Yakshinis are
mythicalThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
beings of
HinduHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
,
BuddhistBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, and
JainJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
mythology.
Description
A yakshini is the female counterpart of the male
yakshaYaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology. The feminine form of the word is ' or Yakshini .In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology,...
, and they both attend on
KuberaKubera , also spelt Kuber, is the Lord of wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. He is regarded as the regent of the North , and a protector of the world His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species and the owner of the treasures of...
(also called
Kuber), the Hindu god of
wealthWealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
who rules in the mythical
HimalayanThe Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
kingdom of
Alaka-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, Alaka , which is also sometimes called Alakapuri, is a mythical city. It is the home of Kubera, the king of Yakshas and the lord of wealth, and his attendants called yakshas. The Mahabharata mentions this city as the capital of the Yaksha Kingdom...
. They both look after
treasureTreasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
hidden in the
earthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and resemble that of
fairiesA fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
. Yakshinis are often depicted as beautiful and voluptuous, with wide hips, narrow waists, broad shoulders, and exaggerated, spherical breasts. In the
Uddamareshvara Tantra, thirty-six yakshinis are described, including their
mantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s and
ritualA ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
prescriptions. A similar list of yakshas and yakshinis is given in the
Tantraraja Tantra, where it says that these beings are givers of whatever is desired. Although Yakshinis are usually benevolent, there are also yakshinis with malevolent characteristics in
Indian folkloreThe folklore of India compasses the folklore of the nation of India and the Indian subcontinent.The subcontinent of India contains a wide diversity of ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups...
.
The list of thirty-six yakshinis given in the
Uddamareshvara Tantra is as follows:
- Vichitra (The Lovely One)
- Vibhrama (Amorous One)
- Hamsi (Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
)
- Bhishani (Terrifying),
- Janaranjika (Delighting Men)
- Vishala (Large Eyed)
- Madana
Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Other names for him include; Atanu , Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija ,...
(Lustful)
- Ghanta
A ghanta is an Indian bell used in Hindu rituals. The same term is also used to describe Buddhist bells.-Description:The bell is generally made out of brass. A clapper is attached to the inside and the bell makes a high pitched sound when rung...
(BellA bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
)
- Kalakarni (Ears
EARS may refer to:* Electoral software* Electronic Arts, Redwood Shores campus.* Emirates Amateur Radio Society...
Adorned with Kalas Kalas is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Kundgol taluk of Dharwad district in Karnataka. This is the native place of Guru Govindabhatta, who is the guru of Santha Shishunal Sharif. Today we can find Samadhi of Guru Govindabhatta here...
)
- Mahabhaya (Greatly Fearful)
- Mahendri (Greatly Powerful)
- Shankhini (Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
Girl)
- Chandri (Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
Girl)
- Shmashana
Shmashāna also spelled as Smashan is the name for Hindu cremation ground, where dead bodies are brought and then lit on pyre to be burnt.The word has its origin from Sanskrit language, Sham means Shava, a corpse. Shana means Shanya a bed. It is usually located near a river or water body in...
(CremationCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
Ground Girl)
- Vatayakshini, Mekhala (Love Girdle
A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
)
- Vikala, Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
(Wealth)
- Malini
Malini can mean:-*Malini or Mālinī was the name of river that was flowing in the forest where the ashram of Kanva rishi was situated and Dushyanta fell in love with Shakuntala. Literally, a woman who makes garlands...
(FlowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
Girl)
- Shatapatrika (100 Flowers)
- Sulochana
-Indian Actresses:* Raja Sulochana, is an Indian actress.* Sulochana , real name Ruby Myers, an Indian silent film actress, sometimes mentioned as Sulchana Sr. , to avoid confusion, with a later character actress:...
(Lovely Eyed)
- Shobha
- Kapalini (Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
Girl)
- Varayakshini
- Nati (Actress)
- Kameshvari
- Unknown
- Unknown
- Manohara
Manohara is the Kinnari heroine of the Jataka Tale story of Prince Sudhana and Manohara. The legend appears in the Divyavadana and is documented by stone reliefs at Borobodur.This story is famous in Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia...
(Fascinating)
- Pramoda (Fragrant)
- Anuragini (Very Passionate)
- Nakhakeshi
- Bhamini
Bhamini is a village and a Mandal in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.Bhamini is in a tribal area, which is considered beautiful. The River Vamsadhara flows through border of Bhamini mandal and Orissa...
- Padmini
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
- Svarnavati
- Ratipriya (Fond of Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
)
Early figures
The three sites of
BharhutBharhut or Barhut , is a location in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, known for its famous Buddhist stupa. The Bharhut stupa may have been established by the Maurya king Asoka in the 3rd century BCE, but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period, with many...
,
SanchiSanchi is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd...
