In ancient times, within the sacred geography remembered by sages, there existed a remarkable forest known as the domain of the dwarf-bodied one. Its boundaries stretched from the north and the region of Āvedis, marking the fifth division in the land. Another boundary lay along the mighty Lauhitya river, and to the west, the ocean itself formed the edge. This forest, famed as the realm of Yama, extended along the mountain ranges, its terrain both mysterious and awe-inspiring. Within this expanse, Bhūti, the divine mother, gave birth to countless beings and the attendants of Rudra, the great Lord. These offspring were of extraordinary diversity: some were massive and robust, others thin and delicate; some stood tall, others dwarfish or short, and some shared equal stature. Their forms were astonishing—some had pendant ears, hanging lips, drooping tongues, and sagging breasts and bellies. There were those with single bodies and others with double forms, some with heavy buttocks and thick calves. These beings dwelled in every watery place: lakes, ponds, seas, and riverbanks. Their complexions ranged from black, fair, blue, white, to red; some were brown, spotted, smoky, or tawny, and their nature was as harsh as wild asses. Their hair was equally varied—some had locks like munja grass, some bristling, and others wore serpents as sacred threads across their bodies. Their eyes, too, were diverse: protruding, deformed, thin, or many-eyed; some had multiple heads, some none at all, and others just one. Fierce and monstrous, hairy and extremely so, some were blind, some wore matted hair, some were dwarfish, and others neighed like horses. Again, they were found in watery places, with ears of all kinds—single, large, conch-shaped, or none at all. Some possessed tusks, claws, or were toothless; some had double tongues. Their limbs varied: one hand, two, three, or none; one foot, two, three, or many. They possessed great yogic power, immense strength, intense austerity, and mighty prowess. They moved freely, unobstructed by anything, and knew Brahman. They could assume any form, and among them were terrible and cruel ones, as well as pure, auspicious, virtuous, and eloquent beings. Some carried kusa grass in their hands, had great tongues, ears, and jaws; some ate using their hands, mouths, or heads, and others adorned themselves with skulls. Many were archers or wielded clubs, swords, and spears. Their mouths and eyes blazed with fire, and they wore garlands and ointments of every kind. Among them were those who ate food and flesh, those of many forms—some beautiful, some terrifying. Some moved only at night or dusk, some gentle, some hard to behold, roaming the night in fearsome forms. For these beings, fear of others and fate had vanished; their minds were detached and free. They had neither wife nor son, for all were of upward-flowing seed. Hundreds and thousands of such self-controlled beings, empowered by their own strength, are declared to be the sons of Bhūti, all of great soul. Among these, tawny Kūṣmāṇḍas were born again, along with pairs of Piśācas of tawny hue. Because of their color, these Piśācas were flesh-eaters. There were sixteen pairs, each with its own lineage, still existing today. Their names were recited, starting with the flesh-eaters and their descendants: Chagala and Chagalī, Vakra and Vakramukhī, Sūcī and Sūcīmukha; Sumbhapātra, Kumabhī, Vajradaṃṣṭra, Dundubhi, Upacāra, Upacārā, Ulūkhala, Ulūkhalī; Anarka and Anarkā, Kukhaṇḍa and Kukhaṇḍikā, Pāṇipātra and Pāṇipātrī, Pāṃśu and Pāṃśumatī; Nituṇḍa and Nituṇḍī, Nipuṇa and Nipuṇā, Chalādoccheṣaṇā, Praskanda and Skandikā. Other lineages included Ajāmukhā, Vakramukhā, Pūriṇas, Skandinas, Vipādāṅgārikās, Kumbhapātrās, and Prakundakās; Upacārolūkhalikās, Anarkās, Kukhaṇḍikās, Pāṇipātrās, Naituṇḍās, Ūrṇāśās, and Nipuṇās; Sūcīmukhās, Uccheṣaṇādās—these sixteen noble families belonged to the Kūṣmāṇḍas. These Piśācas were well-formed, but possessed dreadful and perverse conduct, producing endless offspring and descendants. Their characteristics were varied: some were covered in hair and called Vṛttākhyā, with fangs and claws, their bodies askew, faces turned downward. Others were hairless, without body hair, clothed in skin and sinew—these Kūṣmāṇḍika Piśācas ate sesame seeds and meat. There were Piśācas with crooked limbs, hands, and feet, given to crooked behavior, who moved in twisted ways and could assume any form at will. Nitundaka Piśācas had hanging bellies, beak-like noses, short bodies, heads, and arms, and were fond of sesame seeds. Anarka and Marka Piśācas, of dwarf-like form, were talkative and moved by leaping, dwelling in trees and disliking food. Pāṃśava Piśācas had arms, hair, and trees all pointing upward, living in such places and releasing dust from their bodies. Upavīra Piśācas had visible veins, were dry, bearded, clad in bark garments, and dwelled in cremation grounds. Some had fixed eyes, large tongues, licking, and mortar-shaped bodies, with heads as big as elephants or camels, withdrawn, and with bound lumps. Sumbhapātra Piśācas ate unseen food; the subtle ones were hairy and tawny, moving both seen and unseen. Among them were skillful goblins, unrestrained, with mouths torn open to the ears, drooping lips, and thick noses. There were groups trampled by hands and feet, dwarfish, gazing at the ground; these goblins seized children and frequented the houses of women in childbirth. Some had hands and feet set backward, dwarfish, swift as the wind; these goblins ate flesh and drank blood in battle. Others were naked, homeless, with hanging hair and lump-like bodies; these were called Skandins, while others ate the remains of offerings. Thus, sixteen kinds of goblins were described. Such was the wondrous, fearsome, and diverse host of beings born of Bhūti, dwelling in the sacred forests, lakes, and rivers, each with its own form, nature, and lineage, filling the world with their presence and mystery.