Yaksha

“ This would explain why the mythic Yaksha was a guardian, a builder, and a white horseman. It would explain why the name Yaksha was given to the Baktrian Greeks who built stupas and conquered India for Aśoka (J. As. Ser. VII. Vol. VI. page 170; Heeley in Indian Antiquary, IV. 101) . It further explains how the name came to be applied to the Yuechi or Kusháns who like the Yavanas were guardians white horsemen and builders. In Sindh and Kachh the word Yaksha seems to belong to the white Syrian horsemen who formed the strength of Muhammad Kásim’s army, a.d. ”

“ So he summoned Pānchika, the commander-in-chief of the Yakshas, and said to him, “Pānchika, come here. Contrive so that the youth Sudhana may subdue the mountaineers without a battle being fought or injury being inflicted upon living creatures.” The Yaksha commander-in-chief Pānchika listened to the orders of Vaiśravaṇa, and said, “I will act in accordance with your commands.” Then he conjured up the four contingents of the divine host, men of the stature of palm trees, elephants of the size of mountains, horses as large as elephants, and chariots as bulky as the palace of the gods Vimāna. ”

“ Compare my ‘Buddhism,’ p. 187.
20 The Yakshas, products of witchcraft and cannibalism, are beings of magical power, who feed on human flesh. The male Yaksha occupies in Buddhist stories a position similar to that of the wicked genius in the Arabian Nights; the female Yakshiṇī, who occurs more frequently, usually plays the part of siren.
21 Not quite the same as Jupiter. Sakka is a very harmless and gentle kind of a god, not a jealous god, nor given to lasciviousness or spite. Neither is he immortal: he dies from time to time; and, if he has behaved well, is reborn under happy conditions. ”

“ Scarcely had King Māndhātar entertained this idea when he rose heavenwards, surrounded by his thousand sons, accompanied by an army eighteen koṭi strong, his seven treasures having been sent on in front. On one side of Sumeru he saw several white spots. Having remarked them, he asked the Yaksha Divaukasa what those white spots were. “O king,” replied the Yaksha, “what you see is the rice grown without ploughing or sowing by the inhabitants of Uttarakuru. ”

“ Her mother-in-law asked; “How did Śaktimatí deliver her husband? tell me, my daughter.” Then Devasmitá related the following story:
[Contents]
Story of Śaktimatí.
In our country, within the city, there is the shrine of a powerful Yaksha named Maṇibhadra, established by our ancestors. The people there come and make petitions at this shrine, offering various gifts, in order to obtain various blessings. Whenever a man is found at night with another man’s wife, he is placed with her within the inner chamber of the Yaksha’s temple. ”

“ Jakun or Yakun is in other countries a corruption of Yaksha, a kind of demons, similar in Brahraanical Mythology to the more known Râkshasa's. The word Yaksha is known in the Archipel, and the corruption Jakun might have come over in later times, perhaps with the propagators of Mohammedanism. Fr. ↑ Mal, idem, but Jav. ꦢꦭꦤ꧀꧈​ dalan, which appears to be the original form. Cf. Ujan and Jadi. It is thus rather Polynesian, no Scr. root or word approaching to it. Fr. ↑ Japara like Jakĕrta, Jasingha, composed of Jaya, victory, and para, enemy: thus implying vanquishing the enemies. ”

“ Early in the night a number of people come from the water, and having made preparation for an entertainment, retire; a Yaksha, a genie, then comes out of the lake with his two wives, and spends the night there: when he and one of his wives are asleep, the other, seeing the youths, invites them to approach her, and to encourage them, shews them a hundred rings received from former gallants, notwithstanding her husband's precautions, who keeps her locked up in a chest at the bottom of the lake. The Hindu story-teller is more moral than the Arab. The youths reject her advances ”

“ Then the two fell at her feet together with Jayá and entreated her to say when the curse would end, and the wife of Śiva slowly uttered this speech—“A Yaksha named Supratíka who has been made a Piśácha by the curse of Kuvera is residing in the Vindhya forest under the name of Káṇabhúti. When thou shalt see him and, calling to mind thy origin, tell him this tale, then, Pushpadanta, thou shalt be released from this curse. And [5] when Mályaván shall hear this tale from Káṇabhúti, then Káṇabhúti shall be released, and thou, Mályaván, when thou hast published it abroad, shalt be free also.” ”