, and Mathura, have yielded huge numbers of Yakshi figures, most commonly on the railing pillars of
stupaA stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
s. These show a clear development and progression that establishes certain characteristics of the Yakshi figure such as her nudity, smiling face and evident (often exaggerated) feminine charms that lead to their association with
fertilityFertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
. The yakshi is usually shown with her hand touching a tree branch, and a sinuous pose,
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
tribhanga.
The
ashoka treeSaraca asoca is a plant belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae subfamily of the legume family. It is an important tree in the cultural traditions of the Indian Subcontinent and adjacent areas.-Description:...
is closely associated with the yakshini mythological beings. One of the recurring elements in
Indian artIndian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is...
, often found at gates of Buddhist and Hindu temples, is a Yakshi with her foot on the trunk and her hands holding the branch of a stylized flowering ashoka or, less frequently, other tree with flowers or fruits. As an artistic element, often the tree and the Yakshi are subject to heavy
stylizationIndian Art is the visual art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is...
.
Some authors hold that the young girl at the foot of the tree is based on an ancient fertility symbol of the Indian Subcontinent.
Yakshis were important in early
BuddhistBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monuments as a decorative element and are found in many ancient Buddhist archaeological sites. They became
SalabhanjikaSalabhanjika refers to the sculpture of a woman, displaying stylized feminine features, standing near a tree and grasping a branch. The name of these figures comes from the Sanskrit śālabañjika meaning 'breaking a branch of a sala tree'...
s (sal tree maidens) with the passing of the centuries, a standard decorative element of both
Indian sculptureThe first sculptures in the Indian subcontinent date back to the Indus Valley civilization, where stone and bronze carvings have been discovered. This is one of the earliest instances of sculpture in the world. Later, as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism developed further, India produced some of the...
and Indian temple architecture.
The sal tree
(Shorea robusta) is often confused with the ashoka tree
(Saraca indica) in the ancient literature of the
Indian SubcontinentThe Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. The position of the Salabhanjika is also related to the position of Queen Māyā of Sakya when she gave birth to Gautama
BuddhaIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
under an asoka tree in a garden in
LumbiniLumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE...
, while grasping its branch.
Yakshis in Jainism
In
JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, there are twenty-four yakshis, including
ChakreshvariIn Jain cosmology, Chakreshvari or Apraticakra is the guardian goddess or Yakshini of Rishabha, the first Tirthankara. She is the tutelary deity of the Sarawagi Jain community.-Iconogrphy:...
,
AmbikaIn Jainism, Ambika or Ambika Devi is the "dedicated attendant deity" or "protector goddess" of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminath. She is also known as Ambai, Amba and Amra Kushmandini....
, and
PadmavatiPadmāvatī is the protecting goddess or śāsanadevī of Pārśva, twenty-third Tīrthaṅkara in Jainism. She enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains. Padmāvatī is the main deity at Humbaj, the famous tirtha....
, who are frequently represented in Jain temples. The names according to Tiloyapannatti (or Pratishthasarasangraha) and Abhidhanachintamani are:
- Chakreshvari
In Jain cosmology, Chakreshvari or Apraticakra is the guardian goddess or Yakshini of Rishabha, the first Tirthankara. She is the tutelary deity of the Sarawagi Jain community.-Iconogrphy:...
- Rohini
In Hinduism, Rohini Devi is a consort of Vasudeva. She is the mother of Balarama and Subhadra, and played a prominent role in the nurture of Krishna. She was a partial incarnation of Kadru, the mother of the snakes.-Vasudeva's imprisonment:...
, Ajitbala
- Prajnapti, Duritari
- Vajrashrankhala, Kali
KALI may refer to:* KALI , a radio station licensed to West Covina, California, United States* KALI-FM, a radio station licensed to Santa Ana, California, United States...
- Vajrankusha, Mahakali
Mahakali , literally translated as Great Kali, is a Hindu Goddess, considered to be the consort of Shiva the God of consciousness, and as the basis of Reality and existence...
- Manovega, Shyama
- Kali, Shanta
Shantadurga also known as Shanteri/Santeri is the form of the Goddess Durga, commonly worshipped in Goa, India .She is also called Saibini in Konkani as a mark of reverence....
- Jwalamalini
Jwalamalini or ',the guardian spirit of the eighth Tirthankara Chandraprabha in ,was one of the most widely invoked Yakshinis in Karnataka during the early medieval period.-Etymology and Origin:...
, BhrikutiThe Nepali Princess Bhrikuti Devi, known to Tibetans as Bal-mo-bza' Khri-btsun, Bhelsa Tritsun or, simply, Khri bTsun , is traditionally considered to have been the first wife of the earliest emperor of Tibet, Songtsän Gampo , and an incarnation of Tara...
- Mahakali, Sutaraka
- Manavi, Ashoka
- Gauri
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, Manavi
- Gandhari
Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...
