A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Day’s note defines a Brahmadaitya as the ghost of a Brahman who dies unmarried. In the narrated example, one inhabits a vakula tree and protects a poor Brahman attempting to win land by cutting a branch from a haunted banyan. The other ghosts obey his command and supply the branch instead of attacking the man.

When the new landowner cannot afford workers, the Brahmadaitya commands one hundred ghosts to reap, carry, thresh and store the harvest in a single night. He then supplies the provisions for a feast for a thousand Brahmans. His authority over the other ghosts is part of this particular tale’s social and supernatural order.

The grateful man wishes to share his meal with the invisible benefactor, but the spirit explains that helping him has completed his allotted ghostly period. A pushpaka chariot takes him to heaven; Day’s note associates that vehicle with Kuvera. The release belongs to this narrative outcome, rather than a universal account of every being called Brahmadaitya.

Powerful Brahman ghost who befriends a poor man and commands other ghostsSpecific Bengali narrative witness
01

Origins & earliest records

Bengali oral storytelling translated by Lal Behari Day

02

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant tale, attached notes,1883 preface and1912 edition credits directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Folk-Tales of Bengal

    Lal Behari Day, collector and translator · 1912

    XV, The Story of a Brahmadaitya, pp.192–199, notes1–3; first edition1883, illustrationsWarwickGoble

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Lal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (Macmillan,1912; first edition1883)

XV. XV, The Story of a Brahmadaitya, pp.192–199, notes1–3

Complete tale and footnotes read, pluspreface andeditionhistory. Bengali oral informants described collectively, individual teller of this tale not identified. Original paraphrase; no source-image verification claimed.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical translated oral narrative and collector notesLal Behari Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal (1912), XV, The Story of a Brahmadaitya, pp.192–199, notes1–3Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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