Yaksha / Yakshini

Region: South & Southeastern Asia
Location:India, Nepal, Sri Lanka; pan-Indic traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism)

Yakshas and Yakshinis are nature spirits with deep roots in ancient South Asian religion. Yakshas (male) and Yakshinis (female) are associated with forests, mountains, fertility, and hidden treasure. They appear in early Vedic texts as guardians of natural wealth — minerals, water, forests, and earth’s abundance. Artistically, Yakshas are often depicted as powerful, dwarfish figures with wide chests and human faces, while Yakshinis are portrayed as strikingly beautiful women, embodiments of fertility and prosperity. Their roles shift between benevolent guardians and unpredictable wilderness spirits.
  In Hindu folklore, Yakshas guard sacred lakes, ancient trees, or treasure troves. Some tales portray them as protectors who guide lost travelers or bless villages with good harvests. Others describe Yakshas as fierce beings capable of illusion, shape-shifting, or punishing those who violate sacred spaces. In the epic *Mahabharata*, the Yaksha who questions Yudhishthira in a famous riddle dialogue is wise, stern, and just — an example of the Yaksha as a moral arbiter. Yakshinis, meanwhile, appear in Buddhist and Tantra traditions as powerful feminine beings, sometimes seductive, sometimes protective, often wielding supernatural abilities.
  Buddhist traditions spread Yaksha lore across South and Southeast Asia, where they became temple guardians, mountain spirits, and deities of protection. Statues of Yakshas flank temple gates in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar, representing their protective nature. Their widespread presence shows how deeply they resonate as symbols of the liminal — beings who stand between wilderness and civilization, abundance and danger. Yakshas and Yakshinis remain among the most ancient and enduring figures in South Asian mythology.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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