Vayu Purana

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With fixed eyes, large tongues, licking, and mortar-shaped bodies, with heads as big as elephants or camels, withdrawn, and with bound lumps.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

एवंविधान्पिशाचांस्तु दीनान्दृष्ट्वानुकम्पया। तेभ्यो ब्रह्मा वरं प्रादात्कारुण्यादल्पचेतसः। अन्तर्द्धानं प्रजास्तेषां कामरूपत्वमेव च ॥ ८.

Seeing these pitiful goblins in such forms, Brahma, out of compassion for their limited minds, granted them a boon: the power to become invisible and to assume forms at will.

उभयोः सन्द्ययोश्चारं स्थानान्याजीवमेव च। गृहाणि यानि भग्नानि शून्यान्यल्पजनानि च ॥ ८.

At the junctions of day and night, their places and means of living are the houses that are broken, deserted, or sparsely inhabited.

विध्वस्तानि च यानि स्युरनाचारोषितानि च। असंस्पृष्टोप लिप्तानि संस्कारैर्वर्जितानि च ॥ ८.

And those dwellings that are ruined, inhabited by the impure, untouched or smeared with filth, and lacking in proper rites.

राजमार्गोपरथ्याश्च निष्कुण्ठाश्चत्वराणि च। द्वाराण्यष्टालकाश्चैव निर्ममान्संक्रमांस्तथा ॥ ८.

Along royal roads and side streets, at unclean crossroads, doorways, thresholds, and places where people cross without ownership.

पथो नद्योऽथ तीर्थानि चैत्यवृक्षान्महापथान् । पिशाचा विनिविष्टा वै स्थानेष्वेतेषु सर्वशः ॥ ८.

On roads, rivers, sacred fords, trees at shrines, and great highways—goblins are established in all these places.

अधार्मिका जनास्ते वै आजीवा विहिताः सुरैः। वर्णाश्रमाः सङ्करिकाः कारुशिल्पिजनास्तथा ॥ ८.

Those people who are unrighteous, whose livelihoods are prescribed by the gods—mixed castes, artisans, and craftsmen.

अमृतोपमसत्त्वानां चौरविश्वासघातिनाम्। एतैरन्यैश्च बहुबिरन्यायोपार्ज्जितैर्धनैः । आरभन्ते क्रिया यास्तु पिशाचास्तत्र देवताः ॥ ८.

Among those with vitality like nectar, thieves, betrayers of trust, and others who acquire wealth unjustly—wherever such acts are begun, there the goblins and spirits dwell.

मधुमांसौदनैर्दध्ना तिलचूर्णसुरासवैः। धूपैर्हारिद्रकृशरैस्तैलभद्रगुडौदनैः ॥ ८.

With honey, meat, rice, curds, sesame flour, spirituous liquors, incense, turmeric rice, oil, molasses, and rice cooked with jaggery.

कृष्णानि चैव वासांसि धूपाः सुमनसस्तथा। एवं युक्ताः सुबलयस्तेषां वै पर्वसन्धिषु। पिशाचानामनुज्ञाय ब्रह्मा सोऽधिपतिर्ददौ ॥ ८.

With black garments, incense, and flowers—thus equipped and strong, at the junctions of sacred days, Brahma granted them permission as their lord.

सर्वभूतपिशाचानां गिरिशं शूलपाणिनम् । दृष्ट्वा त्वजनयन्पुत्रान्व्याघ्रान्सिंहांश्च भामिनी ॥ ८.

For all beings and goblins, seeing Girisha, the wielder of the trident, he produced sons—tigers and lions, O beautiful one.

द्विपिनश्च सुतास्तस्या व्यालेयाश्चामिषाशिनः। ऋषयश्चापि कार्त्स्न्येन प्रजासर्गं निबोधत। तस्या दुहितरः पञ्च तासां नामानि मे श्रृणु ॥ ८.

He also had sons who were leopards, and serpents who eat flesh. Now, O sages, understand the creation of beings in its entirety. Hear the names of his five daughters.

मीना माता तथा वृत्ता परिवृत्ता तथैव च। अनुवृत्ता तु विज्ञेया तासां वै श्रृणुत प्रजाः ॥ ८.

Mina, Mata, Vrtta, Parivrtta, and Anuvrtta—these are known as his daughters; now hear of their offspring.

सहस्रदन्ता मकराः पाठीनास्तामरोहिताः। इत्येवमादिर्हि गणो मैनो विस्तीर्ण उच्यते ॥ ८.

The thousand-toothed crocodiles, the Pāṭhīnas, the Tamara, and the Rohitas—thus begins the extensive group called the Mainas.

ग्राहाश्चतुर्विधा ज्ञेयास्तथानुज्येष्ठका अपि। निष्कांश्च शिशुमारांश्च मता व्यजनयत्प्रजाः ॥ ८.

There are four kinds of crocodiles, as well as their younger and elder ones; the Nishkas and the Shishumaras are considered to have produced offspring.

वृत्ता कूर्मविकाराणि नैकानि जलचारिणाम्। तथा शङ्खविकाराणि जनयामास नैकशः ॥ ८.

Various forms of turtles and many kinds of aquatic creatures, as well as different forms of conches, were produced in manifold ways.

मण्डूकानां विकाराणि अनुवृत्ता व्यजायत। ऐणेयानां विकाराणि शम्बूकानां तथैव च ॥ ८.

The forms of frogs appeared in succession, as did the forms of fish, and likewise those of snails.

तथा शुक्तिविकाराणि वराटककृतानि च। तथा शङ्खविकाराणि परिवृत्ता व्यजायत ॥ ८.

Similarly, the forms of oysters and those made by crabs, as well as the various forms of conches, arose in turn.

कालकूटविकाराणि जलौकविहितानि च । इत्येष हि ऋषेर्वंशः पञ्चशाखाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः ॥ ८.

The forms of poisonous creatures and those produced by leeches also appeared; thus, the fivefold lineage of the sage has been described.

तिर्यगं हेतुकमाद्यादुर्बहुलं वंशविस्तरम्। संस्वेदजविकाराणि यथा येभ्यो भवन्ति ह ॥ ८.

The expansion of the lineage of animals born from sweat is extensive and arises from various causes, as is the case with the lower creatures.

स्वस्तिपिकशरीरेभ्यो जायन्त्युत्पादका द्विजाः। मनुष्याः स्वेदमलजाः उशना नाम जन्तवः। नानापिपीलिकगणाः कीटका बद्धपादकाः ॥ ८.

From the bodies of lizards are born twice-born creatures; humans arise from sweat and dirt, and beings called Uśanā, as well as various kinds of ants, insects, and those with fixed feet.