Guhyakas
Guhyakas are fearsome attendants who accompany Vīrabhadra and Mahākāḷī in their march against Prajapati Daksha. They are part of Shiva's retinue of demonic beings.
↻ synthesized from 3 sources
When
- First attested
- 200 BCE
- Attested period
- -200 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Attested in Hindu mythology.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Vīrabhadra, Yātudhānīs, Piśācas, Rakṣasas, Vināyakas, Kotarī, Revatī, Jyeṣṭhā, Pūtanā, Unmāda, Apasmāra, Nalakuvara, Manigriva, Vishnu, Chhaya, Pratyusha, Samjna, Rajni, Prabha, Krishna, Matres, Aruṇa, Uṣas
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Vīrabhadra and Mahākāḷī at Shiva's command march against Prajapati Daksha accompanied by the Nine Durgas and their fearsome attendants, namely 'Ḍākinī, Śākinī, Bhūtas, Pramathas, Guhyakas...'”
#6126 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Hopkins suggests that Guhyakas may not be distinct beings, but a generic name for spirits of concealment. They are mentioned in the Manu Smriti and the Harivamsa, appendix of the epic Mahabharata, as distinct beings; however, the epic and the Meghaduta identify them with Yakshas.”
#8156 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“These beings, namely Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Guhyakas, and the Nagas, desirous of obtaining boons, follow the course of Surya's chariot through the sky.”
#17441 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001