Bhutesvara Yakshis Mathura reliefs 2nd century CE front

Yakshinis or Yakshis ( sa, यक्षिणी, , pi, Yakkhiṇī or Yakkhī) are a class of female nature spirits in

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

, and

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

religious mythologies that are different from

Deva Deva may refer to: Entertainment * ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film * ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film * ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film * Deva (2007 Telugu film) * ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film * Deva ...

s and

Asuras Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated ...

and Gandharvas or

Apsara An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, literat ...

s
Yakshinis
and their male counterparts, the

Yaksha 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 ...

s, are one of the many paranormal beings associated with the centuries-old sacred groves of India. Yakshis are also found in the traditional legends of Northeastern Indian tribes, ancient legends of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, and in the folktales of

Kashmiri Muslims Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir. Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has bo ...

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

also mentions yakshas in its sacred texts. The well behaved and benign ones are worshipped as tutelaries, they are the attendees 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 treasurer of the gods, and also the Hindu god of

wealth Wealth is the abundance of Value (economics), valuable financial assets or property, physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for financial transaction, transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the ...

who ruled Himalayan kingdom of Alaka. There are also malign and mischievous yakshinis with

poltergeist In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...

-like behaviours, that can haunt and curse humans according to

Indian folklore The folklore of India encompasses the folklore of the nation of India and the Indian subcontinent. India is an ethnically and religiously diverse country. Given this diversity, it is difficult to generalize the vast folklore of India as a unit. ...

. The ashoka tree is closely associated with yakshinis. The young girl at the foot of the tree is an ancient motif indicating fertility on the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. One of the recurring elements in

Indian art Indian art consists of a variety of art forms, including painting, sculpture, pottery, and textile arts such as woven silk. Geographically, it spans the entire Indian subcontinent, including what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, N ...

, often found as gatekeepers in ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples, is
yakshini
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.

In Buddhism

The three sites of Bharhut, Sanchi, and

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, have yielded huge numbers of Yakshi figures, most commonly on the railing pillars of

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

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) secondary sexual characteristics that lead to their association with

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...

. The yakshi is usually shown with her hand touching a tree branch, in a sinuous ''

tribhanga Tribhaṅga or Tribunga is a standing body position or stance used in traditional Indian art and Indian classical dance forms like the Odissi, where the body bends in one direction at the knees, the other direction at the hips and then the othe ...

'' pose, thus some authors hold that the young girl at the foot of the tree is based on an ancient tree deity. Yakshis were important in early

monuments as a decorative element and are found in many ancient Buddhist archaeological sites. They became

Salabhanjika A salabhanjika or shalabhanjika is a term found in Indian art and literature with a variety of meanings. In Buddhist art, it means an image of a woman or yakshi next to, often holding, a tree, or a reference to Maya near the ''sala'' tree giving ...

s ( sal tree maidens) with the passing of the centuries, a standard decorative element of both

Indian sculpture Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian subcontinent makes the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially consists of sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta. It is clear there was a gr ...

and Indian temple architecture.Hans Wolfgang Schumann (1986), ''Buddhistische Bilderwelt: Ein ikonographisches Handbuch des Mahayana- und Tantrayana-Buddhismus.'' Eugen Diederichs Verlag. Cologne. , The sal tree (''Shorea robusta'') is often confused with the ashoka tree (''Saraca indica'') in the ancient literature of the Indian Subcontinent. The position of the Salabhanjika is also related to the position of

Queen Māyā of Sakya Queen Māyā of Shakya ( sa, मायादेवी, pi, Māyādevī) was the birth mother of Gautama Buddha, the sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. She was sister of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, the first Buddhist nun ordained by the ...

when she gave birth to Gautama

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

under an asoka tree in a garden in Lumbini, while grasping its branch.

List of yakshini found in Buddhist literature

Below is a nonexhaustive list of yakshinis found in Buddhist literature: *

Hārītī Hārītī (Sanskrit), also known as , ja, text=鬼子母神, translit=Kishimojin, is both a revered goddess and demon, depending on the Buddhist tradition. She is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities of Mahayana Buddhism. In her positive ...

