39. Description of the Demons

The people of India, particularly the forest tribes and the lower castes, from the eradic to the grave, are oppressed with a feeling best described as demonophobia. the belief that they are haunted by evil spirits of all kinds, some malignant fiends, some mischievous elves, to whose agency are attributed all kinds of sickness and misfortune.

637 Their worship is a worship of fear, the higher gods, particularly in the opinion of the less intelligent classes, being regarded as otiose and indifferent to the evils which attack the human race, while demons are habitually active and malignant. 311 The evil spirits can be classified in two groups. The non-human spirits or fiends and the human spirits or the bhuta, preta and pisacas. The non-human spirits or fiends are endowed with superhuman powers, and possess material bodies of various kinds, which they can change Ke as they li and which are subject to destruction. As free agents they can choose between good and evil, but a disposition towards evil preponderates in their character? 312 The so-called Asuras, Danavas, Daityas and Raksasas belong to this group, "all personations of the hostile powers of. Nature, or of mighty human foes, both which have been eventually converted into superhuman beings. This group as fu kang a whole seems to have been derived from pre-animistic beliefs, the worship or dread of 'powers', the fa vague impersonations of the terror of night, hill, cave or forest. In contradistinction to the fiends or non-human 311 ERE., Vol. IV., Vol. IV., P.601.. 312 G.Oppert, Original inhabitants of Bharatavarsa or India, 515 ££.

638 spirits, there are the malignant spirits of men, which for various reasons cherish feelings of hostility to the human race, and, if not expelled or propitiated, to endless mischief. But as the Brahma purana does not deal with them, the discussion here would pertain to the first class alone. Probably the earliest Sanskrit expression for a 'demon' is Asura and though this word is used in the later literature as a general term for evil demons of malignant disposition, it was originally restricted to beings of a god-like nature, and even applied to the gods themselves. In the Rgveda, the word Asura is used as an epithet of Endra and other deities and is especially an attribute of the ancient deity Varuna, who is first an impersonation of the vault of heaven, and then identified with the supreme being. In Avesta Ahura is the name of the highest god. In the Taittiriya Samhita it is said that Prajapati created them with his breath. In the Satapatha Brahmana the seventh Manu is made to produce gods, asuras and men. the other hand, in the veda various orders of evil beings 313 are spoken under the name of Dasyus, Raksasas, 314 Yatudhanas 315 Pisacas, 316 and Panis. 317 In the 313 3.4.56 On 314 Rv. 7.104; 10.87 315 Rv. 10.87 316 Rv. I.133 317 Rv. 6.20.4; 39.2; 10.108; 7.9.2; 4.58.4; I.151.9.

, 639 Ramayana constant mention is made of beings hostile to gods and men called Raksasas. The puranas are full of the stories related to demons and the Brahma-purana extensively deals with Asuras, Danavas, Daityas and Raksasas. Danavas. The sons of The Brahma Purana recognises four types of demons, viz. Daityas, Danavas, Raksasas and Asuras. Diti were called Daityas and those of Danu were called Apart from this some other demons who are not the progeny of either Diti or Danu have also been given the names of Daityas and Danavas e.g. Arista is called a Daitya (189.46-58) and the demon Mitha though not mentioned in the genealogy of Danu is designated as Danava (127.7-8). Sometimes a demon is called Daitya as well as Asura e.g. Sambara is called the lord of Daityas (134.16) as well as an Asura (199.12). The genealogy of Daityas and Danavas is given in the Brahma Purana as follows: Diti, the daughter of Daksa was married to Kasyapa and she had two sons Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa and a daughter Simhika who was married to Vipracitti. Hiranyakasipu had four sons, Hrada, Anuhrada, Hrada had two sons siva and Kala. Prahrada and Samhrada. ✓ 1 }

