राक्षस

See also: राक्षसी

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit राक्षस (rākṣasa). Doublet of राखस (rākhas), a tadbhava.

Pronunciation

(Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɾɑːk.ʂəs/, [ɾäːk.ʃɐs]

Noun

राक्षस • (rākṣas) m (Urdu spelling راکھشس)

(Hinduism) a demon, a malignant deity at war with the gods in Hindu mythology; a rakshasa

Declension

Declension of *राक्षस* (masc cons-stem)
	singular	plural
direct	राक्षस rākṣas	राक्षस rākṣas
oblique	राक्षस rākṣas	राक्षसों rākṣasõ
vocative	राक्षस rākṣas	राक्षसो rākṣaso

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

ৰাক্ষস (Assamese script)
ᬭᬵᬓ᭄ᬱᬲ (Balinese script)
রাক্ষস (Bengali script)
𑰨𑰯𑰎𑰿𑰬𑰭 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀭𑀸𑀓𑁆𑀱𑀲 (Brahmi script)
ရာက္ၑသ (Burmese script)
રાક્ષસ (Gujarati script)
ਰਾਕ੍ਸ਼ਸ (Gurmukhi script)
𑌰𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌸 (Grantha script)
ꦫꦴꦏ꧀ꦰꦱ (Javanese script)
𑂩𑂰𑂍𑂹𑂭𑂮 (Kaithi script)
ರಾಕ್ಷಸ (Kannada script)
រាក្ឞស (Khmer script)
ຣາກ຺ຩສ (Lao script)
രാക്ഷസ (Malayalam script)
ᡵᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᡬᢢᠠᠰ᠌ᠠ (Manchu script)
𑘨𑘰𑘎𑘿𑘬𑘭 (Modi script)
ᠷᠠᢗᢉᢔᠠᠰᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
𑧈𑧑𑦮𑧠𑧌𑧍 (Nandinagari script)
𑐬𑐵𑐎𑑂𑐲𑐳 (Newa script)
ରାକ୍ଷସ (Odia script)
ꢬꢵꢒ꣄ꢰꢱ (Saurashtra script)
𑆫𑆳𑆑𑇀𑆰𑆱 (Sharada script)
𑖨𑖯𑖎𑖿𑖬𑖭 (Siddham script)
රාක්‍ෂස (Sinhalese script)
𑩼𑩛𑩜 𑪙𑪀𑪁 (Soyombo script)
𑚤𑚭𑚊𑚶𑚨 (Takri script)
ராக்ஷஸ (Tamil script)
రాక్షస (Telugu script)
รากฺษส (Thai script)
རཱ་ཀྵ་ས (Tibetan script)
𑒩𑒰𑒏𑓂𑒭𑒮 (Tirhuta script)
𑨫𑨊𑨋𑩇𑨯𑨰 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Vṛddhi derivative of रक्षस् (rakṣas, “demon, fiend”).

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.sɐ́/
(Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪ɐ/

Adjective

रा॒क्ष॒स • (rākṣasá) stem

pertaining to, characteristic of, or produced by a demon, demoniacal
- c. 700 BCE – 500 BCE, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of रा॒क्ष॒स
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	रा॒क्ष॒सः (rākṣasáḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒सौ (rākṣasáu) रा॒क्ष॒सा¹ (rākṣasā́¹)	रा॒क्ष॒साः (rākṣasā́ḥ) रा॒क्ष॒सासः॑¹ (rākṣasā́saḥ¹)
accusative	रा॒क्ष॒सम् (rākṣasám)	रा॒क्ष॒सौ (rākṣasáu) रा॒क्ष॒सा¹ (rākṣasā́¹)	रा॒क्ष॒सान् (rākṣasā́n)
instrumental	रा॒क्ष॒सेन॑ (rākṣaséna)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सैः (rākṣasáiḥ) रा॒क्ष॒सेभिः॑¹ (rākṣasébhiḥ¹)
dative	रा॒क्ष॒साय॑ (rākṣasā́ya)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सेभ्यः॑ (rākṣasébhyaḥ)
ablative	रा॒क्ष॒सात् (rākṣasā́t)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सेभ्यः॑ (rākṣasébhyaḥ)
genitive	रा॒क्ष॒सस्य॑ (rākṣasásya)	रा॒क्ष॒सयोः॑ (rākṣasáyoḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒साना॑म् (rākṣasā́nām)
locative	रा॒क्ष॒से (rākṣasé)	रा॒क्ष॒सयोः॑ (rākṣasáyoḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒सेषु॑ (rākṣaséṣu)
vocative	राक्ष॑स (rā́kṣasa)	राक्ष॑सौ (rā́kṣasau) राक्ष॑सा¹ (rā́kṣasā¹)	राक्ष॑साः (rā́kṣasāḥ) राक्ष॑सासः¹ (rā́kṣasāsaḥ¹)