“ In Hindu mythology “Yaksha” is an attendant upon “Kuvēra,” the god of wealth. The name is said to be derived from “Yaksha” to worship. As with the Brownies in Scotland they are called “Punya-jana” or good people, but they are sometimes imps of evil.
—Williams’ “Nala”; also Dowson.
61 FAITH OPPOSED TO MAGIC. There is a hill in the Hazara district of the Punjab known to all by the name of “Gundghur,” which in days gone by was a stronghold of Banditti. It was well elevated above the plain, and on its crest there were several projecting rocks, and there were caves among the rocks. ”

“ Yet we read of the Yaka Alawaka, who, according to the Buddhist legend, used to live in a Banyan tree, and slay any one who approached it; while in Ceylon they are represented as demons whom Buddha destroyed.225 In later Hinduism they are generally of fair repute, and one of them was appointed by Indra to be the attendant of the Jaina Saint Mahâvîra. It is curious that in Gujarât the term Yaksha is applied to Musalmâns, and in Cutch to a much older race of northern conquerors.226
At any rate the modern Jâk and Jâknî, Chordeva and Chordevî, are eminently respectable and kindly sprites. ”

“ Said Yudhishthira: “He who sayeth unto the Brahman whom he hath asked to his house, I have naught to give; he who declareth the Vedas to be false; he who is rich and yet giveth naught to the poor.”
Many such questions did the Voice address to wise Yudhishthira, and he answered each one patiently and with knowledge. Then the Yaksha revealed himself in the form of Dharma, god of wisdom and justice, for behold! he was the celestial sire of Yudhishthira. Unto his son he granted two boons ”

“ He married Bhrami, the daughter of Siśumâra, and had two sons by her, Kalpa and Vatsara. He had another son Utkala by Ila. Uttama was killed by a powerful Yaksha while out on a hunt. Dhruva went out to the north to take revenge on the Yakshas for his brother's death. He killed several thousands of innocent Yakshas, Râkshasas and Kinnaras in battle. Manu took pity on them and asked his grandson to desist from fight. Dhruva bowed in obedience to Manu and so Kubera the king of Yakshas became much pleased with him and blest him too. ”

“ It can assume any shape, and, if its white cap can be got possession of, it becomes the servant of the possessor. The cap renders the human wearer invisible. Mythologically speaking, the yech is the descendant of the classical Hindu yaksha, usually described as an inoffensive, harmless sprite, but also as a malignant imp.
The farther you climb the higher it grows.—This is evidently borrowed from the common phenomenon of ridge beyond ridge, each in turn deceiving the climber into the belief that he has reached the top.
THE BEAR'S BAD BARGAIN Khichrî.—A dish of rice and pulse (dâl) . ”

“ The Yakshas are occasionally referred to as the Punyajanas, “the good people”; they may be of human stature, with big benevolent eyes, or powerful giants who can fight as fiercely as Rakshasas. They are guardians of hidden treasure, like the dwarfs and giants of Teutonic legend, being associated with Kuvera, god of wealth, whose abode is situated among the Himalayan mountains. In Kuvera's domain are found “multitudes of spirits” who do not visit the world of men as a rule, but remain near the treasure for purposes of defence ”

“ Sometimes they appear not altogether as good beings, sometimes entirely harmless. "The souls of men enslaved to their passions will rise no higher than the Yakshas." Menu, xii. 47. The subject of the Meghaduta, or Cloud-Messenger of Kalidása, so elegantly translated by Mr. Wilson, is the regret of a Yaksha for his beloved wife. Compare Mr. Wilson's note on the Yakshas, Cloud Messenger, p. 69.
[15] p. 4. l. 7. Nala too, 'mong kings the tiger. Nara Sardula, the Tiger warrior. I have retained the literal meaning, though, according to Bopp, it means in fine compositi, Optimus, præstantissimus. ”

“ Lit. 'to be Pisâkas,' apparently a general term. The different classes of goblins, Yakshas, Râkshasas, Pisâkas, are often confounded; in stanza 27 the general appellation is Râkshasas. In Story IX, verse 66, yaksha and pisâka are used promiscuously in the sense of 'ogre.' In the sixth story of the Pâli Gâtaka (translated by Rhys Davids in his Birth Stories, p. 180) the water-sprite is sometimes called rakkhaso, sometimes yakkho.
[73] 'Tender-heartedness' or 'softness of mind' and 'faith in the Buddha' are expressed by the one word prasâda. ”

