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Vedic Mythology c8.s3: § 70. A. Rakṣases

Vedic Mythology c8.s3

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§ 70. A. Rakṣases

c8.s3.1

By far the most frequent generic name in the RV. for terrestrial demons or goblins¹, enemies of mankind, is *rakṣas*. It is mentioned (upwards of fifty times) both in the singular and plural, nearly always in connexion with a god, who is invoked to destroy or praised for having destroyed these demons. In two hymns of the RV. (7, 104; 10, 87) which deal with the Rakṣases, the much less common terms *yātu* or *yātudhāna* (strictly speaking ‘sorcerer’)² alternate with, and in some verses appear to be used in the same sense as, *rakṣas*. As the latter word designates evil spirits in general (especially in the YV.), *rakṣas* here perhaps expresses the genus and *yātu* the species³.

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These demons have the form of dogs, vultures, owls, and other birds (7, 104.²⁰⁻²²). Becoming birds they fly about at night (ib. ¹⁸). Assuming the form of a brother, husband, or lover, they approach women and desire to destroy their offspring (10, 162⁵). They also lie in wait for women in the shape of a dog or an ape (AV. 4, 37¹¹). Thus they are dangerous during pregnancy and childbirth (AV. 8, 6). They prowl around the bride at weddings, and little staves are therefore shot into the air to pierce the eye of the Rakṣases (MGS. 1, 10). The AV. gives the most detailed account of the appearance of the Rakṣases. They have mostly human form, their head, eyes, heart, and other parts being mentioned; but they have frequently some kind of monstrous deformity, being three-headed, two-mouthed, bear-necked, four-eyed, five-footed, fingerless, with feet turned backwards, or with horns on their hands (AV. 8, 6; HGS. 2, 3⁷). Blue and yellow or green demons are also spoken of (AV. 19, 22 4. 5)⁴. They are further described as male and female, having families and even kings (AV. 5, 22¹²; HGS. 2, 3⁷); and they are mortal (AV. 6, 32² &c.).

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The Yātudhānas eat the flesh of men and horses, and drink up the milk of cows (10, 87 16. 17). In order to satisfy their greed for flesh and blood the Rakṣases attack men, usually by entering them. Agni is besought not to let the Rakṣas enter (*ā viś*) into his worshippers (8, 49²⁰); and the AV. describes a demon of disease, which flies about, as entering into a man (AV. 7, 76⁴). These evil spirits seem chiefly to have been regarded as entering by the mouth, especially in the process of eating and drinking (AV. 5, 29 ⁶⁻⁸), but also by other entrances (AV. 8, 6³). When once within they eat and lacerate a man’s flesh and cause disease (AV. 5, 29 5. 10). The Rakṣases are also said to produce madness and take away the power of eloquence (AV. 6, 111³; HGS. 1, 15⁵). Human dwellings are invaded by them (KS. 135⁹). Some of these spirits are described as dancing round houses in the evening, braying like donkeys, making a noise in the forest, laughing aloud, or drinking out of skulls (AV. 8, 6 10. 11. 14; HGS. 2, 3⁷).

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The time of the Rakṣases is the evening or night (7, 104¹⁸).⁵ In the east they have no power, because they are dispersed by the rising sun (TS. 2, 6, 6³). A falling meteor is regarded as an embodiment of a Rakṣas (KS. 126⁹). It is especially the dark time of new moon that belongs to evil spirits, as to the souls of the dead (AV. 1, 16¹; 4, 36³).

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The sacrifice is peculiarly exposed to their attacks. Thus the RV. speaks of Rakṣases that have produced taints in the divine sacrifice and of Yātus that throw the offering into confusion (7, 104 18. 21). They are haters of prayer (10, 182³). Agni is besought to burn them in order to protect the sacrifice from curse (1, 76³). The AV. contains a spell meant to nullify the sacrifice of an enemy through the wiles of Yātudhānas and of the Rakṣas (AV. 7, 70²). These evil spirits also obtrude themselves at the sacrifice to the dead in the form of the souls of ancestors (AV. 18, 2²⁸ cp. VS. 2, 29)⁶. In post-Vedic literature this notion of the Rakṣases (there often also called *rākṣasa*) disturbing the sacrifice is still familiar.

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Agni, being the dispeller of darkness as well as the officiator at the sacrifice, is naturally the god who is oftenest opposed to them and who is frequently invoked to burn, ward off or destroy them (10, 87 ³·⁶, &c.)⁷. In this capacity he (as well as some other deities) receives the epithet of *rakṣohan*, ‘Rakṣas-slayer’.

