Chapter 2a - The nature of the Parisistas (of the Atharvaveda)

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arrow is prescribed to be discharged to make urine flow.
The symbolic character of the magic of the AV becomes
manifest also through its pantomime aspect. So far as magic
is concerned, the effigy of the subject serves the purpose of
the subject himself, and whatever the magician-priest does in
respect of the effigy - such as uttering a curse over it or
piercing it in the heart or neck, or heating it or cutting it
up into pieces or burning it in the magic fire (AVP 31.9.4-5)-
magically becomes effective in respect of the subject himself.
In the magical ideology of the AV, the name of a person
or a thing plays a most significant role. A name is, for the
Atharvanic priest, not merely a label; it signifies for him
the very essence or being of the person or the thing. To him
As a matter
of fact, so far as magic is concerned, the name of a person
or a thing is more important than the very person or thing
which it denotes. To 'know' the name of a person or a thing
is, therefore, equivalent to magically controlling that person
or thing. It is sometimes suggested that a person or a thing
has two names - one, a conventional or a popular name; and
68 the other, the magical name which is often kept secret.
It
is the knowledge of this secret magical name which gives one
a name is "an actuality expressed in a word. "67
67. G. Van der Leeuw, Religion in Essence and Manifestation
(London 1938), p.147. Cf. W. Schulze, KZ 40 (1907), p.411,
f.n. 1.
68.
At the time of the Upanayana, the secret or magical name
of the young boy is communicated to him. He is also
asked to keep it secret.