Guhyaka(s) (गुह्यक, literally "hidden ones") is a class of supernatural beings in

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...

. Like

Yakshas The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

(nature-spirits), they are often described as attendants of

Kubera Kubera ( sa, कुबेर, translit=Kuberā) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (' ...

, the god of wealth, and protect his hidden treasures. Guhyakas are believed to live in mountain caves; thus their name, "hidden ones". As lord of Guhyakas, Kubera is called "Guhyakadhipati".Hopkins pp. 144

Description

Edward Washburn Hopkins Edward Washburn Hopkins, Ph.D., LL.D. (September 8, 1857 July 16, 1932), an American Sanskrit scholar, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. He graduated at Columbia College in 1878, studied at Leipzig, where he received the degree of Ph.D. i ...

suggests that Guhyakas may not be distinct beings, but a generic name for spirits of concealment. They are mentioned in the ''

Manu Smriti The ''Manusmṛiti'' ( sa, मनुस्मृति), also known as the ''Mānava-Dharmaśāstra'' or Laws of Manu, is one of the many legal texts and constitution among the many ' of Hinduism. In ancient India, the sages often wrote their ...

'' and the ''

Harivamsa The ''Harivamsa'' ( , literally "the genealogy of Hari") is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 shlokas, mostly in the '' anustubh'' metre. The text is also known as the ''Harivamsa Purana.'' This text is believed to ...

'', appendix of the epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

'', as distinct beings; however, the epic and the '' Meghaduta'' identify them with Yakshas. Guhyakas are described as the most trusted and close associates of Kubera, who resides with them on Mount

Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It has an altitude of ...

. Kubera assigns them important tasks like delivering a magic eye-wash to the god and epic-hero

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

, to aid him in war. They also serve as messengers and are sent to witness battles. In other instances, they are described as residing on Hemakuta or on Mount Gandhamandana, in the palace of Kubera. They also live on earth and in hills.Hopkins pp. 147-8 They are described as half-bird or half-equine in nature. They have glowing forms in heaven, take demonic forms during war, and look like

gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...

s on earth. The ''Mahabharata'', which treats them as a type of Yakshas, mentions that the airborne palaces of Kubera are held in the sky by Guhyakas; in other instances, the god himself is described as being carried by Guhyakas. It is also described that

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

, a hero in the epic, kills them when he attacks Kubera on Gandhamandana. The soldiers who die by sword neither bravely nor cowardly, as mentioned in the

Mahabharata war The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

, are said to go to the abode of Guhyakas after death. This is the second lowest realm that souls can enter, the lowest being

Naraka Naraka ( sa, नरक) is the realm of hell in Indian religions. According to some schools of Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism, ''Naraka'' is a place of torment. The word ''Neraka'' (modification of ''Naraka'') in Indonesian and Malaysia ...

(hell) for sinners. Guhyakas are also associated with

Pitrs The pitrs () are the spirits of departed ancestors in Hinduism. Following an individual's death, the performance of the antyesti (funeral rites) is regarded to allow the deceased to enter Pitrloka, the abode of one's ancestors. The non-performanc ...

("ancestors") and are sometimes equated to ghosts. The twin-physician gods

Ashvins The Ashvins ( sa, अश्विन्, Aśvin, horse possessors), also known as Ashwini Kumara and Asvinau,, §1.42. are Hindu deities, Hindu twin gods associated with medicine, health, dawn and sciences. In the ''Rigveda'', they are described ...

, annual plants, and inferior animals are described as Guhyakas. In the ''

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...

'', Kubera's son

Nalakuvara Nalakuvara, also known as Nalakubara (), appears in Hindu and Buddhist mythology as the brother of Manigriva (also known as Manibhadra), the son of the yaksha king Kubera (also known as Vaishravana), and husband of Rambha and Ratnamala. Nalaku ...

and Manigriva are described as Guhyakas. Though often associated with Kubera, the ''Brihat-Samhita'' of Varahamihira as well as some

Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

describe Guhyakas as attendants of

Revanta Revanta or Raivata (Sanskrit: रेवन्त, lit. "brilliant") is a minor Hindu deity. According to the ''Rig-Veda'', Revanta is the youngest son of the sun-god Surya, and his wife Saranyu. Revanta is chief of the Guhyakas, semi-divine and d ...

, the son of the Sun-god

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...

. The ''

Markandeya Purana The ''Markandeya Purana'' ( sa, मार्कण्डेय पुराण; IAST: ) is a Sanskrit text of Hinduism, and one of the eighteen major Puranas. The text's title Markandeya refers to a sage in Hindu History, who is the central char ...

'' mentions that Revanta was assigned the duty as the chief of Guhyakas by Surya. In sculpture, Revanta is often depicted with the Guhyakas in hunting scenes.

References

Books

* {{cite book, last=Hopkins , first=Edward Washburn, authorlink=Edward Washburn Hopkins, title=Epic mythology , url=https://archive.org/stream/epicmythology00hopkuoft#page/n147/mode/2up/search/Kubera, year=1915, publisher=Strassburg K.J. Trübner, isbn=0-8426-0560-6 Non-human races in Hindu mythology