Rakshasa

2022-01-29T05:14:31Z

2409:4050:2D3F:751B:0:0:A24B:7601: robot: Add missing article in Category:Mahabharata

{{Short description|Mythical beings, demons in Indian religions}}
{{About|the mythological being in Hindu and Buddhist mythology|other uses|Rakshasa (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox mythical creature
|name = Rakshasa
|AKA = {{plainlist|
*Nri-chakshas
*Nishacharas
*Kravyads
*Rakshasi
*Manushya-rakshasi
*[[Asura]]}}
|image = Demon Yakshagana.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = ''Rakshasa'' as depicted in [[Yakshagana]], an art form of [[Uttara Kannada]]. Artist: Krishna Hasyagar, Karki
|Mythology = {{plainlist|
*[[Hindu mythology]]
*[[Buddhist mythology]]}}
|Grouping = [[Legendary creature]]
|Sub_Grouping =
|Parents =
|Country = [[India]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Nepal]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], [[Laos]] and [[Cambodia]]
|Region =
|Habitat =
|First_Reported =
|Last_Reported =
|Similar_Beings = [[Asura]]
}}

'''Rakshasa''' ({{lang-sa|राक्षस}}, [[IAST]]: {{IAST|rākṣasa}}: [[Pali]]: ''rakkhaso''), while female rakshasa are known as a '''rakshasi''', is a adjective for cannibalistic beings in [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]]. Rakshasas are also called "man-eaters" (''nri-chakshas'', ''kravyads''). Rakshas is also used to describe [[Asura|Asuras]], which are power seeking deities that lack divinity. They are often depicted as antagonists in [[Dharmic religion|Dharmic religious]] scriptures.

== Hinduism==
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2019}}
{{Original research|section|date=May 2019}}

===Vedic literature===
Their literary origins can be traced to Vedic sources through Hymn 87 of the tenth [[mandala]] of the ''[[Rigveda]]''. They are classified amongst the ''Yatudhanas'', mythological beings that consume raw flesh.<ref>[[Wikisource:The Rig Veda/Mandala 10/Hymn 87]]</ref>

=== Puranic literature ===
Rakshasas were believed to have been created from the breath of [[Brahma]] when he was asleep at the end of the [[Satya Yuga]]. As soon as they were created, they were so filled with bloodlust that they started eating Brahma himself. Brahma Ji shouted "''Rakshama!''" (Sanskrit for "Protect me!") and [[Vishnu]] came to his aid, banishing to Earth all Rakshasas (named after Brahma's cry for help).

===Description===
Rakshasas were most often depicted as shape-shifting, fierce-looking, enormous monstrous-looking creatures, with two [[fang]]s protruding from the top of the mouth and having sharp, claw-like fingernails. They were shown as being mean, growling beasts, and as insatiable [[man-eaters]] that could smell the scent of human flesh. Some of the more ferocious ones were shown with flaming red eyes and hair, drinking [[blood]] with their cupped hands or from human skulls (similar to representations of [[vampires]] in later Western mythology). Generally they could fly, vanish, and had ''[[Maya (religion)|maya]]'' (magical powers of illusion), which enabled them to change size at will and assume the form of any creature. The female equivalent of rakshasa is rakshasi.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the Ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/72 72]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>

=== In Hindu epics ===
In the world of the [[Ramayana]] and [[Mahabharata]], Rakshasas were a populous race. There were both good and evil rakshasas, and as warriors they fought alongside the armies of both good and evil. They were powerful warriors, expert magicians and illusionists. As shape-changers, they could assume different physical forms. As illusionists, they were capable of creating appearances which were real to those who believed in them or who failed to dispel them. Some of the rakshasas were said to be man-eaters, and made their gleeful appearance when the slaughter on a battlefield was at its worst. Occasionally they served as rank-and-file soldiers in the service of one or another warlord.

Aside from their treatment of unnamed rank-and-file Rakshasas, the epics tell the stories of certain of these beings who rose to prominence, sometimes as heroes but more often as villains.

