A disease called okarinu (i.e., vomitting) sometimes breaks out among sheep. In this case the shepherds separate all the affected animals from the herd and remove them to a distance. All the sheep which die of the disease are buried deep in a pit, which is guarded for several days, lest some other animals dig it up and let lose the buried epidemic by exposing the carcasses. It is believed that the contagion of this disease lies in the ears; and the ears of all the sheep in the herd are carefully watched if they bleed.[62]
The twin gods Ashvini Kumār are sometimes propitiated by means of an anushthān (the performance of religious austerities in their honour) in order that they may put a stop to a disease among cattle.[63]
It appears that dancing often forms a part of the process of exorcism. Frequently dancing is accompanied by the beating of cymbals and drums and other loud noises. A mandalu is convened at the house of the person who is to be exorcised i.e., a number of bhuvās are invited to attend along with a number of low-caste drummers, and afterwards the ceremony of utār is gone through; the utār is then taken to a cemetery.[64]
Sometimes the beating of drums and cymbals is alone resorted to for expelling an evil spirit from the person of a patient. It is believed that this process is effectual in proportion to the degree of the intensity of the noise created.[65] The patient is asked to sit facing the east. The Bāval or Vāghri i.e., the drummer, sits in front of him, and not only beats the drum as loudly as he can, but also sings hymns at the top of his voice in honour of his favourite goddess. In the meanwhile, the bhuvā, who is also in attendance, begins to be possessed, and discloses the fact by convulsive fits. After a while, the bhuvā suddenly stamps his foot furiously on the floor, and, seizing the patient by a lock of his hair, and perhaps even giving him a blow on the back, asks in a stern voice, “Who art thou? speak out at once why thou hast come or else I will burn thee to death.”[66]
The patient will then perhaps reply: ‘Don’t you know me? I am chāran’, or I am zāmhādi, (a female spirit guarding the village gates) or Vāgharan[67] or Purvaj (the spirit of a deceased ancestor). Regarding the reason for possession, the evil spirit will give some such explanation as follows:—“Once upon a time the patient was taking a loaf and vegetables which he hid from me, and therefore I shall leave his person only with his life.” The bhuvā will then say “life is precious and not so cheap as you think. If you want anything else, say so and leave this person.” After a dialogue such as the above, the bhuvā and the spirit come to some compromise, and the bhuvā then leads a procession with the utār either to the village boundary or to a cemetery. The bhuvā then draws a circle on the ground with the point of a sword which he carries, and places the utār within the circle. He then slightly cuts the tip of his tongue with the edge of the sword, and spits blood into a fire lighted for the purpose. The smoke of this fire is supposed to carry the offering to the evil spirit. The utār is then taken away by the drummers, who share it secretly with the bhuvā. In the event of the patient deriving no benefit from this ceremony, the bhuvā advises the patient’s relatives to repeat the process.[68]
The following ceremony is sometimes performed in order to ascertain whether a person is under the influence of an evil spirit or not. A bhuvā is invited to the patient’s house in the company of drummers, and there he dances for some time amidst the din produced by the beating of the drums and by the loud recitation of hymns in honour of his favourite goddess. Afterwards a handful of grain is passed round the head of the patient and presented to the bhuvā for inspection. The bhuvā selects a few seeds from the grain and making certain gestures, offers them to the patient with either the words ‘vācho’ or ‘vadhāvo’. In case the bhuvā says ‘vācho’ and the number of seeds happens to be even, what he declared to be the cause of the patient’s trouble is believed to be true. So also if the bhuvā says vadhāvo and the number of seeds proves to be odd. But in case the number of seeds proves to be odd when the bhuvā says ‘vācho’, or even, when he says vadhāvo, then his explanation of the cause of the patient’s trouble is not credited.
Sometimes Brāhmans instead of bhuvās are engaged to exorcise an evil spirit from the body of a sick person. A bell-metal dish, containing adad (phaseolus radiatus), wheat and jowāri, is placed on a copper jar and struck violently with a stick, called velan, so as to produce a loud noise. The patient, who is made to sit in front, begins to tremble and sometimes even to rave. The Brāhmans also create a loud noise and in a loud voice ask the patient who the evil spirit is and what it wants. The patient will then give out the name of some notorious dākan (witch) or of one of his deceased ancestors and will add that he desires a certain thing which he was used to get while in human form. The evil spirit is then propitiated by offering the things asked for and is requested to leave the body of the patient.[69]
The following are other methods of expelling an evil spirit from the body:—
Either lobhān, i.e., incense powder, or chillies or even the excreta of dogs are burnt under the nose of the patient, who, overpowered by the unpleasant odour, is supposed to give out the name of the evil spirit and also what the latter wants.
Water is charmed with incantations, and is either dashed against the patient’s eyes or is given to him to drink.[70]