The Pali Text Society's Pali-English dictionary - Tuninst.net

Yakkha Yakkha
many " successful " or happy Petas
above the Petas ;
are in fact Yakkhas (see also below). They correspond
to our " genii " or fairies of the fairy-tales and show
all their qualities. In many respects they correspond
to the Vedic Piiacas, though different in many others,
and of diff. origin. Historically they are remnants of
an ancient demonology and of considerable folkloristic
interest, as in them old animistic beliefs are incorporated
and as they represent creatures of the wilds and
forests, some of them based on ethnological features.
See on term e. g. Dial. in.i88; on their history and
identity Stede, Gespenstergeschichten des Pela Vatthu
chap. V. ; pp. 39-44. — They are sometimes called
devata : S 1.205; or devaputta : PvA 113. 139. A
female Yakkha is called yakkhini (q. v.).
2. Their usual capacity is one of kindness to men
(op. Ger.
spiritual
Rubezahl).
welfare of
They are also interested in the
those humans with whom they
come into contact, and are something like " tutelary
genii " or even " angels " (i. e. messengers from
another world) who will save prospective sinners from
doing evil (cp. Pv iv. i ). They also act as guides in the
" inferno " : Pv iv. 1 1, cp. IV.3. A somewhat dangerous
" Mentor " is represented at D 1.95, where the y.
Vajirapani threatens to slay Ambaftha with an iron
hammer, if he does not answer the Bhagava. He is
Bdhgh. (DA i.'264)
represented as hovering in the air ;
says on this : na yo va so va yakkho. Sakko devaraja ti
vedjtabbo ;
it is to be understood not as this or that y.,
but as Sakka the king of devas. — Whole cities stand
under the protection of, or are inhabited by yakkhas
D n. 147 (akinija-yakkha full of y. ; thus
Alakamanda
may here mean all kinds of supra-mundane beings), cp.
Mhvs 7, 33. — Often,
Lanka (Ceylon) as inhabited by y. :
however, they are cruel and dangerous. The female
yakkhas seem on the whole more fearful and evilnatured
than the male (see under yakkhini). They eat
flesh and blood : J iv.549 ; devour even men : t) 11.346 ;
J 11.15-17, or corpses: J 1.265; mentioned under the
5 adinava (dangers) at A 111.256. A yakkha wants to
kill Sariputta :
Ud
4.
3. Var. classes of y. are enum'" at D 11.256, 257 ; in a
progressive order they rank between manussa and
gandhabba at A n.38 ; they are mentioned with devas,
rakkhasas, danavas, gandhabbas, kinnaras and mah'oragas
at J v. 420. According to VvA 333 Sakka, the
4 great kings (lokapala), the followers of Vessavana
(alias Yama, the yakkhas proper) and men (see below
7) go by the name of yakkha. — Sakka, the king of the
devas, is often named yakkha: J iv.4 ; DA 1.264.
Some are spirits of trees (rukkha-devata) : J in. 309
1.9 ; 11.9 ; PvA 5 ; are also called bhumma-deva
345 ; Pv
(earthly deities) PvA 45, 55. Their cult
originate primarily from the woods (thus
seems to
in trees
Pv II. 9; IV.3), and secondarily from the legends of
sea-faring merchants (cp. the story of the flying-
Dutchman). To the latter origin point the original
descriptions of a Vimana or fairy-palace, which is due
to a sort of mirage. These are usually found in or at
the sea, or in the neighbourhood of silent lakes, where
the sense of hauntedness has given rise to the fear of
demons or supernatural witchcraft. Cp. the entrances
to a Vimana by means of a dried-up river bed (Pv 1.9 ;
II. 12) and the many descriptions of the VimSnas in the
Lake-districts of the Himavant in Vv. (See Stede,
Peta Vatthu trsl" p. 104 sq.)
4. Their names too give us a clue as to their origin
and function. These are taken from (a) their bodily
appearance, which possesses many of the attributes of
Petas, e. g. Khara " Rough-skin " or " Shaggy " Sn
p. 48 ( = khara-samphassar) cammai) SnA 302), also as
Khara-loma " Rough-hair " Vism 208 ; Khara-da^hika
"Rough-tooth" J 131. Citta "Speckled" Mhvs 9.
22; 10, 4; also as Citta-raja J " 372 ; Mhvs 10, 84.
Silesa-loma " Sticky-hair " J 1.273. Siici-loma " Needle-
hair " Sn p. 47, 48 ; S 1.207 ; Vism 208 ; SnA 302. —(b)
places of inhabitance, attributes of their realm, animals
and plants, e. g. Ajakalapaka "Goat-bundle" Ud i.
