504 Collectanea.
A small creeping plant called gaur is used as a cure for snake- bite, a cowrie's weight of it being pounded and eaten. This plant is found all over the hills.
For hydrophobia a chWi or black hornet is caught, and its head, legs, and wings cut off. The carcase is then pounded, and given to the patient to eat.
The following mantra is recited as a cure for snakebite : —
Ran bdndhilh, ranbir bdndhiln, liln bdndJiAii, Parmeshar bthtdhdn. Bis Jhdlt sdton patdl,jahdn baitheh sdson Bhunpdl, nil kd kaiithd bhatiwar kd jdl. Pahld band Rdmchandrajt Ide Sitd, Sit-bdndh Sitd- lede. Dujd band Hajttlnidnt Pardhdn. Rdm, Rahim, RasM ki dn?- Chauthd band Gaurjdn ne did Saivd bhar nirbis kiyd. Chale mantar, phiire bdckd," Hard Hari shib Shanka7-i ! Chale datik bis mithi ho-jdye I
" I will bind (z".^. control) the battle and the warrior. I will bind salt as well as Parmeshewar (God). There is poison spread in the seven lower regions where the great Basu Nag, the king of snakes, has his home, and also where there is the net spread by a bhatiwar, with its blue neck. The first binding is of Ramchandraji who brought home Sita, crossing the ocean on the bridge called Sit-bandh. The second binding is of the Lord Hanuman. Take care of Ram, Rahim, and Rasul (Mohammed). Gaurjan gave the fourth bond, and made ineffectual i^ loads of poison. Let the mantra be effective, and let my saying come true! By the grace of Hara Hari and of Shankari (Durga) let the poison become harmless ! "
The following mantra is a cure for a black scorpion bite : —
Kdld btchhA, ptld bickktl, bichhil, kangar-wdld, hari chiinch, gal sone kt mdld I Eshar dne, Gauran de attdr bickhH atrain. HanHmdn bir Idlkarun. Mere chagat, mere gur kt sakat! Phuro viantro bdckd! Is bdchd se Idle Lwia Chamari ki khdl me?t pare ! Is se na idle to khari samundar men pare.
" Black scorpion, yellow scorpion, scorpion with thy precious stone, thou hast a green beak and necklace ! God may bring, and Gauran (Shiv's wife) may take away. Scorpion, I will make thee go ! I will challenge the warrior Hanuman to assist men. My devotion and my guru's power ! Take effect, my mantra and my word ! If it avoids this word, let it fall into Luna Chamari's womb ! (If still it does not go away, then let it go to hell !) If still it does not go away, let it fall in the salt sea ! "
In the Kiarda Dun women are supposed to be sometimes possessed by Sayyids (Mohammedan saints). In such cases violent measures are avoided, and the Sayyid is humbly asked to accept a nazr or present and leave the woman.
1 An oath. ^ p^/^chd, a saying :—bdshd.
