A mountain king.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A nāga king.

A rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

The main palace of the abode of the yakṣas on Mount Sumeru. It is ruled by the Great King Vaiśravaṇa, also known as Kubera.

A nāga king.

A great mātṛkā.

A yakṣa general classified as dwelling in the sky.

The Vedic deity associated with fire.

Classified as a “lord of beings” ( prajāpati ).

A great piśācī.

A great piśācī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great mātṛkā.

A nāga king.

A river queen.

A river queen.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A river queen.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A being mentioned in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A mountain king.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A class of nonhuman beings believed to cause epilepsy, fits, and loss of memory. As their name suggests‍—the Skt. apasmāra literally means “without memory” and the Tib. brjed byed means “causing forgetfulness”‍—they are defined by the condition they cause in affected humans, and the term can refer to any nonhuman being that causes such conditions, whether a bhūta, a piśāca, or other.

A great ṛṣi.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A nāga king.

According to Buddhist tradition, one who is worthy of worship (pūjām arhati), or one who has conquered the enemies, the mental afflictions (kleśa-ari-hata-vat), and reached liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. It is the fourth and highest of the four fruits attainable by śrāvakas. Also used as an epithet of the Buddha.

A yakṣa general

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).

A mountain king.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A nāga king.

A lunar mansion in the north.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A lord of beings.

A great ṛṣi.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

These basic precepts are five in number for the laity: (1) not killing, (2) not stealing, (3) chastity, (4) not lying, and (5) avoiding intoxicants. For monks, there are three or five more; avoidance of such things as perfumes, makeup, ointments, garlands, high beds, and afternoon meals. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A lord of beings.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general who dwells on the earth.

This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term‍—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa‍—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).

A nāga king.

A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A mountain king.

A person who follows the Vedic tradition and its correlate religious systems that feature the ritual worship of brahmanical deities within the context of a householder lifestyle. The term often appears in the compound śramaṇa­brāhmaṇa to refer generically to the two major religious orientations of ancient India. Here, the term brāhmaṇa is used to contrast with those who belong to the śramaṇa religious tradition, which emphasizes an ascetic, mendicant way of life that often includes celibacy and monasticism. There are a number of such traditions, including Buddhism and Jainism.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great mātṛkā.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A mountain king.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A mountain king.

A great rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A river queen.

The sun, moon, Mercury (Budha), Venus (Śukra), Mars (Aṅgāra), Jupiter (Bṛhaspati), Saturn (Śaniścara), the eclipse (Rāhu), and meteors/comets (Ketu). In some presentations Rāhu refers to the eclipse of the northern lunar node, Ketu to the eclipse of the southern lunar node.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A class of nonhuman being.

A nāga king.

A class of nonhuman being.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A lunar mansion in the south.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A piśācī.

A yakṣa general.

A gandharva.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A lord of beings.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A being in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

In the most general sense the devas‍—the term is cognate with the English divine‍—are a class of celestial beings who frequently appear in Buddhist texts, often at the head of the assemblies of nonhuman beings who attend and celebrate the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni and other buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Buddhist cosmology the devas occupy the highest of the five or six “destinies” (gati) of saṃsāra among which beings take rebirth. The devas reside in the devalokas, “heavens” that traditionally number between twenty-six and twenty-eight and are divided between the desire realm (kāmadhātu), form realm (rūpadhātu), and formless realm (ārūpyadhātu). A being attains rebirth among the devas either through meritorious deeds (in the desire realm) or the attainment of subtle meditative states (in the form and formless realms). While rebirth among the devas is considered favorable, it is ultimately a transitory state from which beings will fall when the conditions that lead to rebirth there are exhausted. Thus, rebirth in the god realms is regarded as a diversion from the spiritual path.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A lunar mansion in the north.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the north.

The term dhāraṇī has the sense of something that “holds” or “retains,” and so it can refer to the special capacity of practitioners to memorize and recall detailed teachings. It can also refer to a verbal expression of the teachings‍—an incantation, spell, or mnemonic formula‍—that distills and “holds” essential points of the Dharma and is used by practitioners to attain mundane and supramundane goals. The same term is also used to denote texts that contain such formulas.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

One of the Four Great Kings, he rules over the gandharvas in the east.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general in the eastern direction and a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A being in this sūtra.

Draviḍa was the name for the region in the south of India where the Dravidian languages were spoken, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil. The Dravidians were the indigenous population of India before the arrival of people who spoke Indo-European languages, specifically early forms of Sanskrit.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A lord of beings.

