yaksha; Buddhist guardian deity; fierce demon-like warrior
In Buddhism, yakshas are protective deities often depicted with fierce, demonic features. Figuratively, can refer to a fierce or terrifying person.
from Sanskrit yakṣa
Kongō Yasha Myōō is one of the Five Wisdom Kings.
His face twisted into something fiercely demonic with rage.
彼女は怒るとまるで夜叉のようだ。
When she gets angry, she's like a yaksha.
She turned into a raging fury and screamed at him.
菩薩 (bodhisattva) embodies compassionate, benevolent Buddhist virtue, in contrast to 夜叉, which embodies fierce, demon-like ferocity.
阿修羅 are combative demigods who battle the devas, while 夜叉 are a separate class of fierce, sometimes cannibalistic spirits/demons in Buddhist lore.
Standard kanji form; used in Buddhist contexts and figurative expressions.
From Sanskrit yakṣa, a class of nature-spirits or guardian deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The kanji 夜叉 are phonetic ateji.