¹Vedic

Feminine ī-stem declension of रा॒क्ष॒सी
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	रा॒क्ष॒सी (rākṣasī́)	रा॒क्ष॒स्यौ॑ (rākṣasyàu) रा॒क्ष॒सी¹ (rākṣasī́¹)	रा॒क्ष॒स्यः॑ (rākṣasyàḥ) रा॒क्ष॒सीः¹ (rākṣasī́ḥ¹)
accusative	रा॒क्ष॒सीम् (rākṣasī́m)	रा॒क्ष॒स्यौ॑ (rākṣasyàu) रा॒क्ष॒सी¹ (rākṣasī́¹)	रा॒क्ष॒सीः (rākṣasī́ḥ)
instrumental	रा॒क्ष॒स्या (rākṣasyā́)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभ्या॑म् (rākṣasī́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभिः॑ (rākṣasī́bhiḥ)
dative	रा॒क्ष॒स्यै (rākṣasyái)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभ्या॑म् (rākṣasī́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभ्यः॑ (rākṣasī́bhyaḥ)
ablative	रा॒क्ष॒स्याः (rākṣasyā́ḥ) रा॒क्ष॒स्यै² (rākṣasyái²)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभ्या॑म् (rākṣasī́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सीभ्यः॑ (rākṣasī́bhyaḥ)
genitive	रा॒क्ष॒स्याः (rākṣasyā́ḥ) रा॒क्ष॒स्यै² (rākṣasyái²)	रा॒क्ष॒स्योः (rākṣasyóḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒सीना॑म् (rākṣasī́nām)
locative	रा॒क्ष॒स्याम् (rākṣasyā́m)	रा॒क्ष॒स्योः (rākṣasyóḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒सीषु॑ (rākṣasī́ṣu)
vocative	राक्ष॑सि (rā́kṣasi)	राक्ष॑स्यौ (rā́kṣasyau) राक्ष॑सी¹ (rā́kṣasī¹)	राक्ष॑स्यः (rā́kṣasyaḥ) राक्ष॑सीः¹ (rā́kṣasīḥ¹)

¹Vedic
²Brāhmaṇas

Neuter a-stem declension of रा॒क्ष॒स
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	रा॒क्ष॒सम् (rākṣasám)	रा॒क्ष॒से (rākṣasé)	रा॒क्ष॒सानि॑ (rākṣasā́ni) रा॒क्ष॒सा¹ (rākṣasā́¹)
accusative	रा॒क्ष॒सम् (rākṣasám)	रा॒क्ष॒से (rākṣasé)	रा॒क्ष॒सानि॑ (rākṣasā́ni) रा॒क्ष॒सा¹ (rākṣasā́¹)
instrumental	रा॒क्ष॒सेन॑ (rākṣaséna)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सैः (rākṣasáiḥ) रा॒क्ष॒सेभिः॑¹ (rākṣasébhiḥ¹)
dative	रा॒क्ष॒साय॑ (rākṣasā́ya)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सेभ्यः॑ (rākṣasébhyaḥ)
ablative	रा॒क्ष॒सात् (rākṣasā́t)	रा॒क्ष॒साभ्या॑म् (rākṣasā́bhyām)	रा॒क्ष॒सेभ्यः॑ (rākṣasébhyaḥ)
genitive	रा॒क्ष॒सस्य॑ (rākṣasásya)	रा॒क्ष॒सयोः॑ (rākṣasáyoḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒साना॑म् (rākṣasā́nām)
locative	रा॒क्ष॒से (rākṣasé)	रा॒क्ष॒सयोः॑ (rākṣasáyoḥ)	रा॒क्ष॒सेषु॑ (rākṣaséṣu)
vocative	राक्ष॑स (rā́kṣasa)	राक्ष॑से (rā́kṣase)	राक्ष॑सानि (rā́kṣasāni) राक्ष॑सा¹ (rā́kṣasā¹)

