Dānava

By Himanshu Bhatt

In Hindu mythology the Dānavas (Sanskrit: दानव) were a race descending from Dakṣa.)

The Dānavas were the sons of Danu (Dewi Danu in Balinese Hinduism), who in turn was a daughter of Dakṣa and Prasooti and Danu's husband Ṛṣi Kashyapa. 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" and is associated with the Dānu. Dānavas are a group of Asuras like the Daityas (of Diti and Kashyapa), and Rāksasas. Historically, the most prominent Dānavas were Vritra, Namuci, Māyā, Rāhu and Ketu, the first three of whom are mentioned in the Ṛgveda as enemies of the Devas, while the last 2 are worshiped today. Under the leadership of Daitya Bali and others the Dānavas revolted against the Devatas (Devas). Despite initial successes, the Dānava were defeated by the god Vāmana who in dwarf form deceived their leader Bali. The Dānavas were not universally considered to be evil, individual Dānava could be classified as good or bad.

Political influence of the Dānavas

Kālakeyas of Kālaka and Vaiswānara were a Dānava dynasty and their stronghold was Hiranyapura. The Pragjyotisha Kingdom, according to the Mahābhārata was a dynasty that had participated in the Kurukṣetra War and its monarch at the time was King Bhagadatta. The Dānava Dynasty of Assam had been overthrown by Narakāsura, who replaced it with the Naraka Dynasty, with its capital at Pragjyotisha. The Nivatakavacha were an Asura people that lived on the sea. Vrsaparvan is said to have been reborn as King Dirghaprajna.

Regions of association

It is believed that the Dānavas, like the Daityas, were originally exiled from heaven in the Krita Yuga by the Devas and they had then taken refuge in the Vindhya mountains and by the sea. The Dānavas are usually associated with areas around the Vindhyas.

Dānavas and Daityas had seven main regions which they were firmly in control of. In the Brahma Purāṇa, Nārada says after returning to heaven (Amravati) from the "nether worlds" that they are more pleasant than the heaven. The nether worlds Atala, Vitala, Nitala, Mahatala, Sutala, Pātāla and Gabhastimata. Pātāla in Hindu scriptures is mentioned and associated more than any other place with Daityas and it was their main capital.

Chamba district and likely the parts of Rajasthan in and around Sambhar Salt Lake and Sambhar Lake town were ruled by Sambhara until his defeat by King Divodas. Mahisa in Gujarat has the same name as the Dānava Mahishasura and it is where there are temples dedicated to both Brahma (Shri Brahmaji Temple) and Śiva, the gods which granted Mahisa boons. So likely there was an Asura that ruled here as there were in other parts of the west coast. Some places throughout India are named after the Dānavas who had ruled there. For example, the Bahlikas had named two towns in Gujarat as Bhalka and Bilkha.

Multan has been associated with Daityas on some occasions and it was formerly known as Kashyapapur. It is where Prahlada reigned and built his Prahladapuri Temple dedicated to Viṣṇu. Its association with the Daityas is do strong that when Jalandhara was slain, his feet were buried in Multan. After Daitya Bāna lost the city to Samba in battle, the city was renamed Sambapur from Kashyapapur. The Bahlikas by the Indus River were Dānava dynasties. The dominion of the Bahlikas was known as Bahlika Pradesh or Bahlika-bhishak. Hemachandra wrote of them as Takhas. They were also known as the Bahlika-Uttaramadra.

• The city of Lankapuri in Sri Lanka was built by Māyā, an architect and king of the Dānavas. However, Uttarakānda of Rāmāyaṇa says that Lankapuri was built by Viswakarma.
• Māyā built a palace of illusions called the Maya Sabha at Indraprastha. It was full of ‘magical’ ponds and lakes as well as natural ponds and lakes. When Duryodhana, the cousin of the Pandavas came to visit, he fell into a real pond, thinking that it was an artificial one. Māyā built this palace for the Pāndavas, because Arjuna spared his life in the Khāndava Dahanam.
• Māyā Dānava also built Tripura, three cities of gold, silver and iron. This was later destroyed by Śiva. Valmiki called this Tripura Gopuram. There is an astronomical story overlaid with this story.
  

Māyāsura was the foremost of architects among the Asura and a formidable rival to Vishwakarma, the architect-of-the-gods. He was the father-in-law of Rāvaṇa and is credited with marvelous feats of engineering performed not only for the demons but also for Devas and humans. To list a few of these, Māyā built the:

• Three flying cities of Tripura for the sons of Tarkāsura.
• The island city of Lanka for Kuber
• The Palace-of-illusions for the Pandavas at Indraprastha.
  

Besides these architectural wonders, he also wrote the astronomical treatise called the Surya Siddhānta that forms the basis of Indian astronomy even today! Combining his knowledge of all these principles, he perhaps took the next step and created the flying vehicles or Vimāns. Māyā himself, is believed to have possessed a Vimān measuring twelve cubits in circumference, with four strong wheels.

Talavana at Tarsi was the stronghold of Denuka. Hiranyapura was another Daitya city in the sky. Asurangita was a city of which Maya was King. Lankapuri was built by Māyā for his son-in-law Rāvaṇa. The Māhābhārata mentions a cave temple possessed by Maya in which a female ascetic named Prabhavati was performing austerities.

