The Eight Legions ( sa, अष्टसेना, ; 八部衆) are a group of Buddhist deities whose function is to protect the

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 ...

. These beings are common among the audience addressed by the Buddha in Mahāyāna sūtras, making appearances in such scriptures as the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...

and the

Golden Light Sutra The Golden Light Sutra or ( sa, IAST: Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtrendrarājaḥ), also known by the Old Uygur title Altun Yaruq, is a Buddhist text of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the full title is ''The Sovereign King of Sutr ...

. They are also referred to as the "Eight Legions of Devas and Nāgas" (天龍八部). Asuras are also listed here as protectors of dharma in same sense as demigods are referred as "asuratvam" (holy) in Rigvedic "Hymn to all gods" where devatas are related to "asuras" (thus, protectors of dharma). Related word "Ahura-Mazda" in Zoroastrianism also mean "god".

Etymology

The name ''aṣṭasenā'' (अष्टसेना) is composed of two Sanskrit terms. ''Aṣṭa'' (अष्ट) means ''eight'', with connections to the Latin ''octo'' and the Persian ''hašt'' (هشت). ''Senā'' (सेना) means ''legion'', but can be rendered ''army'', ''general'', ''warrior'' and the like.

Summary

The Eight Legions have their origins in ancient India as gods who belong to several domains. Many of these gods are among those spirits who are found in the lower heavens of

Cāturmahārājakāyika Cāturmahārājakāyika ( sa, चातुर्महाराजकायिक; pi, Cātummahārājika) heaven is the first world of the devas in Buddhist cosmology. The word ''Cāturmahārājakāyika'' refers to the Four Heavenly Kings (''Cā ...

and the Asura realm, and as such largely consist of nature spirits. While the list of figures within this category vary, the most common are as follows:

Variations

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. History Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

, Japan, there is a famous group of statues that represent the Eight Legions. Some of these figures differ from the common list. Their names in Japanese are as follows: *''Gobujō'' (五部浄, Śuddhāvāsa , a deva and personification of the heaven of the fourth dhyāna. There are five gods who reside here, all

anāgāmi In Buddhism, an ''anāgāmin'' (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''anāgāmī'', lit. "non-returning") is a partially enlightened person who has cut off the first five fetters that bind the ordinary mind. ''Anāgāmins'' are the third of the four aspirants. ...

ns: ''Īśvara'', ''Samantakusuma'', ''Raśmimālin'', ''Manojava'', and ''Svaraviśruti''.) *''Sagara'' (沙羯羅, Sāgara, the Nāga King) *''Kubanda'' (鳩槃荼, Kumbhāṇḍa） *''Kendatsuba'' (乾闥婆,

Gandharva A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are ...

) *''Ashura'' (阿修羅,

Asura 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 ...

) *''Karura'' (迦楼羅, Garuḍa) *''Kinnara'' (緊那羅, Kiṁnara) *''Hibakara'' (畢婆迦羅, Mahoraga) There is another list of eight beings, the ''Hachibukikishū'' (Japanese; 八部鬼衆), who belong to an overlapping, but distinct category.

In Popular culture

The Chinese title of

Jin Yong Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong dai ...

's novel, '' Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'', is a reference to the Eight Legions. His original plan was to map each major character to one race, but this proved impossible as the novel progressed.

References

{{Japanese Buddhist Pantheon Buddhist cosmology Dharmapalas Tutelary deities

Etymology

Summary

Variations

In Popular culture

See also

References