Bhutan Mask dance; they are not demons.They dress like demons.
Research paper written by London Swaminathan
Research article No.1381; Dated 31 October 2014.
Hindu epics and mythology give a good description of the demons. Those who read them will see how much the foreign “scholars” have distorted and mis interpreted these people. Anyone can see their evil designs in dividing the Hindus. In fact, there is no culture in the world without demons. Every culture has demons.
The wonder of wonders, the greatest wonder, is that they are always described as sons of seers like Kashyapa or born out of Prajapati. In all the Hindu scriptures they are described as part of Hindu society. Vishnu Sahasranama and Bhagavad Gita describe them as part of the human beings or semi divine beings: Sura-Nara- Kaga- Go-Bogi-Gandharva-Daityai:
Even according to the Upansishads they went along with the Devas, humans and received the mantra Da—Da—Da—( Read my earlier post about Datta, Damyata, Dayatva).
Even in the churning of the ocean episode they were called to participate in the task together with the Devas. The Ramayana described the different masks they wore like elephants, horses etc like our children wear during fancy dress competition or festivals.
Even today the country where the masks are worn is called Bhutan meaning Bhutastan. But the only difference is they went against the rules. We can compare them to the criminals of today.
All the Asuras, Daityas, Danavas and Raksasa were connected with either Brahma, Brahmin seers Kasyapa or Pulastya, Prajapati. But the foreigners deliberately described them as Dravidians and aborigines. Those who study the Puranas, epics and earlier Brahmanas like Satapata Brahmana or Taitriya Aranyaka will understand what they meant by these terms.
There is a difference between Asuras, Raksasaas, Danavas and Daityas, though the English translation for all of them is demons!!!
Amarakosa, the oldest dictionary in the world, gives ten names for Daityas and Danavas; but it has grouped them together:
Daitya : Descendants of Diti and Kasyapa
Daiteya : same as above
Danujendra: Descendants of Danu
Danava : descendants of Danu
Sukrasishya: Brahmin Sukra was their Guru
Ditisudha: Descendants of Diti
Purvadeva: Originally started as good and then degenerated
Suratvisha:
Amarakosa gives 15 names for Rakshasaas
Raksasana = should be protected from
Konapan= dead body
Kravyat = raw meat eaters
Kravyata: = raw meat eaters lie animals
Asrapaka: = Blood suckers
Asara:= one who tortures
Ratrinchara: = roaming in the night; also Naktan chara
Ratrichara:= roaming in the night
Karpura: = Black; they came during night with their face painted with black ink. E.g. In London criminals come with their hoods on the head. So, now the shops have banned the hoodies. This is what the criminal Raksasas did in the olden days.
Nikasatmaja: = Nikasha’s children
Yatudana: = nourishes his own (Yatu) kind; E.g. in London we have lots of gangs. Gangsters get support only from their own group.
Punya jana:= never does anything good, an irony; a parody; E.g.Cobras are called “Good” snakes in Tamil! They wouldn’t tell the name in the night time. They say “Goodies” may come. Because some people, particularly children, get scared if you say Snake!
Nairuta: = descendents of Nitruti
Yaturakshasi = protects their own kind.
Villain Jaws in James Bond film.
They have more epithets descriptive of their actions or character: Hanuushas= killers or hurters; Ischipachas= stealers; Sandhya balas= strong in twilight; Samani sadas= night walkers, Nri chaksas= cannibals; Paldas= carnivorous; Raktapas= blood drinkers; dandasukas=biters; Praghasa=gluttons; Malina mukhas= black faced ; they applied black paint on the faces for camouflage effect during darkness
Asura : In the early part of the Rig Veda Indra, Varuna and Agni are called Asuras. Only in the later parts of the Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda Asura got a bad connotation. This is because one splinter group migrated from Saurashtra area to Iran. According to Kanchi Parmacharya, Saurashtra was called Zoaroastra. When Iran was occupied by the Muslims they came as refugees back to Saurashtra! Because of this division, the word Asura changed its meaning in India. Their Guru was a Brahmin- Sukra Acharya!!
E.g. We see the same thing when political parties divide and splinter groups form; the previous good leaders become bad to another group.
Quotations on Demons
The following quotes will fit with all the fraudsters and criminals in the modern world; when bad thoughts or violent thoughts come to us, if we write them on a sheet of paper, we will also be dubbed a Raksasa!
(From the book Sukti Sudha of Chinmaya International Foundation)
Demons will always be devious — Valmiki Ramayana 6-50-54
Nityam jihmaa hi raakssasaaha
Negotiations do not augur well with ogres — Valmiki Ramayana 5-41 -3
Na saama rakshah su gunaaya kalpaté
Devils are naturally treacherous in war — Valmiki Ramayana 6-50-53
Prakrtyaa raaksasaa sarvé sangraamé kuutayódhinah
Ogres become invincible at twilight — Valmiki Ramayana 1-26-23
Raksaamsi sandhyaakaalé tu durdharsaani bhavanti hi
Demons brim with bestial strength – Valmiki Ramayana 1-20-15
Viiryootsiktaa hi raakssasaaha
Demons are extremely deceitful – Bharat Kthamanjari
Asuraasca bahucchaalaah
Demons are treachery personified — Ramyana Manjari3-24-768
raakssasaaha bahucchaalaah
So, all the immoral, deceitful, violent and fraudulent people who disturbed or troubled good people were called demons. We can compare them to the villains of today’s films. Foreign scholars deliberately concealed what Hindu scriptures told about them: they were our own children, but mislead and mis guided by bad people.
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