Ajavaka "Forest-dweller" J iv. 180; vi.329; Mhvs
30, 84: Vism 208. Uppala "Lotus" DhA iv.209.
Kakudha " K.-tree " (Terminalia arjuna) S 154.
Kumbhira "Crocodile" J vi.272. Gumbiya either
" One of a troop " (soldier of Yama) or " Thicket-er "
(fr. gumba thicket) J in. 200, 201. Disamukha " Skyfacer
" DhA IV.209. Yamamoli " Yamachignon "
DhA IV. 208. Vajira "Thunderbolt" DhA iv.209;
alias Vajira-pani D 1.95, or Vajira-bahu DhA iv.209.
Satagira " Pleasant-mount " D 11.256 ; Sn 153 ; J iv.314 ;
VI. 440. Serisaka "Acacia-dweller" VvA 341 (the
—• messenger of Vessavana). (c) qualities of character,
e. g. Adhamma " Unrighteous " Miln 202 (formerly
Devadatta). Katattha " Well-wisher " DhA iv.209.
Dhamma "Righteous" Miln 202 (= Bodhisatta).
Punnaka " Full(-moon ?) " J vi.255 sq. (a leader of
soldiers, nephew of Vessavana). Mara the " Tempter "
Sn 449; S 1. 122; M 1338. Sakata " Waggon4oad "
(of riches) DhA iv.209 —
(d) embodiments of former
persons, e. g. Janavasabha " Lord of men " D 11.205.
Digha M 1.2 10. Naradeva J vi.383, 387. Pandaka
" Eunuch " Mhvs 12, 2t. Sivaka S i.24i=Vin 11.156.
Seri " Self-willed" S 1.57. — Cp. the similar names of
yakkhinls.
5. They stand in a close relationship to and under the
authority of Vessavana (Kuvera), one of the 4 lokapalas.
They are often the direct servants (messengers)
of Yama himself, the Lord of the Underworld (and the
Peta-realm especially). Cp. D 11.257; 111.194 sq. ;
J IV. 492 (yakkhini fetches water for Vessavana);
VI. 255 sq. (Punnaka. the nephew of V.); VvA 341
(Serisaka, his messenger). In relation to Yama : dve
yakkha Yamassa duta Vv 52' ; cp. Np. Yamamoli
DhA IV. 208. — In harmony with tradition they share
the role of their master Kuyera as lord of riches (cp. '
Pv II. 9") and are the keepers (and liberal spenders) of
underground riches, hidden treasures etc.. with which
they delight men :
see e. g. the frame story to Pv 11. 1
(PvA 145). and to iv,i2 (PvA 274). They enjoy
every kind of splendour & enjoyment, hence their
attribute kama-kamin Pv 1.3*. Hence they possess
supernatural powers, can transfer themselves to any
a frequent
place with their palaces and work miracles ;
attribute of theirs is mah' iddhlka (Pv 11.9'° ; J vi. 118).
Their appearance is splendid, as a result of former
merit: cp. Pv 1.2 ; 1.9; ii.ii ; IV.3". At the same time
they are possessed of odd qualities (as result of former
demerit) ; they are shy, and afraid of palmyra leaf
& iron : J iv.492 ; their eyes are red & do not wink :
J V. 34 ; VI. 336, 337. —• Their abode is their self-created
palace (Vimana), which is anywhere in the air, or in
trees etc. (see under vimana). Sometimes we find a
communion of yakkhas grouped in a town, e. g. Alakamanda
D II. 147: Sirisa-vatthu (in Ceylon) Mhvs. 7.
32-
6. Their essential human character is evident also
from their attitude towards the " Dhamma." In this
respect many of them are " fallen angels " and take
up the word of the Buddha, thus being converted and
able to rise to a higher sphere of existence in sar)sara.
Cp. D III. 194, 195; J 1117: VvA 333: Pv iiS'" (where
" yakkha " is expl'' by Dhpala as " pet-attabhSvato
cuto (so read for mato I) yakkho atar) jito dev-attabhavar)
patto " PvA no); SnA 301 (both Suciloma &
Khara converted). — See in general also the foil,
passages: Sn 153, 179. 273, 449; S 1,206-15; A 1. 160;
Vism 366 (in simile) ; Miln 23.
7. Exceptionally the term " yakkha " is used as a
philosophical term denoting the " individual soul
[cp. similar Vedic meaning " das lebendige Ding
(BR.) at several AV. passages] ;
phrase :
hence probably the old
ettavata yakkhassa suddhi (purification of