Vayu Purana

सर्वत्रगानप्रतिघान् ब्रह्मज्ञान् कामरूपिणः । घोरान् क्रूरांश्च मेध्यांश्च शिवान् पुण्यान् सवादिनः ॥ ८.

Moving everywhere, unobstructed, knowing Brahman, able to assume any form; terrible, cruel, pure, auspicious, virtuous, and eloquent.

कुशहस्तान् महाजिह्वान् महाकर्णान्महाननान्। हस्तादांश्च मुखादांश्च शिरोदांश्च कपालिनः ॥ ८.

With kusa grass in hand, great tongues, great ears, great jaws; those who eat with their hands, mouths, or heads, and those adorned with skulls.

धन्विनो मुद्गरधरानसिशूलधरांस्तथा। दीप्तास्यान् दीप्तनेत्रांश्च चित्र माल्यानुलेषनान् ॥ ८.

Archers, wielders of clubs, swords, and spears; with blazing mouths, blazing eyes, adorned with varied garlands and ointments.

अन्नादान् पिशितादांश्च बहुरूपान् सुरूपकान् । रात्रिसन्ध्याचरान् घोरान् व्कचित्सौम्यान् दिवाचरान्। नक्तञ्चरान् सुदुष्प्रेक्ष्यान् घोरांस्तान् वै निशाचरान् ॥ ८.

Eaters of food and flesh, of many forms, of beautiful forms; those who move at night and dusk, terrible ones, some gentle, those who move by day, those who roam at night, hard to behold, those fearsome night-wanderers.

परत्वे च भयं दैव सर्वे ते गतमानसाः। नैषां भार्याऽस्ति पुत्रो वा सर्वे ते ह्यूर्द्ध्वरेतसः ॥ ८.

For them, fear of others and fate is gone, their minds are detached; they have neither wife nor son, for all are of upward-flowing seed.

शतन्तानि सहस्राणि भूतानामात्मयोगिनाम्। एते सर्वे महात्मानो भूत्याः पुत्राः प्रकीर्त्तिताः ॥ ८.

Hundreds and thousands of beings, self-controlled by their own power—these all, great-souled, are declared to be the sons of Bhūti.

कपिशा चैव कूष्माण्डीकूष्माण्डाञ्जज्ञिरे पुनः । मिथुनानि पिशाचानां वर्णेन कपिशेन च। कपिशत्वात् पिशाचास्ते सर्वे च पिशिताशनाः ॥ ८.

And tawny Kūṣmāṇḍas were born again, as well as pairs of Piśācas with tawny color; because of their tawny hue, all those Piśācas are flesh-eaters.

युग्मानि षोडशान्यानि वर्त्तमानास्तदन्वयाः। नामतस्तान् प्रवक्ष्यामि पुरुषादांस्तदन्वयान् ॥ ८.

There are sixteen pairs, along with their lineages, currently existing; I will now name them, beginning with the flesh-eaters and their descendants.

छगलश्छगली चैव वक्रो वक्रमुखी तथा। षोडशानां गणाश्चैव सूची सूचीमुखस्तथा ॥ ८.

Chagala and Chagalī, Vakra and Vakramukhī, Sūcī and Sūcīmukha are among the sixteen groups.

सुम्भपा त्रश्च कुमभी च वज्रदंष्ट्रश्च दुन्दुभिः। उपचारोपचारश्च उलूखल उलूखली ॥ ८.

Sumbhapātra, Kumabhī, Vajradaṃṣṭra, Dundubhi, Upacāra, Upacārā, Ulūkhala, and Ulūkhalī are also included.

अनर्कश्च अनर्का च कुखण्डश्च कुखण्डिका। पाणिपात्रः पाणिपात्री पांशुः पांशुमती तथा ॥ ८.

Anarka and Anarkā, Kukhaṇḍa and Kukhaṇḍikā, Pāṇipātra and Pāṇipātrī, Pāṃśu and Pāṃśumatī as well.

नितुण्डश्च नितुण्डी च निपुणा निपुणस्तथा। छलादोच्छेषणा चैव प्रस्कन्दः स्कन्दिका तथा। षोडशानां पिशाचानां गणाः प्रोक्तास्तु षोडश ॥ ८.

Nituṇḍa and Nituṇḍī, Nipuṇa and Nipuṇā, Chalādoccheṣaṇā, Praskanda and Skandikā—these are the sixteen groups of Piśācas that have been described.

अजामुखा वक्रमुखाः पूरिणः स्कन्दिनस्तथा। विपादाङ्गारिकाश्चैव कुम्भपात्राः प्रकुन्दकाः ॥ ८.

Ajāmukhā, Vakramukhā, Pūriṇas, Skandinas, Vipādāṅgārikās, Kumbhapātrās, and Prakundakās.

उपचारोलूखलिका ह्यनर्काश्च कुखण्डिकाः। पाणिपात्राश्च नैतुण्डा ऊर्णाशा निपुणास्तथा ॥ ८.

Upacārolūkhalikās, Anarkās, Kukhaṇḍikās, Pāṇipātrās, Naituṇḍās, Ūrṇāśās, and Nipuṇās as well.

