Danava (Hinduism)
Encyclopedia
In Vedic mythology the Danavas were a race of the Asuras.
The Danavas were the sons of Danu
, who in turn was a daughter of Daksha
. Danu is connected with the waters of heavens and she is probably associated with the formless, primordial waters that existed prior to the creation. The name is connected with the PIE
root *danu,"river" or "any flowing liquid". The Danavas revolted against the Devtas under the leadership of Bali
Rose, Carol (2000) Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA, p. 94, ISBN 0874369886 ; and others, but were defeated. In the Rig Veda, nearly all the demons described as being defeated by the Devas
are Danavas.
After their defeat, the Danavas were cast into the deepest oceans and locked there forever by Indra
, or sometimes Rudra
.
legends. Rightly or wrongly, some scholars identified the Danavas in the Mahabharata
with the Indus Valley Civilization
, the builders of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
.
- Father of Indrani or Sachi
2) Viprachitti
- Husband of Holika
or Sinhika
3) Rahu
- Son of Holika and Viprachitti
4) Vrishparva
- Father of Sharmishtha
.
The Danavas were the sons of Danu
Danu (Asura)
Dānu, a Hindu primordial goddess, is mentioned in the Rigveda, mother of the Danavas. The word Danu described the primeval waters which this deity perhaps embodied. In the Rigveda , she is identified as the mother of Vrtra, the demonic serpent slain by Indra...
, who in turn was a daughter of Daksha
Daksha
In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
. Danu is connected with the waters of heavens and she is probably associated with the formless, primordial waters that existed prior to the creation. The name is connected with the PIE
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
root *danu,"river" or "any flowing liquid". The Danavas revolted against the Devtas under the leadership of Bali
Mahabali
Mahabali , also known as Bali or Māveli was a benevolent Asura King, and the grandson of Prahlada. The festival of Onam commemorates his yearly homecoming after being sent down to the underworld by Vamana, the fifth avatar of Vishnu.-Conquest of the Universe and banishment:Bali, an asura, was the...
Rose, Carol (2000) Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA, p. 94, ISBN 0874369886 ; and others, but were defeated. In the Rig Veda, nearly all the demons described as being defeated by the Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
are Danavas.
After their defeat, the Danavas were cast into the deepest oceans and locked there forever by Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, or sometimes Rudra
Rudra
' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
.
Historical basis
Some argue for an historical basis for the Vedic stories, and that the Danavas, and other defeated beings (Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Nagas, et cetera) were non-Aryan tribes. This is supported by non-Vedic legends and mythologies, for example NagaNaga Kingdom
Naga Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Nagas who were a group of hardy and warlike people spread throughout India during far ancient history. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like Kinnaras and Yakshas...
legends. Rightly or wrongly, some scholars identified the Danavas in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
with the Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
, the builders of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
Harappa
Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...
.
Some Famous Danavas
1) PulomanPuloman
According to the Hindu religion, the demon Puloman is the father of Indrani Sachi and Sivasri, who ruled the kingdom for seven years. Puloman was slain by Indra, who blasted him by the outpouring of his splendor....
- Father of Indrani or Sachi
2) Viprachitti
Viprachitti
Viprachitti is an Indian legendary hero. As per Surya Puran he became the king of Danavas after his brother Puloman was killed by Indra. Viprachitti married Holika who was sister of Hiranyakashipu and daughter of Diti. He was one of the 100 sons of Sage Kashyapa and Danu. He was the most powerful...
- Husband of Holika
Holika
Holika was a demoness in Hindu mythology who was burnt to death with help of God Brahma by Prahlad. She was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu.The story of Holika's conflict signifies the triumph of good over evil, and death of Holika is celebrated as Holi....
or Sinhika
Sinhika
Sinhika was the daughter of Rishi Kashyap and Diti who was one amongst the 13 wives of Kashyap and the eldest daughter of Daksha. Sinhika had two brothers Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. She got married to the Danava Viprachitti and bore a son named Rahu....
3) Rahu
Rahu
In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a cut-off head of an asura, that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas in Vedic astrology...
- Son of Holika and Viprachitti
4) Vrishparva
Vrishparva
In Hindu mythology, Vrishparva was a Danava king. He fought many wars with Indra with the help of his main priest Shukracharya. He made many attempts to kill Kacha, the son of Brihaspati...
- Father of Sharmishtha
Sharmishtha
In Hindu mythology, Sharmistha, also known as Sharmista, was the daughter of Demon king Vrishparva, who was also friend of Devayani. She was given as dowry to Yayati of Yadav dynasty, when he married Devayani, the daughter of Sage Shukracharya, the guru of all Asuras.-the Legend:Once when Devayani...
False cognates
The Danavas descendants of Danu are sometimes conflated with the Danai descendants of DanausDanaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
.
See also
- AsuraAsura-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
- DaityasDaityaIn Hinduism, the Daityas are a clan or race or Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They were a race of giants who fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers...
- Exotic tribes of ancient IndiaExotic tribes of ancient IndiaThe classic Indian epics such as the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas refer to many exotic tribes, describing them as superhuman or subhuman. Narrations about these tribes are often mixed with mythology and fiction...
- KalakeyasKalakeyasIn Hinduism the Kalakeyas or Kalakanjas were a powerful, ferocious and cruel clan of Danavas.-Kalaka and Puloma:The Kalakeyas were the descendants of Kalaka, daughter of Vaiswanara . Vaiswanara had three other beautiful daughters...
- List of Asuras
- Nivatakavacha