640 Prahrada was given the kingdom of Daityas and Danavas (4.5). Virocana was born to Prahrada and Bali was the son of Virocana. Bali had hundred sons of whom Bana was the eldest. They practised penance and the names of some of them were Dhrtarastra, Surya, Candrama, Candratapana, Kumbhanabha, Gardabhaksa and Kuksi. The sons of Hiranyaksa were learned and strong. Their names were Bharbhara, 318 Sakuni, Bhutasantapana, Mahanabha and Kalanabha. Samhrada gave birth to Nivatakavacas, and they had three koti sutas and resided at Manivati. They too were indestructible by gods and eventually Arjuna killed them (3.90-92). Danu gave birth to hundred sons by Kasyapa. They were brave, strong and practised penance. The names. of some of them were Dvimurdha, Sankukarna, Hayasiras, Ayomukha, Sambara, Kapila, Vamana, 2319 Marici, Maghavan, Ilbala, Svasruma, Viksobhana, Ketu, Ketuvirya, Satahrda, Indrajit, Sarvajit, Vajranabha, Ekacakra, 320 Taraka, Vaisvanara, Puloma, Vidravana, Mahasiras, Svarbhanu, Vrsaparva and Vipracitti. As the progeny of all these is innumerable 318 3.73; Mahabhaga acc. to 'kha'. 319 After Vamana, the 'kha' ms. adds Muka, Hunda, the sons of Hrada, Marica, Sunda, Saramana & Sarakalka. 320 3.77, Ekavaktra according to ms. 'kha'.

641 it is indescribable. The daughter of Svarbhanu was Prabha, that of Puloma was Saci; that of Hayasiras was or Upaditi; that of Vrsaparvan Sarmistha and those of Vaisvanara, Puloma and Kalika. The progeny of Marica consisted of 60,000 ing danavas and there were other 1,400 danavas belong to Hiranyapura. These along with Paulomas and Kalakekas were indestructible by gods and by the grace of lord Brahma, Arjuna killed them. Vipracitti, the son of Danu married Simhika, the danger daughter of Diti and by the samyoga of Daitya and Danava elements thirteen best types of Danavas were born. They were very brave and were called Saimhikeyas. They were called Vamsya, Salya, Nala, Vatapi, Namuci, Ilbala, Svasruma, Anjika, Naraka, Kalanabha, Saramana and Svarakalpa. They had hundred and thousands grandsons. Though the above mentioned sons of Diti are called Daityas, the Maruts whom Diti gave birth were called gods and though originally they were meant to kill Indra (3.109-122), eventually they became the greatest helpers of Indra. } Elsewhere it is said that at the time of milching earth, Madhu was the milcher of Asuras, their milk was consisted of Maya, Virocana was their calf and their vessel

642 a was made up of iron; the milcher of Raksasas was Rasatnabha, blood was their milk, Sumali their calf and skull their vessel (4.104,106). There is no clear line of demarcation to distinguish in groups Raksasas, Asuras, Pisacas, etc. though the Pisacas are too mean and low to be confused with demons of the highest type. The Nagas, though distinct from Asuras, are as a group affiliated and usually mentioned by their side. The meaning of the terms Daityas, Danavas, Raksasas and Asuras as given by Monier Williams is as follows: The Raksasas 320 are sometimes regarded as produced from Brahma's foot, sometimes with Ravana as descendants of Pulastya, elsewhere they are styled children of Khasa or Surasa, according to some they are distinguished into three classes, one king of a semi-divine benevolent nature and ranking with Yaksas, etc. another corresponding to Titans or relentless enemies of the gods, and a third answering more to nocturnal demons, imps, fiends, goblins, going about at night, haunting cemetaries, disturbing sacrifices and even devouring human beings. This last class is the most commonly mentioned. Their chief place 320 Monier Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary, P.871.

of abode was Lanka in Ceylon. The Danavas 321 are a 643 class of demons often identified with the daityas or Asuras and held to be implacable enemies of gods or devas; the daityas 322 are known as the sons of Diti; and the Asuras are regarded as children of Diti by Kasyapa, as such they are the demons of the first order in perpetual hostility with the gods, and must not be confounded with the Raksasas or imps who animate dead bodies and disturb sacrifices. 323 As regards their general description it would be said that they were ugly and deformed. The names Sankukarna (A.3), Ekaksa (213.90) etc. suggest that they were deformed. Many a times they were animal-shaped. The names Kurmakukkutavaktra, sasolukamukha, Kharostravadana, Varahavadana, Marjarasikhivaktra, Nakramesanana, Gojavimahisanana, Godhasallakivaktra, Krostuvaktra, Akhudarduranaktra, Vrkamukha, Makaravaktra, Krauncavaktra, Asvanana, Kharamukha, Mayuravadana, etc. suggest it (213.93-97). They live in Rasatala, mountains, oceans, rivers, villages, forests, sky, air and Jyotirloka (149.4,5). They wore various types of dresses and decorated themselves with garlands and ointments. They a wore didems, ear-rings, turbans, kiritaand 321 Ibid., P. 474. 322 Ibid., P. 497. 323 Ibid., P. 121.

