An innovative interpretation of polemical uses of poetry in the Rgveda, India's oldest text. Whitaker's framing of poetic imprecations and vilifications in terms of ritualized hate speech challenges traditional understandings of several key terms. His critique of how the concepts of “magic” and “sorcery” are conventionally deployed in this context is a worthy contribution to debates on this issue in anthropology and the study of religion.

Timothy Lubin, Washington and Lee University

In this lucid and original study, Jarrod L. Whitaker brings exceptional philological care and interpretive insight to early Vedic poetry and society. He shows how ritualized invective shaped social relations, patronage, and religious authority. His analysis is both engaging and persuasive, making this book essential reading for Vedic studies and for broader discussions of Vedic language, power, and social life.

Madhav M. Deshpande, University of Michigan