These are my notes on Rakshasas. Not complete, but a start.
Rakshasas in Indian Legend
The word Rakshasa probably relates the Raksha, meaning ‘guardian,’ though a link to blood (Rakha) is also used as an explanation in some texts. In some places, often peripheral to mainline Indian culture, like Bhutan, Tibet, and Sri Lanka, or with strong Buddhist influence, Raksha[sa]s do continue to have a guardian-type role.
Rakshasas resemble the Asuras in art, often combining a dark body with fierce sharp-toothed heads, or animal features. Some accounts make them descended from the Daityas. They are linked to the human Yatu or Jadu-sorcerers (cursers and illusionists), and to the Pishachas, who resemble ghouls or goblinoids.
When appeasing Rakshasas to drive out disease (or potentially, harness their curses), medical (Ayurvedic) books advise doing puja at crossroads, or in the dark jungles or forests.
The Japanese word for Rakshasas is Rasetsu. Generally identified with the children of Hariti, they are either fairly benevolent and Buddhist guardian spirits, or servitors of Yama, king of the Dead, who punish the guilty. They are known in Chinese as Luocha (pinyin) or Luo chi (Wade-Giles).
In fact, the Buddhist sutras eventually claim the hosts of Asuras and Rakshasas as converts, inverting their traditional role into a sort of monstrous angelic hierarchy.
The Buddhist conversion relationship to the Rakshasas (and the Asuras) is noted in the Vishnu Purana, which sketches out an elaborate story of the Buddha as an avatara of Vishnu who created Buddhism as a karmic trap for the Asuras (and secondarily, for the Rakshasas and other evil spirits). By convincing the Asuras and their followers to adopt Buddhism, and hence abandon the Vedic sacrifices, the gods could destroy the Asuras, who were no longer protected by their sva-dharma, or adherence to their path. The conversion of mortals, it appears, is purely accidental. (Other accounts of Buddha as a Vishnu avatara, however, are more positive.) (Doninger, The Hindus, pp.482-3)
Types of Rakshasas
Rakshasas as indigenous peoples: While Rakshasas are evil monsters to most northern Hindus, the nineteenth century saw a growth in Dravidian identity and the assumption of the labels Rakshasa and Asura as early Dravidian tribes. Similarly, Ravana and his people became heroic to the Buddhist Sinhalese as they differentiated themselves from the Tamils.
Naga Raksha (a type of mask in Sri Lankan festivals): Cobra Raksha[sa]. Demonic face, bulging eyes and a mane of venomous snakes. Drulgye Raksha in Bhutan. See this link.
Gurulu Raksha: Sri Lankan.Garuda/Eagle Raksha. Attacks the three poisons. See here.
Phabi Raksha: Wild boar Raksha[sa] (Bhutan). Records sin and merit (karma).
Lango Raksha: (Ox Rakshasa): default form in Bhutan. Justice Minister of the Hells.
Sengye Raksha: (Bhutan) Lion-headed, compassion.
Domgye Raksha: (Bhutan) Bear-headed, cuts away evil with a noose and saw.
Srin po: Tibetan ‘red-faced’ Rakshasa (lit. ‘cannibal fiends’). They have skin the color of raw meat, and thirst for blood. Subdued by Padmasambhava.
Srin mo: related Tibetan demoness. Unlike the males, Srin mo can be beautiful.
Lo ‘cha (Lochu): Chinese Rakshasas. Confused with Yeh ‘cha, Yakshas.
Ugly men with long beards according to some sources.
Pulastiya dynasty said to be Rakshasas; Pulast[i]ya, the sage son of Brahma, was the father [rect. ancestor] of Ravana.
Bakula, Vakula, Bakura: Bengali names for Rakshasas or Yakshas.
Brahm-Rakshas: Brahmin Rakshasas. Blue-skinned. Always male, huge in form. Learned but depraved.
Manavi Rakshasis are Rakshasas who take the form of beautiful women.
Pisachas are red-colored, as opposed to Rakshasas (in Tantric Buddhist depictions).
Individual Rakshasas
Baka, Bakasura: a Rakshasa of western Bengal defeated by the Pandavas who abandoned cannibalism (as did his tribe), becoming atypically peaceful. He is also identified as an Asura (hence his name). His brother Kirmira, a sorcerer, was slain by Bhima.
Ban-Bakura Nath: worshipped as a god in Jalalabad, Bengal. Short, muscular, with a fleshy face and curly hair tied up with a dagger.
Bibhishana (Vibhisana), half-brother of Ravana, ruler of Alaka in the Himalayas and the Yakshas. He later succeeded his brother as King of Lanka; his wife was Sarma.
Ghatotkacha: King of a Himalayan Rakshasa realm near Kailasa. He was the son of Bhima (tha Pandava hero) and Hidimbi, a Rakshasi. His son was Anjanaparvan. Both were killed in the Mahabaharata.
Hariti, the Sri-Raksha (Karitemo in Japanese): She is a converted ogre, now goddess of childbirth, motherhood, matrimonial love, parenting, and the family. She was once a child-devouring monster. She was converted to Buddhism by the Buddha himself after the families of her victims implored him to help them and the Buddha stole one of her sons, returning him only after she realized the pain she caused other mothers. Her consort was Panchika, a Yaksha warrior often seen as an aspect of Vaisravana. They had 500 sons. Her current diet consists of pomegranates. The ten named daughters (in the Lotus Sutra) of Hariti are Lamba (captured), Vilamba/Pralamba, Kutadanti/Malakutadanti (crooked teeth), Puspandanti (flowery teeth), Makuta (black teeth), Keshini (long haired), Acala (insatiable), Maladhari (necklace (of skulls) holder), Kunti, and Sarvasattvojahari (stealer of souls). Compare her to the Matriki, goddesses of childbirth, child-death, and disease.
Hidimbi (Himdimba): A Rakshasi (female Rakshasa). She was the mother of Ghatotkacha by Bhima, a Pandava demigod (son of Vayu). Her brother was Hidimba. She is described as tall, dark-skinned, and very beautiful; after falling in love with Bhima she abandoned meat-eating. She is worshipped as a Devi in the Himalayan town of Manali, having attained the status via austerities and is associated with Durga. (Bhima’s relationship to the Rakshasas is comparable to Thor’s versus the giants; both have consorts from their enemies).
Jatasura: A master illusionist and Rakshasa, he hoped to steal the weapons of the Pandavas and ravish Draupadi, their wife. He was distracted by Yudhishthira and Bhima arrived on the scene to kill him.
Kumbhakarna: ‘Leader of the Rakshasas’ in the Lankavatara Sutra, where he is a convert to Buddhism. He was a giant, prone to taking naps for years as a result of his mispronunciation of several words in requesting a boon from Brahma. Whenever he awoke he was ravenously hungry, and would consume many humans. Rama killed him. Despite this, he was a basically good or neutral character who attempted to restrain his brother Ravana. His death allowed his release via Rama, and he ascended into the heavens.
Khara, the archer: King of a jungle or forest kingdom of Danda[ka], tributary to Lanka, in central India, which covered much of the southwest and central subcontinent. It is into his kingdom that Rama went into exile after he was passed over for the throne of Ayodhya. He was killed by that hero.
Mali: Brother of Malyavan and Sumali, son of Sukesha.
Malyavan: a Brahmin Rakshasa (or Daitya) and advisor to Ravana, and formerly, the ruler of Lanka before he replaced him. His brother was Sumali, Ravana’s grandfather. He was also Ravana’s grandfather on his mother’s side. His wife was Sundari and his sons were Vajramushti, Viropaksha, Durmukha, Suptaghna, Yagyakopa, Matta, and Unmatta. His daughter was Anala.
Nirrti (Narriti, Nairti, Narichi or Rasetsuten in Japanese): Goddess of darkness, misfortune, destruction, and pain. Guardian of the southwest direction. She has (matted) golden hair and dark skin, and dresses in black. She may be implored (as in the Rig Veda) to remove herself from a place. She undergoes a sex change as the Buddhist guardian in Japanese (and perhaps Chinese) mythology. In that context, s/he has two arms with swords or a sword and a hide shield, wears armor, and rides a lion or an ass. Nirrta, the masculine form of her name, is an epithet of Shiva, so this figure may be an amalgam of the two. S/he dwells at the mountain called Raksahkuta (Rakshasa Mountain), according to the Kalikapurane Murtivinirdesah. The Atharvaveda describes how to use her powers against foes. Nirrti/a’s subjects include the Grahi (spirits of childbirth and disease = Matriki), Druh [Drujs], Magundi (anti-cow female demons), Arayi (female darkness demons), and Arati (‘malignancy’). Some accounts make her the mother of the Rakshasa by Nirrta (Shiva).