*Ālikā *Vendā *Anopamā *Vimalaprabhā *Śrī *Śankhinī *Meghā *Timisikā *Prabhāvatī *Bhīmā *Haritā *Mahādevī *Nālī *Udaryā *Kuntī *Sulocanā *Śubhru *Susvarā *Sumatī *Vasumatī *Citrākṣī *Pūrnasniṣā *Guhykā *Suguhyakā *Mekhalā *Sumekhalā *Padmocchā *Abhayā *Jayā *Vijayā *Revatikā *Keśinī *Keśāntā *Anila *Manoharā *Manovatī *Kusumavatī *Kusumapuravāsinī *Pingalā *Vīramatī *Vīrā *Suvīrā *Sughorā *Ghorā *Ghorāvatī *Surāsundari *Surasā *Guhyottamārī *Vaṭavāsinī *Aśokā *Andhārasunarī *Ālokasunarī *Prabhāvatī *Atiśayavatī *Rūpavatī *Surūpā *Asitā *Saumyā *Kāṇā *Menā *Nandinī *Upanandinī *Lokāntarā *Kuvaṇṇā (

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

) *Cetiyā (Pali) *Piyaṅkaramātā (Pali) *Punabbasumātā (Pali) *Bhesakalā (Pali)

In Hinduism

In the ''Uddamareshvara Tantra'', thirty-six yakshinis are described, including their

mantra A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...

s and

ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...

prescriptions. A similar list of yakshas and yakshinis are given in the ''Tantraraja Tantra'', where it says that these beings are givers of whatever is desired. They are the guardians of the

treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

hidden in the

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

.They can be

Sattvik Sattva (Sanskrit: सत्त्व, meaning ''honesty'') is one of the three guṇas or "modes of existence" (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept understood by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James ...

, Rajas or Tamas in nature.

36 Yakshinis

The sadhak can take yakshini as mother, sister or wife before commencing it. Proper mantra dikshaa from guru can speed up the mantra siddhi. They can be invoked with mantra "Om hreem shreem nityadravae mada (yakshini name) shreem hreem". The list of thirty six yakshinis given in the ''Uddamareshvara Tantra'' is as follows, along with some of the associated legends: # Vichitra (The Lovely One) # Vibhrama (Amorous One): She is a tamas yakshini and should be worshipped naked, by lighting camphor, ghee, and her mantra should be recited 20,000 times. Her mantra should be written with dust from a Cremation Ground. After that 20,000 times havan need to be performed with cow ghee. # Hamsi (The one with Swan) # Bhishani (The Terrifying) # Janaranjika (Pleasuring Men) # Vishala (Large Eyed) # Madana (Lustful) # Ghanta (Bell) # Kalakarni (Ears Adorned with Kalas): Recite her mantra 10000 times with a blade of grass. She gives a shakti. # Mahabhaya (Greatly Fearful) # Mahendri (Greatly Powerful): Gives the person the ability to fly. One obtains Patala Siddhi. # Shankhini (Conch Girl ): Fulfilment of any desire. # Chandri (Moon Girl): # Shmashana (Cremation Ground Girl ): She is a Tamas yakshini. # Vatayakshini: She resides in the banyan tree. # Mekhala (Love Girdle): She gives magical unguent which when smeared subjugates women. The sadhak has to go to madhuka tree in blossom on 14th day of lunar cycle and must chant her mantra. "Om Drim hum madanamekalayai madanavidhambanayai namah svaha". # Vikala # Lakshmi (Wealth) # Malini (Flower Girl ) # Shatapatrika (100 Flowers ) # Sulochana (Lovely Eyed) # Shobha # Kapalini (Skull Girl) # Varayakshini: She bestows boons to sadhak. # Nati (Actress): # Kameshvari: She gives gems,clothes and secrets of alchemy to the sadhak. # Dhana yakshini: She is used to provide knowledge on past and present. She is a sattva yakshini. She also provides riches to the sadhak. The sadhak should climb and sit on

banyan tree A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...

and chant 10,000 times "Om Aim hreem shreem dhana kuru kuru swaha" during daytime. # Karnapisachi: She is a tamas yakshini. She is used by

aghori The Aghori (from Sanskrit '; ) are a monastic order of ascetic Shaivite sadhus based in Uttar Pradesh, India Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the mos ...

to know about past and present life of a person by whispering in the ear of a person who has attained

siddhi In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation ...

