yakkhā — Logoi (Pali)

Where it lives

Udana 9 · 4.49/10k
Digha Nikaya 26 · 1.81/10k
Sutta Nipata 3 · 1.49/10k

What it meant — PTS Pali–English Dictionary

name of certain non-human beings, as spirits, ogres, dryads, ghosts spooks. Their usual epithet and category of being is amanussa, i.e. not a human being (but not a sublime god either); a being half deified and of great power as regards influencing people (partly helping, partly hurting). They range in appearance immediately above the Petas; many “successful” or happy Petas are in fact Yakkhas (see also below). They correspond to our “genii” or fairies of the fairy-tales and show all their qualities. In many respects they correspond to the Vedic Piśācas, though different in many others and of diff. origin. Historically they are remnants of an ancient demonology and of considerable folkloristic interest, as in them old animistic beliefs are incorporated and as they represent creatures of the wilds and forests, some of them based on ethnological features See on term e.g. Dial. iii.188; on their history and identity Stede, Gespenstergeschichten des Peta Vatthu chap. v.; pp. 39–⁠44
■ They are sometimes called devatā: SN.i.205; or devaputtā: Pv-a.113, Pv-a.139. A female Yakkha is called yakkhinī (q.v.).
Their usual capacity is one of kindness to men (cp. Ger. Rūbezahl). They are also interested in the spiritual welfare of those humans with whom they come into contact, and are something like “tutelary genii” or even “angels” (i.e. messengers from another world) who will save prospective sinners from doing evil (cp. Pv.iv.1). They also act as guides in the “inferno”: Pv.iv.11, cp. Pv.iv.3. A somewhat dangerous “Mentor” is represented at DN.i.95, where the y Vajirapāṇī threatens to slay Ambaṭṭha with an iron hammer, if he does not answer the Bhagavā. He is represented as hovering in the air; Bdhgh. (DN-a.i.264 says on this: na yo vā so vā yakkho, Sakko devarājā ti veditabbo: it is to be understood not as this or that y. but as Sakka the king of devas
■ Whole cities stand under the protection of, or are inhabited by yakkhas DN.ii.147 (ākiṇṇa-yakkha full of y.; thus Āḷakamandā may here mean all kinds of supra-mundane beings), cp Lankā (Ceylon) as inhabited by y.: Mhvs.7, Mhvs.33
■ Often however, they are cruel and dangerous. The female yakkhas seem on the whole more fearful and evil-natured than the male (see under yakkhinī). They eat flesh and blood: Ja.iv.549; devour even men: DN.ii.346; Ja.ii.15–Ja.ii.17, or corpses: Ja.i.265; mentioned under the 5 ādīnavā (dangers) at AN.iii.256. A yakkha wants to kill Sāriputta: Ud.4.
Var. classes of y. are enumerated at DN.ii.256, DN.ii.257; in a progressive order they rank between manussa and gandhabba at AN.ii.38; they are mentioned with devas rakkhasas, dānavas, gandhabbas, kinnaras and mah’oragas at Ja.v.420. According to Vv-a.333 Sakka, the 4 great kings (lokapālā), the followers of Vessavaṇa (alias Yama, the yakkhas proper) and men (see below 7) go by the name of yakkha
■ Sakka, the king of the devas, is oft

In the wild

6 of 38 attestations shown.