Śivasaṃhitā 5.141

This verse lists a series of supernatural beings drawn from Vedic and Tantric cosmology: yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, apsaras, and kinnaras. Their appearance here is not merely ornamental; they form part of the subtle landscape that an advanced yogin may encounter during deep meditative absorption. The tradition treats these planes of existence as genuinely real and potentially distracting to spiritual progress.

Each category of being corresponds to a distinct level of subtle existence. Yakṣas are nature spirits associated with wealth and abundance; rākṣasas are demonic entities; gandharvas are celestial musicians; apsaras are divine nymphs; and kinnaras are hybrid beings, part human and part horse or bird, according to Purāṇic cosmology. All inhabit intermediate planes between the human and the fully divine.

In advanced meditative practice, the Haṭhayoga tradition warns that the ascent of consciousness through the cakras may generate visions and encounters with such entities. Rather than dismissing these as mere imagination, the texts treat them as markers of genuine depth. The yogin must cultivate unwavering equanimity, neither seduced by their beauty nor disturbed by their more fearsome forms.