. It is mentioned that the sadhak should leave this Siddhi else the karnapisachi takes their soul for serving it for 1,000 years. Her mantra is "Om arvinde swaha" which needs to be chanted 10,000 times within 21 days. # Manohara (Fascinating) # Pramoda (Fragrant): For one month rise at midnight and pronounce the mantra for 1,000 times. "Om hrim pramodyai swaha". # Anuragini (Very Passionate) # Nakhakeshi: She gives fruit on Siddhi. # Bhamini: She gives an wonderful unguent which smeared allures women and helps find treasure. Recite her mantra at the time of an of eclipse. "Om hrim yakshini bhamini ratipriye swaha". # Padmini: She is mentioned in (35). # Svarnavati: She gives Anjana Siddhi. # Ratipriya (Fond of Love): She is a

Satva Sattva (Sanskrit: सत्त्व, meaning ''honesty'') is one of the three guṇas or "modes of existence" (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept understood by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James ...

yakshini. Her image should be drawn on yellow silk cloth with beautiful women. Adorned with jewels and worshipped with ghee lamp, one unbroken nutmeg, she should be invoked with mantra "Om hrim ratipriya swaha" or "Om agacchh ratipriye swaha" each night (from 11.30 am to 3.30 am) till the yakshini manifests. During the time of sadhana,the sadhak should not eat non veg or betel leaves. It is not suitable for married men.

In Jainism

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

, there are twenty-five yakshis, including Panchanguli,

Chakreshvari In Jain cosmology, Chakeshvari or ''Apraticakra'' is the guardian goddess or Yakshini (attendant deity) of Rishabhanatha. She is the tutelary deity of the Sarawagi Jain community. Iconography The color of the goddess is golden. Her Vehicle is ...

Ambika Ambika may refer to: Mythology * Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti * Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess * Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, th ...

, and

Padmavati Padmāvatī may refer to: Deities * Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of fortune * Alamelu, or Padmāvatī, a Hindu goddess and consort of Sri Venkateshwara of Tirupati * Manasa, a Hindu serpent goddess * Padmavati (Jainism), a Jain attendant goddess ( ...

, who are frequently represented in Jain temples. Each is regarded as the guardian goddess of one of the present tirthankar Shri Simandhar Swami and twenty-four Jain ''

tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

''. The names according to

Tiloyapannatti ''Tiloya Panatti'' or ''Trilokaprajnapati'' is one of the earlier Prakrit texts on Jain cosmology composed by Acharya Yativrshabha. The subject matter Jain cosmology has a unique perception of the Universe. It perceives different solar and lu ...

(or Pratishthasarasangraha) and Abhidhanachintamani are: * Panchanguli *

* Rohini, Ajitbala * Prajnapti, Duritari * Vajrashrankhala,

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

* Vajrankusha,

Mahakali Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal power, time, life, death, and both rebirth and liberation. She is the cons ...

* Manovega, Shyama * Kali,

Shanta Shanta is a character in the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. She is the adoptive daughter of King Romapāda of Aṅga and wife of R̥śyaśr̥ṇga. In northern recensions of the ''Rāmāyaṇa'' and later Indian literature, she is the daughter of Daśara ...

* Jwalamalini, Mahajwala * Mahakali, Sutaraka * Manavi, Ashoka * Gauri, Manavi * Gandhari, Chanda * Vairoti, Vidita * Anantamati, Ankusha * Manasi, Kandarpa * Mahamansi, Nirvani *

Jaya Jaya may refer to: Media *''Jaya'', self titled albums by Jaya (singer), released in 1989, 1996 and 2001 * ''Jaya'' (film), a 2002 Indian Tamil film Mythology *''Jaya'', a name of Karna in Mahabharata; the core portion of the ''Mahabharata'' ...

Bala Bala may refer to: Places India *Bala, India, a village in Allahabad, India * Bala, Ahor, a village in the Jalore district of Rajasthan * Bala, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Romania * Bala, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi ...

* Taradevi, Dharini *

Vijaya Vijaya may refer to: Places * Vijaya (Champa), a city-state and former capital of the historic Champa in what is now Vietnam * Vijayawada, a city in Andhra Pradesh, India People * Prince Vijaya of Sri Lanka (fl. 543–505 BC), earliest recorde ...

, Dharanpriya * Aparajita, Nardatta * Bahurupini, Gandhari *

or Kushmandini *

* Siddhayika

Legendary yakshis of South India

In the literature and folktales of Kerala, yakshis are generally not considered benevolent. Many folk stories feature murdered women reborn as vengeful yakshis, some of which are listed below. Aside from those mentioned below, yakshis are also featured in

Malayatoor Ramakrishnan K. V. Ramakrishna Iyer, better known by his pen name, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan (27 May 1927 – 27 December 1997), was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, cartoonist, lawyer, judicial magistrate, and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) o ...

's 1967 novel ''Yakshi'', which describes their world as having a blue sun, carpets of crimson grass, streams of molten silver, and flowers made of sapphires, emeralds, garnets, and topaz. In the novel, young yakshis fly around on the backs of giant dragonflies. According to Ramakrishnan's novel, adult yakshis are required to enter the land of the living once a year to feed on the blood of human men.

