“That woman used to be a sorceress right here in Rājagaha. …”
Ikkhaṇikā (Sanskrit īkṣaṇikā) is literally a “seeress”, but her putative powers extend beyond mere visions of the future. Such sorceresses were considered a “thorn” to society alongside dissemblers, cheats, gamblers, and palmists (Manu 9.258). Medhātithi comments that they would con wealthy men out of money by promising them the favors of the gods or casting spells. Jain texts say a sorceress would jingle a small bell under her ear, at the sound of which her familiar, a malevolent entity, would approach and whisper secrets. The Pali commentary concurs: “It seems they do the work of an enslaved spirit, saying, ‘When such and such an offering ritual is performed, you will certainly prosper’.” Perhaps it was this spirit who caused her foul smell (Atharva Veda 8.6.12, Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.2.2). The background story to Ja 126 tells how such a sorceress was enlisted by a prince to ensure he would end up with his princess, who was also his cousin. Her powers—all fake—included divination of possession, exorcism, and revivifying a corpse with a malevolent spirit. Kauṭilya, ever the pragmatist, is not above enlisting sorceresses in the services of the state for the dissemination of fake news (Arthaśāstra 13.1.7).