Ravana: Ten-headed Ravana is the most important of the mythic Rakshasas. Ravana was immensely strong; he uprooted Mount Kailasa when Shiva and Parvati’s intimacies offended him, but Shiva stomped him into the earth; thus Ravana is depicted at the base of temples built in the image of that mountain (like Ellora). According to the Lankavatara, he was enlightened through conversation with the Buddha. In the Dhammapada, it is claimed that the Buddha converted a Rakhasa to Buddhism within the city of Lanka; in the Lankavatara Sutra, the missionary is Mahamati. Ravana, according to this text, became a vegetarian.
Sukesha: Father of Malyavan, Mali and Sumali. His wife was Devavati, a Gandharva. He was a Daitya (proto-Rakshasa).
Sumali: Son of Sukesha, a Daitya. His wives were Ketumati and Thataka. The latter was the mother of Kaikesi, whose sons by Vaishrava were Ravana, Bibhishana.
Surpanakha, the ‘long-nailed one,’ also called the ‘fish-eyed one’ (Minakshi) (for her beautiful eyes). She was a Rakshasi. Her desire for Rama and his brother led to the Ramayana, because after they rejected her, she incited Ravana to abduct Sita. Her half-sister was Kumbini. She was hag-like and dark, according to Valmiki. Kamban, however, describes her as very attractive with great skill in illusion.
Vaishrava, son of Pulastiya, father of the Rakshasas and the Yakshas, and of Kubera. Kaikeshi [Pushpotkota?], a demoness (daughter of Sumali, a Daitya, and Thataka, a Yaksini), was the mother of Ravana by him (contradicts the information above).
Lands
Arakan: This coastal area of modern Burma (Myanmar) is named after the Rakshasas (Rakshasapura, Rakkhapura in Pali), with whom the natives were identified by Indian explorers. The tribes of Arakan were considered to be dark-colored, cannibalistic, and wild. The form of the placename changed gradually to Yetkhapura (Yaksha-pura) and Rakhaing. Arakan appears as Argyre, the ‘land of silver’ in Ptolemy’s Geography, and changed into an island in Mandeville and medieval sources.
Dandaka: See under Khara, above.
Lanka: Although today identified with Sri Lanka, the location of Lanka in the Ramayana is disputed. The name merely means ‘island.’ In the early middle ages a ‘Lanka’ is also located in Orissa near Sonapur, along the Mahanadi river. This region had at its chief goddess the Tantric deity Lankeswari. The Lankavatara Sutra situates Lanka on Mount Malaya.
Vaisali: Land of the Raksha[sa]s in Avasghosha’s life of the Buddha. This is a city in Bihar, where the Buddha preached his last sermon.
I can see you doing something with the whole Monkey King thing, ala the Forbidden Kindom, Journey to the West...
How about incorporating Kalaripayutu and Thugese...
I can see you doing something with the whole Monkey King thing, ala the Forbidden Kindom, Journey to the West...
How about incorporating Kalaripayutu and Thugese...
Uh... I actually have some notes (mostly geographical) on that story, which is of course based on the journey to India by a Buddhist monk from Xian in China. Golarion, because it has an expanse of ocean between Tian Xia and Vudra can't really do the story out of the box. Interestingly, in terms of RW mythology, there are parallels between places in the Prester John and Alexander legends and the Journey to the West, notably the River of Sand and the Kingdom of Women in western Tibet/Ladakh.
Kalaripayutu, the Indian martial art, should probably be approached as a prestige class so it's available to monks, fighters, et al.
Thuggees (Thags) see a Golarionization I think in Cult of the Ebon Destroyers.
Cool :) Thanks :)
Undead of India
Indian Undead are chiefly disembodied unless they are derived from improperly disposed of corpses, or from unclean or polluted bodies that cannot be burned, because cremation is so common. They dwell in the cremation grounds, or near their homes in life. Malevolent spirits and ghosts are seldom seen as ‘evil’ and are described primarily as ‘dukhi’ or unhappy.
The Bhopa, Bhagat, Bhua or Bhuva (from Bhut- ‘spirit’ or Bhakti, ‘devotion’ (to Shiva)) is an Indian ghost-hunter. They are part-time village priests who also act as magical physicians and shamans for tribal (Bhil) and Rajput settlements. They are assisted by musicians.
Ojha (in Bengal and Bangladesh) are another type of shaman-exorcist and disease-curer. They are said to be the sole mortals with power over Kali and her ghostly and monstrous followers.
Possession is a characteristic both of ghosts and spirits and of gods, and does not in itself indicate an evil creature.
Types:
Acheri: Girl-ghosts/feys of Kumaon (Uttarakhand) who descend from the mountains to attack children. They hate the color red and inflict disease through their shadows (chaya).
Airi: Ghost of a hunter slain by beasts. Similar to the Wild Huntsman, he is accompanied by ghouls, yeth-type hounds, and chases down night travelers. Airi require human blood, and he can cause fights to break out, or injuries to occur out of doors. [Kumaon]
Baupher: a ghost or goblin [North India]
Bhavani, Bhawani: ghost of an unmarried woman. Also Kalika Bhavani, one of the seven goddesses of smallpox, fertility, protection and the patroness of the out-caste. Bhavani is an ascetic goddess, chaste and unmarried. (As a presently worshipped deity this being is inappropriate for Bestiarization).
Bhumiya: a spirit or ghost in the form of a snake, which can bite mortals, or lead them astray in the fields and forests. [Kumaon]
Bura, Dura, or Pandubi (‘the diver’): a water-ghost that drowns those crossing rivers. [Bihar]
Bhut[a]: Originally denoting a disembodied spirit in general, in the medieval period it came to be equated with the Preta and became an incorporeal possessing ghost. Bhuta Nrutya are ghost dances made to commune with local spirits in southern India. Bhut possession (good Bhuts are called ‘Dut,’ as opposed to Sankat, qv.) can cause madness and violent fits, as well as dancing, singing, and visions. The Bhuts are generally terrifying and hideous, but not necessarily evil.
Brahm: ghost-Brahmin, powerful and dangerous. Cf. the Brahmarakshasa, described under Rakshasas earlier in this thread.
Chatua, Chahta, : Milk-drinking vampire. Attacks cows and nursing women. [Bihar] See Churel.
Churel (Chudel[a], Chudail, Chordevan, Hadal, Kichin, Bahariya, Alwantin, Atma): A woman who dies while pregnant or menstruating (and/or before the age of 20) can become a Churel. The Churel takes the form of an attractive woman (though sometimes described as mouthless, and/or with a green face, and with backwards turned feet) who dresses in white or of a black cat or a night bird; she seduces her male victims, sometimes eating the liver. She has long talons on her fingers and unkempt, pale, hair. The actual Churel spirit is housed in stones in the hills and mountains; she sometimes dwells in the Tamarind tree, or on the river shore. She brings ‘wasting disease’ and death where she resides, but can be propitiated in a village shrine. Seeds, butter, and other sacred substances may be used to exorcise a Churel or in the funeral rites to prevent one from forming. Like other types of undead they must count scattered (mustard) seeds or rice, which allows a person who throws a large quantity on the ground to escape. She may cast the evil eye. This creature is confused with the Dakini, below, and is a slur used against eccentric or powerful tribal women (like witch amongst Westerners). Churel are sent by Tantric witches against their enemies.
Daka (‘sky-goer,’ Dakani, Dayyan, Khandro (fem.) (Tibetan: ‘sky-traveller’): These are the forest and mountain dwelling blood-drinking, flying, necromancer beings of Tantric belief and folklore. They are colored in brilliant hues, wear no clothing except necklaces of skulls, and have prominent fangs. The Vankar describe them as will o’ wisp types that possess men. For Tantric practitioners they symbolize a source of creative, erotic, and passionate enlightenment. They can grant wishes, but these wishes can be treacherous to the unwary or impious. A notable, possibly the chief Daka is Heruka Chakrasamva, ‘Blood-drinker.’ He is one of the followers of Shiva. Buddhist Tantrics take Heruka to be a form of the Buddha who entered the world to seize Shiva’s power and transform the dangerous Dakas into faithful (if ferocious) followers of the Dharma. Daka are a particularly fraught issue in terms of folklore and belief, since they remain a source of esoteric enlightenment for Tantric practioners, yet have entered the popular legendary as a witch or evil monster. Most Daka are Dakanis, female, since they visit male Tantrics. The folkloric Dayyan or Dajan is a malignant witch, who learns her art in the cremation grounds, and is well known for her facility with the evil eye, and a spell that takes the heart out of a living victim over a distance (dayan ka mantar[a]). Note: these creatures either ought to be CN or differentiated between CN Dakinis and CE Dayans/Churails.
Dhokar Kaswa: a Bogey that carries a bag to seize disobedient children. [Bihar]
Ghoghar, Neki Bibi, Bhokeswa, Bhakur: Bogey-ghosts used to frighten children. [Bihar]
Gwale. A ghost in the form of a handsome young man, he was the son of a rajah and exposed by a jealous wife. He was raised by tigers, and after his death, appointed ‘justice minister’ in Kumoan by Shiva. He punishes theft and wrongdoing by cursing the culprits.
