rākshasa ［羅刹］ (;  rasetsu): A type of demon. In Vedic literature, rākshasas are demons that attempt to kill unborn children and infants. Later incorporated into Buddhism, some sutras describe them as guardian deities of Buddhism, and others, as demons. A female rākshasa is a rākshasī. In the “Dhāranī” (twenty-sixth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the ten rākshasīs known as the ten demon daughters are depicted as deities who, together with Mother of Demon Children, protect those who uphold the sutra. Later Buddhist commentaries depict rākshasas as beings that eat human flesh; male demons are described as ugly and terrifying, and female demons, as beautiful. See also demon.