Page 610 - Pali English Dictionary.

Yakkha Yakkha

thus: a being to whom a sacrifice (of expiation or propitia- the latter origin point the original descriptions of a Vimāna
tion) is given. See e. g. VvA 224: yajanti tattha baliṁ upa- or fairy — palace, which is due to a sort of mirage. These are
harantī ti yakkhā; or VvA 333: pūjanīya — bhavato yakkho usually found in or at the sea, or in the neighbourhood of silent
ti vuccati. — The term yakṣa as attendants of Kubera occurs lakes, where the sense of hauntedness has given rise to the fear
already in the Upanishads.] 1. name of certain non — hu- of demons or supernatural witchcraft. Cp. the entrances to a
man beings, as spirits, ogres, dryads, ghosts, spooks. Their Vimāna by means of a dried — up river bed (Pv i.9; ii.12) and
usual epithet and category of being is amanussa, i. e. not a the many descriptions of the Vimānas in the Lake — districts
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human being (but not a sublime god either); a being half dei- of the Himavant in Vv. (See Stede, Peta Vatthu trsl p. 104
fied and of great power as regards influencing people (partly sq.)
helping, partly hurting). They range in appearance immedi- 4. Their names too give us a clue as to their origin and
ately above the Petas; many "successful" or happy Petas are in function. These are taken from (a) their bodily appearance,
fact Yakkhas (see also below). They correspond to our "genii" which possesses many of the attributes of Petas, e. g. Khara
or fairies of the fairy — tales and show all their qualities. In "Rough — skin" or "Shaggy" Sn p. 48 (=khara — samphas-
many respects they correspond to the Vedic Piśācas, though saṁ cammaṁ SnA 302), also as Khara-loma "Rough — hair"
different in many others, and of diff. origin. Historically they Vism 208; Khara-dāṭhika "Rough — tooth" J i.31. Citta
are remnants of an ancient demonology and of considerable "Speckled" Mhvs 9, 22; 10, 4; also as Citta-rājā J ii.372;
folkloristic interest, as in them old animistic beliefs are incor- Mhvs 10, 84. Silesa-loma "Sticky — hair" J i.273. Sūci-
porated and as they represent creatures of the wilds and forests, loma "Needlehair" Sn p. 47, 48; S i.207; Vism 208; SnA
some of them based on ethnological features. See on term e. 302. — (b) places of inhabitance, attributes of their realm,
g. Dial. iii.188; on their history and identity Stede, Gespen- animals and plants, e. g. Ajakalāpaka "Goat — bundle" Ud
stergeschichten des Peta Vatthu chap. v.; pp. 39 — 44. — 1. Āḷavaka "Forest — dweller" J iv.180; vi.329; Mhvs 30,
They are sometimes called devatā: S i.205; or devaputtā: 84: Vism 208. Uppala "Lotus" DhA iv.209. Kakudha "K.
PvA 113, 139. A female Yakkha is called yakkhinī (q. v.). — tree" (Terminalia arjuna) S i.54. Kumbhīra "Crocodile" J
2. Their usual capacity is one of kindness to men (cp. Ger. vi.272. Gumbiya either "One of a troop" (soldier of Yama)
Rūbezahl). They are also interested in the spiritual welfare or "Thicket — er" (fr. gumba thicket) J iii.200, 201. Disā-
of those humans with whom they come into contact, and are mukha "Sky-facer" DhA iv.209. Yamamoli "Yamachignon"
something like "tutelary genii" or even "angels" (i. e. messen- DhA iv.208. Vajira "Thunderbolt" DhA iv.209; alias Vajira-
gers from another world) who will save prospective sinners pāṇī D i.95, or Vajira-bāhu DhA iv.209. Sātāgira "Pleas-
from doing evil (cp. Pv iv.1). They also act as guides in the ant — mount" D ii.256; Sn 153; J iv.314; vi.440. Serīsaka
"inferno": Pv iv.11, cp. iv.3. A somewhat dangerous "Men- "Acacia — dweller" VvA 341 (the messenger of Vessavaṇa).