Jilaiya, Jilwaiya, Machiriya: a ghost or demon which takes the form a nocturnal bird and drinks blood from sleeping victims. It can only attack people whose name it overhears. They cause frailty in unborn children in the wombs of women they pass near. [Bihar] Related to the Churail.
Kapari: ‘sentry, guard’ a man who has died at sea and become a ghost. [Maharashtra]
Khabish: Similar to the adult Masan. He can imitate animal noises to attract victims. Worshipped in Kumoan.
Khavi: Name for a Bhuta amongst the Bhil tribe.
Mari: a female ghost; she is the spirit of a human sacrifice made to secure the building of a site.
Masan, Masaan, Masan Baba: ghost of a child, miscarriage or otherwise lost pregnancy, or a low-caste man; this type is black and hideous, the Masan chases visitors to the cremation ground. The Masan is known to take the form of a bear. It can cause death by fright, or cause children to waste from its shadow (Chaya). The ashes of a Masan can be used by thieves to render people unconscious. They may be summoned using human thigh bones, and exorcised his tiger bones, the symbol of Kali. Masan possessing humans must be driven out by torturing the host. Masan spirits can attack children if the household cooking fire is extinguished by falling food. Pigs and goats are sacrificed to Masan. [This creature is worshipped in parts of India]
Pey (Peyya, Pei, Pe), (a Tamil word, related to Preta) sometimes a synonym for Pishacha. Malignant human ghost, resulting from a violent, sudden, or premature demise. Peys are in the train of Shiva. They are sometimes worshipped (in distinction to common Pishachas). Also means ‘wild, uncultivated, inedible.’ Pei-puja, worship of Peys, is known in Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu). Opposed throughout India by Vishnu adherents. Peys inhabit the bodies of their dancer-worshippers (Samiyati) like the darker of the loa. They value sacrifices of alcohol and tobacco. Active by night and at noon. They cause sickness.
Preta, Bhutpret[a]: These are the hungry dead of Buddhist and later Hindu belief; the dead who are unsatisfied and receive no offerings from descendants. Distinct from Pitra (Pitri Devati), or ‘fathers, ancestors’ who are venerated by family ceremonies. The Bhutprets are followers of Shiva.
Runiya, Runia: Landslide and rockfall ghost; he rides boulders across the ground. Women visited by the Runiya by night waste away; he is also an incubus figure. (Kumaon)
Sankat: ‘danger, trouble, difficulty:’ a type of possessing Bhut whose actions are unfortunate to the possessee, as opposed to the Dut. Sankat is also the state of being (and symptoms) the ghost and possessee are in that is remedied by the Bhagat.
Takshami: Woman who has died unclean. See Churail, Vantri.
Vantri: Woman who has died unclean, specifically during childbirth; also used as a synonym for witch. [Gujarat] See Churail, Takshami.
Vetala (Baital, Agiya Baital, Tibetan: Ro Langs): The most famous of the Vetalas is the creature in the story translated by Burton as ‘Vikram and the Vampire,’ about king Vikramaditya of Ujjain and his conversations with one in a cremation ground; this Vetala ultimately became one of his Nine Jewels, or royal advisors. Vetalas possess corpses left improperly burned or buried in the cremation ground. They are not wholly malignant, since they serve Shiva. They are said to eat dung beetles. Another legend describes Vetala as the brother of Bhairava, an aspect of Shiva, as god of movement, purification, and terror, with Vetala as the corpse that acts as his vehicle. (Bhairavi, the female counterpart to Bhairava, is Kali; as Vajrakali, ‘lightning/diamond-Kali’ she rides a Vetala as well). This Vetala is a bearded man or monkey-faced man, with closed eyes, lying prone beneath the wrathful deity. Vetala or Vetalas serve Bhairava as his servants, and Vetala accepts blood sacrifices for his brother and master. The Vetala in the Vetalaprakanam has the wings and legs of a vulture. The Vetala Siddhi is a Tantric spirit-controlling ritual used in the presence of this creature to use it as an aerial and planar mount. Vetalas dwell in circles of stones painted red outside the villages they protect; they are worshipped in some parts of India as protective spirits. Amongst the Ramoshi or Naik of southern India the Vetala is the male leader of the train of female demonesses called Matriki, or ‘mothers.’ Vetal[a]’s ‘birthday’ as celebrated in northern India coincides with Hanuman, whom he may be a dark reflection of.
Woni: an evil spirit in Vankar tradition (Gujarat and Rajasthan). Subdivisions of the Woni are the the female Dakana (Dakini) and Churail (Churel), as well as the Jans (Jinn) and Bhuts that are considered male ghosts.
Major Sources:
Crooke, William (1896). The Popular Religion and Folk-lore of Northern India. (The research for Crooke’s monographs were really conducted by Ram Gharib Chaube, his assistant).
Grierson, George A. (1885). Bihar Peasant Life.
Kapur, Tribhuwan (1988). Religion and Ritual in Rural India.
Sidky, H. (2008). Haunted by the Archaic Shaman.
Smith, Frederick M. (2006). The Self Possessed.
Turner, Patricia, and Coulter, Charles Russell (2000). Dictionary of Ancient Deities. (highly recommended)
We could do many suppliments baced on this...
I'm working on a veeery long article on Naga, but in the meantime, here is a bit more on the Asura.
Nivatakavacha (and Danavas)
Well, since there was a passing request (from Wesley) for more info on the waterdwelling Asura, I’ve taken up the challenge. The name is also spelled Nivata-Kavacha, Nivaatkavach and Nivatakavaca. Sometimes they become a pair of giants named Nivata and Kavacha. Kavacha means ‘mailed, wearing armor.’ Nivata seems to mean ‘invulnerable.’ They were descended from Sanhlada (Sanhlaad), son of Hiranyakashyapa.
The Pratap Chandra Roy translation of the Mahabharata describes them and their allies (vol. 3, pp.357-9):
‘And then, O Bharata, all of them adorned with ornaments, these offspring of Diti—the Nivata Kavachas—made their appearance by thousands, donning diverse mail and taking in their hands various weapons and equipped with mighty iron javelins and maces and clubs and hatchets and sabres and discs and sataghnis and bhusundis and variegated and ornamented swords…
[The article ‘Serpent Worship in India,’ in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1891) by CF Oldham, asserts that the Nivata Kavachas brandished trisulas, or tridents.]
‘Then the Danavas began to sound thousands of musical instruments, dissonant, and of odd shapes. And at these sounds, fishes by hundreds and by thousands, like unto hills, having their senses bewildered by the noise, fled suddenly… the demons discharging sharpened shafts by hundreds and by thousands… [the Asuras are in chariots with bows]
The Nivatakavachas are described as having a ‘dreadful and grim visage.’ They fight using ‘illusion.’ [Maya can mean ‘magic’ as well.] They cause rocks to be uprooted from the earth, and floods of water from the sea to be flung at Arjuna. They are roaring throughout the battle.
The Danavas [Danaav] make illusions of fire and wind, and of impenetrable darkness. The Nivata-Kavachas cast ‘illusions’ of the world plunged into deep ocean.
The Danavas take the form of predatory and dangerous beasts, monsters, and dragons.
These fiends were ultimately wiped by Arjuna in the Mahabharata, though many races of Asuras were said to have been killed off in that book and yet show up later. Nivatakavacha (one being) besieges Indra in heaven (Devaloka) in some texts, along with the Paloma and Kalakeya fiends. Because through austerities they had claimed invulnerability to the attacks of Gods, Asuras, and Nagas, a human (Arjuna’s father is Indra, but his mother was mortal) needed to defeat them.
In local legend, the two giants version of the battle is localized at Mysore. Interestingly, the Indian name of Mysore is Mahishur, or Mahishasura, and it is named after the buffalo asura killed there by Kali.
Nivatakavacha is paired with Kalakeya in Kathakali plays as a single creature, this being no doubt artistic license (synecdochy). The battle with Arjuna is a popular subject in Indian (and Balinese) literature and art.
They are Daityas. According to the Mahabharata the Nivatakavacha evenly matched Arjuna, so he had to ask Brahma for help. In the Balinese Ramayana, they make a sacred alliance (over the sacrificial fire) with Ravana.
As Arjuna is a (very) high-level mortal I’d place their CR in the mid teens.
Hiranyapura (Golden City) was the flying city of the Panis, Palomas, Kalakeyas, and Nivata Kavachas, travelling between deep ocean, earth, and sky. The cities of the Kalakeyas, Danavas, and Nivatakavachas are covered in jewels. Unearthly birds fluttered through them. The peoples of the cities wear garlands of flowers and always walk about heavily armed. The city is otherwise placed in Rasatala, above Patala (the Naga world), in the underworld. Another tradition places it at Khedbrahma in Gujarat.
These are some demon makeup designs from the Kathakali dance tradition:
here
here
and here
Another great source of artistic inspiration are Balinese and Javan shadow puppets (Wayang).
Ditya (as they are known in Indonesian) are depicted like this.
