For many Hindus, the world is a ritually
dangerous place. Certain hours, days,
and periods of the year are considered
inauspicious. At these times the very
tone of the cosmos is disagreeable and
all sorts of bad fortune can befall the
ignorant or the unwary. Rites of protection are used to counter these dangers,
as well as the problems of one’s past
karma, which can be diagnosed through
an inauspicious conjunction in one’s
birth horoscope (natal horoscope).
Some inauspicious times are unlucky
only for certain types of activities.
Potential misfortune can be avoided
simply by refraining from these activities. However, certain events that cannot
be avoided, such as eclipses, are also
believed inauspicious. In such cases,
one can prevent the negative effects of
inauspiciousness by transferring it to
another person, usually through the
medium of gifts (dana); giving gifts is
also the preferred means for getting rid
of inauspiciousness stemming from a
bad conjunction in one’s birth horoscope. People also safeguard themselves
by performing prayer and worship as
positive protective forces.
Inauspicious forces are also generated by human jealousy, greed, and
hatred, which can find their agency in
black magic, the evil eye (nazar), or
other sorts of witchcraft. Finally, some
Hindus believe there are a host of nonhuman beings, such as spirits, ghosts,
and witches, who sometimes seek to
harm human beings through the exercise of supernormal powers. Despite the
power and prevalence of all of these
malevolent forces, if one is aware and
careful of them there are ways to
counter them.
For problems stemming from human
malice, there are well-established solutions. One is to avoid those people who
are considered inauspicious, such as
widows. Another strategy is to avoid
inciting people’s jealousy by never proclaiming one’s good fortune too openly,
praising a child too lavishly, or flaunting
one’s wealth too freely. In many cases,
people will counter potentially vulnerable moments in the life cycle by various
protective rites. It is still common for
574
Rishi Panchami
people to wear talismans or amulets,
which are believed to protect the wearer.
Another common protective measure is
to carry iron, which is believed to render
the person carrying it impervious to
witchcraft. Young children will often
have a black smudge of lamp-black put
on their faces, to symbolically disfigure
them and take away the motive for jealousy.
Another protective strategy is to hang up
an object (such as a clay pot with a
painted face) intended to absorb all the
bad feelings, which is then discarded.
For further information see Lawrence
Babb, The Divine Hierarchy, 1975; Gloria
Goodwin Raheja, The Poison in the Gift,
1988; and David F. Pocock, “The Evil
Eye,” in T. N. Madan (ed.), Religion in
India, 1991.