¹Vedic

Noun

राक्षस • (rākṣasa) stem, m

a demon in general, an evil or malignant demon

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of राक्षस
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	राक्षसः (rākṣasaḥ)	राक्षसौ (rākṣasau) राक्षसा¹ (rākṣasā¹)	राक्षसाः (rākṣasāḥ) राक्षसासः¹ (rākṣasāsaḥ¹)
accusative	राक्षसम् (rākṣasam)	राक्षसौ (rākṣasau) राक्षसा¹ (rākṣasā¹)	राक्षसान् (rākṣasān)
instrumental	राक्षसेन (rākṣasena)	राक्षसाभ्याम् (rākṣasābhyām)	राक्षसैः (rākṣasaiḥ) राक्षसेभिः¹ (rākṣasebhiḥ¹)
dative	राक्षसाय (rākṣasāya)	राक्षसाभ्याम् (rākṣasābhyām)	राक्षसेभ्यः (rākṣasebhyaḥ)
ablative	राक्षसात् (rākṣasāt)	राक्षसाभ्याम् (rākṣasābhyām)	राक्षसेभ्यः (rākṣasebhyaḥ)
genitive	राक्षसस्य (rākṣasasya)	राक्षसयोः (rākṣasayoḥ)	राक्षसानाम् (rākṣasānām)
locative	राक्षसे (rākṣase)	राक्षसयोः (rākṣasayoḥ)	राक्षसेषु (rākṣaseṣu)
vocative	राक्षस (rākṣasa)	राक्षसौ (rākṣasau) राक्षसा¹ (rākṣasā¹)	राक्षसाः (rākṣasāḥ) राक्षसासः¹ (rākṣasāsaḥ¹)

¹Vedic

Derived terms

राक्षसत्व (rākṣasatva)
राक्षसी (rākṣasī)
रक्षोहन् (rakṣohán)

Descendants

Pali: rakkhasa
- → Bengali: রাক্ষস (rakkhoś)
- → Kannada: ರಕ್ಕಸ (rakkasa)
- Burmese: ရက္ခိုသ် (rakhkuis)
Prakrit: 𑀭𑀓𑁆𑀔𑀲 (rakkhasa)
- Hindi: राखस (rākhas)
- Punjabi: ਰਾਖਸ਼ (rākhaś)
→ Bengali: রাক্ষস (rakkhoś)
→ Chinese: 羅剎 / 罗刹 (luóchà)
- → Japanese: 羅刹
- → Korean: 나찰 (nachal)
- → Vietnamese: La Sát
→ English: rakshasa
→ Khmer: រក្សសៈ (rĕəʼksaʼsaʼ), រាក្ស័ស (riəksah)
→ Malay: raksasa, rakus
- Indonesian: raksasa, rakus
→ Kannada: ರಾಕ್ಷಸ (rākṣasa)
→ Manchu: ᡵᠠᡴᡧᠠ (rakša)
→ Marathi: राक्षस (rākṣas)
→ Russian: ракша́са (rakšása)
⇒ Tamil: ராட்சசன் (rāṭcacaṉ), ராட்சசர் (rāṭcacar), ராட்சசி (rāṭcaci)
→ Telugu: రాక్షసుడు (rākṣasuḍu)
→ Thai: รากษส (râak-sòt)

References

Monier Williams (1899), “राक्षस”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0871, column 3.