Witchcraft Among the Hindus. 17 



After this contemplation comes the chief practice erf the 

 •ceremony, the object of which, in the words of the MS., is the 

 desire to destroy, the destruction of an enemy, the slaying, 

 stupefying, making submissive and fixing like a post. The 

 person takes leaves and seeds of the dsiirl* plant (black mus- 

 tard) and grinds them into meal. An image of the person to be 

 subdued was then made from this meal with melted butter, sour- 

 milk, sugar (or honey), salt, or mustard-oil, according to the 

 -caste of the victim — the mustard-oil was for an enemy — after 

 which the image was chopped up with some kind of a weapon 

 and burned in the fire-pot with kindlings of different woods 

 according to caste. 



This practice was repeated one huudi*ed and eight times — 

 eighteen per day — beginning with six in the morning, continuing 

 with six at noon, and ending with six at about sundown. The 

 proper meditation was used in each case. The morning form 

 helped in making submissive; that used at noon, in " fixing like 



ness of youth, decorated with all kinds of ornaments, with a set of 

 pearly teeth, Devi, with a breast compact and full, gracefully bent at 

 three places, Destroyer of the Buffalo Demon, with ten arms as soft and 

 well rounded as the stalks of lotus, holding a trident on the right, a 

 sword and a discus from upwards, a sharp arrow, and a dart in the right 

 hand, a shield, a bent bow, a noose, a goad, and a bell or an axe. Under 

 her lies a headless Buffalo carcass, whence rises the demon with a sword 

 in hand, pierced in his heart by the Devi's trident, his lungs drawn out, 

 his body besmeared with blood, and eye-balls distended encircled by the 

 serpent noose, presenting a face made terrific by contracted eyes, brows, 

 and frowns, the noose with the forelocks of the demon held by Durga, 

 in her left hand, while the Devi's lion is described with a mouth tainted 

 with red, the right foot of the Goddess resting evenly on the back of the 

 lion, and the toe of the left foot a little higher on the shoulders of the 

 demon. Om serene-faced Goddess, subduer of the pride of Daityas and 

 Danavas ! Om this representation of the Goddess is worshipped and 

 prayed [to ?] by the immortals. * * * Om contemplate the mother of 

 the world for the attainment of virtue, all wishes, and beautitude. 



*asuri literally means pertaining to demons and the pungency of 

 the plant probably accounts for the name. 



