Brahmarakshasa

The Manusmriti states that a Brahmin who associates with a member of an outcaste, seduces the wives of other men, or steals the property of other Brahmins would become a brahmarakshasa following his death.[1]

The Brahma Purana describes a conversation between a chandala and a brahmarakshasa. When enquired regarding the sin he had committed, the brahmarakshasa revealed that he had once been a Brahmin named Somasharma. Since he had performed a sacrifice on behalf of an ostracised king, in the service of whom mantras were forbidden to be employed, he had been turned into a brahmarakshasa.[2]

The Narada Purana describes an episode of Kalmashapada conversing with a brahmarakshasa, whose abode was a banyan tree. The brahmarakshasa told the king that he had previously been a wealthy Brahmin from the country of Magadha named Somadatta. Having mastered the Vedas, Somadatta had grown arrogant from the knowledge he had acquired and his youth, due to which he stopped heeding his preceptor. He was hence reduced to the state of a brahmarakshasa. Unable to experience happiness, he is described to consume the flesh of Brahmins and lead a life of agony.[3]

The Skanda Purana features the legend of King Viduratha of Vidarbha. Having accidentally killed a sage during his hunt, he was forced to undertake eleven terrible births. During his seventh birth, Viduratha was born as a brahmarakshasa, possessing sharp and curved fangs, a terrible mouth, and dried-up limbs, and subsisting on a diet of flesh and blood. He was slain by King Nimi in a war with the Brahmastra.[4]

Brahmarakshasas were a regular feature in old Indian stories like Simhasana Dvatrimsika,[5] Panchatantra[6][7] and other old wives tales.[8] As per these stories, brahmarakshasas, were powerful enough also to grant any boon, money, gold, if they became pleased with any person. In most of the stories, they are depicted as huge, mean and fierce looking having two horns on head like a rakshasa and a lock of hair like a Brahmin and usually found hanging upside down on a tree. Also a brahmarakshasas would sometimes eat human beings in stories.

It is said that the 7th century Sanskrit poet Mayurbhatta, who composed the noted Surya Sataka (one hundred verses in praise of Surya) was troubled by a brahmarakshasa while performing a penance under a peepal tree at the Deo Sun Temple located at the Aurangabad district of Bihar. According to legend, the being repeated the verses pronounced by Mayurbhatta, disturbing him. In order to get rid of him, Mayurbhatta started to pronounce his words through his nose. Since brahmarakshasas do not have a nose it left the tree, which immediately turned dry. After the being left, Mayurbhatta could peacefully create the hundred verses in praise of Surya, which cured him of leprosy.[9]