Chempakavally Ammal and Neelapilla Ammal

According to a legend from Thekkalai, next to

Nagercoil Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, a pair of beautiful sisters named Chempakavally and Neelapilla turned into vengeful yakshis after becoming victims of an

honor killing An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...

by their father. Since their father killed them to keep them from the clutches of the lustful

raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

of the region, the sister yakshis tortured and killed everyone in the palace, and their father as well. The two yakshis haunted the place where they were killed until they were placated somewhat by many poojas and rituals and a temple constructed on the site. Idols of the sister yakshis are present inside. The older sister, Chempakavally, eventually transformed into a benevolent deity and traveled to

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

to worship

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, while the younger sister, Neelapilla, remained ferocious. It is said that some of Neelapilla's devotees offer her the fingernail clippings or locks of hair from their enemies, beseeching her to destroy them.

Kalliyankattu Neeli

One of the most famous stories of legendary Yakshis of Kerala is that of

Kalliyankattu Neeli ''Kalliyankattu Neeli'' is a 1979 Indian Malayalam-language horror film, directed by M. Krishnan Nair and produced by M. Mani. The film stars Madhu, Jayabharathi, Jagathy Sreekumar and Sudheer in the lead roles. The film has musical score by S ...

, a powerful demoness who was fabled to have finally been stopped by the legendary priest

Kadamattathu Kathanar Kadamattathu Kathanar ( a Syrian Orthodox Church priest of Kadamattom church) also known as Kadamattathachan (Father Kadamattom) was a priest (Kathanar) who is believed to have possessed supernatural powers and whose legends are closely related ...

. The Yakshi theme is the subject of popular Keralite tales, like the legend of the Yakshi of

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, as well as of certain

movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

in modern

Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ''Elippathayam' ...

Kanjirottu Yakshi

Mangalathu Sreedevi or Chiruthevi, also known as

Kanjirottu Yakshi Kanjirottu Yakshi is a folkloric deity of South India. According to the myth, she was born into an affluent Nair tharavad by name Mangalathu at Kanjiracode in Southern Travancore (now in Tamil Nadu). Also known as Chiruthevi, she was a beaut ...

is a yakshi from the folklore of Kerala. According to legend, she was born into a

Padamangalam Nair Padamangalam Nair is one of the subcastes belonging to the Nair community in Kerala, India. Nair Tamil society {{India-ethno-stub ...

tharavad Tharavad () (തറവാട്), is the Malayalam word for the ancestral home of aristocratic families in Kerala, which usually served as the common house for the joint family system practiced in the state. The German linguist Hermann Gunder ...

by name Mangalathu at Kanjiracode in

South Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

. She was also known as Chiruthevi. She was a ravishingly beautiful courtesan who had an intimate relationship with Raman Thampi, son of King Rama Varma and rival of Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Made arrogant by her beauty and the adoration heaped on her by men, she enjoyed toying with men's lives and driving them to financial ruin. However, Chiruthevi was truly in love with Kunjuraman, her palanquin-bearer, who was already married and uninterested in her romantically. In frustration, Chiruthevi arranged to have Kunjuraman's wife killed. Kunjuraman finally agreed to sleep with Chiruthevi, but then murdered her to avenge his wife. Immediately after her death, Chiruthevi was reborn as a yakshi in the village of Kanjirottu, where she magically transformed into a beautiful woman mere moments after her birth. She terrorized men and drank their blood, and continued to harass Kunjuraman. Her frenzy only subsided after she made a deal with her brother Mangalathu Govindan, a close associate of Kunjuraman and a great upāsaka (follower) of Lord Balarama. According to their agreement she would cohabit with Kunjuraman for a year on the condition that she would become a devotee of

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

after the year was up.Nair, Balasankaran. 'Kanjirottu Yakshi'. Sastha Books, 2001. The yakshi was installed at a temple which later came to be owned by Kanjiracottu Valiaveedu, though this temple no longer exists. Reserve bank of India Headquarters

Malampuzha_Garden_Yakshi_Statue_by_Kanayi_Kunjiraman

Sundara Lakshmi, an accomplished dancer and consort of HH

Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma ( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള്‍ രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 40 ...

, was an ardent devotee of Kanjirottu Yakshi Amma. The Kanjirottu yakshi is now said to reside in Vault B of

Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The City ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, which supposedly also contains an enormous treasure. The enchanting and ferocious forms of this Yakshi are painted on the south-west part of Sri Padmanabha's shrine. The vault remains unopened due to ongoing legal issues and the legend of the Yakshi, whom some believe will wreak havoc on the world if her prayers to Lord Narasimha within Vault B are disturbed by opening the vault. Yakshi_Mathura

Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

yakshni are famous and well-known, such as

Hariti Hārītī (Sanskrit), also known as , ja, text=鬼子母神, translit=Kishimojin, is both a revered goddess and demon, depending on the Buddhist tradition. She is one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities of Mahayana Buddhism. In her positive ...