, ChandaIn Hinduism, Chanda was a monster in the service of Sumbha and Nisumbha that Chamunda Devi killed. It is also a popular name in the Hindu community...
- Vairoti, Vidita
- Anantamati, Ankusha
- Manasi, Kandarpa
Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Other names for him include; Atanu , Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija ,...
- Mahamansi, Nirvani
- Jaya
Jaya and Vijaya are the two demigod gatekeepers of the abode of Vishnu, known as Vaikuntha .-Curse of the four Kumaras:...
, Bala
- Taradevi, Dharini
- Vijaya
Jaya and Vijaya are the two demigod gatekeepers of the abode of Vishnu, known as Vaikuntha .-Curse of the four Kumaras:...
, Dharanpriya
- Aparajita, Nardatta
- Bahurupini, Gandhari
- Ambika
In Jainism, Ambika or Ambika Devi is the "dedicated attendant deity" or "protector goddess" of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminath. She is also known as Ambai, Amba and Amra Kushmandini....
or Kushmandini
- Padmavati
Padmāvatī is the protecting goddess or śāsanadevī of Pārśva, twenty-third Tīrthaṅkara in Jainism. She enjoys an independent religious life and is very popular amongst Jains. Padmāvatī is the main deity at Humbaj, the famous tirtha....
- Siddhayika
Yakshis in Kerala
In South India, Yakshis are not considered benevolent beings. They are reputed to waylay men with their beauty and drink their blood. One of the most famous legendary stories of Yakshis in Kerala is that of Kalliyankattu Neeli, a powerful demoness who was finally stopped by the legendary Christian priest
Kadamattathu KathanarKadamattathu Kathanar also known as Kadamattathachan is a legendary priest who is believed to have possessed supernatural powers and whose legends are closely related to the beginning of the Kadamattom Church, one of the oldest church buildings that still exists in Kerala the land of Saint Thomas...
. The Yakshi theme is the subject of popular Kerala tales, like the legend of the Yakshi of
TrivandrumThiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, as well as of certain
moviesA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in modern Malayalam cinema.
In popular culture
In
Christopher PikeChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of American author Kevin Christopher McFadden . He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction, but whose expertise is in the thriller genre. The pseudonym Christopher Pike is allegedly a reference to the captain of the USS Enterprise in the Star...
’s novel
The Last VampireThe Last Vampire series consists of books written by Christopher Pike and chronicles the life of the 5,000 year old "last vampire", Sita. A seventh book, The Eternal Dawn was released in late 2010.-The Last Vampire :...
, a yakshini is an extremely powerful and evil
demoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
that led to the creation of the
vampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s around 3000
B.C. in what is now present-day
RajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India. A yakshini was summoned by an
AghoranBhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji , Kaala Bhairavar or Vairavar , is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation...
priest so that it could devour a
rakshasaA Rakshasa or alternatively rakshas, is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion...
that was causing a plague. The yakshini was summoned into the corpse of a recently deceased woman who had been pregnant. It took control of the woman’s body, horribly maimed and killed the
priestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, and then appeared to disappear. The yakshini in fact transferred itself into the baby in the dead woman's womb which then begins to show signs of life. The child is freed from the dead woman's womb and grows up as an Aryan boy who is the first vampire.
See also
- Apsara
An Apsara , also known as Vidhya Dhari or Tep Apsar in Khmer, Accharā or A Bố Sa La Tư , Bidadari , Biradali , Widodari and Apson , is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in...
- Ashoka tree
Saraca asoca is a plant belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae subfamily of the legume family. It is an important tree in the cultural traditions of the Indian Subcontinent and adjacent areas.-Description:...
- Ethereal being
Ethereal beings, according to some belief systems and occult theories, are mystic entities that usually are not made of ordinary matter. Despite the fact that they are believed to be essentially incorporeal, they do interact in physical shapes with the material universe and travel between the...
- Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
- Houri
In Islam, the ḥūr or ḥūrīyah are commonly translated as " companions of equal age ", "lovely eyed", of "modest gaze", "pure beings" or "companions pure" of paradise, denoting humans and jinn who enter paradise after being recreated anew in the hereafter...
- Isakki
Isakki or Isakkai is a Hindu Goddess of South India. She is generically considered one of the Village Goddesses, like Māri, the goddess of epidemics.She is commonly referred as Isakki Amman...
- Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
- Salabhanjika
Salabhanjika refers to the sculpture of a woman, displaying stylized feminine features, standing near a tree and grasping a branch. The name of these figures comes from the Sanskrit śālabañjika meaning 'breaking a branch of a sala tree'...
- Sitala
Sitala is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae. Sitala is the type genus of Sitalinae, that is a synonym of Durgellini.-Species:Species within the genus Sitala include:...
External links