Vayu Purana

तौ कामरूपिणौ घोरौ विकृताज्ञौ स्वभावतः। रूपानुरूपैराहारैः प्रभवेतामुभावपि ॥ ८.

Those two, fierce and able to assume any form at will, naturally distorted in mind, are able to prevail with food suited to their forms.

देवा सुरानृषींश्चैव गन्धर्वान् किन्नरानपि। पिशाचांश्च मनुष्यांश्च पन्नगान् पक्षिणः पशून् ॥ ८.

Gods, divine sages, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Piśācas, humans, serpents, birds, and animals—

भक्षार्थमपि लिप्सन्तौ सर्वतस्तौ निशाचरौ। इन्द्रेण तु वरौ चैव धृतौ दत्त्वा सुवध्यताम् ॥ ८.

For the sake of food, those two night-roamers desire all these everywhere; but Indra granted them a boon, restraining them and making them easily slain.

यक्षस्तु न कदाचिद्वै निशीथै ह्येककश्चिरम्। आहारं स परीप्सन् वै शब्देनानुचचार ह ॥ ८.

But the yaksha never, at any time, wandered alone at night for long; seeking food, he moved about making noise.

आससाद पिशाचौ द्वौ जन्तुचण्डौ च तावुभौ। पिङ्गाक्षावूर्द्ध्वरोमाणौ वृत्ताक्षौ तु सुदारूणौ ॥ ८.

He encountered two pishachas there, both fierce beings, with tawny eyes, hair standing on end, round-eyed, and exceedingly terrifying.

असृङ्मांसवसाहारौ पुरुषादौ महाबलौ। कन्याभ्यां सहितौ तौ तु ताभ्यां प्रियचिकीर्षया ॥ ८.

Feeders on blood, flesh, and fat, man-eaters of great strength, they were together with two maidens, wishing to please them.

द्वे कन्ये कामरूपिण्यौ तदाचारे च ते शुभे। आहारार्थमटन्तौ तौ कन्याभ्यां सहितावुभौ ॥ ८.

Those two maidens, able to assume any form, and virtuous in conduct, were wandering with them in search of food.

तेऽपश्यन् राक्षसं तत्र कामरूपं महाबलम्। सहसा सन्निपाते तु दृष्ट्वा चैव परस्परम् ॥ ८.

There they saw a rakshasa, mighty and able to change form at will; suddenly, as they came together, they saw each other.

रक्षमाणौ ततोऽन्योन्यं परस्परजिघृक्षवः। पितरावूचतुः कन्ये युवामानयत द्रुतम् ॥ ८.

Then, desiring to seize one another and protect themselves, the two fathers said to the maidens, 'Quickly, bring him here!'

जीवग्राहं विगृह्यैनं विस्फुरन्तं पदे पदे। ततः समभिसृत्यैनं कन्ये जगृहतुस्तदा। गृहीत्वा हस्तयोस्ताभ्यामानीते पितृसंसदि ॥ ८.

Having subdued him alive, though he struggled at every step, the maidens approached and seized him; taking him by both hands, they brought him before their fathers.

ताभ्यां करे गृहीतं तं पिशाचमथ राक्षसम्। पृच्छतां कोऽसि कस्य त्वं स च सर्वमभाषत ॥ ८.

The two maidens held the rakshasa-pishacha in their hands and asked, 'Who are you? Whose are you?' And he told them everything.

तस्य कर्माभिविज्ञातं ज्ञात्वा तौ राक्षसर्षभौ। अजञ्च शण्डं तस्यैते प्रत्यपादयतां सुते। तौ तुष्टौ कर्मणा तस्य कन्ये द्वे ददतुः सुते ॥ ८.

Having learned his deeds, the two foremost rakshasas gave him their sons, Aja and Shanda; pleased with his actions, the two maidens gave him their sons.

पैशाचेव विवाहेन सुदत्या बुद्धवाहनः। अजः खण्डश्च ताभ्यां तौ तदाश्रावयतां धनम् ॥ ८.

Through a pishacha marriage, Buddhavahana received Sudati, and Aja and Khanda received wealth from them at that time.

इयं ब्रह्मधना नाम मम कन्या ह्यलोमिका । ब्रह्मसत्त्वधनाहारा इति खण्डोभ्यभाषत ॥ ८.

This is my daughter Alomika, called Brahmadhana, whose sustenance is the wealth of brahma-beings,' said Khanda.

इयं जन्तुधना नाम कन्या सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरी। जन्तवोऽस्या धनाहारास्तावश्रावयतां धनम् ॥ ८.

'This is my daughter, called Jantudhana, beautiful in all her limbs; her sustenance is the wealth of creatures.' Thus they declared their wealth.