I've just stumbled across this thread and have spent several hours reading it to absorb all the awesome-sauce contained in here. Good job, Jeff! You got me hooked. =)
Nagas in Indian Legend
Etymology: Naga can mean a number of things: ‘naked’ (Sanskrit: Nanga) is one possible meaning, and it clearly applies to the ascetics called Naga in India. ‘Nok’ appears to be a Tibeto-Burman root meaning ‘people.’ In Kashmir, the word ‘naga’ means spring of water. It seems likely that the snake associations were extended to include hill (‘naga’) tribes by a process of folk etymology and mythic convergence.
Genealogy: Nagas are said to be descended from Kadru wife of Kasyapa (whose name can mean turtle, btw). Kadraveya is another name for the Nagas, meaning children of Kadru. The king of the nagas, their son, is Sheshnag, or Shesha Naga, ‘the eternal.’ Sheshnag is the bed of Vishnu on the cosmic ocean. Kadru and her consort have a thousand other children. Because Sheshnag is the bed of Vishnu (and consequently the universe), his in-creation origins as a child of Kadru appear to parallel to an always existing true origin. Sheshnag is believed to actually survive the end of the universe and thus trigger the creation of the next.
It’s interesting to compare this Naga legend to the Proteans of the PF setting. I’m not sure what origin Nagas might have in Golarion (I don’t believe this has been addressed) but a link to the Proteans seems clear. The exact relationship between the Serpentfolk and the Nagas has also yet to be addressed, though the old pulp links of Lemuria to the Serpentfolk and to the Hyborian Age seem to be related the fringe ideas of Col. Churchward.
Churchward (and previously Le Plongeon) wrote of a Naga-Maya culture which originated in the Pacific continent of Mu. Their lost language, Naacal (Le Plongeon claimed the word meant ‘the exalted’), seems to be etymologically linked to the word Naga (also spelled Naaga). Churchward claimed that the Naacal tablets that led him to this belief were shown to him in India. Nonetheless, Churchward’s Naga were a ‘white race,’ not a serpentine one. Despite this, Ickes and other crackpots have described the Naga as being their reptilian shapeshifting race, though they mine Churchward for details.
The Zanthu Tablets were written in Naacal.
The mythological Naga has three main forms and more closely resembles a Weresnake than the aberrations of the PF game lineage. The forms are: human, sometimes without hair or with green skin; half-snake half-human, resembling a mermaid or Melusine; and a fully serpentine form. Powerful Nagas have multiple heads in snake form, like a Hydra. They can also vary this shape from small to immense, mountain-dwarfing sizes.
The Royal Naga (i.e., Nagaraja) presented in What Lies in Dust (PF #27) most closely resembles the Indian Naga, particularly in its alternate form ability and multiple heads. Non-multi-headed shapeshifting Naga might be based on this bestiary entry.
Naga is also used as a term for elephant, by analogy of the trunk to the snake’s body. Thus Iravatha the white elephant of Indra is a ‘Naga.’ Naked Shaivite mendicants are also known as Naga. (An ascetic variety of Naga probably ought to exist in PF Vudra).
Nagas are often described in both Hindu and Buddhist texts as pairs of siblings, like the Asuras.
The Chinese and the Japanese equated the Nagas with dragons (Ch. Long, Ja. Ryu).
Sarpa (serpent) is a synonym for Naga, though the term Nag is used in Hindi to mean specifically the cobra. Possibly, Sarpa = Serpentman in Golarion?
Garuda and his descendants are the hereditary foes of the Naga after the bird-man, sent to obtain amrita, the nectar of immortality, tricked the Naga into licking only a few drops from sharp grass (thus cutting their tongues), and kept almost all of it for himself. Garuda and his full brothers were born servants of the Naga, their half-siblings, because of the machinations of Kadru as senior wife of Kasyapa. Since then Garuda and many raptors descended from him kill Nagas and snakes and eat them, whenever possible. (The Avoral in Bestiary 2, btw, is a splitting image of many depictions of Garuda).
Nagin, Nagini and Nagaini are female Nagas or cobras. Voldemort’s familiar Nagini is named after these creatures.
The RW Nagavanshi Kshatriya clans claim descent from Nagas.
Jananejaya, a Kuru King, decided to exterminate the Nagas through fire, essentially making them into a sacrifice. Because his grandfather, Parakshit, was killed by snakebite as a result of the enmity of the Naga King Takshaka, he hated the entire race. Astika, the half-Naga Brahmin, son of Manasa, made peace and ended the sacrifice. Since then the sacrifice of snakes has been taboo.
Types of Nagas
There are said to be eight types of Nagas, each named after a different ancestor (Nagarajas): Anantha, Dhanamjaya, Iravatha, Karkotaka, Sankha-Pala, Shesha, Vasuki, and Takshaka. Buddhists give a somewhat different list of Naga Kings, with Upananda, Padma, Varuna, Suparna, and Kulika replacing Dhanamjaya, Iravatha, Karkotaka, Shesha, and Takshaka. Jaya and Vijaya are added by the Kalachakra Tantra. The Mahayana list is Nanda, Upananda, Sagara/Shakara, Vasuki, Takshaka, Balavan, Anavatapta, and Utpala. The eight in Buddhist lore ornament the body of Garuda, their enemy.
Anantha (Nanda, Nagaraja): ‘Endless.’ Peaceful, can be invisible. Anantha is equated with Shesha, but the two are distinguished in terms of their descendants.
Dhanamjaya (Dhananjaya, Dhannajaya): ‘One who has attained wealth/conquered the treasure.’ Aggressive, red-colored. Also the name of a Vayu (wind), and of the digestive-metabolic process in Yoga, a part of the soul severed from the body only by cremation which causes bloating in corpses. This was the name of a gambling Kuru king.
Iravatha: Aggressive, multi-colored. Iravatha (Airavata) is actually an elephant (white, signifying a cloud), the mount of Indra the storm god, but the river Iravati, ‘the goer’ is a snake by the mythic resonance of snakes and waterways. Aswasena, the wife of Takshaka, was descended from Iravatha, as was Ulupi, the wife of Arjuna.
Karkotaka (Karkota): Passive, black-scaled. Karkotaka, a storm and rain god, is fixed to a tree by the sage Nand. He bites Nala and his venom twists and distorts his body in the Mahabharata. The Katewa clan of the Jats in Rajasthan claims descent from him.
Sankha Pala, Shankha, Shankhapala: Aggressive, white-scaled. Shankhapala, according to Buddhist accounts, was a life of the Boddhisatva. Shankhahrada is a lake where he dwells/dwelt. He ruled the Barsar people in Chhattisgarh. His daughter Shashiprabha married Vakpatiraja II, late 10th century ruler of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa (Madhya Padresh). This is the most important of the Nagarajas in Buddhist works.
Shesha (Sesa, Sesha): Peaceful, white-scaled. Equated with Anantha/Nanda, the bed of Vishnu. Balarama is his avatara. Ananda/Shesha bears Vishnu, and consequently the entire cosmos/earth, thus resembling the Ouroboros, or the Midgard Serpent, which encircles the world. He assisted in the churning of the ocean to create Amrita. His true size is beyond human comprehension.
Takshaka (Tarkshya?): Passive, black-scaled, probably venomous (see Vasuki, below). Takshila in the Punjab was named for Takshaka. Arjuna destroyed and burned Takshaka’s forest kingdom and slaughtered his family. He murdered Parikshit, Arjuna’s grandson, in revenge.
Vasuki: Peaceful, but very venomous. Wheat-colored. These nagas guard villages. Vasuki is named as king of the Sarpas. His sister is Manasa, the goddess of snakes, who was the mother of Astika by the Brahmin Jagatkaru. Astika mediated the end of the Kuru-Takshaka war. Speaking the name ‘Astika’ is believed to ward off venomous snakes from biting if one startles one. In some genealogies, Vasuki is the son of Ananta.
Ocean Nagas: from Buddhist texts; these are water-breathing and brandish coral and pearls.
Naga Rakshasas are Rakshasas with the lower body of a snake.
SE Asia: Following a myth-pattern first seen among the Tamil Pallava dynasty of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, where the founding king has a liaison with a Nagini, many dynasties of SE Asia, colonized from southern India, claimed Naga blood through a snake princess.
Burmese: Burma (and Nagaland in India) is actually home to a tribe called the Naga or Naka (from Tibeto-Burman ‘Nok’ ‘people’ as noted above, though they claim it really means ‘pierced ears’). Snake-like Naga (Naks) were worshipped in pre-Buddhist Burma and retain traces of their earlier importance. Dragon-like Naga heads guard the corners of temples and the boundaries of villages. Burmese Nagas have a breath hot enough to turn a human to ash. The Burmese Naga, like the Indian, is an underwater creature, and is depicted in an intermediate form between the Long of China and the Indian Naga, as a leg-less dragon. The Milky Way is known as the sky Naga in Burma. It is this style that seems to have informed the original depictions of Nagas in 1st edition.