[[Romila Thapar|Thapar]] suggests that the Rakshasas could represent exaggerated, supernatural depictions of demonized forest-dwellers who were outside the caste society.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thapar|first=Romila|title=Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300|publisher=University of California Press|year=2002|isbn=0-520-23899-0|location=Berkeley, Los Angeles|pages=55-56|language=en}}</ref>

====In the ''Ramayana''====
The Battle of Lanka pitted an army of Rakshasas under [[Ravana]] against an army of [[Vanara]]s, under [[Rama]] and [[Sugriva]].
[[File:Ravana British Museum.jpg|thumbnail|upright|[[Ravana]] the king of [[Lanka]] with ten heads, was the commander of Rakshasas.]]
[[File:The demon Kumbhakarna..jpg|alt=|thumb|Kumbhakarna]]

* [[Ravana]] was the King of Lanka. He was the commander of the Rakshasas. He was the immortal enemy of [[Rama]], the hero of the ''[[Ramayana]].'' In the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' (Book III: Vana Parva, Section 271 ff.), the Sage [[Markandeya]] recounts the story of how Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife [[Sita]] and whisked her off to his stronghold Lanka. Rama, aided by the monkey King [[Sugriva]] and his army of [[Vanara|Vanaras]], laid siege to Lanka, slew Ravana, and rescued Sita.
* [[Vibhishana]] was [[Ravana]]'s younger brother. He was beautiful, pious and assiduous in his religious observances. When [[Brahma]] granted him a boon, he asked never to swerve from the path of righteousness and to always be illumined by divine knowledge (Book III, Vana Parva: Section 273.) Vibhishana joined [[Rama]] in his campaign against Ravana and helped Rama's army to cross the ocean into Lanka (Section 281). When invisible Rakshasas infiltrated Rama's camp, Vibhishana caused them to become visible; this enabled Rama's monkey soldiers to destroy them (Section 283). After Rama's final victory over Ravana, the loyal Vibhishana was made king of Lanka and remaining Rakshasas (Section 289).
* [[Kumbhakarna]] was another brother of [[Ravana]]; he was sometimes referred to as a Rakshasa because of his frightening appearance and size. Like Rakshasas, he had an enormous appetite and ate large quantities of food and meat. A fearsome warrior and master of illusion, he slept through most of the Battle of Lanka (having long before requested and received a gift of long-lasting sleep from [[Brahma]]). When Ravana awakened him with alarming news about the conflict, he arose and took the field. Upon marching out of the city, Kumbhakarna was immediately swarmed by [[Rama]]'s monkeys; he just laughed and wreaked great mayhem amidst them. When the monkey king [[Sugriva]] attacked, Kumbhakarna grabbed him and started to drag him off. At that point [[Rama]] and his brother [[Lakshmana]] used arrows and a secret ''[[Brahmastra]]'' ("Brahma's weapon") to kill [[Kumbhakarna]], dropping him "like a huge tree cleft in twain by a thunderbolt." (''Ramayana,'' Book III: Vana Parva, Section 285.)

Other Rakshasas that are featured in the Ramayana include [[Indrajit]], [[Shurpanakha]], [[Kaikashi]], [[Sumali]], [[Kabandha]], [[Tataka]] (sometimes called Taraka), [[Maricha]], [[Subahu]], [[Khara (Ramayana)|Khara]], [[Akshayakumara]], [[Atikaya]], [[Prahasta]], [[Jambumali]] etc.

====In the Mahabharata====
[[File:Bhimsen and Ghatotkach.jpg|thumb|Bhima (right) with Rakshasi wife [[Hidimbi]] and their son [[Ghatotkacha]].]]
The [[Pandava]] hero [[Bhima]] was the nemesis of forest-dwelling Rakshasas who dined on human travellers and terrorized human settlements.
* Bhima killed [[Hidimba]], a cannibal Rakshasa. The ''[[Mahabharata]]'' (Book I: Adi Parva, Section 154) describes him as a cruel cannibal with sharp, long teeth and prodigious strength. When Hidimba saw the Pandavas sleeping in his forest, he decided to eat them. He sent his sister [[Hidimbi]] to reconnoiter the situation, and the young woman fell in love with the handsome Bhima, whom she warned of danger. Infuriated, Hidimba declared he was ready to kill not only the Pandavas but also his sister, but he was thwarted by the heroism of Bhima, who defeated and killed him in a duel.
* [[Ghatotkacha]], a Rakshasa who fought on the side of the Pandavas, was the son of Bhima and the Rakshasa Hidimbi, who had fallen in love with the hero and warned him of danger from her brother. Bhima killed the evil Rakshasa Hidimba. Their son's name refers to his round bald head; ''ghata'' means 'pot' and ''utkacha'' means 'head' in [[Sanskrit]]. Ghatotkacha is considered a loyal and humble figure. He and his followers were available to his father Bhima at any time; all Bhima had to do was to think of him and he would appear. Like his father, Ghatotkacha primarily fought with the [[Gada (mace)|mace]]. His wife was [[Ahilawati]] and his sons were [[Anjanaparvana]] and Meghavarna.