A class of nonhuman beings, often employed in the service of the practitioner.

A great ṛṣi. Another name for the ṛṣi Vyāsa, one of the original compilers of the Vedas.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A great piśācī and the wife of Rāvaṇa .

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A nāga king often present in the retinue of the Buddha Śākyamuni. According to the Vinaya, in the time of the Buddha Kāśyapa he had been a monk (bhikṣu) who angrily cut down a thorny bush at the entrance of his cave because it always snagged his robes. Cutting down bushes or even grass is contrary to the monastic rules and he did not confess his action. Therefore, he was reborn as a nāga with a tree growing out of his head, which caused him great pain whenever the wind blew. This tale is found represented in ancient sculpture and is often quoted to demonstrate how small misdeeds can lead to great consequences. See, e.g., Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher.

A nāga king.

Vomit specifically caused through malevolent magic or influence.

The five supernatural abilities attained through realization and yogic accomplishment: divine sight, divine hearing, knowing how to manifest miracles, remembering previous lives, and knowing the minds of others. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

Four gods who live on the lower slopes (fourth level) of Mount Meru in the eponymous Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Cāturmahā­rājika, rgyal chen bzhi’i ris) and guard the four cardinal directions. Each is the leader of a nonhuman class of beings living in his realm. They are Dhṛtarāṣṭra, ruling the gandharvas in the east; Virūḍhaka, ruling over the kumbhāṇḍas in the south; Virūpākṣa, ruling the nāgas in the west; and Vaiśravaṇa (also known as Kubera) ruling the yakṣas in the north. Also referred to as Guardians of the World or World Protectors (lokapāla, ’jig rten skyong ba).

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great rākṣasī.

A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”

A nāga king identified by the name of the river Gaṅgā.

A river queen.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general and a yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A river queen.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A type of nonhuman being known to exert a harmful influence on the human body and mind, they are thought to be responsible for epilepsy and seizures.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great piśācī.

A rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A rākṣasī.

A poison said to have been produced when the gods and asuras were churning the great ocean.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general in the western direction.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general in the western direction.

A great piśācī.

A being in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A being in this sūtra.

A lunar mansion in the south.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

In Buddhist cosmology, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three is the second lowest of the six heavens in the desire realm (kāmadhātu). Situated on the flat summit of Mount Sumeru, it lies above the Heaven of the Four Great Kings (Caturmahārāja­kāyika) and below the Yāma Heaven. It consists of thirty-three regions, each presided by one of thirty-three chief gods, and the overall ruler is Śakra. The presiding gods are divided into four groups named in the Abhidharma­kośa­ṭīkā (Toh 4092): the eight gods of wealth, two Aśvin youths, eleven fierce ones, and twelve suns. The thirty-three regions themselves are enumerated and described in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 4.B.2 et seq.).

A great rākṣasī.

A mountain king.

A great ṛṣi.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A spell-like verbal formula that invokes specific deities in order to bring about mundane and transcendent goals in Buddhist ritual practices. A vidyā is considered at once the incantation and the deity it invokes.

Food that is made indigestible through malevolent magic or influence.

The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru. As one of the eight guardians of the directions, Indra guards the eastern quarter. In Buddhist sūtras, he is a disciple of the Buddha and protector of the Dharma and its practitioners. He is often referred to by the epithets Śatakratu, Śakra, and Kauśika.

A yakṣa general who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A being in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A great ṛṣi.

A being in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors. Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.

A yakṣa general and the son of Vaiśravaṇa. Also listed as a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

Indian scholar from the late eighth–early ninth century.

A great rākṣasī.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A great rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A term used in hostile magical rites that can alternatively refer a class of nonhuman being or type of magical device employed against the target of the rite.

A great piśācī.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general who dwells on the earth.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A type of vegetable poison typically listed among poisonous substances in Āyurvedic literature. The terms is also used as synonym for the halāhala poison.

Literally, “the noose of time,” the term generally refers to the noose wielded by Yama, the lord of death. Because this term is in the feminine, it is likely meant to refer to the personification of that noose as a rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A great piśācī.

A great piśācī.

A rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A being in this sūtra.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A great piśācī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the east.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.The birthplace of the buddha Śākyamuni.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A location attested in early Indic literature, believed to be in the modern Maharashtra region.

