Superstitions Related to New Born Babies

The effect of evil spirits in human life has been recognised in Indian from ancient times. The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa describes some magical formula to fight against these evil spirits. These evil things are believed to cause harm to the people.

Duḥsaha, son of Mṛtyu and Nirṛti (Alakṣmī) married Kali’s daughter Nirmārṣṭi, she gave birth to eight sons and eight daughters.^[1] They also have many children. These all children are said to be evil spirits for men, women, infants, pregnant women in society. They harmed the people causing physical injuries, moral vices and social offences.

Dantākṛṣṭi—

Dantākṛṣṭi, son of Duhsaha, is a tooth-attacker who takes his position in the teeth of newborn babies and attack them which can be removed by the application of white mustard seeds on the bed and the teeth of the sleeping baby, bathing with medicinal herbs, reciting good scriptures and using an amulet of camel’s thorn, rhino’s bone, a sword or dressing him with a linen cloth.^[2]

Jātahāriṇī—

The word Jātahāriṇī means one who steals newborn babies.^[3] This evil spirit takes away the baby, who is lying in a chamber, destitute of fire, water, incense, lamp or weapon, pestle, ashes (bhūti) and mustard seed. This evil spirit is very terrible who feeds on flesh. So it is advised to strenuously guard in the lying-in chamber against Jātahāiṇī.^[4] An incident of, replacement of son by Jātahāriṇī has been mentioned in the 73rd chapter of the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa. In this story Manu Cākṣuṣa was transferred to the place of king Vikrānta’s son and he was also transferred to the place of a Brahmin by the Jātahāriṇī.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa., 48.1,2

[2]:

Ibid., 48.8-10

[3]:

F.E. Pargiter, The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, p. 229

[4]:

Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 48.107-109