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³ Cp. ORV. 263, note 1. —

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These evil spirits injure not only spontaneously but also at the instigation of men. Thus the RV. speaks of the ‘yoker of Rakṣases’, *rakṣoyuj* (6, 62⁹), and refers to the Rakṣas and the Yātu of sorcerers (7, 104²³; 8, 60²⁰). One suffering from hostile sorcery drives away the Rakṣases by sacrificing to Agni Yaviṣṭha (TS. 2, 2, 3²), and in a hymn of the AV. (2, 24) demons are called upon to devour him who sent them.

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² *Yātu* in the Avesta = ‘sorcery’ and ‘sorcerer’: Sp.AP. 218—22. —

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As a designation of demons *rakṣas* is both masculine as an oxytone and neuter as paroxytone (in the latter case meaning also ‘injury’). It may be derived from the root *raks* to injure⁸, which occurs in only one verbal form in the AV. (cp. also *ṛkṣa*, ‘injurious’). It is, however, possibly connected with the ordinary root *rakṣ* to protect⁹. In this case it must have meant ‘that which is to be warded off’. Bergaigne, however, thinks it may originally have signified (avaricious) ‘guardian’ of celestial treasure.

c8.s3.11

B. Piśācas. A third and important class of goblins are the Piśācas. The name occurs only once in the RV. as a singular in the form of *piśāci* (1, 133⁵). Indra is here invoked to crush the yellow-peaked (*piśaṅgabhṛṣṭim*) watery (*ambhṛṇam*) Piśāci and to strike down every Rakṣas. In the TS. (2, 4, 1¹) the three hostile groups of Asuras, Rakṣases, and Piśācas are opposed to the three classes of gods, men, and Pitṛs. The Piśācas would therefore seem to have been specially connected with the dead. They are frequently spoken of as *kravyād*, eaters of raw flesh or corpses (AV. 5, 29⁹ &c.), a term which may be regarded as a synonym of Piśāca¹⁰. Agni is besought to restore to the sick man the flesh which the Piśācas have eaten away (AV. 5, 29⁵). They were thus apparently a kind of ghoul. Piśācas are also spoken of as shining in water (AV. 4, 20⁹. 37¹⁰)¹¹, or infesting human dwellings and villages (AV. 4, 36⁸).

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A lesser group of demons, mentioned about a dozen times in the RV. and frequently in later Vedic texts, are the Arātis¹², a personification of illiberality (*a-rāti*) and, owing to the gender of the word, always feminine. A group of ‘injurious’ demons, the Druhs, both male and female, is referred to about twelve times in the RV. They are Indo-Iranian, their name occurring in the Avesta as *druj* (§ 5, p. 8).

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Goblins of various kinds are usually conceived as forming an indefinite crowd, but are sometimes thought of as pairs. The latter constitute a class named Kimīdin, already mentioned in the RV. (7, 104²³; 10, 87²⁴)¹³.

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The nature of the spirits which surround the everyday life of man consists in injury, and that of their various species in a particular kind of injury usually indicated by their names. They are as a whole unconnected with phenomena or forces of nature, seeming partly at least to be derived from the spirits of dead enemies¹⁴. Less personal than the demons mentioned above and probably due to a more advanced order of thought, are the hostile powers which are conceived as a kind of impalpable substance of disease, childlessness, guilt, and so forth, which flying about in the air produce infection, and to deflect which to enemies is one of the chief tasks of sorcery¹⁵.

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Some of these terrestrial spirits are, however, not injurious, but are regarded as helping at the harvest or weaving long life for the bride, while others, with Arbudi at their head, assist in battle by striking terror into the foe (AV. 3,24. 25¹; 14, 1⁴⁵; 11, 9¹²).

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¹ BRV. 2, 216—19; ORV. 262—73. —

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⁴ Hopkins, AJP. 1883, p. 178. — 5 ORV. 269. — 6 Cp. CALAND, Altindischer Ahnencult, Leiden 1893, p. 3. 4. — 7 Cp. HILLEBRANDT, ZDMG. 33, 248—51. — 8 PW., GW. — 9 Cp. BRV. 2, 218; WHITNEY, Sanskrit Roots, s. v. *rakṣ* — 10 ORV. 264 note. — 11 Cp. ROTH, FaB. 97—8. — 12 Cp. HILLEBRANDT, l. c. — 13 WEBER, IS. 13, 183 ff. — 14 ORV. 60—2; cp. ROTH, FaB. 98. — 15 Cp. RV. 10, 103¹²; KS. 14, 22; IS. 17, 269.

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