132 Wilber Theodore Elmore 



the evil eye is that a person may have some evil influence which 

 is communicated by a look. This is called drishti-dosha. Un- 

 doubtedly there is some such fear of the look of a human being, 

 especially if he be a stranger. This conception of the evil eye 

 appears to be more Brahmanic than Dravidian. The most of the 

 Dravidian customs connected with the evil eye can with diffi- 

 culty be explained by the evil resulting from a look, while the 

 explanation becomes very simple if the fear of evil spirits is 

 postulated as the basis. 



The Dravidian idea of the evil eye is that there are innumerable 

 evil spirits waiting at all times to do harm. These spirits appear 

 to be very much dependent on human suggestion and initiative. 

 If special attention is directed to any object or person, and espe- 

 cially if something complimentary is said about it, some listening 

 spirit will take notice, and thinking the object is desirable for itself, 

 or out of jealousy and evil mindedness, will bring about some evil. 



One can scarcely do a more untactful thing in India than to 

 praise a man's crops or cattle or child.^^ The proper thing to do 

 is not to appear to pay too much attention to that which interests 

 you, or if it is necessary to mention it, mention some defect. 

 This is one of the reasons for wearing ornaments, and it is al- 

 ways in order to praise or notice the ornaments on a child, as this 

 will keep attention away from the child itself. The gracious 

 friend always addresses one with words of commiseration be- 

 cause he is looking so poorly. The European is often disappointed 

 because his Indian friends see nothing but faults in his new horse 

 or house, when he expects them to praise it. 



With the idea of making the spirits think an article is worthless 

 some flaw is left in everything. No house is ever completed. 

 The weaver leaves a flaw in his cloth. The brickmaker daubs his 

 kiln with unsightly spots of lime. The placing of obscene figures 

 and carvings on idol cars and temples is often explained in the 

 same way. Crooke says this is the reason for blackening the under 



India, London, 1912, pp. 109-120; Crooke, Things Indian, New York, 1906, 

 pp. 192-195 ; Monier-Williams, Brahmanism and Hinduism, pp. 253, 254. 



31 When I first came to India I at one time thought to please a mother 

 by complimenting her attractive child, but the mother seized the child and 

 ran away with it in terrible fright. 



132 