सर्वाङ्गकेशी नाम्ना च कन्या जन्तुधना तथा। अकर्णान्ताप्यरोमा च कन्या ब्रह्मधना तु या ॥ ८.

Jantudhana, the maiden with hair on all her limbs, and Brahmadhana, who is earless and hairless, are thus named.

ब्रह्मधनं प्रसूता सा धनानाच्चैव कन्यका। एवं पिशाचकन्ये ते मिथुने द्वे प्रसूयताम्। तयोः प्रजाविसर्गञ्च ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत ॥ ८.

Brahmadhana gave birth to a daughter, and so did Dhanana; thus, those two pishacha maidens produced two couples. Now listen to the account of their offspring.

हेतिः प्रहेतिरुग्रश्च पौरुषेयो वधस्तथा। विस्फूर्जिश्चैव वातश्च आपो व्याघ्रस्तथैव च ॥ ८.

Heti, Praheti, Ugra, Paurusheya, Vadha, Visphurji, Vata, Apo, and Vyaghra—these are their names.

सर्पश्च राक्षसा ह्येते यातुधानात्मजा दश। सूर्यस्यानुचरा ह्येते सह तेन भ्रमन्ति च ॥ ८.

And Sarpa; these ten are the sons of the yatudhana rakshasas. They are attendants of the sun and wander with him.

हेतिपुत्रस्तथा लङ्कुर्लङ्कोर्द्वावेव चात्मजौ। माल्यवांश्च सुमाली च प्रहेतितनयान् श्रृणु। प्रहेतितनयः श्रीमान् पुलोमा नाम विश्रुतः ॥ ८.

Heti's son is Lankhu, and Lankhu has two sons. Malyavan and Sumali are the sons of Praheti. Hear now of Praheti's son, the illustrious Puloma by name.

वधपुत्रो निकुम्भश्च क्रूरो वै ब्रह्मराक्षसः। वातपुत्रो विरागस्तु आपपुत्रस्तु जम्बुकः ॥ ८.

Vadhas' son is Nikumbha, a fierce brahmarakshasa; Vata's son is Viraga, and Apo's son is Jambuka.

व्याघ्रपुत्रो निरानन्दो जन्तूनां विघ्नकारकः। इत्येते वै परिक्रान्ताः क्रूराः सर्वे तु राक्षसाः ॥ ८.

The tiger's son, Nirānanda, is a bringer of obstacles to living beings; all these, indeed, are fierce Rākṣasas.

कीर्तिता यातुधानास्तु ब्रह्मधानान् निबोधत। यज्ञः पिता धुनिः क्षेमो ब्रह्मा पापोऽथ यज्ञहा ॥ ८.

The Yātudhānas have been described; now hear of the Brahmadhānas: Yajña is their father, Dhuni is their well-being, Brahmā is sinful, and Yajñahā is the slayer of sacrifice.

स्वाकोटकः कलिः सर्पो ब्रह्मधानात्मजा दश। स्वसारो ब्रह्मराक्षस्यस्तेषाञ्चेमाः सुदारुणाः ॥ ८.

Svākoṭaka, Kali, Sarpa, and the ten sons of Brahmadhāna; their sisters are Brahmarākṣasīs—these are exceedingly terrible.

रक्तकर्णा महाजिह्वाऽक्षया चैवोपहारिणी। एतासामन्वये जाताः पृथिव्यां ब्रह्मराक्षसाः ॥ ८.

Raktakarṇā, Mahājihvā, Akṣayā, and Upahāriṇī—Brahmarākṣasas were born on earth in their lineage.

श्लेष्मातकतरुष्वेते प्रायशस्तु कृतालयाः। इत्येते राक्षसाः क्रान्ता यक्षस्यापि निबोधत ॥ ८.

Most of these have made their abode in the Śleṣmātaka trees; thus these Rākṣasas have been described. Now hear also of the Yakṣa.

चकमेऽप्सरसं यक्ष पञ्चस्थूलां क्रतुस्थलीम्। तां लिप्सुश्चिन्तमानश्च नन्दनं स चचार ह ॥ ८.

A Yakṣa desired the Apsaras named Kratusthalī, who was of fivefold fullness; longing for her and pondering, he wandered in Nandana.

वैभ्राजं सुरभिञ्चैव तथा चैत्ररथञ्च यत्। दृष्टवान् नन्दने तस्मिन्नप्सरोभिः सहासतीम् ॥ ८.

There in Nandana, he saw Vaibhrāja, Surabhi, and also Citraratha, seated together with the Apsarases.

नोपायं विन्दते तत्र तस्या लाभाय चिन्तयन्। दूषितः स्वेन रूपेण कर्म्मणा तेन दूषितः ॥ ८.

Seeking a means to obtain her, he found none; thinking thus, he was defiled by his own form and by his deed.