In the ''Mahabharata,'' Ghatotkacha was summoned by Bhima to fight on the Pandava side in the [[Kurukshetra War]]. Invoking his magical powers, he wrought great havoc in the Kaurava army. In particular, after the death of [[Jayadratha]], when the battle continued on past sunset, his powers were at their most effective (at night). After performing many heroic deeds on the battlefield and fighting numerous duels with other great warriors (including the Rakshasa Alamvusha, the elephant-riding King [[Bhagadatta]], and [[Ashwatthama|Aswatthaman]], the son of [[Drona]]), Ghatotkacha encountered the human hero [[Karna]]. At this point in the battle, the Kaurava leader [[Duryodhana]] had appealed to his best fighter, [[Karna]], to kill Ghatotkacha, as the entire Kaurava army was near annihilation due to his ceaseless strikes from the air. Karna possessed a divine weapon, [[Shakti]], granted by the god Indra. It could be used only once and Karna had been saving it to use on his arch-enemy [[Arjuna]], the best Pandava fighter. Unable to refuse Duryodhana, Karna used the Shakti against Ghatotkacha, killing him. This is considered to be the turning point of the war. After his death, the Pandava counselor [[Krishna]] smiled, as he considered the Pandava prince Arjuna to be saved from certain death, as Karna had used the ''Shakta'' divine weapon. A temple in [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], honors Ghatotkacha; it is located near the [[Hidimba Devi Temple]].
*[[Bakasura]] was a cannibalistic forest-dwelling Rakshasa who terrorized the nearby human population by forcing them to take turns making him regular deliveries of food, including human victims. The Pandavas travelled into the area and took up residence with a local [[Brahmin]] family. Their turn came when they had to make a delivery to Bakasura, and they debated who among them should be sacrificed. The rugged Bhima volunteered to take care of the matter. Bhima went into the forest with the food delivery (consuming it on the way to annoy Bakasura). He engaged Bakasura in a ferocious wrestling match, and broke his back. The human townspeople were amazed and grateful. The local Rakshasas begged for mercy, which Bhima granted them on the condition that they give up cannibalism. The Rakshasas agreed and soon acquired a reputation for being peaceful towards humans. (Book I: Adi Parva, Sections 159-166.)*
*[[Kirmira]], the brother of Bakasura, was a cannibal and master illusionist. He haunted the wood of Kamyaka, dining on human travellers. Like his brother before him, Kirmira also made the mistake of fighting the Pandav hero Bhima, who killed him with his bare hands (Book III: Varna Parva, Section 11).
*[[Jatasura]] was a cunning Rakshasa who, disguised as a [[Brahmin]], attempted to steal the Pandavas' weapons and to ravish [[Draupadi]], wife of the five Pandavas. Bhima arrived in time to intervene, and killed Jatasur in a duel. (Book III: Varna Parva, Section 156). Jatasur's son was Alamvush, who fought on the side of the [[Kaurava]]s at [[Kurukshetra]].

Rakshasa heroes fought on both sides in the Kurukshetra war.
* Alamvusha was a Rakshasa skilled at fighting with both conventional weapons and the powers of illusion. According to the ''Mahabharata'', he fought on the side of the Kauravas. [[Arjuna]] defeated him in a duel (Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 167), as did Arjuna's son [[Abhimanyu]] (Book VI: Bhishma Parva, Section 101–102). But Alamvusha in turn killed [[Iravan]], Arjuna's son by a [[Nāga]] princess [[Ulupi]], when the Rakshasa used his powers of illusion to take on the form of [[Garuda]]. Alamvusha was also defeated by Bhima (Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 107). He was slain by Bhima's son, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha (Book VII: Drona Parva, Section 108).