A great rākṣasī.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A subgroup of pūtanas, a class of disease-causing spirits associated with cemeteries and dead bodies. The name probably derives from the Skt. pūta, “foul-smelling,” as reflected also in the Tib. srul po. The smell of a pūtana is variously described in the texts as resembling that of a billy goat or a crow, and the smell of a kaṭapūtana, as its name suggests, could resemble a corpse, kaṭa being one of the names for “corpse.” The morbid condition caused by pūtanas comes in various forms, with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin eruptions, and festering wounds, the latter possibly explaining the association with bad smells.

A great ṛṣi.

A great mātṛkā.

A great mātṛkā.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

Comets or meteors. Alternatively, the term refers to eclipse of the southern lunar node.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A class of nonhuman beings that resemble humans to the degree that their very name‍—which means “is that human?”‍—suggests some confusion as to their divine status. Kinnaras are mythological beings found in both Buddhist and Brahmanical literature, where they are portrayed as creatures half human, half animal. They are often depicted as highly skilled celestial musicians.

A yakṣa general.

A class of nonhuman being.

The name of an indigenous community attested in Sanskrit literature going back into the Vedic period.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A class of nonhuman being, often female, who are ritually summoned to perform injurious acts against the target of the rite.

A great ṛṣi.

Another name of Vaiśravaṇa.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general, another name of Kārttikeya.

A class of dwarf beings subordinate to Virūḍhaka, one of the Four Great Kings, associated with the southern direction. The name uses a play on the word aṇḍa, which means “egg” but is also a euphemism for a testicle. Thus, they are often depicted as having testicles as big as pots (from kumbha, or “pot”).

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

“One who smears;” a class of nonhuman being.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A great ṛṣi.

The Vedic deity associated with the creation humanity and the human world.

The twenty-seven or twenty-eight sectors along the ecliptic that exert influence on the world according to Indic astrological lore.

A great piśācī.

A great ṛṣi.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A great piśācī.

A yakṣa general.

A lunar mansion in the south.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A being in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A great mātṛkā.

A being in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A being in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A being in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

Literally “great serpents,” mahoragas are supernatural beings depicted as large, subterranean beings with human torsos and heads and the lower bodies of serpents. Their movements are said to cause earthquakes, and they make up a class of subterranean geomantic spirits whose movement through the seasons and months of the year is deemed significant for construction projects.

The bodhisattva Maitreya is an important figure in many Buddhist traditions, where he is unanimously regarded as the buddha of the future era. He is said to currently reside in the heaven of Tuṣita, as Śākyamuni’s regent, where he awaits the proper time to take his final rebirth and become the fifth buddha in the Fortunate Eon, reestablishing the Dharma in this world after the teachings of the current buddha have disappeared. Within the Mahāyāna sūtras, Maitreya is elevated to the same status as other central bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara, and his name appears frequently in sūtras, either as the Buddha’s interlocutor or as a teacher of the Dharma. Maitreya literally means “Loving One.” He is also known as Ajita, meaning “Invincible.”For more information on Maitreya, see, for example, the introduction to Maitreya’s Setting Out (Toh 198).

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

Name for a country and the people who reside there. One of the sixteen great kingdoms of ancient India.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A being in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa. This perhaps the same yakṣa identified as Maṇibhadra elsewhere in the text.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A mountain king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great rākṣasī.

A lord of beings.

A nāga king.

Māra, literally “death” or “maker of death,” is the name of the deva who tried to prevent the Buddha from achieving awakening, the name given to the class of beings he leads, and also an impersonal term for the destructive forces that keep beings imprisoned in saṃsāra: (1) As a deva, Māra is said to be the principal deity in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations (paranirmitavaśavartin), the highest paradise in the desire realm. He famously attempted to prevent the Buddha’s awakening under the Bodhi tree‍—see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.1‍—and later sought many times to thwart the Buddha’s activity. In the sūtras, he often also creates obstacles to the progress of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. (2) The devas ruled over by Māra are collectively called mārakāyika or mārakāyikadevatā, the “deities of Māra’s family or class.” In general, these māras too do not wish any being to escape from saṃsāra, but can also change their ways and even end up developing faith in the Buddha, as exemplified by Sārthavāha; see The Play in Full (Toh 95), 21.14 and 21.43. (3) The term māra can also be understood as personifying four defects that prevent awakening, called (i) the divine māra (devaputra­māra), which is the distraction of pleasures; (ii) the māra of Death (mṛtyumāra), which is having one’s life interrupted; (iii) the māra of the aggregates (skandhamāra), which is identifying with the five aggregates; and (iv) the māra of the afflictions (kleśamāra), which is being under the sway of the negative emotions of desire, hatred, and ignorance.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A rākṣasī.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A great ṛṣi.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A god or spirit related to the wind.

