What's the difference between Pisaachas and Yakshaas?

[The Crimson Universe]

I know 'Bhutaas' in Hinduism means ghosts. But then what are pisaachas and yakshaas. Are there any English terms for these two group of entities?

 

[Viraja]

Pisachaa is a cursed state just like a 'Bhuta'. Very similar to ghosts, but these may retain some physical appearance, that is, some sort of human form. Whereas ghosts are said to be white-hazy-like without legs.

Yaksha is not a cursed state, necessarily, a Yaksha is a clan, like Deva or Asura.

 

[Jainarayan]

Right, that yakshas are a clan or a mega-family. Lord Kubera is Yaksharaja, Lord of Yakshas.

For example, his gayatri is

om yakshrajāya vidmahe
vaishravanāya dhīmahi
tanno kubera prachodayath

We meditate on Kubera, the king of the Yakshas, and son of Vishravana.
May that god of wealth inspire and illumine us.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Whereas ghosts are said to be white-hazy-like without legs.

Yes ghosts usually don't have legs or even if they do they don't use them while flying from one place to another. I remember reading an article long ago, where Prabhupada said that ghosts have a tapering end instead of legs.

So when a person dies, can he end up a pisacha instead of a ghost? And what kind of karma makes us Pisacha in the afterlife?

 

[ajay0]

Pisachaa is a cursed state just like a 'Bhuta'. Very similar to ghosts, but these may retain some physical appearance, that is, some sort of human form. Whereas ghosts are said to be white-hazy-like without legs.

It is said that if one commits suicide, indulges in black magic or undergoes a sudden accident, one ends up as a wandering ghost without chances of reincarnation in the near future.

Suicide happens mainly due to depression, and depression is due to manifold desires in the form of cravings and aversions, which prevent one from accessing the joy and bliss of the Self or pure consciousness within. It is an extreme outcome of ignorance or lack of Self-knowledge.

Pisachaa may be those entities in whom cravings and aversions have resulted in all sorts of vicious conduct and crimes during their earthly existence, resulting in their cursed state after disembodying, cursed by their victims. Their state is worse than the ghosts.

Pisachaa are said to be the sons of Krodha (anger) which is a vice linked to dwesh or aversion or hatred, and outcomes of highly impure consciousness.

Ghosts, pisachaa's and other similar entities are said to be in a state of great misery.

In Buddhist theology, it is said that Padmasambhava worked on liberating these negative entities or spirits out of compassion.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

It is said that if one commits suicide, indulges in black magic...

Yes, In Gita too the Lord said, those worshiping ghosts (practicing black magic) ends up as a ghost.
I've been thinking of grabbing a book on how corpses are brought back to life using voo doo spells and magic ... I just want to read it to increase my general knowledge and satisfy my curiosity. I've no interest at all in practicing such things. Do you think that even from reading about it one could accumulate bad karma and end up as a ghost?

 

[ajay0]

Yes, In Gita too the Lord said, those worshiping ghosts (practicing black magic) ends up as a ghost.
I've been thinking of grabbing a book on how corpses are brought back to life using voo doo spells and magic ... I just want to read it to increase my general knowledge and satisfy my curiosity. I've no interest at all in practicing such things. Do you think that even from reading about it one could accumulate bad karma and end up as a ghost?

If your state of Awareness and mental equanimity is excellent, you can be unaffected like a lotus in murky waters, and be immune to all sorts of external or internal stimuli trying to agitate your mind through strong desires, in whichever environment you may be in. You can even generate auspiciousness through your higher state of consciousness which is beneficial to you and others as well.

If not, you will end up as a weakling dictated by inner or external stimuli rousing desires within and ensuring your mind is in a state of constant agitation and lower vibratory states, attracting inauspiciousness.

However, it takes a lot of austerities and practice to develop such an equanimous mind and self-mastery.

Krishna had also emphasized the need for practice and dispassion in the Gita for mastery over the mind.

One should obviously have mastery over one's mind rather than let one's mind master oneself. Vice means that the lower self or mind is mastering oneself.

 

[Viraja]

Yes ghosts usually don't have legs or even if they do they don't use them while flying from one place to another. I remember reading an article long ago, where Prabhupada said that ghosts have a tapering end instead of legs.

So when a person dies, can he end up a pisacha instead of a ghost? And what kind of karma makes us Pisacha in the afterlife?

When a person dies of normal death, he reaches other lokas. Never turns to a ghost.

Abnormal death, primarily suicide, results in ghost form.

A pisachaa is a cursed state, borne out of the wrath of someone saintly or from the divine. This is supposedly a state wherein the human turns into a giant and horrible looking creature, as frequently depicted in cartoons. Then he is given to eating human flesh, etc. Redemption comes when rescued by another saintly being, usually.