644 wore the skin of elephants and black daer. called Nilakavasasa. They were also They had broad cheeks. They wielded various weapons like Sataghni, Cakra, Musala, Bhindipala, Asva yantras, Ayudhas, Sula, Ulukhala, Parasvadha, Pasa, Mudgara, Parigha and great slab stones. They had long hair, their necks were like Kambu and some of them were lustrous (213.90-99). Some Daityas were religious. The Brahma Purana states that the great demon Bali was indestructible by gods and he protected the kingdom with righteousness and there were no troubles in his kingdom. He was a great devotee of Visnu and when the gods approached Visnu to protect them from Bali, Visnu said that Bali was too dear to him to be killed and therefore lord Visnu took the form of Vamana and made him the king of Rasatala (A.73). Some demons practised severe penance. Hiranya, the ancestor of the daityas practised great penance and got the power to remain indestructible by gods (139.11,12). Meghahasa, the son of I Rahu practised severe penance in order to revenge the death of his father who was killed by the gods when he tried to have a portion of the neetar that was obtained after churning the ocean. The gods pacified him and placed Rahu in hasa the sky and made Meghalt the king of Nairrta direction

645 (A.142). By the power of penance, the demon Hiranyakasipu had obtained the power of remaining invincible, lord Visnu took the form of Nrsimha and killed him (A.149). The main work of the demons was to obstruct the sacrifices of sages, kings and gods. Thus Sindhusena, a great demon, defeated the gods and carried away the sacrifice to Rasatala. Thereupon lord Visnu took the form of Varaha, killed him and brought back the sacrifice (79.8-15). A demon Hiranyaksa obstructed with his retinue to the sacrifice of king Priyavrata, thereupon the sage Vasistha killed them with his rod (A.103). Marica & Subahu obstructed the sacrifice of brahmins, so Rama killed them (213.138). The Raksasas Asvattha and Pippala were the sons of the Raksasa Kaitabha. They obstructed the sacrifice of Agastya, took the form of Brahmins and devoured the other brahmins. Lord Sami understood their trick and applying the principle of 'Tit for Tat' ate them away '118.11,12). The danava Mitha obstructed the sacrifice of king Arstisena and carried away the king together with his retinue to Rasatala, Thereupon Bepat Devapi, the son of Purohita, prayed lord Siva and brought them back (A.127). The tendency to obstruct the sacrifice went to such an extent that a demon was named Havyaghna and he was given a boon by lord Brahma to devour the sacrifice }

646 at his will. His whole family was black in colour by the curse of lord Brahma. When he obstructed the sacrifice of the sage Bharadvaja and ate the sacrificial cake, Bharadvaja asked him about his blackness and on knowing from him about the curse sprinkled the water of river Gautami and he became fair (A.133). the gods. Another function of the demons was to fight with Generally, the demons were very strong and the gods were always defeated. Indra fell helpless before the strength of demons and they had to approach either Brahma, Visnu or Siva for protection. Thus the demon invincible. Taraka had a boon of lord Brahma that he would remain Even lord Visnu expressed his inability to Thereupon the gods approached Himalaya and defeat him. siva Then with the help of Kamadeva disturbed the penance of lord Siva and married lord Siva with Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya and requested them to create a son who would kill the demon Taraka (A.71). Another story tells that Mahasni defeated Indra and asked his father Hiranya to look after him. he attacked Varuna but Varuna gave him his daughter and on Varuna's advice, he released Indra and asked Indra to consider Varuna as his lord. This shows how powerful the demons were and how Indra had to agree with them (A.129).

} 647 Namuci was a great enemy of Indra and a terrible fight took place between them. Indra eventually cut the head of Namuci with the foam (129.4-6). A daitya Ambarya was invincible and he was the lord of Dandaka. He possessed a strong army and a terrible fight ensued between him and lord Nrsimha and at the end of it lord Nrsimha killed him (149. 10.12). As a boon was granted to Ravana, he was unconquerby able, Gods, Raksasas, Yaksas, Raksas; he was very brave and was always surrounded by a koti Raksasas. He was black like collyrium and brave like a lion (213.129-135). Disturbing the penance of some sage also constituted one of the mischiefs of the demons. A great Asura took the form of a beautiful maiden and disturbed the penance of king Dhanvantari (122.8-15). When lord Brahma sent his Maya to distract the attention of the demons who were obstructing the sacrifice of the sages, Sambara, the lord of daityas, devoured her (134.9-11). Raksasa by the name Parasu. There was another He had a deep hatred for sacrifices and brahmins. He had the capacity to take various forms according to his liking. Sometimes he took the form of a brahmin, or of a tiger, or of a god or of an animal or of a woman or of a deer or of a child. He took the form of a brahmin and went to the sage sakalya and expressed his desire to devour the sage but he saw lord

