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Overview

A poor man sees beings called Dakinis dancing beside a stream. One retrieves a sack and hammer from a high rock crevice; blows on the sack produce a feast and ornaments. After the company flies away, he climbs up and steals the objects. His wealthy brother later searches for the same good fortune but encounters the angry spirits instead.

Mistaking him for the thief, they stretch his nose five ells long and tie nine knots in it. The stolen hammer can undo them. The tale shifts from adorned dancers to ugly spirits, and Busk’s note questions the term itself, suggesting that Raginis may have been intended. This is therefore a particular, uncertain translated label; its punitive caricature must not stand as a general definition of ḍākinīs in living Buddhist traditions.

FlightWish-producing sack and hammerPunishment through an elongated knotted nose
01

Origins & earliest records

Mongolian transmission of an Indian-derived tale, mediated by European editions and Busk’s adaptation

02

Records & interpretation

Complete Tale XIV, pp. 146–156, read; note 2, pp. 370–371, explicitly checked.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Sagas from the Far East

    Rachel Harriette Busk, compiler and adapter · 1873

    Tale XIV, The Avaricious Brother, pp. 146–156; note 2 pp. 370–371

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

Rachel Harriette Busk, Sagas from the Far East (London, 1873)

Well-and-wise-walking Khan, Tale XIV. pp. 146–156; note 2 pp. 370–371

Complete story and specific name note directly read; preface regional allocation rechecked. Note proposes Raginis rather than Dakinis, so exact religious identification remains unresolved.

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References

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  1. Historical literary adaptationBusk, Sagas from the Far East (1873), Tale XIV and note 2Research 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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