

 as magic is used for good ends and the gods are still served, the 

 practitioners are not witches. 



The literature of witchcraft in India has increased enorm- 

 ously, especially in the vernacular, and it is to-day the 

 favorite reading of the people. The Asuri-Kalpa may 

 perhaps be taken as a fair specimen of this literature, 

 and a brief outline of its contents may be of interest. In 

 preparing for the a s u r i-spell, a small, square piece of ground is 

 first cleared, then a triangular hole, measuring about a span 

 each way, is dug in the center, and the person puts on a red gar- 

 ment and adorns himself with garlands of the red oleander, and 

 an ornament of sandal-wood, supposed to represent the feet of 

 V i s n u resting on a lotus. He then lies down on a woolep 

 blanket with his face to the east, toward which one angle of his 

 three-cornered fire-pot points, and offers an oblation of sugar 

 and melted butter, after which he mutters: "Om, obeisance to 

 II u d r a, om, O pungent one, thou of the pungent leaf, blessed 

 Asuri, reddish one, thou of the reddish garment, O daughter 

 of Atharvan, non- terrific one, non-terrific wonder-worker, 

 so-and-so smite, smite, burn, burn, cook, cook, crush, crush, so 

 long burn, so long cook, until thou hast brought [him] into my 

 power, Amen.* 



* 07n namo radraya, om katake katukaj)attre sitbhaga asuri rakte 

 raktavasase, atharvanasya duliite 'ghore 'ghorakarmakarike, amukavi 

 Tiana hana daha daha paea paca mantha mantha tavad daha tavat 

 paca yavan me vae^am anayah svaJia. The whisper-spell which is an 

 extension of the first part of this formula, and consists mostly of 

 mysterious particles, reads as follows: — om kliin Tirim ^rim ksaum 