Cambodian: The Naga (‘Neah’ in Khmer) are the mythical ancestors of the Cambodians. Cambodian Nagas are usually depicted as seven-headed pythons. These creatures dwelt under the sea. Kaundinya, a Brahmin from India, is said to have married a Naga princess and they are the ancestors of the Cambodians.
Malay and Indonesia: Malay Nagas are snakes with the head of an eastern dragon. They rule in the underworld.
Thai: Nagas rule the Mekong River. They can shoot balls of fire or electricity into the air from their mouths as they swim underwater. As in Indonesia, the Naga is the ruler of the underworld.
Other Notable Nagas
Ashvatara (Asvatara): Often paired with Kambana, his brother. A king in Patala. Kuvalayasva stole one of his daughters. Ashvatara was an ascetic (and a lute-playing musician) and performed tapas at the source of the Sarasvati river; Sarasvati (the goddess) granted his brother Kambana would come back to life and that they would become knowledgeable about all the notes of music. His daughter was Madalasa; Ritadvaja became her husband. He is called, with his brother, the Nagas of the Ganga by Buddhists.
Atula: A Naga incarnation of the Boddhisatva Sumana of Sri Lanka, a sun deity.
Bahumulaka: Naga commemorated in a shrine ‘on the southern limit of the Prajapatri-ksetra.’ Prayaga (identical to Prajapatri), where this is situated, is modern Allahabad.
Balarama (Baladeva): An agricultural god and half-Naga. He is the older brother of Krishna, and an avatara of Shesha or Sheshnag. Balarama is substituted for the Buddha as an avatara of Vishnu in many texts. His naga-nature came about because he was born from Rohini, an avatara of Kadru, the snake-mother, though Devaki and Vasudeva were his biological parents. (Rohini was an early example of a surrogate womb, it seems; she became another wife of Vasudeva). When Balarama entered a death-trance following the apocalyptic battle that ended the Dvipara Yuga, a white snake emerged from his corpse and slithered away.
Bindusara: Naga guardian of the east direction in Kashmir. (Nilamata Purana)
Chakravala (Cakravala): A Naga king from Buddhist iconography.
Chakravala is also the name for the Buddhist multiverse.
Dharanendra: King of the Nagas in Jain scripture; his wife is Padmavati. He is also considered a Yaksha and named Parsva. He is dark skinned, elephant-headed, with a cobra’s hood, and holds two snakes, a citron, and a mongoose. As a snake he has five or seven heads.
Elapatra: son of Kadru. He is paired with Shankrapala, his brother, or with Chakravala. He is believed to dwell at Takshila (Taksasila), which suggests that he might be or be associated with Takshaka. He guards the western direction in Kashmir.
Kaliya: A foe of Krishna; the poison of his venom prevented anyone from living nearby. He fought the avatara by the river Yamuna. He was black in color and dwelt in the river with many wives. After being defeated, Kaliya asked for mercy and was allowed to go free. Some Nagavanshi Kshatriyas claim descent from Kaliya.
Kanvala: Mentioned in the Vishnupurana as a significant Naga.
Kosambi, the Naga of: (also the Naga of the Mango Ferry): Fire-breathing. Converted to Buddhism by Sagata. Sagata, a monk, has achieved magical or psionic powers (siddhis) through his meditations, including the ability to breathe fire himself. He was immune to the Naga’s magic, and after overpowering the serpent, was able to communicate the Dharma.
Mahapadma: A Kashmiran Naga, he drove out the evil Naga S[h]adangula from a lake in the lands of the Darvas near Candrapura and settled his family there. His human guise was as an elderly Brahmin. He is sometimes equated with Kaliya (above). A sorcerer once attempted to dry up his lake; after a local king failed to defend the Nagas quickly enough (as promised), the reward, a gold mine, turned to copper. (Rajatarangini, the chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir).
Manasa (Manasha, Vishashara, Jadadguari, Nitya, Padmavati): Snake goddess of the Himalayas and Bengal. She is usually described as the sister of Vasuki. She protects against snakebite and in general provides fecundity and good fortune. As a demi-god, Manasa had to achieve godhood on her own. She torments those who refuse her worship through extreme misfortune, and rewards liberally her own followers. Her son is Astika. Her preferred offering is milk. Referenced as “Manussa” in Doctor Who’s 5th Doctor episodes Kinda and Snakedance, which were based on Buddhist and Hindu mythology.
Mucalinda (Muchalinda): A Many-headed Naga king who provided shade and rain protection for the Buddha as he meditated. Images of Mucalinda a common element in Buddhist art.
Nila, Niila (‘blue’): Chief of the Nagas of Kashmir. His home was at the springs of the Vitasta. He had control over the snow fall and other precipitation.
Padmavati (Padma): A red-skinned goddess, usually depicted riding a Kurkuta naga. Wife of Dharanendra. Padmavati was the name of a Naga (tribe) settlement in the Gupta period (3rd c. CE). Identified sometimes with Manasa, above.
Paravataksha (Paravata, Paravata-yaksha). Of the race of Iravatha, a lake dwelling naga.
Shveta: ‘white’ also a name of Iravatha; hence the snake form, perhaps, of that elephant demigod.
Srimadaka (Shrimadhaka): Guardian of the south direction in Kashmir.
Ulupi: Daughter of Kauravya, Naga King of Patala. She bedded (using intoxicants to seduce him) Arjuna, himself a great slayer of Nagas. The god Iravan was their child, who is humanoid, but has the fangs of a Naga. She was reconciled to Arjuna and his wife Chitrangada, and raised their son Babruvahana. She resurrected Arjuna using Naga gem magic after Babruvahana slew him following a quarrel. Later, she lifted a curse on Arjuna made by the Vasus. Iravan, also known as Aravan and Ali, according to his followers, cut off his own head as an offering to Kali to ensure the victory of the Pandavas. His wife was Mohini, the female avatara of Vishnu, and Iravan is the patron god of transgender people in India.
Uttarmansa: Guardian of the north (‘uttar’) direction in Kashmir.
Virupaka: Buddhist lord of the Nagas and guardian of the west. Compare to Elapatra.
The Mahavyutpatti, a Buddhist text, lists the names of 80 Nagarajas and 55 Nagas including Shaukhapala, Anavatapta, Elapatra, Nandopananda [i.e., Nanda-Upananda], Kala, Kalika, Girika, Vidyujjvala, Apalala, Amratirtha, Champeya, Pandara, Manikantha, Varuna [normally a Vedic sea god = Uranus], Sagara [another Vedic sea god]. (Vogel)
Naga Realms
Kashmir: Kashmir has long been associated with the Nagas, and its people once practiced snake-worship. See Srinagar (Sri Nagar), Anantnag, etc.
Lanka: Lanka, island of the Rakshasas, was also associated with the Nagas. Nagadvipa, or the Jaffna peninsula, was the center of their realm.
Magadha: Nagas are important in the legends of Magadha (ancient Bihar). Arvuda, Sakravapin, Svastika, and Manu, are the names of the Naga kings in Magadhan legend; they assured the plentiful rain and clean rivers of the country. (from the Mahabharata)
Patala: Deepest part of the Underworld, realm of snakes, worms, and vermin. This is ruled by the Naga. Below Patala is Sheshnag and Vishnu, upon which the world rests. The Nagas of Patala have glowing jewels in their cobra hoods to see in the gloom.
Sources:
Vogel, J. Indian Serpent Lore or the Nagas in Hindu Legend and Art.
Aung, Maung Htin. “Folk Elements in Burmese Buddhism.” http://www.tuninst.net/Myanmar/Folk-elements/ch07-naga/ch07-cult-naga.htm
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This three-formed Naga has 'not-really-Yuan-Ti' written all over it, with the (mostly) human form, the half serpent / humanoid form and the big possibly multi-headed serpent form.
It's possible that PF might not want to go too far in that direction, to avoid the appearance of flouting WotC restricted IP, and go with 'Royal Naga' and stuff.
Interesting! The side-stuff about Col. Whatshisname and the 'Nacaal' language is fun. Typical of that sort of 'aliens built the pyramids' stuff that it's always the Egyptian / Mayan / African / dark-skinned cultures that had alien / atlantean / vanished white master race what- lived-in-Antarctica-before-the-place got-cold / magical snake people assistance in achieving their past glories. :/
...
Interesting! The side-stuff about Col. Whatshisname and the 'Nacaal' language is fun. Typical of that sort of 'aliens built the pyramids' stuff that it's always the Egyptian / Mayan / African / dark-skinned cultures that had alien / atlantean / vanished white master race what- lived-in-Antarctica-before-the-place got-cold / magical snake people assistance in achieving their past glories. :/
Yesss. Hissss.
This three-formed Naga has 'not-really-Yuan-Ti' written all over it, with the (mostly) human form, the half serpent / humanoid form and the big possibly multi-headed serpent form.
It's possible that PF might not want to go too far in that direction, to avoid the appearance of flouting WotC restricted IP, and go with 'Royal Naga' and stuff.