==Buddhism==
Many Rakshasas appear in various Buddhist Scriptures. In Chinese tradition rakshasa are known as ''luocha'' ({{lang|zh-hant|羅刹}}/{{lang|zh-hans|罗刹}}).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary|year=2002|isbn=7-5600-3195-1}}</ref> In Japan, they are known as ''rasetsu'' ({{lang|ja|羅刹}}).

Chapter 26 of the [[Lotus Sutra]] includes a dialogue between the Buddha and a group of rakshasa daughters, who swear to uphold and protect the [[Lotus Sutra]]. They also teach magical [[dhāraṇī]]s to protect followers who also uphold the sutra.<ref>[http://lotus.nichirenshu.org/lotus/sutra/english/watson/lsw_chap26.htm Lotus Sutra, chapter 26, Burton Watson translation] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20030325001524/http://lotus.nichirenshu.org/lotus/sutra/english/watson/lsw_chap26.htm |date=25 March 2003 }}</ref>

[[Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra|The Lankavatara Sutra]] mentions the island of [[Sri Lanka]] as land of Rakshasas. Their king is the Rakshasa called Ravana, who invites [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] to Sri Lanka for delivering the sermon in the land. There are other Rakhasas from the land, such as Wibisana, who is believed to be the brother of Ravana in [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka|Sri Lankan Buddhist mythology]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Lankavatara Sutra. A Mahayana Text|url=http://lirs.ru/do/lanka_eng/lanka-nondiacritical.htm|access-date=16 April 2021|website=lirs.ru}}</ref>

In ''The Lotus-Born: The Life Story of Padmasambhava, recorded by [[Yeshe Tsogyal]],'' [[Padmasambhava]] receives the [[nickname]] of "Rakshasa" during one of his wrathful conquests to subdue Buddhist [[Heresy|heretics]].

<gallery widths="220" heights="400">
File:Rasetsuten.jpg|Painting of Rakshasa as one of the Twelve Devas of the [[Vajrayana]] tradition.<br>{{small|Japan, [[Heian period]], 1127 CE.}}
File:Painting of Rakshasa with short explanation, Japan, 12th century.jpg|Rakshasa as a single deity, depicted on a page from a folio describing deities from the [[Diamond Realm]] and [[Womb Realm]].<br>{{small|Japan, Heian period, 12th century.}}
File:Fugen Ten Rasetsunyo (Nara National Museum).jpg|Painting of [[Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva)|Samantabhadra]] accompanied by the [[Ten Rākṣasīs]].<br>{{small|Japan, [[Kamakura period]] (1185-1333).}}
</gallery>

==Jainism==
{{Main|Rama in Jainism}}
[[Jainism|Jain]] accounts vary from the [[Hindu]] accounts of Rakshasa. According to [[Jain literature]], Rakshasa was a kingdom of civilized and vegetarian people belonging to the race of [[Vidyadhara]], who were devotees of [[Tirthankara]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/article/antiquity.htm|title=Jainism Resource Center - Articles|website=sites.fas.harvard.edu|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

==Artistic and folkloric depictions==
[[File:Ramayana war - angkor.jpg|right|thumb|A [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-relief]] at [[Preah Khan]] in [[Cambodia]] depicts the Battle of Lanka between Rakshasas and monkeys.]]
The artists of [[Angkor]] in [[Cambodia]] frequently depicted [[Ravana]] in stone sculpture and [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-relief]]. The "[[Nāga]] bridge" at the entrance to the 12th-century city of [[Angkor Thom]] is lined with large stone statues of [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]s and Asuras engaged in churning the [[Kshir Sagar|Ocean of Milk]]. The ten-headed [[Ravana]] is shown anchoring the line of Asuras.<ref>Rovedo, p.108.</ref>

A bas-relief at the 12th-century temple of [[Angkor Wat]] depicts the figures churning the ocean. It includes [[Ravana]] anchoring the line of Asuras that are pulling on the serpent's head. Scholars have speculated that one of the figures in the line of [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] is Ravana's brother [[Vibhishana]]. They pull on a serpent's tail to churn the Ocean of Milk.<ref>Rovedo, pp.108-110; Freeman and Jacques, p.62.</ref> Another bas-relief at Angkor Wat shows a 20-armed Ravana shaking [[Mount Kailash|Mount Kailasa]].<ref>Freeman and Jacques, p.57.</ref>

