Yakshinis or Yakshis (, , ; Prakrit: Yakkhiṇī or Yakkhī, ) are a class of female in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism religious mythologies that are different from Hindu deities and Asuras and or . Yakshinis and their male counterparts, the , 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 Northeast India tribes, ancient legends of Kerala, and in the folktales of Kashmiri Muslims. Sikhism also mentions yakshas in its sacred texts.
The well behaved and benign ones are worshipped as tutelary deities,
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.
In Buddhism
The three sites of
Bharhut,
Sanchi, and Mathura, have yielded huge numbers of Yakshi figures, most commonly on the railing pillars of
. 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. The yakshi is usually shown with her hand touching a tree branch, in a sinuous
tribhanga 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 Buddhism monuments as a decorative element and are found in many ancient Buddhist archaeological sites. They became (sal tree maidens) with the passing of the centuries, a standard decorative element of both Indian sculpture 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.[Eckard Schleberger (1986), Die indische Götterwelt. Gestalt, Ausdruck und Sinnbild. Eugen Diederichs Verlag. Cologne. , ] The position of the Salabhanjika is also related to the position of Queen Māyā of Sakya when she gave birth to Gautama Buddha 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:
-
Hariti
-
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)
-
Cetiyā (Pali)
-
Piyaṅkaramātā (Pali)
-
Punabbasumātā (Pali)
-
Bhesakalā (Pali)
In Hinduism
In the
Uddamareshvara Tantra, thirty-six yakshinis are described, including their
and
ritual 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 hidden in the
earth.They can be
Sattvik,
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)
-
Hamsi (The one with Swan)
-
Bhishani (The Terrifying)
-
Janaranjika (One who is charming)
-
Vishala (Large Eyed)
-
Madana (Lustful)
-
Ghanta (Bell)
-
Kalakarni (Ears Adorned with Kalas)
-
Mahabhaya (Greatly Fearful)
-
Mahendri (Greatly Powerful)
-
Shankhini (Conch Girl )
-
Chandri (Moon Girl)
-
Shmashana (Cremation Ground Girl )
-
Vatayakshini
-
Mekhala (Love Girdle)
-
Vikala
-
Lakshmi (Wealth)
-
Malini (Flower Girl )
-
Shatapatrika (100 Flowers )
-
Sulochana (Lovely Eyed)
-
Shobha
-
Kapalini (Skull Girl)
-
Varayakshini
-
Nati (Actress)
-
Kameshvari
-
Dhana yakshini
-
Karnapisachi
-
Manohara (Fascinating)
-
Pramoda (Fragrant)
-
Anuragini (Very Passionate)
-
Nakhakeshi: She gives fruit on Siddhi.
-
Bhamini
-
Padmini
-
Svarnavati:
-
Ratipriya (Fond of Love)
In Jainism
In
Jainism, there are twenty-five yakshis, including Panchanguli,
Chakreshvari, Ambika, and Padmavati, who are frequently represented in Jain temples.
Each is regarded as the guardian goddess of one of the present tirthankar Shri
Simandhara Swami and twenty-four Jain
tirthankara. The names according to
Tiloyapannatti (or Pratishthasarasangraha) and Abhidhanachintamani are:
-
Panchanguli
-
Chakreshvari
-
Rohini, Ajitbala
-
Prajnapti, Duritari
-
Vajrashrankhala, Kali
-
Vajrankusha, Mahakali
-
Manovega, Shyama
-
Kali, Shantadurga
-
Jwalamalini, Mahajwala
-
Mahakali, Sutaraka
-
Manavi, Ashoka
-
Gauri, Manavi
-
Gandhari, Chanda
-
Vairoti, Vidita
-
Anantamati, Ankusha
-
Manasi, Kamadeva
-
Mahamansi, Nirvani
-
Jaya-Vijaya, Bala
-
Taradevi, Dharini
-
Jaya-Vijaya, Dharanpriya
-
Aparajita, Nardatta
-
Bahurupini, Gandhari
-
Ambika or Kushmandini
-
Padmavati
-
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'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 in
Tamil Nadu, a pair of beautiful sisters named Chempakavally and Neelapilla turned into vengeful yakshis after becoming victims of an
honor killing by their father. Since their father killed them to keep them from the clutches of the lustful
raja 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 to worship
Shiva, 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, a powerful demoness who was fabled to have finally been stopped by the legendary priest Kadamattathu Kathanar. The Yakshi theme is the subject of popular Keralite tales, like the legend of the Yakshi of Trivandrum, as well as of certain
Film in modern Malayalam cinema.
Kanjirottu Yakshi
Mangalathu Sreedevi or Chiruthevi, also known as Kanjirottu Yakshi is a yakshi from the folklore of Kerala. According to legend, she was born into a Padamangalam Nair
tharavad by name Mangalathu at Kanjiracode in
Travancore. 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
Marthanda Varma.
[Kaimal, Kesava. 'Thekkan Thiruvithamkurile Yakshikal'. Srinidhi Publications, 2002.] 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 Kanjiracodu, 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 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.
Sundara Lakshmi, an accomplished dancer and consort of HH Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, was an ardent devotee of Kanjirottu Yakshi Amma.
The Kanjirottu yakshi is now said to reside in Vault B of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, which supposedly also contains an enormous treasure.[Bayi, Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi. 'Sree Padmanabhasamy Temple' (Third Edition). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2013.] 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
Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism
In
China,
Taiwan, and
Japan yakshni are famous and well-known, such as
Hariti, one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities who are venerated as defenders of the Buddhist
dharma in
mahayana. The Kishimojin (Hariti) temple in Zoushigaya,
Tokyo is dedicated to her.
In Thailand, yakshni are known and worshiped as deity guardians in Tai Folk religion and Thai folklore, showing the influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on Thai culture. Yakshini have spirit houses and shrines devoted to them as Tutelary deity in Thai folk religion. Examples include Nang Phisuea Samudra (ศาลนางผีเสื้อสมุทร), considered the deity guardian of Phisuea Samut Fort, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan Province, Seang Chan Beach in Mueang Rayong district, and Rayong province;
In Myanmar, yakshni are known and worshiped as deity guardians in Myanmar folk religion and Burmese folklore, showing the influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on Burmese culture. Examples include Popa Medaw, the deity guardian of Popa mountain, and the yakshni deity guardian of the Shwedagon Pagoda.
See also
External links