648 Visnu in the form of the sage and refrained from killing him (163.7-10). AfterSometimes the gods befriended demons. Thus an interesting story relates how after killing Namuci, Indra by the use of a trick, befriended Maya, the brother of Namuci, who wanted to revenge his brother's death. wards Maya advised Indra to pierce the foetus of Diti which contained a son who was meant for killing Indra (A.124). Ravana was a great devotee of lord Siva (A.143). Bana was a great devotee of lord Siva and when krsna came to fight with Bena, lord Siva and Kartikeya fought with krsna on behalf of the Asura Bana (A.206). In the life of lord krsna, he had to face many demons. In his childhood, he killed Putana, a demoness who killed children (184.7-10). Again, he killed the the demon Arista, who had come to him in/form of a bull (189. 46-58). He also killed Kesi (190.29-37), Dhenuka (186.4), the donkey formed. The Asura Naraka was born to Prthvi by lord Visnu in his Varaha incarnation (220.23). Lord Visnu killed him in his incarnation as lord krsna and took away all his possessions and married all his 16,000 wives (220.30.35). Narakasura was very powerful. He was the king of Pragjyotisapura." He had imprisoned the daughters of the daityas, siddhas and kings, had in his possession

649 the Chhatra of Varuna, the Maniparvata, the Mandara mountain, and the ear-ornaments of Aditi (202.8-11). Again, lord krsna killed the daitya Mura and his 1,000 sons, Hayagriva and Pancajana (202.18-19). Lord krsna killed another demon by the name Pancajana who had carried away the son of sage Sandipani to the ocean and after killing him made a conch Pancajanya out of his bones (194.27,28). Pradyumna, the son of lord krsna killed the Asura Sambara who was had thrown him in the ocean after the sixth day of his birth (200.2,3,19). Elsewhere it is said that lord Visnu in his different forms killed the various demons, Hiranyakasipu (180.28), Taraka (179.21-24), Kalanemi (179.25), Vipracitti (180.29), Madhu and Kaitabha who wanted to kill Brahma and who had emerged out of his ear (180.37). Kalanemi was again born as Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena who was killed by krsna (A.181). In his incarnation as Rama, lord Visnu 324 killed the demons Yamahasta Prahasta, Nikumba, Kumbha, Narantaka, Yamantaka, Maladhya, Malikadhya, Indrajit, Kumbhakarna and Ravana (176.44-46). As Lavana had become too impudent on account of a boon, Rama killed him (213.137). Rama freed Viradha and Kabandha from their state of being 324 Mahodara according to 'ka' ms.

650 demons as they had obtained that form due to a curse though originally they were Gandharvas (213.140). In his Vamana incarnation, lord Visnu killed the demons Vipracitti, Siva, Sanku, Ayahsnku, Ayahsiras, Asvasiras, Hayagriva, Ketuman, Ugra, Vyagara, Puskara, Asvapati, Prahrada, Kumbha, Samhrada, Salpha, Kupatha, Krodhana, Kratha, Brhatkirti, Mahajihva, Sankukarna, Mahasvana, Diptajikva, Arkanayana, Mrgapada, Namuci, Sambara, Viksara, Garistha, Varistha, Pralamba, Naraka, Indratapana, Vatapi, Ketuman, Asiloma, Puloma, Baskala, Pramada, Mada, Svamisfa, Kalqvadana, Karala, Kesi, Ekaksa, Candrama, Rahu, Sambara, Svana and others (213.82-90). Thus it could be said that the Brahma Purana gives a fairly broad idea of demonology as it extensively deals with the Danavas Hiranyaka, Mitha, Dhenuka, Pralamba & Lavana; the Daityas Bali, Taraka, Maya, Namuci, Hiranya, Sambara, Hiranyakasipu, Ambarya, Madhu, Kaitabha, Kesi, Pancajana and Mura; the Raksasas Sindhusena, Asvattha, Pippala, Havyaghna, Ravana, Parasu, Viradha, & Kabandha; and the Asuras Tama, Namuci, Sambara and Naraka.