The artists of Angkor also depicted the Battle of Lanka between the Rakshasas under the command of [[Ravana]] and the Vanaras or monkeys under the command of [[Rama]] and [[Sugriva]]. The 12th-century Angkor Wat contains a dramatic bas-relief of the Battle of Lanka between Ravana's Rakshasas and [[Rama]]'s monkeys. Ravana is depicted with ten heads and twenty arms, mounted on a chariot drawn by creatures that appear to be a mixture of horse, lion, and bird. Vibhishana is shown standing behind and aligned with Rama and his brother [[Lakshmana]]. [[Kumbhakarna]], mounted on a similar chariot, is shown fighting [[Sugriva]].<ref>Rovedo, pp.116-117.</ref>

This battle is also depicted in a less refined bas-relief at the 12th-century temple of [[Preah Khan]].

== In fiction ==
The Rakshasas are also magical creatures in the tabletop [[roleplay game]] ''Gandariah Lords of Arcanas'', dominated by the jinn and organized in ashrams around a daimyo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://seigneursetenchanteurs.fr/rakshasa/|title = Les Rakshasas - Seigneurs des Arcanes}}</ref>

[[Rakshasa (Dungeons & Dragons)|Rakshasa]] have long been a race of villains in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' role-playing game. They appear as animal-headed humanoids (generally with tiger or monkey heads) with their hands inverted (palms of its hands are where the backs of the hands would be on a human). They are masters of necromancy, enchantment and illusion (which they mostly use to disguise themselves) and are very hard to kill. They ravenously prey upon humans as food and dress themselves in fine clothing.<ref>Monster Manuel Core Rulebook III V3.5 Cook, Tweet, Williams</ref> This version of the rakshasa was heavily inspired by an episode of [[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enworld.org/threads/q-a-with-gary-gygax.22566/page-236#post-2600401}}</ref>

== In languages ==
In [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] and [[Malaysian language|Malaysian]] variants of [[Malay language|Malay]] which has significant [[Sanskrit]] influence, ''raksasa'' now means "giant", "gigantic", "huge and strong";<ref name="kamus" /> the Malaysian variant recognises the word as an outright official equivalent to "monster"<ref>{{Cite web|title='monster' - Kamus Bahasa Inggeris [English Dictionary]|url=http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=monster|access-date=20 June 2020|website=Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu}}</ref> whereas the Indonesian variant uses it more in colloquial usage.<ref name=kamus>{{Cite book | last = Atmosumarto | first = Sutanto | title = A learner's comprehensive dictionary of Indonesian | publisher = Atma Stanton | year = 2004 | pages = 445 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0PV0NSjCdFAC&pg=PA445 | isbn = 9780954682804}}</ref>

In [[Bengali language|Bengali]], ''rakh-khosh'' (রাক্ষস) is used as term for a person who eats incessantly and without need to stop. This derivation also occurs in Malaysian and Indonesian Malay as ''rakus'', and in [[Khasi language|Khasi]] as ''rakot'', which means "greedy".{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Indonesia|Hinduism|Religion}}
* [[Asura]]
* [[Daitya]]
* [[Danava (Hinduism)|Danava]]
* [[Brahmarakshasa]]
* [[List of Rakshasas]]
* [[Rakshasa (Dungeons & Dragons)]]
* [[Rakshasa (fiction)]]
* [[Ogre]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

== General references ==
* {{cite book|last=Freeman|first=Michael and Claude Jacques|title=Ancient Angkor|year=2003|publisher=River Books|location=Bangkok}}
* {{cite book|last=Rovedo|first=Vittorio|title=Khmer Mythology: Secrets of Angkor|year=1997|publisher=Weatherhill|location=New York}}

== Further reading ==
* Pollock, Sheldon (1985/1986). [http://www.indologica.com/volumes/vol13/vol13_art18_POLLOCK.pdf "Rakshasas and others"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034543/http://www.indologica.com/volumes/vol13/vol13_art18_POLLOCK.pdf |date=24 September 2015 }} (PDF), ''Indologica Taurinensia'' vol. 13, pp. 263–281

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm The Mahabharata] of Vyasa translated from Sanskrit into English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, online version

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