Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/367

Rh milk. This the snake eventually accepts, delaying the more to do so, the higher his status and descent in the snake-world. All that passes between the Sodhî and the snake is conducted through the patient, but the spectator can hear every word of the dialogue. The snake is finally asked to take back his poison, and eventually it does so, in such a way that any one may see it come out. Lastly, the Sodhî recites a mantra to release the snake,—otherwise it could not recover.

"Another Sodhî, Sampûran Singh, grandfather of my informant Sodhî Parshotam Singh, possessed such sanctity that water which he had touched with his right toe would, if drunk before confinement, facilitate delivery. (This power is not, however, inherited, but is bestowed on one who is nârâ kâ suchchâ, i.e. pure in heart.) Further, the snakebite mantra is a secret one, and is only communicated by its holder when in extremis to one whom he deems most fitted to succeed him as mantrî." (Jhelum.)

The following describes a rather similar but more simple rite:—

"At Kasûr there is one Rahmat Khân, a police constable, who has received from some Fakîr the power of stopping a snake from running away by putting a bit of kankar on it. He can thus catch the snake and cure the patient by reciting some kalâm over the place where he was bitten." (Lahore.)

In several cases the secret of the charm-formula has been disclosed to Mr. Rose or his informants. The following comes from Siâlkot:—

"The following incantation will cure snakebite and pain from a scorpion sting:—

''Innâ mukhâdiso Gurû ke bahân dûre nur-ul-bahân durᵉ samjhak. Panjwân kaṛâ Sayyid Sultân Sâ'id Ahmad Kabîr, sattar sau, âfat kul awe zanjîrr, yâ Pîr Dastgîr tawakkul Khudâ sidq tusaḍe te zahr band karnî, hukm merâ nahîṅ, hukm Khudâ dâ te Khudâ de Rasûl dâ. Kaṛâ Sayyid Sultân Sâ'id Ahmad Kabîr. Kîṛâ laṛe, bis jhaṛe, bis chale nâl nâl, bis chale dâl dâl, bîs ko gaṛh diyâl, gahṛe mârî hak, chhoṛ de bisse châre chak. Dhart badhâ shinh garje jangal badhâ wâs; sâp kâ khadâ kadî na mare hukm Allâh te Muhammad-ur-Rasûl-Allâh de nâl. Awwal hudâ Khudâ dâ, dusrâ hudâ Khudâ de Rasûl dâ, tîsrâ hudâ zanbîl-i-qurân dâ,''