A yakṣa general and a yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A being in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A class of female nonhuman being.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī. Morikā is the Middle Indic equivalent of mayūrikā.

According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, this is the great mountain forming the axis of the universe. At its summit is Sudarśana, home of Śakra and his thirty-two gods, and on its flanks live the asuras. The mount has four sides facing the cardinal directions, each of which is made of a different precious stone. Surrounding it are several mountain ranges and the great ocean where the four principal island continents lie: in the south, Jambudvīpa (our world); in the west, Godānīya; in the north, Uttarakuru; and in the east, Pūrvavideha. Above it are the abodes of the desire realm gods. It is variously referred to as Meru, Mount Meru, Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A nāga king.

A great nāga.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A great rākṣasī.

A class of nonhuman beings who live in subterranean aquatic environments, where they guard wealth and sometimes also teachings. Nāgas are associated with serpents and have a snakelike appearance. In Buddhist art and in written accounts, they are regularly portrayed as half human and half snake, and they are also said to have the ability to change into human form. Some nāgas are Dharma protectors, but they can also bring retribution if they are disturbed. They may likewise fight one another, wage war, and destroy the lands of others by causing lightning, hail, and flooding.

A nāga king.

A being in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A river queen.

A nāga king.

A lunar mansion, often personified as a semidivine being.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

Nāga king.

A yakṣa general in the south.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A river queen.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

The Sanskrit term means “neglected, discarded, rejected, cast off”, and thus appears to refer to nonhuman beings designated as such. The term used in the Tibetan translation is smad pa, “contemptible.”

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A mountain king.

A great rākṣasī.

The third of the four attainments of śrāvakas, this term refers to a person who will no longer take rebirth in the desire realm (kāmadhātu), but either be reborn in the Pure Abodes (śuddhāvāsa) or reach the state of an arhat in their current lifetime. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

A great piśācī.

A great piśācī.

One who has achieved the second of the four levels of attainment on the śrāvaka path and who will attain liberation after only one more birth. (Provisional 84000 definition. New definition forthcoming.)

A class of nonhuman being.

A great rākṣasī. Padumā is the Middle Indic equivalent of padmā.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general in the intermediate directions.

A yakṣa general who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A mountain king.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the western direction.

A nāga king.

A great piśācī.

A great rākṣasī.

A class of nonhuman beings that, like several other classes of nonhuman beings, take spontaneous birth. Ranking below rākṣasas, they are less powerful and more akin to pretas. They are said to dwell in impure and perilous places, where they feed on impure things, including flesh. This could account for the name piśāca, which possibly derives from √piś, to carve or chop meat, as reflected also in the Tibetan sha za, “meat eater.” They are often described as having an unpleasant appearance, and at times they appear with animal bodies. Some possess the ability to enter the dead bodies of humans, thereby becoming so-called vetāla, to touch whom is fatal.

A female piśāca.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the western direction.

A nāga king. Pradyumna is another name for Kāmadeva.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great piśācī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great rākṣasī.

A yakṣa general.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

Literally, “buddha for oneself” or “solitary realizer.” Someone who, in his or her last life, attains awakening entirely through their own contemplation, without relying on a teacher. Unlike the awakening of a fully realized buddha (samyaksambuddha), the accomplishment of a pratyeka­buddha is not regarded as final or ultimate. They attain realization of the nature of dependent origination, the selflessness of the person, and a partial realization of the selflessness of phenomena, by observing the suchness of all that arises through interdependence. This is the result of progress in previous lives but, unlike a buddha, they do not have the necessary merit, compassion or motivation to teach others. They are named as “rhinoceros-like” (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa) for their preference for staying in solitude or as “congregators” (vargacārin) when their preference is to stay among peers.

A class of nonhuman being.

One of the five or six classes of sentient beings, into which beings are born as the karmic fruition of past miserliness. As the term in Sanskrit means “the departed,” they are analogous to the ancestral spirits of Vedic tradition, the pitṛs, who starve without the offerings of descendants. It is also commonly translated as “hungry ghost” or “starving spirit,” as in the Chinese 餓鬼 e gui.They are sometimes said to reside in the realm of Yama, but are also frequently described as roaming charnel grounds and other inhospitable or frightening places along with piśācas and other such beings. They are particularly known to suffer from great hunger and thirst and the inability to acquire sustenance. Detailed descriptions of their realm and experience, including a list of the thirty-six classes of pretas, can be found in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma, Toh 287, 2.­1281– 2.1482.

