Daitya Explained

Type:	Hindu
Caption:	Sculpture of the daitya king Hiranyakashipu
Affiliation:	Asuras
Texts:	Puranas
Parents:	Kashyapa and Diti

The दैत्य are a race of asuras in Hindu mythology, descended from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti.^[1] Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the earth, and required three of Vishnu's avataras to be vanquished.^[2]

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:^[3]

List of daityas

Some of the notable daityas mentioned in Hindu mythology include:

• Hiraṇyakaśipu - First son of Kashyapa and Diti
• Hiraṇyākṣa - 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 - Daughter of Bāṇāsura
• Rāhu and Ketu - Head and Body of Svarbhānu, sons of Holikā
• Vajrāṅga - Son of Kashyapa and Diti
• Tārakāsura - Son of Vajrāṅga
• Tripurasura - Son of Tārakāsura
• Shambasura

See also

• Danavas
• Kalakeyas
• Nivatakavacha
• Asura
• List of Asuras
• Devas

External links

• Daitya. x.

Notes and References

1. Web site: www.wisdomlib.org . 2019-08-23 . The army of Demons (Asuras) [Chapter 40] ]. 2022-08-04 . www.wisdomlib.org . en.
2. Web site: www.wisdomlib.org . 2019-01-28 . Story of Diti . 2022-08-04 . www.wisdomlib.org . en.
3. Web site: www.wisdomlib.org . 2020-11-14 . The Beginning of the Dwarf Incarnation: Bali Becomes King [Chapter 40] ]. 2022-08-04 . www.wisdomlib.org . en.