कूटदन्तान्महाजिह्वान्विकेशान्विकृताननान्
With crooked teeth, great tongues, disheveled hair, and deformed faces,
धन्विनो मुद्गरधरा नसिशूलधरांस्तथा
Armed with bows, wielding clubs, and bearing nose-spears as well,
अन्नादान्पिशितादांश्च सुरापान्सोमपांस्तथा
Eaters of food, eaters of flesh, drinkers of liquor, and drinkers of soma,
नक्तञ्चराः खरस्पर्शा घोरास्तेषां निशाचराः
Night-wanderers, rough to the touch, terrible—these are the night-roaming beings.
नैषां भार्यास्ति पुत्रा वा सर्वे ते ह्यूर्ध्वरेतसः
They have neither wives nor sons; all of them are of upward-flowing seed.
भवपारिषदास्ते वै सर्वे भूताः प्रकीर्त्तिताः
These beings, thus described, are all the attendants of Bhava.
मिथुनेन पिशाचांश्च वर्णेन कपिशेन तु
With the pair, the Piśācas too, having a tawny color,
युग्मानि षोडशाद्यानि वर्त्तमानस्तदन्वयः
The first sixteen pairs, and those that follow in their lineage,
छगलश्छगला चैव वक्रो वक्रमुखी तथा
The male and female goat, the crooked one and the crooked-mouthed one,
विपादश्च विपादी च ज्वाला चाङ्गारकस्तथा
The one with deformed feet, the female with deformed feet, the flame, and likewise the one made of embers,
उपवीरश्च वीरा च ह्युलूखल उलूखली
The lesser hero and the heroine, the mortar and the female mortar,
पाणिपात्रः पाणिपात्री पांशुः पांशुमती तथा
The hand-vessel and the female hand-vessel, the dust and the dusty one,
बालादः केषणादी च प्रस्कन्दः स्कन्दिका तथा
The hairless one, the one with hair, the one who pours out, and likewise the female who pours,
अजामुखा पक्रमुखाः पूरणः स्कन्दिनस्तथा
The goat-faced ones, those with the face of a ram, the one who fills, and the offspring of Skanda,
उपवीरोलूखलिका अर्कमर्काः कुषण्डिकाः
The lesser hero, the female mortar, the sun and the female sun, and the Kuṣaṇḍikās,
सूजीमुखोच्छेषणादाः कलान्येतानि षोडश
Those who take up needles and the cutters—these are the sixteen divisions,
पिशाचास्ते पिशाच्यस्ताः सकुल्याः संप्रजज्ञिरे
These Piśācas and their female counterparts, along with their kin, were born,
अतस्तेषां पिशाचानां लक्षणानि निबोधत
Now, listen to the characteristics of these Piśācas,
तिर्य्यगङ्गाः पारुषदाः पिशाचास्ते ह्यजामुखाः
Those Piśācas called Ajāmukhās are fierce and move obliquely,
कुषण्डिकपिशाचास्ते प्रियभक्षाः सदामिषाः
The Kuṣaṇḍika Piśācas always delight in eating flesh,
ज्ञेया वक्राः पिशाचास्ते वक्रगाः कामरूपिणः
Know those Piśācas as the crooked ones, who move in crooked ways and can assume any form at will,
नितुन्दकाः पिशाचास्ते तिलभक्षाः प्रियासृजाः
Those Piśācas called Nitundakas delight in eating sesame and are fond of blood,
पिशाचार् कमर्कास्ते वृक्षवासोदनप्रियाः
The Kamarka Piśācas dwell in trees and are fond of rice,
मुञ्चन्ति पांशुमङ्गेभ्यः पिशाचाः पांशवस्तु ते
Those Piśācas called Pāṃśavas release dust from their bodies,
उपवीराः पिशाचास्ते श्मशानायतनाः सदा
Those piśācas, ever dwelling in cremation grounds, are without wives.
उलूखलैराभरणा रत्नधाराश्च ते खलाः
Their ornaments are made from mortars, and their streams of jewels are false.
हस्त्युष्ट्रस्थूलशिरसो विनतोद्धतपिण्डिकाः
With large heads like elephants and camels, their hunched and swollen limbs are bent low and raised high.
सूक्ष्मास्तु रोमशाः पिङ्गा दृष्टादृष्टाश्चरन्ति ये
Some are subtle, hairy, tawny; some seen, some unseen, they wander about.
आकर्णाद्दारितास्याश्च लंबभ्रूस्थूलनासिकाः
With mouths torn open to the ears, drooping brows, and thick noses.
हस्तपादाक्रान्ततुण्डा ह्रस्वकाः क्षितिदृष्टयः
With hands and feet encroaching upon their snouts, short in stature, gazing at the earth.