Pishachas (, ') are flesh-eating

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

s in

Indian religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification o ...

, appearing in

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

and

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

mythologies. A pishacha is a malevolent being that has often been referred to as the very manifestation of evil.

Mythology

The Mahabharata states that the original pishachas was the creation of

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

. The epic offers various interpretations of the being, including its residence in the court of Kubera or Brahma and worshipping the deities of its residence, and its worship of

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

and

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

. The pishachas are described as having fought on the side of Ghatotkacha against Karna. But they are also said to have served the Kauravas, acting as the horses of the chariot of Alambusha. Other legends describe them as the sons of either Krodha (figuratively "Anger") or as Dakṣa’s daughter ''Pishacha''. They have been described as having bulging veins and protruding red eyes. They are believed to have their own languages, known as Paiśāci. According to one legend, they are sons of Kashyapa and Krodhavasa, one of the daughters of Prajapati Daksha. The Nilamata Purana of the 7th century says the valley of Kashmir was inhabited by two tribes: the Nagas and the Pishachas. Pishachas like darkness and traditionally are depicted as haunting cremation grounds along with other monsters like bhutas and vetālas. Pishachas are supposed to possess the ability to shapeshift and assume any form at will, and may also become invisible. They also feed on human

energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...

. Sometimes, they possess human beings and alter their thoughts, and the victims are afflicted with a variety of maladies and abnormalities like insanity. Certain mantras are supposed to cure such afflicted persons and drive away the pishacha possessing that particular human being. In order to keep the pishacha away, they are given their share of offerings during certain religious functions and festivals. When burials are not performed properly, the deceased person may be unable to escape the dead body for indefined time, whereby turning into a Pishacha. It loses its ability to eat and drink, turns blind and suffers immensively. However, instinctively crave for the living, and sense their smell and presence, and may assault them.

Pāṇini (; , ) was a Sanskrit grammarian, logician, philologist, and revered scholar in ancient India during the mid-1st millennium BCE, dated variously by most scholars between the 6th–5th and 4th century BCE. The historical facts of his life ar ...

, in his Aṣṭādhyāyi, described the pishacha as a "warrior clan". In the ancient literature, the Dardic people in the north of Kashmir were referred to as "Pishacha" and Dardic languages were called ''Paiśāci''. They are said to have been descendants of Prajāpati Kaśyapa.

Thailand

According to the Royal Institute Dictionary, the Thai term "ปิศาจ" (''pisat''), from Sanskrit, ''pishacha'', is defined as "ghost" (ผี).''Royal Institute Dictionary'', 1997 Edition
Although not strictly Thai ghosts, the Pishacha appear in some stories in Thai folklore. They are among the spirits from the Hindu-Buddhist tradition in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and are also represented in some

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

paintings.

References

Sources

* '' Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' () by Anna Dhallapiccola {{Hindu-myth-stub Indian legendary creatures Buddhist legendary creatures Legendary creatures in Hindu mythology Demons in Buddhism Demons in Hinduism Mythological anthropophages Vampires

Mythology

Thailand

See also

References

Sources