gaũḍā Astrological positions of acute crisis; star obstructions. As discussed in the introductory remarks to this chapter, these are the afflictions treated by this recital. (Depending on context, my translation varies from the more technical "star obstruction," to the more general "extreme crisis." Here, the text explicitly affirms that shamans are the appropriate authority for their solution.A child's gaũḍā is called a khaḍgā, a term clearly related to khaṛgo kāṭāunu "To get rid of a danger (used especially of a wizard)" (Turner 1980:113).