Raksasi
/rəkˈʃɑːsi/noun
A female rākṣasa, a powerful female demon or supernatural being in South Asian religious literature.
Did you know?In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, rākṣasīs are not uniformly evil: figures such as Hariti and other rākṣasī beings can transform from child-eaters into protectors.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Aryan period
Sanskrit
*rakṣas
“A harmful or dangerous supernatural being; the precise earliest derivation is debated.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rākṣasá
“A hostile supernatural being or demon opposing ritual and humans.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rākṣasa
“A demon or monstrous supernatural being; the masculine form.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rākṣasī
“A female rākṣasa or demoness.”
Medieval Indian literary traditions
Sanskrit/Prakrit
rākṣasī
“A female demon appearing in epic, tantric, Buddhist, and regional stories.”
Modern English
English
raksasi
“A transliterated form of Sanskrit rākṣasī, meaning a female demon or supernatural being.”