tor" is represented at D i.95, where the y. Vajirapāṇī threatens — (c) qualities of character, e. g. Adhamma "Unrighteous"
to slay Ambaṭṭha with an iron hammer, if he does not answer Miln 202 (formerly Devadatta). Katattha "Well — wisher"
the Bhagavā. He is represented as hovering in the air; Bdhgh. DhA iv.209. Dhamma "Righteous" Miln 202 (=Bodhisatta).
(DA i.264) says on this: na yo vā so vā yakkho, Sakko de- Puṇṇaka "Full( — moon?)" J vi.255 sq. (a leader of soldiers,
varājā ti veditabbo: it is to be understood not as this or that y., nephew of Vessavaṇa). Māra the "Tempter" Sn 449; S i.122;
but as Sakka the king of devas. — Whole cities stand under the M i.338. Sakata "Waggon — load" (of riches) DhA iv.209
protection of, or are inhabited by yakkhas; D ii.147 (ākiṇṇa — — (d) embodiments of former persons, e. g. Janavasabha
yakkha full of y.; thus Āḷakamandā may here mean all kinds "Lord of men" D ii.205. Dīgha M i.210. Naradeva J vi.383,
of supra — mundane beings), cp. Lankā (Ceylon) as inhab- 387. Paṇḍaka "Eunuch" Mhvs 12, 21. Sīvaka S i.241=Vin
ited by y.: Mhvs 7, 33. — Often, however, they are cruel and ii.156. Serī "Self — willed" S i.57. — Cp. the similar names
dangerous. The female yakkhas seem on the whole more fear- of yakkhinīs.
ful and evil-natured than the male (see under yakkhinī). They 5. They stand in a close relationship to and under the au-
eat flesh and blood: J iv.549; devour even men: D ii.346; J thority of Vessavaṇa (Kuvera), one of the 4 lokapālas. They
ii.15 — 17, or corpses: J i.265; mentioned under the 5 ādī- are often the direct servants (messengers) of Yama himself,
navā (dangers) at A iii.256. A yakkha wants to kill Sāriputta: the Lord of the Underworld (and the Peta — realm especially).
Ud 4. Cp. D ii.257; iii.194 sq.; J iv.492 (yakkhinī fetches water for
d
3. Var. classes of y. are enum at D ii.256, 257; in a pro- Vessavaṇa); vi.255 sq. (Puṇṇaka, the nephew of V.); VvA 341
gressive order they rank between manussa and gandhabba at (Serīsaka, his messenger). In relation to Yama: dve yakkhā
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A ii.38; they are mentioned with devas, rakkhasas, dānavas, Yamassa dūtā Vv 52 ; cp. Np. Yamamolī DhA iv.208. —
gandhabbas, kinnaras and mah'oragas at J v.420. According In harmony with tradition they share the rôle of their master
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to VvA 333 Sakka, the 4 great kings (lokapālā), the followers Kuvera as lord of riches (cp. Pv ii.9 ) and are the keepers
of Vessavaṇa (alias Yama, the yakkhas proper) and men (see (and liberal spenders) of underground riches, hidden treasures
below 7) go by the name of yakkha. — Sakka, the king of the etc., with which they delight men: see e. g. the frame story
devas, is often named yakkha: J iv.4; DA i.264. Some are spir- to Pv ii.11 (PvA 145), and to iv.12 (PvA 274). They enjoy
its of trees (rukkha — devatā): J iii.309 345; Pv i.9; ii.9; PvA every kind of splendour & enjoyment, hence their attribute
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5; are also called bhumma-devā (earthly deities) PvA 45, 55. kāma-kāmin Pv i.3 . Hence they possess supernatural pow-
Their cult seems to originate primarily from the woods (thus ers, can transfer themselves to any place with their palaces and
in trees: Pv ii.9; iv.3), and secondarily from the legends of sea work miracles; a frequent attribute of theirs is mah' iddhika
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— faring merchants (cp. the story of the flyingDutchman). To (Pv ii.9 ; J vi.118). Their appearance is splendid, as a result

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