Well, the art and primary source literature about the Naga is both ancient and open content. There are sculptures and paintings of these forms that predate the Yuan-Ti by many centuries (even a thousand or so years). The specifically protected Yuan-Ti forms would be the other composite forms (like the body of snakes), not the half-snake mer-shape, or a humanoid form. It's more likely that TSR/WotC were inspired by Naga legends than coming full-cloth from their imaginations. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on this, however.
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Ganj and the Dastan
Ganj (Persian: ‘Treasure’) is a Mughal game that resembles the European game of Goose (the European name may be derived from the Persian, actually, since ‘gans’ is the word for Goose in Dutch and German), a dice game, in which one moves around a board, occasionally landing on good or bad squares, and hoping to reach the center first, which contains all the money that the players have been compelled to spend (either by entering the game or landing on a bad square).
What is interesting is that the game (which is no longer played in India) uses as its event squares episodes from stereotypical ‘dastan’ or ‘qissa’ stories and poems, a type of adventure. Dastans blend songs, quotes from poetry, dialogues, and narrative to create the storyline, typified by recursive and repeated locations, events, and themes which create an underlying unity. The Adventures of Amir Hamza are an example of this type (that one being from South Asia, written in Urdu). Thus the game encapsulates the narrative of the traditional fantasy adventure of 17th century Mughal India.
A specimen was transcribed by Richard Johnson, a semi-assimilated English trader, around 1784.
The game uses a single six-sided die.
Whenever a player lands on one of these squares he pays at least the basic stake, sometimes more, unless otherwise noted. Before the game begins, the players agree on a basic stake, whether a silver penny or a more extravagant amount. Whenever two players end up on the same space, the player who has just landed moves the predecessor player’s piece back to where the current player began their turn, except in the cases of the prisons (the Magician and the Dragon). The prison squares in the European version released their captive when another player landed on them.
Each named square is divided from its predecessor by one blank square.
The event squares, named in Persian, are (from the first square to the last, though a player may or may not land on any particular series):
1. Tilism (The Talisman): the illustration in the Johnson exemplar is of a young soldier holding a tulwar (a long sabre), signifying a novice hero. This is the ‘start’ square of the game. If a player is ‘killed’ he is revived or replaced at the Tilism. A Tilism signifies a magic spell or illusion as much as an object, and may here signify some sort of lucky charm that rescues the hero from death.
2. Asp (The Horse): This signifies the acquisition of a mount; the illustration is of a manservant leading a horse by its reins. This square and the preceding are part of the introductory sections of the dastan narrative, where the hero learns martial skills. Rostam’s dastan features a magical horse.
3. Darya (The River): a wide river is crossed by a boat containing a half-dozen travelers. Oar-men sit in front and back. The river symbolizes a liminal territory, the journey into the wilderness and leaving behind of the homeland.
4. Koh (The Mountain): A steep mountain with sparse trees on its peak. The river winds below it.
5. Biyaban (The Wilderness): A group of islands in the river, one with a large tree. Mountains are in the distance. Despite the picture, the Biyaban of the dastans (or Dasht) is usually an inhospitable desert. The wilderness is a perilous shortcut in the dastans of Rostam and Esfandiyar.
6. Besha (The Forest): Three gazelles stand together. A ‘beneficent forest’ contains the Water of Life in Amir Hamza and signifies a place of respite.
7. Sher (The Lion or Tiger): Two lions (male and female) stand amongst the hills. Indian lions are remarkable in that they form pair-bonds, despite being the same species as the harem-keeping Eurasian lion. This seems to be an example of animal culture. Fights with ferocious beasts are important in the dastan tradition. Both Rostam and Esfandiyar encounter lions. A lion interrupts Amir Hamza in the same forest mentioned above.
8. Simurgh (The Griffin/Phoenix): A firebird stands here. The simurgh, however, is generally a sort of winged lion or leopard, or a variation on the Garuda (man-bird) or Roc. If the player lands on the Simurgh, he must pay five times the original stake, but the creature flies him to the Fortress (14). Zal, or Dastan, is a hero of the Shahnameh who is raised by the Simurgh. Esfandiyar encounters the Simurgh (Simorq) in his dastan.
9. Fil (The Elephant): The elephant, like the Simurgh, carries the player to the Gateway (15). The cost is five times the initial stake. This is probably a specifically Indian concept, as elephants do not figure significantly in Central Asian and Iranian dastans.
10. Jadu (Magic, or the Magician): The evil magician traps the player. If a player arrives at the Writing Tablet, or the Badshah, however, he can redeem the captive(s), who must pay a double stake directly to the rescuer. The illustration is of a conjurer entrancing an audience. In Amir Hamza, a refrain denounces the tricks of conjurers and magicians as opposed to divine providence. Rescuing captives and hostages is frequently the early goal of the dastan hero. In the Rostam dastan, an evil witch is encountered.
11. Chah (The Well): Two fair maidens are seen here drawing water. In the European version, the Well causes the player to lose one or two turns. The absence of water and search for it figures in the Rostam dastan. ‘Ab e hayat’ is the Fountain of the Water of Life in Amir Hamza.
12. Pul (The Bridge): This bumps the player ahead numerous spaces in the European version.
13. Khandaq (The Moat or Ditch): Fish play in a wide waterway, with hills rising in the background.
14. Qil’ah (The Fortress): a square fortress of brick with conical towers and four gates. This may be an enemy stronghold in the strange land, a topos of the Dastan. In the Esfandiyar and Rostam dastans the fortress is entered using a deception or trick.
15. Darwaza (The Gateway): Gates are the sites of markets in India. This marks the beginning of a set of urban locations.
16. Darban (The Gatekeeper)
17. Maykhana (The Tavern) or Kalal (The Wineseller): This square costs double, as the player wastes his monies on wine or liquor, and falls into the clutches of the Magician (10). This is probably a homily on the dangers of alcohol from an Islamic perspective. In the European version, the player merely loses a turn.
18. Atashkada (The Fire Temple) or Atash (Fire): This set depicts two yogis sitting under a tree, though the original meaning refers to the Zoroastrian Magi’s sanctuaries with their eternal flames. Arriving at the Fire Temple ‘burns’ the player, sending him back to the Tilism as if resurrected. This may signify the holy site of an opposed religion in a general sense.
19. Minar (The Minaret)
20. Masjid (The Mosque)
21. Saray (The Caravanserai): A large open courtyard surrounded by a covered walkway. In Amir Hamza, this is a place to find comfortable lodgings.
22. Hammam (The Bath): Bathing and cleanliness are important in Islam, and in parallel, in Hinduism. Baths are both places for ritual cleansing and for relaxation.
23. Baghdan (The Gardener): In Amir Hamza, the gardener is a eunuch guarding it from interloping males.
24. Bagh (The Garden): ‘Garden’ also contains a paradisiacal sense in Muslim and Mughal India as heaven is pictured as a walled garden. In Amir Hamza, the garden resembles the almost-heaven of Mount Qaf, the realm of the Jinn and Paris, where one of his lovers resides, and where he aids the Emperor of the Jinn against impious rebels. Another garden is where Amir Hamza falls in love with the princess Gili-Savar, and symbolizes erotic attraction.
25. Hawz (The Pond): Ponds are decorative features in gardens, and figure in the description in of Gili-Savar’s enclosed ‘paradise.’
26. Qasr (The Palace): Frequently the scene of intrigues in dastans, such as in Amir Hamza.
27. Lawh (The Writing Tablet) or Badshah (The Emperor): In Amir Hamza, the hero discovers a tablet inscribed with a spell/prayer to Allah which dispels the supernatural darkness which envelops Zulmat (the Land of Darkness) where a dragon dwells. The ‘Pen and Tablet of Faith’ is a secret book in which the deeds, good and bad, of all people are inscribed for the judgment of Providence in Muslim theology; this arises from the supremacy of the book as a part of that faith.
28. Jinn (The Genie) or Shaytan (Satan): As with the Fire Temple, the player is ‘burnt’ and restarts at the Tilism.
29. Ghar (The Cave): the art shows a craggy, semi-forested landscape. Amir Hamza is trapped in a cave by Tarar, and is forced to move a boulder to escape.
30. Azhdaha (The Dragon): A crocodile-like reptile with two horns or ears stands in front of a crag. Landing on the Dragon imprisons the player. If all the players are imprisoned by the Dragon, they are all released to the Tilism. This is no mere dragon, but the great Azi Dahak, the world-ruling tyrant of the Shahnameh, who is chained by Faridun. In Amir Hamza, the hero, accompanied by Faridun (a complete anachronism!) defeats the dragon himself.
31. Ganj (The Treasure): This is where all the stakes are held. Unless the player rolls the exact total to reach the Ganj, they bounce back the number of excess squares. Once someone lands on the Ganj square, the game ends and that player collects all the stakes deposited there.
Sources:
Digby, Simon. "Treasure: The Mughal Game of Ganj" from The Art of Play: Board and Card Games of India
The Shahnameh, trans. Davis
The Adventures of Amir Hamza, trans. Lakhnavi et al.
