Here it is clear that the glance of the eye is equivalent to real contact of some part of the stranger's body, which would pollute the food.

In asking for leave in order to nurse his brother who was seriously ill but could obtain no advantage from medical treatment, a Hindu clerk explained that the sick man had been pierced by the evil glance of some woman.
57.

Words and names concrete.
Similarly words were considered to have a concrete force, so that the mere repetition of words produced an effect analogous to their sense.

The purely mechanical repetition of prayers was held to be a virtuous act, and this idea was carried to the most absurd length in the Buddhist's praying-wheel, where merit was acquired by causing the wheel with prayers inscribed on its surface to revolve in a waterfall.

The wearing of strips of paper, containing sacred texts, as amulets on the body is based on this belief, and some Muhammadans will wash off the ink from paper containing a verse of the Koran and drink the mixture under the impression that it will do them good.