सूचीमुखोच्छेषणादाः कुलान्येतानि षोडश। इत्येता ह्यभिजातास्तु कूष्माण्डानां प्रकीर्तिताः ॥ ८.

Sūcīmukhās, Uccheṣaṇādās—these sixteen lineages are named; these are the noble families of the Kūṣmāṇḍas.

पिशाचास्ते तु विज्ञेयाः सुकल्पा इति जज्ञिरे। बीभत्सं विकृताचारं पुत्रपौत्रमनन्तकम्। अतस्तेषां पिशाचानां लक्षणञ्च निबोधत ॥ ८.

These Piśācas are to be known as the well-formed ones; they are born with dreadful and perverse conduct, with endless offspring and descendants. Therefore, listen to the characteristics of these Piśācas.

सर्वाङ्गकेशा वृत्ताख्या दंष्ट्रिणो नखिनस्तथा। तिर्यङ्गाः पुरुषादाश्च पिशाचास्ते ह्यधोमुखाः ॥ ८.

Covered in hair all over, called Vṛttākhyā, with fangs and claws, their bodies are askew; these flesh-eating Piśācas have faces turned downward.

अकेशका ह्यरोमाणस्त्वग्वसाश्चर्मवाससः। कूष्माण्डिकाः पिशाचास्ते तिलभक्षाः सदामिषाः ॥ ८.

Some are hairless, without body hair, clothed in skin and sinew; these Kūṣmāṇḍika Piśācas always eat sesame seeds and meat.

वक्राङ्गहस्तपादाश्च वक्रशीलागतास्तथा। ज्ञेया वक्रपिशाचास्ते वक्रगाः कामरूपिणः ॥ ८.

With crooked limbs, hands, and feet, and given to crooked behavior, these are known as the crooked Piśācas, who move in twisted ways and can assume any form at will.

लम्बोदरास्तुण्डनाशा ह्रस्वकायशिरोभुजाः। नितुन्दकाः पिशाचास्ते तिलतक्षाः प्रियश्रवाः ॥ ८.

With hanging bellies, beak-like noses, short bodies, heads, and arms—these Nitundaka Piśācas are fond of sesame seeds and are well-known.

वामनाकृतयश्चैव वाचालाः प्लुतगामिनः। पिशाचानर्कमर्कास्ते वृक्षवासादनप्रियाः ॥ ८.

Of dwarf-like form, talkative, moving by leaping—these Anarka and Marka Piśācas dwell in trees and dislike food.

ऊर्द्ध्वबाहूर्द्ध्वरोमाण ऊर्द्ध्ववृक्षास्तथालयाः। मुञ्चन्ति पांशूनङ्गेभ्यः पिशाचाः पांशवश्च ते ॥ ८.

With arms, hair, and trees all pointing upward, and living in such places, these Pāṃśava Piśācas release dust from their bodies.

धमनीमतकाः शुष्काः श्मश्रुलाश्चीरवाससः। उपवीराः पिशाचाश्च श्मशानायतनास्तथा ॥ ८.

With visible veins, dry, bearded, clad in bark garments, these Upavīra Piśācas dwell in cremation grounds.

विष्टब्धाक्षा महाजिह्वा लेलिहाना ह्युदूखलाः। हस्त्युष्ट्रस्थूलशिरसो विरता बद्धपिण्डकाः ॥ ८.

With fixed eyes, large tongues, licking, and mortar-shaped bodies, with heads as big as elephants or camels, withdrawn, and with bound lumps.

पिशाचाः सुम्भपात्रास्ते अदृष्टान्नानि भुञ्जते। सूक्ष्मास्तु रोमशाः पिङ्गा दृष्टादृष्टाश्चरन्ति वै ॥ ८.

The Sumbhapātra Piśācas eat unseen food; the subtle ones are hairy and tawny, moving both seen and unseen.

अयुक्ताश्च विशन्तीह निपुणास्ते पिशाचकाः. आकर्ण दारितास्याश्च लम्बश्रूस्थूलनासिकाः ॥ ८.

And here enter those skillful goblins who are unrestrained: with mouths torn open to the ears, drooping lips, and thick noses.

हस्तपादाक्रान्तगणा ह्रस्वकाः क्षितिदृष्टयः। बालादास्ते पिशाचा वै सूतिकागृहसेविनः ॥ ८.

There are groups trampled by hands and feet, dwarfish, gazing at the ground; these goblins seize children and frequent the houses of women in childbirth.

पृष्ठतः पाणिपादाश्च ह्रस्वका वातरंहसः। पिशितादाः पिशाचास्ते संग्रामे रुधिराशिनः ॥ ८.

With hands and feet set backward, dwarfish, swift as the wind; these goblins eat flesh and, in battle, drink blood.

नग्नका ह्यनिकेताश्च लम्बकेशाश्च पिण्डकाः। पिशाचाः स्कन्दिनस्ते वै अन्या उच्छुसनाशिनः । षोडश जातयस्तेषां पिशाचानां प्रकीर्त्तिताः ॥ ८.

Some are naked, homeless, with hanging hair, and lump-like bodies; these goblins are called Skandins, while others eat the remains of offerings. Sixteen kinds of goblins are thus described.