Note 105 — Chapter V · WORSHIP OF THE MALEVOLENT DEAD.
Reading edition
In mythological times, Brahma, one of the gods of the Hindu Trinity, once left his body for a time. Some people began to molest the body, when he cried out, “Rākho! Rākho!” that is “Keep aloof! Keep aloof!” or “Wait! Wait!”. These people came to be called Rākho105 which in course of time corrupted into Rākshasa. The beings who hold sway over rākshasas are called Mahārākshasas. In the Rāmāyan and other purāns, rākshasas are represented as feeding on human flesh.106