Brahmarakshas is the soul/demon of hell according to the Hindu religion. They come in the category of unsatisfied souls. Brahmarakshas is the soul of a Brahmin who takes birth in a Brahmin clan but starts doing bad/degenerate deeds, then after a long life, he has to wander in the form of a demon.
Who becomes Brahmarakshas ?
The reason for this could also be their misuse of their knowledge. Some highly knowledgeable person is born into the Brahmin caste so that they can train others with their knowledge. When they do not do this then they become Brahmarakshas after death. After becoming Brahmarakshas, their level of knowledge remains the same in them, but they start eating humans. In other words, they have the qualities of both Brahmin and Rakshasa.
There is a detailed description of this in the Puranas of the Hindu religion, according to which such Brahmarakshas have many powers and only very few people can control them or get rid of them from this birth.
Description of Brahmarakshas in Hindu Civilization
In the 7th century, a Sanskrit poet Mayurbhatt composed a poem Surya Satak, in which a Brahmarakshasa recited this poem to punish himself in the Sun Temple, which falls in Aurangabad (Bihar), which itself became a Brahmarakshasa. He was atonement for his sin.
The story and description of Brahmarakshas can be seen in many places. Brahmarakshas and other spirits had bad tendencies, so due to their influence the trees dried up and they had to leave them.
As soon as Mayurbhatt completed the 100th chapter of Surya Upasana after the departure of the souls, he got liberation.
Tales of Brahmarakshasa
The story of different Brahmarakshas is in vogue in different places. Brahmarakshas have been mentioned in many stories like Vikram Betal, and Panchatantra.
According to these stories, if the Brahmarakshas were kind to a person, they would make him rich with wealth, wealth, and opulence. In other stories, he has been described as a demon with horns on his head. According to them, this giant was mean. There was a braid on its head just like Brahma, as is the form of a jinn. They used to hang upside down on trees as described in Vikram Baital.
Brahmarakshas and Temple
According to the story of Brahmarakshas prevalent in South India, Hindu temples, especially the temples of Maharashtra in South India, are found describing these Brahmarakshas. Their depiction is found on the outer walls of the temple, which are also worshipped.
They are honored and oil lamps are also lit. He is worshiped as a deity in many temples, such as the Thirunakkara temple in Kottayam (Kerala). According to their belief, it is necessary to take permission from Brahmarakshas before starting the construction work.
Apart from this, there is a separate temple of Brahmarakshas along with the Shiva temple. The construction of this temple has its own mythological story.
Story of the temple of Brahmarakshas
According to the story, in olden times there were two friends, a king and a priest of a temple. The priest of the temple was very handsome and their friendship was exemplary. The king’s wife falls in love with Musa (the king’s friend). When the king came to know, he ordered Musa to be killed.
Instead of killing Moses, the king’s slaves killed another priest of the temple. The priest’s wife became very angry due to this incident. In the form of a Brahmarakshasa, she started creating a nuisance in the kingdom. So the king got a temple built for her and prayed for her to be established there.
The entry of women was prohibited in this Shiva temple for a long time because according to another belief, the Madikeri Shiva temple was built during a fight with the hell demon and Brahmarakshasa. Another temple Sringeri Malayalam Brahma temple is the temple of a Brahmarakshasa.
Most such examples are found in South India. The story of Brahmarakshas and the stories of his temple remain mysterious even today.
