Note 76 — Chapter V · THE WORSHIP OF THE MALEVOLENT DEAD.
Reading edition
(7) Girha is the ghost of a person who dies by drowning, or of a murdered person.76 Girha is not very powerful, and obeys the orders of the exorcists. It only frightens and troubles people.77 It lives by the water side, and deceives persons at night by calling them by their names and leading them into false paths. It often troubles people while crossing rivers or creeks at night, and leads them to places where the water is very deep. It is said that the spirit Girha becomes the regular slave of a person who takes possession of the hair of its head, and gives him anything that he requires. It requests the person to return its hair, but this should not be given under any circumstances. For, if the Girha gets back its hair all sorts of misfortunes will befall the man.78