Rakshasa

In Hindu mythology, a particular type of
asura (demon). Rakshasas are generally
considered to be extremely powerful—
not only in terms of their prodigious
physical strength but also in their considerable skill in the magical arts. They
are also generally characterized as
malevolent toward human beings,
whom they not only kill but also eat.
According to one myth, rakshasas are
born from Brahma’s anger when he
becomes hungry while reciting the
Vedas. The capital of the rakshasas is in
Lanka, and their most celebrated leader
is Ravana, whose death at the hands of
Rama is the climax of the Ramayana,
the earlier of the two great Hindu epics.