The Divine and the Demonic: Supernatural Affliction and its Treatment in North India

207 Pages·2002·2.4 MB·English

by  Graham Dwyer

THE DIVINE AND
THE DEMONIC
Based on fieldwork in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, this
book focuses on supernatural affliction: illness and misfortune
ascribed to demonic spirits or ghosts, or to other mystical agents
such as sorcerers and witches. The author addresses a range of
issues, including: inter alia beliefs about spirit possession, sorcery,
witchcraftandtheevileye;andritualpractice,especiallyexorcism
and healing ceremonies.
At a theoretical level, The Divine and the Demonic contrasts
with much of the literature on spirit possession and supernatural
affliction. Moving away from psychological or psychiatric para-
digms, as well as from other forms of Western rationalism, the
author offers fresh insights – both in terms of understanding
supernatural malaise and its treatment, and in terms of the
application of his phenomenological approach.
This book is also a wider study of the anthropology of South
Asia,particularlymedicalanthropologyandIndianethnomedicine.
The religious themes of Hindu priests and curers, popular
Hinduism and pilgrimage are also discussed.
Graham Dwyer is Lecturer in Social Sciences at Greenwich
Community College, London. He gained his D Phil in Social
AnthropologyfromtheUniversityofOxford,basedonfieldworkin
Rajasthan and funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research
Council.

THE DIVINE AND
THE DEMONIC
Supernatural affliction and its
treatment in North India
Graham Dwyer
Firstpublishedin2003
byRoutledgeCurzon
11NewFetterLane,LondonEC4P4EE
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledgeCurzon
29West35thStreet,NewYork,NY10001
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
RoutledgeCurzonisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup
#2003GrahamDwyer
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ISBN 0-203-22253-9 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-27697-3 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN0–415–29749–4(Print Edition)
CONTENTS
List of plates vii
List of figures and tables ix
Acknowledgements xi
Note on Transliteration xiii
Map 1 Rajasthan and Districts (India Inset) xv
Map 2 Mehndipur Village xvi
Introduction 1
1 Mehndipur: The fieldwork setting 12
2 Supernatural malaise and key patterns of
affliction: Causation, attribution and
vulnerability 27
3 Sorcery, witchcraft and the evil eye 51
4 Healing and the transformation of self in
exorcism 82
5 Hindu priests and healers 113
Conclusion 140
Appendix 1: Towards defining a mantra 143
Appendix 2: Mantras used by pilgrims in
Mehndipur to gain relief from
suffering and affliction 146
v
CONTENTS
Appendix 3: Mantra and yantra 151
Appendix 4: Inventory of symptoms and ailments
recorded in Mehndipur 152
Appendix 5: Genealogies of Priestly Families 154
Appendix 6: Tables 157
Glossary 161
Notes 165
Bibliography 176
Index 188
vi
LIST OF PLATES
1. Mehndipur Balaji Temple 22
2. A Mehndipur pilgrim purchasing the Arji food
offering from a prasad vala 22
3. Pitristhan – ancestral shrines on a hill top in
Mehndipur 23
4. Ramjilal Puri at the family shrine in Udaipur 118
5. Distribution of savamani at a dharmshala in
Mehndipur 118
6. The healer Bhagatji outside his private dharmshala
(with adjoining personal shrine) 119
7. Bhagatji and his medium amongst pilgrims during
a se´ance 120
vii

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figures
1. Balaji Mandir: Puri family genealogy 155
2. Bhairava Mandir: Nath family genealogy 156
Tables
1. Categories of affliction, gender and marital status 158
2. Education and gender of the 734 patients in
Mehndipur 159
3. Persons invoking sorcery as agency or cause of
affliction 159
4. States where the 734 patients in Mehndipur were
domiciled 160
ix