Yaksha and yakshi
Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "The Rise of Empires"; Class 7, Ch 6 "The Age of Reorganisation"
Meaning
Yakshas (male) and yakshis (female) are nature spirits. They are linked with trees, water, fertility and wealth. Ordinary people worshipped them long before Buddhism and Jainism grew, and alongside them. In the Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods they were carved as large stone figures. They were later absorbed into Buddhist, Jaina and Hindu art, often as guardians at entrances. They show how popular beliefs shaped the major religions.
Example
The Didarganj yakshi, found near Patna (Bihar), is a polished sandstone figure holding a whisk (chauri). At Pitalkhora (Maharashtra), a Satavahana-period yaksha carries the name of its maker, Kanhadasa, a goldsmith. Mathura sculptors also made many yakshas and yakshis.
Don't confuse with
- Shalabhanjika: yakshi is the general name for a female nature spirit. The shalabhanjika is one particular motif: a woman whose touch made trees flower, as on Sanchi's gateways.
Related concepts
- Vessantara Jataka
- Aniconic representation of the Buddha
- Dharmachakra
- Shalabhanjika
- Gajalakshmi
- Mithuna
- Didarganj Yakshi
- Parkham Yaksha
- Saptamatrikas
- James Fergusson