Narrations regarding them are often mixed with mythology and fiction. These tribes include Gandharvas, Yakshas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas, Rakshasas, Nagas, Suparnas, Vanaras, Vidyadharas, Valikilyas, Pisachas, Devas (within them Vasus, Rudras, Maruts, Adityas) and Asuras (within them Danavas, Daityas, and Kalakeyas.)
Mythological beings or humans?
From a historical point of view, these exotic "tribes" simply may have been social groups that did not interact frequently with mainstream culture so that knowledge of them was very limited. This would have spurred the invention of fables about them. One point of view is that they were aliens from distant planets or hybrid-humans who had mixed with otherworldly visitors. While this seems more plausible, it is completely unacceptable today and has made necessary the "mythological" label. The neighboring Greek Empire would have become quite familiar with these legendary beings. Thus, tales of nature spirits, fairies, nymphs, giants, dwarfs, chimeras, and entire demigod pantheons were handed down through Western channels. This point of view usually assumes that the exotic capabilities of such tribes, as described in classic literature, are accurate and to be taken at face value.
These exotic capabilities included the ability to:
- appear and disappear at will
- fly in air, with or without the use of an airborne vehicle (i.e., a vimana)
- know of air and spacecraft (vimana)
- change shape at will (shapeshift)
- read minds
- know about other inhabited planets
In any case, these tribes had a profound influence on Vedic culture. But they remained separate from the culture — perhaps due to their geographic isolation from the rest of the world. The tribes' bases ranged from high mountains (such as the Yaksas and Rakshasas) to deep forests (such as the Vanaras). Or they were civilizations beyond the mainstream Indian civilization (as with the Devas and Asuras), which prevailed on the plains of the rivers Saraswati, Sindhu, and Ganges.
Gandharvas (Pali, Gandhabbas)
Gandharvas are described as fierce warriors who could challenge even the great Kshatriya warriors (such as the Sakyan Clan). They were skilled in art, music, and dance. Some Gandharva tribes were allied with the Devas and sometimes with the Yakshas. They inhabited the land to the north of Mt. Kailasa, close to the Deva territories. The name Gandharva might have been derived from the name Gandhara (modern Afghanistan), since they might originally have inhabited the inaccessible mountains of the Gandhara Kingdom. Later they might have spread to the Saraswati river (seen by Balarama during his pilgrimage over Saraswati). The Ramayana mentions a Gandharva kingdom named Sailusha near the mouth of the river Ganges. Ghandarva-shtan became Afghanistan. The city of Kandahar in Afghanistan is said to have been named after Gandhara.
Yaksas (Pali, Yakkhas)
The Yaksas were a tribe living in the area surrounding the Kailasa range of the Himalayas. Their king, Vaisravana or Kubera, was a worshipper of Shiva, whose abode is thought to be Mt. Kailasa.
Kinnaras
Kinnaras are a tribe famed for their power of flight often spoken of along with the Gandharvas and Yakshas. The epic Mahabharata and the Puranas describe regions north of the Himalayas as the abode of Kinnaras. The Puranas mention an Asura with a horse head, known as Hayagrīva (Sanskrit, Haya = horse and grīva = head). This Asura was killed by an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who took a similar form. In Egyptian sculptures, horse headed figures or warriors employing an elongated face mask are a common motif resembling the head of a horse.
This region was also the abode of a tribe called Kambojas. They were fierce warriors skilled in horse riding and cavalry warfare. Some of them were ransacking tribes that invaded village settlements, raiding them using their skilled cavalry. Myths surrounding the Kinnaras probably came from these ferocious warrior tribes, who terrorized the Vedic settlements.
There is to this day a district named Kinnaur (Centaur?) in Himachal Pradesh that is thought to be the domain of the Kinnara tribes. The people there call themselves Kinnaurs.
Kimpurushas
Kimpurushas were described as lion-faced beings. They are often mentioned along with Kinnaras. Some of the Puranas consider Kinnaras and Kimpurushas the same, whereas the Mahabharata contains passages where they are distinct.