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Any thoughts on linking Chakra to schools of magic, sort of in the way that the seven sins were linked to schools of magic by the Thassilonians?
I could see the brow chakra associated with Divination, the crown (associated with pure spirit, transcending flesh) with Necromancy, the sacral chakra with Conjuration (creating life), and the solar plexus chakra (associated with fire) to Evocation, but others are less clear, and there are only seven major chakra, meaning that one school is going to get left behind (as it does in the seven sin scheme, and, all things considered, I suspect that Transmutation would be the school that is not represented by any one chakra, and be considered some sort of meta-thing comprised of all seven of the others).
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Well, the art and primary source literature about the Naga is both ancient and open content. There are sculptures and paintings of these forms that predate the Yuan-Ti by many centuries (even a thousand or so years). The specifically protected Yuan-Ti forms would be the other composite forms (like the body of snakes), not the half-snake mer-shape, or a humanoid form. It's more likely that TSR/WotC were inspired by Naga legends than coming full-cloth from their imaginations. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on this, however.
The concept of Nagas go back, even predating hinduism, and has been coopted into hinduism and is very prevelant, especially in South India. There are temples dedicated to Nagas, and Nagas/Sarpam worship/ idols are very common in South Indian Temples. Nagas are seen as protective spirits, sometimes guarding children and other innocents from harm, with the ability to transform/ shapechange into women.
Any thoughts on linking Chakra to schools of magic, sort of in the way that the seven sins were linked to schools of magic by the Thassilonians?
I could see the brow chakra associated with Divination, the crown (associated with pure spirit, transcending flesh) with Necromancy, the sacral chakra with Conjuration (creating life), and the solar plexus chakra (associated with fire) to Evocation, but others are less clear, and there are only seven major chakra, meaning that one school is going to get left behind (as it does in the seven sin scheme, and, all things considered, I suspect that Transmutation would be the school that is not represented by any one chakra, and be considered some sort of meta-thing comprised of all seven of the others).
I came to some different conclusions, but thanks for the idea. Maybe you can critique my findings.
I’m not personally inclined to link them with the eight magical schools or types of spells and would instead use them in relation to Vudran psionics and the six ability scores. However, I’ll try to address your idea as well.
Mr. Jacobs indicated that he saw PF as using a different structure of psionics than 3.5; thus these associations are theoretical. I probably will implement the chakras as the main psionic ‘disciplines’ and reshuffle psionic abilities around.
There are seven chakras in traditional Indian philosophy and medicine:
Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra: this is the chakra of ‘beingness’ (Samadhi) or unity with one’s self and the universe. It is pure liberation and enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is linked to psychic projection and the ability to travel into the higher planes of the Pure Land. True compassion, spirituality, understanding, divinity, and wisdom all emanate from Sahasrara. A master of Sahasrara can effectively wish whatever they desire, and becomes a god. This is a transcendant state that is basically Metamagical.
Ajna: (‘Summoning’). The Brow Chakra, or Third Eye. The Ajna governs the state of ‘waking’ from illusionary reality or duality (maya), intuition, and psychic command, and thus all the various types of true perception. Telepathy is the result of an opened Third Eye. The disused Ajna signifies spiritual sleep or lack of gnosis. Masters of Ajna can possess other bodies, gain omniscience, and can spontaneously create and destroy matter. The associated element is Mind or Consciousness (Vijnana). This would probably be associated with Conjuration and Divination in PF. In 3.5 Psionics, this might be Clairsentience and Metacreativity. The ability here is Wisdom.
Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra, or chakra of communication and expression. This is the chakra of maturity and logic; in Tibetan Buddhism it is the seat of the dreaming journey (lucid dreaming). This chakra is associated with breath, and thus with life and death, as well as ritual purity or uncleanliness. The negatives that are associated with a quiescent Vishuddha are therefore physical decay, mortality, and unhealthiness. The associated element is Akasha, or Aether (which is the medium of sound). This chakra would perhaps be linked to Necromancy. Telepathy or Psychoportation, presumably, in psionics. The ability here is Intelligence.
Anahata: The Heart Chakra. Compassion, empathy, love, devotion, and emotional resilience reside here. The vices of Anahata are intellectual or based on complex emotion: yearning, deception, arbitrariness, incapability, rebellion, and unfairness. The associated element is Air. Perhaps best connected to Illusion. The ability here is Charisma.
Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra. Home of digestion, metabolism, strength, fear, introversion, and physical and mental expansion. Jealousy, shame, disgust, sadness, and betrayal all are linked to this chakra. The associated element is Fire. This is clearly the chakra of Evocation and Psychokinesis. This is the ability associated with Strength.
Swadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra. This chakra is dedicated to familial relationships, fertility, creativity, joy, and enthusiasm. Violence, cruelty, delusions, addictions, and pleasure all are located here. The Freudian Id appears to be similar to Swadhisthana. The associated element is Water. The god of Swadhisthana is Varuna, god of the ocean depths, the dead, the sun on the waters, truth, binding, and snakes and fishes. Probably Enchantment and Psychometabolism. This is probably linked to Dexterity.
Muladhara: The Base Chakra. This is the chakra of survival, autonomic response, the infant state, and panic responses. This is the seat of the Goddess Kundalini. Instinct, security, and eros are all governed by this chakra. The physical capabilities of smell and defecation are associated with Muladhara. The associated element is Earth. This is perhaps connected to Transmutation, as it is the basic form of the physical body and animal self. There may be an equation with the Wilder class in 3.5. The associated ability is Constitution.
** spoiler omitted **
I'm afraid we're in Kali Yuga already...
** spoiler omitted **I'm afraid we're in Kali Yuga already...
The Yugas, or ages, from a gaming perspective, are interesting, since they refer to throws of a d4.
The Indian d4, however, is an elongated rectangle, with the long four sides marked with 1 to 4 dots.
The best throw is 4, the Satya Yuga; the next is 3, the Treta Yuga; the following is 2, or Dvapara Yuga; and our age, the worst, is 1, or Kali Yuga. The higher throws are better.
The Treta Yuga is when Rama was alive, amongst many other figures.
The Mahabharata records the end of the Dvapara Yuga, traditionally dated to 3100 BCE, though historians place its events (or its milieu) in the 10th century BCE. The Dvapara Yuga saw only the goals of Athra and Kama (Power and Pleasure) see widespread respect.
The Kali Yuga is generally described as the corrupt, modern age, where dharma falls to its lowest state.
Vudra's current Age of Lost Omens resembles Kali Yuga in some respects.
According to the Mahabharata, btw, the Dvapara Yuga actually ended as a result of a dice game (roll carefully...)
The demon Kali (not the goddess-- she is Kaalii, 'the black one', while Kali is "the confounder," with no long vowels) actually possessed the dice used in the game; as well as the gold crown of King Parikshit. These indicate some of the preoccupations of our age: gambling and money.
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Vudra's current Age of Lost Omens resembles Kali Yuga in some respects.
Sounds like a perfect tie-in with modern Vudra! Complete with social upheaval brought about from within and without because of increased interaction with other cultures, but on the Vudrans terms, rather than having it brought about by colonialism.
On the other hand, maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to shake the foundations of the building before we've even seen it completely built....
** spoiler omitted **I'm afraid we're in Kali Yuga already...
I know! The situation is that much more dire! ;-)
Somewhere near the beginning I thought he was working for Paizo... I want him to cut and past all this together and email all this to us as a pdf :) His writings are amazing.
I can see this as a total campaign suppliment with its own Psionics System etc...
I think Anahata belongs with Psychoportation because of the 'yearning, wanting' aspect of that chakra. I missed an identification in my previous post.
I'm working on a sister thread on the Padishah Empire. I'll post an index of all references to the Empire (beyond Qadira) in a little while. This is partly because the two regions have no doubt a lot of connections. It's also because I want to see a potential World Guide: Casmaron.
I'm also considering the Deva-Asura rivalry and the possibilities it has in the mythology of Kelesh and Vudra.
This is going to be so much fun :)
You know... I can see lizard men living in the dessert and being very Muslim like... or even Bedouin like...
While researching Kelesh, I discovered the following (from The Final Wish, p.53)-- that Khiben-Sald was descended from a bloodline that vanquished the spawn of Rovagug called Kothogaz, some 200 years before he united Vudra. Also, Trilochan, the (gold) dragon, was disfigured by that creature, and over a million people died fighting it... The 101 parts of its beating heart were given to the rajas who submitted to Khiben-Sald to protect, so they could never be reunited.
Interesting stuff.
How about Tekumel, the Empire of the Petal Throne, India/Aztec setting?
How about Tekumel, the Empire of the Petal Throne, India/Aztec setting?
Yeah. The main setting is available here.
Possibly the earliest campaign setting ever.
Too different to be really directly usable in Golarion, I think. But very imaginative and detailed.
Relevant map post in the Padishah thread here.
I'm updating (slowly) the pathfinder wiki with the factual information from Cult of the Ebon Destroyers.
