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Synopsis The term 'abhicara' in ancient Indian Literature stands for all types of harmful ritual practices which is otherwise known as sorcery or black magic. It is a wide spread phenomenon in the Vedic ritual system. There is a general belief that only the text of the Atharva Veda and the sacrifice called syena contain such dangerous rituals. But, in fat all important Vedic texts like Taittiriya, Maitrayani, Kathaka, Kathakapisthala and Vajasaneyi Samhitas, all the major Brahmana Texts, frauta and Grhya sutras very often deal with abhicara at various ritual contexts. Even in the Rgveda Samhita itself one finds some elements of abhicara. It is not surprising that all important Vedic sacrifices include, more or less, some such harmful rituals inside their performances.

Though some partial and limited works on this topic are published by few scholars, no major and systematic work on the entire topic has been done so far. This book contains a systematic study on the Vedic abhicara taking its various aspects in to consideration. Its basic materials are taken from all the important ritual texts and thereby not limited to any particular branch or class of the literature. Thus the book provides an entire pen-picture of the vedic abhicara to a reader.