There are various legends about Sunni-yakka but in all them he is associated with snakes and he is always addressed with respect by the Edura during a Devil Dance. He was born the son of a king in India and was very handsome. From an early age he played with snakes and then moved up to the Himalayas where he took cobras from a termite mound. He wrapped these around his body. He holds a fire pan in one hand and a 15 foot sword in the other. He rides on an enormous white horse and became the leader of 7000 demons.
He rode to Buddha’s Temple and demanded that Buddha grant him power to make people ill. The monk at the gate refused him admission so he returned home only to return a few days later and repeated his demand. Again he was refused. He came a third time but this time begged food.
Buddha realised it was a trick and ordered he should be chained and dispatched to the deepest Hell. However Buddha countermanded his orders immediately as it was against his beliefs to harm anything. He agreed that Sunni-yakka could have his wish and make people sick so long as he agreed to go to a certain place where an Edura lived. When this Edura summoned him by reciting a special mantra : “Deviyanga, Buddhunga!Vesamunu – rajjuruvo anakiya yak-edura dolaha pidenni devi” i.e. Deviyanga, Buddhunga!Vesamunu – rajjuruvo to forbid exorcise twelve offerings divine at the same time to accept the offerings made to him and so release the human from the afflictions Sunni-yakka had given them.
Sunni-yakka can afflict people with several symptoms but particularly attacks women causing them intestinal problems, sterility, miscarriages, problematic pregnancies etc.
Sunni-yakka