According to ancient scriptures, the daityas (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: दैत्य) are a race of
asura
Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indian religions, Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, Buddhi ...
s, descending from
Kashyapa
Kashyapa ( sa, कश्यप}, ) is a revered Vedas, Vedic Sage (philosophy), sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancien ...
and his wife,
Diti
Diti ( sa, दिति) is a daughter of the ''Prajapati'' Daksha in Hinduism. She is a wife of the sage Kashyapa and the mother of the demonic race Daityas and the divine group of Marutas.
Legend
According to the ''Puranic'' scriptures,
Di ...
. Prominent members of this race include
Hiranyaksha
__NOTOC__
Hiranyaksha ( sa, हिरण्याक्ष, "golden-eyed"), also known as Hiranyanetra ( sa, हिरण्यनेत्र) was an oppressive Asura who attacked the heavens and thereafter kidnapped and attempted to destroy th ...
,
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu (; also known as Hiranyakashyap) was an Asura king of the ''daityas'' from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. His name literally translates to "clothed in gold" (''hiranya'' "gold" ''kashipu'' "soft cushion"), and is often inte ...
, and
Mahabali
Mahabali (IAST: Mahābalī), also known as Bali, Indrasenan, or Māveli, is a daitya king featured in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Prahlada, and a descendant of the sage Kashyapa. There are many versions of his legend, in ancient texts such ...
, all of whom overran the
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, and required three of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
's
avataras to be vanquished.
Literature
![MET DP166078](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/MET_DP166078.jpg)
The
Manusmṛiti classifies the daityas as good, while placing them at a lower level than the
devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
:
The origin and noteworthy members of this race are specified in the
Harivamsha Purana:
List of daityas
Some of the notable daityas mentioned in
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
include:
*
Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu (; also known as Hiranyakashyap) was an Asura king of the ''daityas'' from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. His name literally translates to "clothed in gold" (''hiranya'' "gold" ''kashipu'' "soft cushion"), and is often inte ...
- First son of
Kashyapa
Kashyapa ( sa, कश्यप}, ) is a revered Vedas, Vedic Sage (philosophy), sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancien ...
and
Diti
Diti ( sa, दिति) is a daughter of the ''Prajapati'' Daksha in Hinduism. She is a wife of the sage Kashyapa and the mother of the demonic race Daityas and the divine group of Marutas.
Legend
According to the ''Puranic'' scriptures,
Di ...
*
Hiraṇyakṣa - Second son of Kashyapa and Diti
*
Holika
Holika ( sa, होलिका, translit=Hōlikā), also known as Simhika, is an asuri in Hinduism. She is the sister of the asura-kings Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, and the aunt of Prahlada.
The legend of ''Holika Dahan'' (Holika's bur ...
- First daughter of Kashyapa and Diti
*
Andhakasura
In Hindu literature, Andhaka ( Sanskrit: अन्धक, IAST: Andhaka; lit. "He who darkens") refers to a malevolent asura, whose pride is vanquished by Shiva and Parvati..
His story finds mention in various Hindu texts, including the '' Ma ...
- Son of Hiranyaksha (Born from the sweat of Shiva)
*
Prahlada
Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...
- Son of Hiranyakashipu
*
Simhika
Simhika () is a rakshasi in Hinduism. She appears in the Ramayana, as a foe of the vanara, Hanuman, by whom she is slain.
Legend
In the Ramayana, after meeting Mainaka, when Hanuman was crossing the ocean to Lanka, the kingdom of the raksha ...
- Daughter of Hiranyakashipu
*
Virocana
Virochana () is an asura king in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Hiranyakashipu, the son of Prahlada (according to the Atharvaveda (VIII.10.22), and the father of Bali.
Legend
Being the son of Prahlada, a staunch devotee of Vishnu, Virochana ...
- Son of Prahlada, father of Mahabali
* Devamba - Mother of Mahabali
*
Mahabali
Mahabali (IAST: Mahābalī), also known as Bali, Indrasenan, or Māveli, is a daitya king featured in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Prahlada, and a descendant of the sage Kashyapa. There are many versions of his legend, in ancient texts such ...
- Son of Virochana
*
Baṇasura - Son of Mahabali
*
Rahu
Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the moon in its precessional orbit around the earth, also referred as the ...
*
Tarakasura
*
Tripurasura
Tripurasura (Sanskrit: त्रिपुरासुर) a trio of asura brothers named Tarakaksha, Vidyunmāli and Kamalaksha, who were the sons of the asura Tarakasura. These three began to perform severe tapasya. They were then granted boons ...
- Son of Tarakasura
*Shambasura
See also
*
Danavas
In Hindu mythology, the danavas are a race descending from Kashyapa and his wife Danu, a daughter of the progenitor god, Daksha. It is mentioned that there are one hundred danavas.
Origin
The danavas are a mythological race of demigods, t ...
*
Kalakeyas
The kalakeyas ( sa, कालकेय, translit=Kālakeya) or kalakhanjas ( sa, कालखञ्ज; Pali: kālakañjā) are a sect of danavas in Hindu mythology, referring to the children of Kashyapa and Kala. Sixty-thousand kalakeyas are said ...
*
Nivatakavacha
The nivatakavachas ( sa, निवातकवच, lit=the impenetrable armoured ones, translit=Nivātakavaca) are a sect of daityas, the children of Kashyapa and Diti, classified under the race of asuras in Hindu mythology. They are best know ...
*
Asura
Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indian religions, Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, Buddhi ...
*
List of Asuras
Asuras ( sa, असुर) are a class of beings or power-seeking clans, related to the more benevolent devas (also known as ''suras'') in Hinduism.
Clans
The two major clans of the asuras are the daityas and the danavas.
* Daitya - a clan of as ...
*
Devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
References
Notes
External links
*
Giants
Characters in Hindu mythology
{{Hindu-myth-stub