It's an excellent module with a lot of excellent Vudran lore. Thanks, Matt, for your work & research!
I've chosen this route (I've been also adding my previously posted research from the published PF books on Vudra and Casmaron) to make the compiled data easily accessible.
A silly question, having read Mindshadows and loved some of the alternate takes on many of the miscellaneous races; are there such a thing as native Vudran halflings or gnomes? Because I personally picture them being somewhat akin to Tamil analogs, if anything.
A silly question, having read Mindshadows and loved some of the alternate takes on many of the miscellaneous races; are there such a thing as native Vudran halflings or gnomes? Because I personally picture them being somewhat akin to Tamil analogs, if anything.
We don't know yet. The only Vudran humanoids who aren't Vudrani mentioned in the old Campaign Setting are Half-elves (p.13). This also (implies) Elves, who from context lived on Castrovel. However, since the context is psionics, these details may be non-canonical come next month and the Inner Sea Guide.
I suggested the best Sanskrit names for Gnomes would be Kabaira (pl. Kabairi) and Halflings Atihrasva/i ('pygmies') way back when this thread began...
Since small height is a sign of bad karma in a previous lifetime, these races would resemble non-Aryan races in the caste hierarchy if Vudra looks at things in a similar was as India once did.
Low Castes are confirmed for Vudra in Cult of the Ebon Destroyers. That module, as well, (p.30) also shows that Niswan has 100 gnomes and 80 halflings out of a population of 10,300. But whether these are Vudrani gnomes or halflings is unclear -- they could be foreign merchants or immigrants.
I'm busy revising my Adventure Path for Vudra so I can actual inflict it on my friends. I'm been creating new psionic rules (based on Su abilities, not true spells) and Vudran classes, and writing up the first adventure. I have maps, encounters, and sites, but the plot line needs a lot of thinking, since it has to prefigure a storyline that goes up to high levels and encounters with gods, while still being personal to 1st level characters. It's kind of tough to come up with a storyline that isn't crafted specifically to the PCs that still makes sense and allows for either native Vudran or outsider PCs, since I want the AP to be accessible to others.
I found this article on the dice games of the Mahabharata as part of my research. The dice metaphor & gambling trope is something I've integrated into the plot.
Indian dice were d4s, but they were shaped differently than modern dice. See here.
It would be cool to get some and use them in the game itself for rolling d4s. I'd also be inclined to use a d4 mechanic for various significant events.
I want to see the Psionic Rules :)
I do say, it seems that some of us poor individuals are actually learning something from this thread. Go show!
I want to see the Psionic Rules :)
It'll take a while before they're working enough for public consumption... but I'll keep you appraised.
Awesome :) I want to see something based on Chakras :)
Your favorite RPG, Now in curry flavor!
Awesome :) I want to see something based on Chakras :)
That is -in fact- the gist of my Mystic class I'm working on.
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Here are a few Indian themed D20/3E resources:
WotC Mahasarpa Web Enhancement for Oriental Adventures
Mahasarpa Pathfinder conversion thread
This piazza thread about Mahasarpa lists a lot of resources including old Dragon articles, James Wyatt's Mahasarpa campaign site, and the 2E Legends & Lore (with the Indian pantheon).
There's a yogi core class and rakshasa material in Goodman Games’ Complete Guide to Rakshasas
There are three World Building Library: Items of Myth and Legend: India products from Expeditious Retreat Press.
Folkloric - Sahasra, The Land of 1,000 Cities from Dog Soul Publishing
Green Ronin's Mythic Vistas sourcebook Mindshadows is a setting book that describes a mythic India. Monsters of the Mind is the accompanying Monster Book.
It has been too quiet of late in here.
And that's without anyone even breaking into the potential of tantra-analogs or whether or not things will be turtles all the way down in some portion of the cosmology.
Any news?
It has been too quiet of late in here.
And that's without anyone even breaking into the potential of tantra-analogs or whether or not things will be turtles all the way down in some portion of the cosmology.Any news?
Not much to note.
Here are some tidbits: a map I hand-drew of my version of Vudra.
Also, I created a Tantric/Saivite dancer archetype for the Monk a while back:
Dancer of Bliss and Doom
Harnessing the explosive and disciplined intensity of dance, these monks attempt to encompass totalities of creation and destruction, of compassion and villainy, and express these threads in artistic and martial performances. Dancers guard the temples of transcendant deities, serve as seemingly mundane performers and assassins, and seek balance in seemingly aimless wandering and bouts of meditative stillness.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Weapon Proficiencies: add Chakram
Passionate Enlightenment: The Dancer substitutes her Cha modifier for all monk class features using a Wis modifier.
Sacred Mudras (Su): At 1st level, through the gestures called mudras, the monk may challenge maya. A monk cannot also use flurry of blows in the same round. A mudra grants a +1 luck bonus to saves against spells, and supernatural and spell-like abilities. At 5th level, and every six levels thereafter, the bonus increases by +1. This feature replaces Stunning Fist.
Dance of the Sacred Boundary (Su): At 3rd level, the monk may extend her mudras to protect allies within 10 feet. The range of her protection increases by 5 feet every 2 levels. A dance effect is a standard action. This feature replaces Still Mind. All Dance class features require the monk be unimpeded.
Dance of Ecstasy (Ex): At 5th level, the monk momentarily becomes the entrancing still point in the universe. This operates as a gaze attack, dazing all affected opponents, Will save DC of 10 + half the monk’s levels + Cha modifier. This ability may be used 1/daily, increasing by one use every three levels. This feature replaces Purity of Body.
Dance of Creation (Su): At 11th level, the monk can use a dance that calls up life out of chaos, summoning a bird swarm (treat as bat swarm), butterfly swarm (treat each as wasp swarm without poison, CR 2), monkey swarm, or snake swarm (treat as advanced spider swarm), 3/daily. This feature replaces Diamond Body.
Dance of Destruction (Su): At 15th level, the monk may shake the earth and heavens with her feet and hands. This is a sonic effect, causing 1/2 the monk’s level in d10 slam damage and knocks prone all creatures within 50 feet, Ref save DC 10 + half of the monk’s levels + Str modifier. Successful saves take half damage and be staggered. This feature replaces Quivering Palm.
Infinite Soul: At 20th level, the monk achieves oneness with the infinity of creation and destruction, becoming an outsider, as with the Perfect Self monk class feature. Instead of DR, the monk gains an additional set of arms, doubling the number of attacks the monk can make per round, and her mudras now protect all allies visible to the monk.
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It has been too quiet of late in here.
And that's without anyone even breaking into the potential of tantra-analogs or whether or not things will be turtles all the way down in some portion of the cosmology.Any news?
Not much to note.
Here are some tidbits: a map I hand-drew of my version of Vudra.
Also, I created a Tantric/Saivite dancer archetype for the Monk a while back:
Dancer of Bliss and Doom
Harnessing the explosive and disciplined intensity of dance, these monks attempt to encompass totalities of creation and destruction, of compassion and villainy, and express these threads in artistic and martial performances. Dancers guard the temples of transcendant deities, serve as seemingly mundane performers and assassins, and seek balance in seemingly aimless wandering and bouts of meditative stillness.
Alignment: Any neutral.
Weapon Proficiencies: add Chakram
Passionate Enlightenment: The Dancer substitutes her Cha modifier for all monk class features using a Wis modifier.
Sacred Mudras (Su): At 1st level, through the gestures called mudras, the monk may challenge maya. A monk cannot also use flurry of blows in the same round. A mudra grants a +1 luck bonus to saves against spells, and supernatural and spell-like abilities. At 5th level, and every six levels thereafter, the bonus increases by +1. This feature replaces Stunning Fist.
Dance of the Sacred Boundary (Su): At 3rd level, the monk may extend her mudras to protect allies within 10 feet. The range of her protection increases by 5 feet every 2 levels. A dance effect is a standard action....
I am in love with the visuals this evokes, especially the Dance of Creation.
I must admit, I'm quite impressed with the concept, particularly given the rather understated and awesome notion of granting them a clearly yonic weapon proficiency. Truth be told I'd be inclined to pilfer parts of this for purposes of a proper tantrist oracle, with the curse being an inability to refuse a sincere supplicant, manifested as a charisma penalty against the same sex, manifesting with progression as a positive reaction bonus to the appropriate gender and eventually a half-value improvement regarding the same gender as they cease to be seen as competition and instead as the best source of insight and advice regarding the secrets of tantra/pleasure/euphemism of choice goes here.
This would also give me the excuse to farm the Qedeshot/qedeshim from Testament for further ideas, even with being the wrong region; thematically, it works wonderfully. By the same token, such could also be used for crafting the less overtly monstrous of Lamashtu's followers, or takes those who serve a certain deity in more commonly fanon-implied directions.
I'm finally compiling/polishing my Mythic India for Pathfinder (no official name yet - any recommendations?) and hope to have a draft done by PaizoCon. I'll bring my notes if anyone wants to chat with me about it there.
Eventually I'll probably publish it as a pdf.