Rakshasas
Rakshasas (modern Yetis) are described as having large bodies, probably due to their continuous life in cold climates over snow-covered mountains. There is speculation based on the genographic project that many species of humans coexisted in a culturally evolved state. Rakshasas may be one of these human species (like Neanderthals in Europe and Asia with low temperatures such as the Himalayan region) reduced to small pockets like the high Himalayas and the cool mountains of Sri Lanka, with their networks steadily shrinking.
Many times entire tribes or localities were painted with names. As Vedic religion slowly triumphed over other ways or paths, they were assimilated. Aggressive brahmins started calling underdeveloped ("savage") tribes by the names of their past opponents. Rakshasas (who were originally all brahmins) was a misused term, as was Dasyu (the priests of Dasas), which came to mean savage.
Famous Rakshasas
Ravana, the most famous Rakshasa in ancient India, ruled from the Trikuta Mountains (Adam's Peak) in Sri Lanka with climatic conditions similar to the Himalayas. He rose to the status of an emperor who exerted direct control from Sri Lanka north to the south of the Vindhya ranges in India, and indirectly over the kingdoms beyond. Ghatotkacha was a Rakshasa born to the Pandava male Bhima and the Rakshasa female Hidimbi. Rakshasa Ghatotkacha's kingdom was in the Himalayas between Gangotri and Kailasa. The forefathers of Ravana also lived there alongside the Yakshas. The Yaksha king Vaisravana was the elder brother of the Rakshasa king Ravana. Ravana had many sons with Gandharva wives. The epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and many of the Puranas attest that Rakshasas, Yakshas, and Gandharvas were related by inter-marriage.
Famous Rakshasa kingdoms in India were the
- Danda Kingdom ruled by Khara, Ravana's general
- Rakhasa Ghatotkacha's kingdom in the Himalayas
Nagas (Reptilians or snakes) were a group of people spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata. The demi-god tribe called the Suparnas (to which the Garuda belonged) were arch-rivals of the Nagas. However, Kashmir seems to be the original abode of all Naga tribes. Places like AnantNAG attests to this theory.
- The Naga Ananta (also known as Sesha and Adi-Sesha) was the first among all the Nagas. He became an ascetic.
- The third chief Takshaka, in Takshashila (Taxila), both not far from Anantnag. Takshashila is named after Taksh, son of Bharat and nephew of Rama, and his brother Pushkar founded Pushkalvati (modern Peshawar); they were not Nagas. Bharat defeated the Gandharvas, who had killed his uncle. His sons established their rule over Gandharva kingdoms in Gandhara. Takshaka lost his kingdom of Khandava and may have taken Gandhara for Nagas post-Mahabharata but finally lost it to Janamjeya.
- The kingdoms of other Nagas like Karkotaka and Airavata were near the Iravati river (Ravi, one of among five rivers in the Punjab) were not far away.
- The Kingdom of Aryaka was on the Ganges river. His great grandchildren included Krishna and the Pandavas.
The Naga race was almost exterminated by Janamejaya, the Kuru king in Arjuna's line who conducted the massacre of Nagas at Takshashila. This massacre was stopped by Astika, a brahmin whose mother was a Naga (Vasuki's sister Jaratkaru).
The Suparnas (a.k.a. Garudas) were probably the falcon-worshipping or falcon-rearing Iranians who conquered the Naga territories of Northwest India. They could also be the Dragon- worshipping Chinese people. They were arch-rivals of the Nagas. Garuda was a famous Suparna. They were famous for the ability to fly without using aircraft. Some of the literature suggests that they had wings (or powerpacks) like angels. Others consider them birds like hawks or eagles. And some think they were a race of intelligent Dragons in the family of dinosaurs, which became extinct at the dawn of human civilization. Yet another view suggests that Nagas and Garudas were two rival factions of the same tribe. The Mahabharata also supports this view since it describes the two races as originating from two mothers who were sisters.
Vanaras
Vanaras were a tribe who dwelled within dense forests. During the time of the Ramayana, the central part of the Indian Peninans was covered by a dense jungle named Dandaka Forest. Most of the Vanaras lived there. Kishkindha was their stronghold, holding sway over all of the Vanara tribes spread across the Indian subcontinent. It was situated in this forest, located near the Tungabhadra river in the state of Karnataka. Some literature describes them as monkeys, some as apes.
References
Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
Mahabhagavata Purana of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
Ramayana of Valmiki