The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c23.s2.49

v1.c23.s2.49

The demons are not, however, merely repelled by the use of fire, and by many spells; they are actually occasionally propitiated with offerings, as in the case of the Rakṣases and Yātudhānas who are thus treated in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa,² a fact which may stand in relation with the use which sorcerers were able to make of these spirits. Tricks are also tried to deceive them: thus in the period³ of continence immediately after marriage, there has been seen by Oldenberg⁴ an ingenious device to prevent any hostile action on the part of the demons, whether by attacking the bride or seeking to enjoy her,⁵ and in any case the sympathetic magic of the device is obvious. The practice in the acts of driving away fiends of enumerating as many names as possible is parallel to that of enumerating as many gods in the offerings of the Vaiçvadeva rite in the domestic ritual, and it has preserved to us several lists. To protect the woman in child-birth a fire is lighted,⁶ and the spirits are banned under the names of Çaṇḍa and Marka, Upavīra, Çauṇḍikeya, Ulūkhala, Malimluca, Droṇāsa, Cyavana, Ālikhant, Animiṣa, Kiṁvadanta, Upaçruti, Haryakṣa, Kumbhin, Çatru, Pātrapāṇi, Nṛmaṇi, Hantrīmukha, Sarṣapāruṇa, Cyavana.