particularly children, to destroy the hap-
piness they were denied. For further
information about churails and other
unquiet spirits of the dead, see
Lawrence Babb, The Divine Hierarchy,
1975; Ann Grodzins Gold, Fruitful
Journeys, 1988; and Sudhir Kakar,
Shamans,Mystics,and Doctors, 1991.
Cinnabar
Common name for mercuric sulfide,
which takes the form of red crystals or
clumps. Cinnabar is important in Indian
alchemy, particularly that of the mercu-
rial (dhatuvada) school because it is a
chemical union of the two elements rep-
resenting the god Shiva(mercury) and
his consort, Shakti(sulfur). According
to Hindu alchemy, the world is a series
of bipolar opposites in tension with one
another. By unifying these opposing
forces, one may achieve spiritual
progress and the end of reincarnation
(samsara). In Hindu alchemy this is
done by physically consuming various
substances. In this case, mercury is said
to be Shiva’s semenand sulfur Shakti’s
uterine blood; their combination and
consumption is believed to spur the
aspirant’s progress.
Collyrium
A salve for the eyes, traditionally made
from soot, camphor, beeswax, and
various fragrances. Part of its function
is cosmetic—it is used to outline and
define the eyes. It is also widely believed
to have medicinal qualities that improve
one’s vision and heal various minor
eye ailments.
Commensality
This word refers to patterns of social
exchange, particularly those associated
with eating. In traditional Hindu society,
the hierarchical status distinctions
between different social groups were
both marked and maintained by strict
rules on exchanges and sharing.
Traditional marriage customs illustrate
the role of social groups, in which people
married those who belonged to their
own particular jati (“birth”), or social
subgroup. Another arena in which these
concerns were quite visible was that of
food. Cooked food is believed to be
extremely susceptible to ritual impurity
(ashaucha) and can transmit impurities
to the person eating it. To shield
themselves from this source of impurity,
groups with higher social status
would not accept cooked foods from
groups with lower social status. In
contrast, lower-status groups would
accept cooked foods from groups with
higher status.
These concerns over maintaining
social status set up certain eating pat-
terns whose influence is still evident.
Higher-status groups, particularly brah-
mins, would generally eat with mem-
bers of their own community and only
when a brahmin had cooked the food.
For groups highly concerned with ritual
purity, the best meal is one cooked at
home by a family member, because this
ensures the food’s purity. Even in mod-
ern times, the most orthodox brahmins
will eat food cooked outside the home
only when it cannot be avoided. It is
always considered preferable to eat food
brought from home, whether one is on a
long journey or merely at lunch in the
office. Although in earlier times, the
groups with the highest status would
generally not eat with others, this cus-
tom has changed. Thus brahmin office
workers may eat lunch with colleagues
from many different communities, but
they would never think of inviting them
for a meal at their homes. For further
information on the way that exchanges
reveal status differences, see McKim
Marriot, “Hindu Transactions: Diversity
Without Dualism,” in Bruce Kapferer
(ed.), Transaction and Meaning, 1976.Conch Shell
With the end of its spiral removed, this
was used as both a musical instrument
and a weapon of war, since the sound of
certain conch shells was believed to
strike terror into people’s hearts. This isConch Shell