The evil eye in Skt literature?

[jkirk]

Thanks for these references and Hindi term which I do know--I'm acquainted
with Dundes's book but not the others--been a while.

I just wanted what was/is available in Sanskrit literary reference and
terminology, so kuDRSTi(ta) is a start.  To pursue this line a bit futher,
is there any situation where the glance of a deity (or divien being, even a
demon)  is said to zap one in the same way?  (As I understand it the concept
darshan applies to the devotee viewer or gazer although it's a reciprocal
gaze between deity and devotee--(i.e. the deity does not "take darshan" of
the devotee); so this aspect is not what I'm looking for--I'm looking for
the opposite, i.e. wondering if it exists--a daemonic gaze perhaps?
JK
=====================
----- Original Message -----
From: "Axel Michaels" <axel.michaels at URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 12:47 AM
Subject: Re: The evil eye in Skt literature?


The Skt. term for evil eye often is kudRSTi(ta), Hindi najar etc.. For
references
see:
Cl. Maloney: "Don´t say ´pretty baby´let you zap it with your eye: the evil
eye in
South Asia", in: id. (ed.) The Evil Eye. Columbia 1976, 102-149.
D.F. Pocock: "The evil eye", in: T.N. Madan (ed.) Religion in India New
Delhi
1991, 50-62 (orig. 1973, also in Dundes, see below, 201-210)
A.S. Woodburne: "The evil eye in South Indian Folklore", in: A. Dundes
(ed.), The
Evil Eye: A Case book, Madison 1981, 55-65.

Best AM

George Hart wrote:

> Good question.  In Tamil, the Skt. Borrowing tiruSTi (< dRSTi) is used for
> evil eye.  Put the evil eye is usually kaN vai -- literally putting the
eye
> (both Dravidian words).  But getting rid of the evil eye is tiruSTi kaZi
> (kaZi means to remove).  Apte does not give "evil eye" as a meaning for
> tiruSTi, but since belief in the evil eye is universal in India (and the
> Mediterranean and elsewhere), there must be some Sanskrit word for it --
I'm
> not sure what it is.  Perhaps someone else can help.  I'm sure there must
be
> many Sanskrit treatises on the evil eye.  When all else fails, look in
Kane.
> GH.
>
> On 11/27/01 3:10 PM, "jkirk" <jkirk at MICRON.NET> wrote:
>
> > Dear Prof Hart,
> >
> > Since you mentioned the evil eye,  I write to ask you about its
> > terminological provenance in Sanskrit  literature because it would be so
> > helpful for my work to have some explicit references (I'm an
anthropologist
> > specializing in south Asia studies but not a Sanskritist.) . If this
inquiry
> > threatens to be bothersome, please don't mind and just tell me.  But I
am oh
> > so curious--
> >
> > Good wishes
> > Joanna Kirkpatrick
> > =============================================================