rakshasa

Rakshasa is a class of beings in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The term derives from Sanskrit rakṣa, meaning to guard or protect, though in myth the rakshasas are usually depicted as malevolent demonic beings. They are often described as shapeshifters with formidable magical powers, living in forests, mountains, or other remote realms.

In Hindu epics, rakshasas are recurring adversaries. They figure prominently in the Ramayana, where Ravana, the king of Lanka, is a rakshasa, along with his brother Kumbhakarna and his sister Surpanakha. The Mahabharata also features rakshasas as combatants or antagonists encountered by the heroes.

Rakshasas appear in Buddhist literature as hungry spirits and demons; in Jataka tales they are obstacles or antagonists, and in some traditions they are moral exemplars or cautionary figures about pride and aggression. Description and role vary widely across texts and regions.

Some rakshasas are formidable rulers with boons, others are malevolent monsters; some later traditions present them as more ambiguous beings or as miscreants that can be appeased or subdued by rituals. In many accounts, the rakshasa’s strength is matched by cunning or magical impediments that heroes must overcome.

In modern culture, rakshasas continue to appear in literature, film, and games as demon-like antagonists, with depictions ranging from terrifying monsters to shapeshifting tricksters.