, one of the

Twenty-Four Protective Deities The Twenty-Four Protective Deities or the Twenty-Four Devas (Chinese language, Chinese: 二十四諸天; pinyin: ''Èrshísì Zhūtiān''), sometimes reduced to the Twenty Protective Deities or the Twenty Devas (Chinese language, Chinese: 二十� ...

who are venerated as defenders of the Buddhist

dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

Mahayana Buddhism ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...

. The Kishimojin (Hariti) temple in Zoushigaya,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

is dedicated to her. In

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, yakshni are known and worshiped as deity guardians in

Tai Folk religion The Tai folk religion, or Satsana Phi ( lo, ສາສະໜາຜີ, links=no; th, ศาสนาผี, links=no, , "religion of spirits"), or Ban Phi ( Ahom: 𑜈𑜃𑜫 𑜇𑜣) is a form of animist religious beliefs intermixed with Buddh ...

and Thai folklore, showing the influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on Thai culture. Yakshini have spirit houses and shrines devoted to them as

Tutelary deities A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety an ...

in Thai folk religion. Examples include Nang Phisuea Samudra (ศาลนางผีเสื้อสมุทร), considered the deity guardian of Phisuea Samut Fort,

Phra Samut Chedi District Phra Samut Chedi ( th, พระสมุทรเจดีย์, ) is the westernmost district (''amphoe'') of Samut Prakan province in central Thailand. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the west, clockwise) Bang Khun Thian and Thung ...

, Samut Prakan Province, Seang Chan Beach in Mueang Rayong district, and

Rayong province Rayong province ( th, ระยอง, ) is one of seventy-six Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') lies in Eastern Thailand#Administrative divisions, eastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Chonburi province, ...

; Nang Suphanapsron chomtevi (นางสุพรรณอัปสรจอมเทวี), considered the deity guardian of Wat Nang thakian (วัดนางตะเคียน) in

Mueang Samut Songkhram district Mueang Samut Songkhram ( th, เมืองสมุทรสงคราม, ) is the capital district ('' amphoe mueang'') of Samut Songkhram province, central Thailand. History The district was established in 1897, then named Lom Thuan and co ...

, and Samut Songkhram province; and Nang Panturat (ศาลนางพันธุรัตน์) from the

Sang Thong Sang Thong ( th, สังข์ทอง, 'golden conch') or ''The Prince of the Golden Conch Shell'' is a Southeast Asian folktale inspired from the Paññāsa Jātaka, a non-canonical collection of stories of the Buddha's past lives. In its Thai ...

, considered the deity guardian of Khao Nang Panthurat Forest Park, Khao Yai Sup district, Cha-am district, and

Phetchaburi province Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is one of the western or central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the w ...

. In

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

, yakshni are known and worshiped as deity guardians in Myanmar folk religion and

Burmese folklore Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (horse), a ...

, showing the influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on

Burmese culture The culture of Myanmar (also known as Burma) ( my, မြန်မာ့ယဉ်ကျေးမှု) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Burmese culture has also been influenced by its neighbours. In more recent times, British colonial ...

. Examples include

Popa Medaw Popa Medaw ( my, ပုပ္ပားမယ်တော်; , also known as Me Wunna) is a nat of Myanmar. She is a flower-eating ogress and the mother of the Shwe Hpyin ('Inferior Gold') brothers Shwe Hpyin Naungdaw and Shwe Hpyin Nyidaw. Althoug ...

, the deity guardian of Popa mountain, and the yakshni deity guardian of the Shwedagon Pagoda.

References

External links

Concept of Yakshi
(archived 21 July 2011)
Encyclopædia Britannica — "Yaksha"Ideals of Female Beauty in Ancient IndiaHuntingdon Archive
{{HinduMythology Buddhist legendary creatures Non-human races in Hindu mythology Indian folklore Female buddhas and supernatural beings Female legendary creatures Mythological hematophages Yakshas Agricultural goddesses God in Jainism Forest spirits Hindu legendary creatures

In Buddhism

List of yakshini found in Buddhist literature

In Hinduism

36 Yakshinis

In Jainism

Legendary yakshis of South India

Chempakavally Ammal and Neelapilla Ammal

Kalliyankattu Neeli

Kanjirottu Yakshi

Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism

See also

References

External links