A great piśācī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A lord of beings.

A lord of beings.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A great piśācī.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the eastern direction.

A yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravana.

A yakṣa general.

A lunar mansion in the north.

A lunar mansion in the south.

A lunar mansion in the west.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A class of disease-causing spirits associated with cemeteries and dead bodies. The name probably derives from the Skt. pūta, “foul-smelling,” as reflected also in the Tib. srul po. The smell is variously described in the texts as resembling that of a billy goat or a crow. The morbid condition caused by the spirit shares its name and comes in various forms, with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin eruptions, and festering wounds, the latter possibly explaining the association with bad smells.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

The eclipse. The term can refer specifically to the eclipse of northern lunar node.

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

A class of nonhuman beings that are often, but certainly not always, considered demonic in the Buddhist tradition. They are often depicted as flesh-eating monsters who haunt frightening places and are ugly and evil-natured with a yearning for human flesh, and who additionally have miraculous powers, such as being able to change their appearance.

A nāga king.

A female rākṣasa.

A great piśācī.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A mountain king.

A great rākṣasī.

A great mātṛkā.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A yakṣa general.

The husband of Ekajaṭā.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A lunar mansion in the north.

A great rākṣasī.

A lunar mansion in the east.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

An ancient Indian spiritual title, often translated as “sage” or “seer.” The title is particularly used for divinely inspired individuals credited with creating the foundations of Indian culture. The term is also applied to Śākyamuni and other realized Buddhist figures.

A nāga king.

A great piśācī.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A class of nonhuman beings.

A wrathful form of Śiva.

A mountain king.

A being in this sūtra.

A being in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

The name for our world system, the universe of a thousand million worlds, or trichiliocosm, in which the four-continent world is located. Each trichiliocosm is ruled by a god Brahmā; thus, in this context, he bears the title of Sahāṃpati, Lord of Sahā. The world system of Sahā, or Sahālokadhātu, is also described as the buddhafield of the Buddha Śākyamuni where he teaches the Dharma to beings. The name Sahā possibly derives from the Sanskrit √sah, “to bear, endure, or withstand.” It is often interpreted as alluding to the inhabitants of this world being able to endure the suffering they encounter. The Tibetan translation, mi mjed, follows along the same lines. It literally means “not painful,” in the sense that beings here are able to bear the suffering they experience.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

The lord of the gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (trāyastriṃśa). Alternatively known as Indra, the deity that is called “lord of the gods” dwells on the summit of Mount Sumeru and wields the thunderbolt. The Tibetan translation brgya byin (meaning “one hundred sacrifices”) is based on an etymology that śakra is an abbreviation of śata-kratu, one who has performed a hundred sacrifices. Each world with a central Sumeru has a Śakra. Also known by other names such as Kauśika, Devendra, and Śacipati.

Name of the ancient tribe in which the Buddha was born as a prince; their kingdom was based to the east of Kośala, in the foothills near the present-day border of India and Nepal, with Kapilavastu as its capital.

An epithet for the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama: he was a muni (“sage”) from the Śākya clan. He is counted as the fourth of the first four buddhas of the present Good Eon, the other three being Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa. He will be followed by Maitreya, the next buddha in this eon.

Indian scholar from the late eighth–early ninth century.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A great ṛṣi.

A nāga king.

A great rākṣasī.

A nāga king.

A great ṛṣi.

A lord of beings.

A yakṣa general, the eldest son of Kubera.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A yakṣa general in the south.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A great ṛṣi.

A great rākṣasī.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A mountain king.

A yakṣa general.

A rākṣasī.

A river queen.

A lunar mansion in the north.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general in the intermediate directions; a yakṣa who is a “Dharma brother” of Vaiśravaṇa.

A great rākṣasī.

A great rākṣasī.

A mountain king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.

One of the six buddhas who preceded Śākyamuni in this Fortunate Eon.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

Indian scholar from the late eighth–early ninth century.

A yakṣa general in the south.

A yakṣa general.

A nāga king.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king named after the river Sindhu (Indus).

A river queen.

A geographical location in this sūtra.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A nāga king.

A river queen.

A yakṣa general.

A yakṣa general.