破魔

• (Tokyo) はま [háꜜmà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ha̠ma̠]

Buddhist term, imported into Japanese when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, some time during the Kofun, Asuka, and Nara periods.^[1][2]

Appears to be from Middle Chinese compound 破魔 (MC phaH ma, literally “break + demon”).

Alternately, could be a Japanese coinage using Middle Chinese elements, as a compound of Middle Chinese-derived 破 (ha, “break, destroy”) +‎ 魔 (ma, “demon, devil”).

破(は)魔(ま) • (hama) 

1. (Buddhism) defeating a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions

• 破魔士 (はまし, ​hamashi): an exorcist (Buddhism)
• 破魔術 (はまふつま, ​hamajutsu): exorcism (Buddhism; the technique of exorcising, rather than the act of doing so)

• (exorcise; specific to Christianity): 祓魔 (ふつま, ​futsuma)
• (driving away evil spirits in general): 悪魔払い, 悪魔祓い (あくまばらい, ​akumabarai); 魔除け (まよけ, ​mayoke)

破(は)魔(ま)する • (hama suru) suru (stem 破(は)魔(ま)し (hama shi), past 破(は)魔(ま)した (hama shita))

1. (Buddhism) to defeat a devil or demon, particularly the demons of worldly desires or passions

Unknown. The kanji are ateji (当て字).^[2][3]

Possibly cognate with 嵌める, 填める (hameru, “to fit or set one thing into another”), by way of the Old Japanese form 填む, 嵌む (​hamu).

破(は)魔(ま) • (hama) 

1. a target for 破魔矢 (hamaya) archery, round and generally made of bound straw or tree branches
2. short for 破魔弓 (hamayumi): a decorative bow, formerly used for special New Years archery competitions and now used as a ward against evil

• 破(は)魔(ま)矢(や) (hamaya): a decorative arrow used as a ward against evil
• 破(は)魔(ま)弓(ゆみ) (hamayumi): decorative bow used to shoot a hamaya, given to boys as a toy at New Years