Kūshmāṇḍa
Kūshmāṇḍa, “a class of harmful beings”
Grammar: masculine noun. As a plant name the word means the ash gourd; as the name of a class of beings it is used in the plural, kūshmāṇḍas.
Meaning: a class of harmful beings, named with yakshas, daityas, niśācaras and pretas, who trouble people and take away their strength; protective stotras ask for them to be driven off.
In the scriptures: on the bank of a river, a tapasvin wholly devoted to Vāsudeva protected himself with the Vishṇu-pañjara, the rakshā stotra that sets Vishṇu and his weapons on every side. In it he asks:
- “May the bow of Vāsudeva slay my enemies: animals, birds, men, kūshmāṇḍas and the rest.”
- “By the force of the waves of the sound of Vishṇu’s cakra, may yakshas, daityas, kūshmāṇḍas, niśācaras, pretas, vināyakas and the rest, cruel men, jṛmbhakas, birds, lions and other beasts, and venomous serpents all lose their power and become quiet.”
- “May the kūshmāṇḍas and other evil powers that steal memory, the power of thought, strength and manliness, shadows, comforts and enjoyments, and auspicious marks be destroyed by the sounds of Vishṇu’s cakra.”
When a rākshasa leapt at the tapasvin, the power of the stotra held him fast, and all his strength and speed failed (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 59).
Related terms: Bhūta · Preta · Piśāca · Rākshasa · Rakshā · Sudarśana
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 59