The daityas () are a race of

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

s in

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

, descended from

Kashyapa Kashyapa (, ) is a revered Vedic 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 ancient and venerated rishi, along with the other Sa ...

and his wife,

Diti Diti () 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, Diti is one of ...

. Prominent members of this race include

Hiranyaksha Hiranyaksha (, ), also known as Hiranyanetra () was an asura king as per Hindu mythology. He is described to have submerged the earth and terrorised the three worlds. He was slain by the Varaha (wild boar) avatar of Vishnu, who rescued the ...

Hiranyakashipu Hiranyakashipu (, ), also known as Hiranyakashyap, was a daitya king of the asuras in the Puranas. In Hinduism, Hiranyakashipu's younger brother, Hiranyaksha, was slain by the Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu. Angered by this, Hiranyakashipu ...

, 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 suc ...

, all of whom overran the

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

, and required three of

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

's avataras to be vanquished.

Literature

The Manusmṛiti classifies the daityas as good, while placing them at a lower level than the devas: The origin and noteworthy members of this race are specified in the Harivamsha Purana:

List of daityas

Some of the notable daityas mentioned in

include: *

– First son of

and

– Second son of Kashyapa and Diti * Holikā – First daughter of Kashyapa and Diti * Andhakāsura – Son of Hiraṇyākṣa (Born from the sweat of Śiva) * Prahlāda – Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu * Virocana – Son of Prahlāda, father of Mahābalī * Devamba – Mother of Mahābalī * Mahābalī – Son of Virocana * Bāṇāsura – Son of Mahābalī *

Uṣā Usha (Sanskrit: उषा, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Uṣā) is a character in Hindu mythology. She is the daughter of the asura king Banasura and the wife of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna. Her story of fa ...

– Daughter of Bāṇāsura * Rāhu and Ketu – Head and Body of

Svarbhānu Svarbhānu () is an asura traditionally held responsible for solar eclipses and lunar eclipses in Vedic mythology. The name is also used as an attribute of the asuras Rahu and Ketu in Puranic mythology, who are also connected to the solar ec ...

, sons of Holikā * Vajrāṅga – Son of Kashyapa and Diti * Tārakāsura – Son of Vajrāṅga * Tripurasura – Son of Tārakāsura *Shambasura * Kalanemi – Son of Virocana

References

Notes

External links

* Giants Legendary creatures in Hindu mythology {{Hindu-myth-stub

Literature

List of daityas

See also

References

Notes

External links