“ Make me, oh, Yakshas! a man: and let me keep
She came to a great house
that manhood till my father is saved." And the Yakshas was moved with pity: and gave her his manhood and his mighty form, till she should fulfil her object. So she went forth a warrior, in the form of Sthuna, the Yakshas.
And the King of Wealth, coming that way, found Sthuna the woman sitting alone in the palace: and between laughter and disgust—"You shall remain a woman," he said. But later he was sorry, and he added—"Till Shikhandi's death." ”

“ In one story the female, or Yakshinî, bewilders travellers at night, makes horns grow on their foreheads, and finally devours them; in another the Yakshas have, like the Churel, feet turned the wrong way and squinting eyes; in a third they separate the hero from the heroine because he failed to make due offerings to them on his wedding day. ”

“ So he ruled with righteousness, and while directing his veracity, his liberality, his tranquillity, his wisdom, and his other virtues to conduce to the welfare of others, he increased his store of exceedingly lofty actions, which are the due requisites for the attainment of Buddhahood. Now one day, five Yakshas, whom for some offence or other (Kubera) the Lord of the Yakshas had exiled from his dominions, came to his realm. These goblins were Ogohâras [that is, vigour-bereaving spirits] , skilled in the art of killing others [67] . ”

“ And he, though on a journey of many yoganas without attendants, and burdened with his wife, gave away to these Brâhmans his four horses, being rejoiced at this opportunity of giving, and not caring for the future.
Now, when the Bodhisattva was about to put himself under the yoke, and was fastening the girth tightly round his waist, there appeared four young Yakshas, under the form of red deer. Like well-trained excellent horses they put their shoulders under the yoke themselves. ”

“ And Shikhandi sat down in the house, and brooded, heeding not time nor self, in her great desire to save her people.
And to her presently came the kind Yakshas, whose the palace was, and he asked her what she wished.
"Make me a man," said she, "a perfect man. My father is about to be destroyed: and if I were a man this would not happen. ”

“ The Yakshas, being already moved with anger against the king on account of his obstructing the manifestation of their power, were in no way softened by this affectionate and well-deserved eulogy of his virtues.
15. Verily, as a rule the mind of fools [71] becomes inflamed the more by the praise of the object which has excited their fervent wrath.
Now considering that king's love of charity and wishing to do harm to him, they approached him at the time of his audience, and asked him for a meal. ”

“ He who, moved by love of the Law or by compassion, abandons his own dear body for the benefit of others, such a man may be able to regenerate the hearts [67] of men burnt by the fire of hatred, changing it into the gold of tenderness and faith [73] .
The Yakshas, beholding the monarch, who, though intent on cutting out his own flesh, was yet as calm as ever, and exhibited an unshaken serenity of countenance and dauntless intrepidity against the pain caused by the work of his sword, became affected with the utmost tenderness and admiration. ”

“ Râvana is one who makes a loud noise. The Râkshasas reached the height of their power in his time. The Yakshas, before his time, had occupied Lankâ or Atlantis under Kubera, but Râvana propitiated Śiva by his loud hymns, and acquired easy mastery over his kindred elementals. He ousted the Yakshas from Lankâ and made it his own capital. Râvana also controlled the higher Devas of Trilokî. ”

“ On reaching the Sad, you must bind the jaws of the water-monsters. With the Gay you will succeed by the help of some Nāgas, with the Weeper by means of courage, with the Laugher by means of silence. [64] The snake-filled river you must pass by means of snake-charms, and the reed-producing river by means of the charm of sharp weapons beaten together.8 Having crossed all the rivers, you will come to a wild country wherein five hundred Yakshas dwell. Opposing these, overcome them. Then will appear the capital of the Kinnarī king. ”

“ The yakshas who are impregnable themselves, are ever apt to injure all others on earth; and they exercise their noxious powers, chiefly upon the helpless infants, old men and weak and infirm persons.
32. There are again the gigantic and elephant like Rákshasas, who have been repeatedly destroyed by Hari, and will be utterly extirpated by you, as a herd of sheep by a powerful lion.
33. The Pisácha cannibals are always in quest of human prey, and devour their bodies as the burning fire consumes the oblations. They are therefore in utter darkness of spiritual knowledge. ”