Resolving conflicts with Dānavas

Normally, nonviolence as a method is tried to prevent any wars with the Asuras. When they prove ineffective, war is fought. In one instance, the Devas had said to Brahma, "You should pacify the vighnas by the conciliatory method. this method is to be applied first and secondly the offering of gifts, and these proving futile one should afterwards create dissension among enemies and this too proving unsuccessful, punitive force should be resorted to curb them." One common tactic of the Dānavas was to abduct the wife of an enemy. This is true in the cases of Jalandhara who had tried with Parvati and Sanghra who tried with Saci. Some other Asuras such as Rāvaṇa had abducted Sita.

War was always the last solution to making peace. In war, many times the Devas had chosen a Daitya to focus on fighting. "Unmattabhairavi fought with Malada. Laghusyama fought with Kusura. Svapnesi waged war with the leading Daitya named Mangala. Vagvadini clashed with Draghana in the battle. Candakali fought with the wicked Kolata." Another battle between the Daityas and Devas in the Skanda Purāṇa went this way: "Sunda, Upasanda, Tuhunda, and others, Mahisasura, Ulbanas Sumbha, Nisumbha, Dhumraksa, Kalakeya, and other Dānavas, the valiant Kālanemi, Daurhrda, Muṣaka, Yama, Nikumbha, Kumbha, Visastha, the Andhaka, Sankha, Jalandhara, Vatapi, of terrific features and inordinate strength, Sarvajit, Visvahantr, Kamacarin, Halayudha - these and many other leading Dānavas attended upon the sinless king Bali." Then in the war following the cosmic creation, the Śrimad Bhāgavatam declares this of the conflict: Text* 28: O King, Maharaja Bali fought with Indra, Karttikeya with Taraka, Varuna with Heti, and Mitra with Praheti. / Yamaraja fought with Kalanabha, Visvakarma with Maya Danava, Tvasṭa with Sambara, and the sun-god with Virocana. / The demigod Aparajita fought with Namuci and the two Asvini-kumara brothers fought with Vrishaparva. The sun-god fought with the one hundred sons of Maharaja Bali, headed by Bāna and the moon-god fought with Rāhu. The demigod controlling air fought with Puloma and Sumbha and Nisumbha fought the supremely powerful material energy, Durgadevi, who is called Bhadra Kali. / O Maharaja Parikshit, suppressor of enemies [Arindama], Lord Śiva fought with Jambha and Vibhavasu fought with Mahiṣasura. Ilvala, along with his brother Vatapi, fought the sons of Lord Brahma. Durmarsha fought with Cupid, the demon Utkala with the Matrika demigoddesses, Bṛhaspati with Śukracarya, and Sanaiścara with Narakāsura. The Maruts fought Nivatakavaca, the Vasus fought the Kalakeya demons, the Viṣvedeva demigods fought the Pauloma demons and the Rudras fought the Krodhavasa demons, who were victims of anger."

Noble supporters of Danavas

Tvastar was a Deva and son of the architect Deva Vishwakarma. It was upon his rage of Indra having killed his son Vishwarupa that he created Vritra for the purpose of killing Indra as revenge. Darukaputra was the charioteer of Krishna against King Salva.

Danava integration into Indian society

Dānavas were mixing in with other Asura peoples such as Daityas and Rakṣasas and so political alliance with them also strengthened power of the Asuras. According to the Skanda Purāṇa, Bali had in his assembly several Dānavas:

"Sunda, Upasanda, Tuhunda, and others, Mahisasura, Ulbanas, Sumbha, Nisumbha, Dhumraksa, Kalakeya, and other Dānavas, the valiant Kalanemi, Daurhrda, Musaka, Yama, Nikumbha, Kumbha, Visastha, the Andhaka, Sankha, Jalandhara, Vatapi, of terrific features and inordinate strength, Sarvajit, Visvahantr, Kamacarin, Halayudha - these and many other leading Dānavas attended upon the sinless king Bali." Dānavas had also mixed in with non-Asuras. Examples of marries between Dānavas and non-Dānava Asuras include that of Mandodari with Rāvaṇa. Between Dānavas and non-Asuras, example are of Maya marrying Apsara Hema, and of Sharmishtha marrying King Yayati and from him produced the Turvasu Dynasty.

Religious beliefs of the Danavas

Adorned gods

Śiva is outright called the originator of all beings, including classes of Asuras in some Śaiva texts. "Brahma Viṣṇu Maheshan deva danava rakṣaṣa Yasmat prajgyire devastam Shambhum pranamamyaham. It means that I Salute that Lord Shambhu who created the Devas, Danavas and Asuras. The piousness of many Daityas have been recognized. According to the Mahābhārata, all of heaven screamed when Vritra was slain. Danavas, like most Asuras have normally been described as being devotees of Śiva His other epithets include, 'Devadevasuranamaskrta' 'Devasuramahamitra' 'Devasuramahesvara' 'Devasuramahasraya' 'Devasureshvara' and 'Asuravyaghra'.

The Mahendravarmesvara temple of Kanchipuram established by Prince Mahendra has an inscription which reads, "May Mahesvara, the refuge of all the Devas and Asuras, who puts and end to time and has ended Puru, always take up his residence." There are nine classes of lingas according to the Suprabhedamaga, and of those one is called Asura and another Sura and another is the Rakṣasya There were even a few known Dānavas who were named after Lord Śiva, as well as other Asuras such as the incarnation of Guru Bṛhaspati as an Asura King named Maheṣa. Daksharam is the place where Tāraka was slain by Skanda, and so he is honored there. In one instance, Kāli Devi had worshiped Śiva at Ambar city in the Mahākālam for atoning the sin of slaying Amba and Ambasura.

Brahmā was also worshiped by many Dānavas and he had granted many Dānavas a boon to increase their power. Dānava Virupakṣa together with the Daityas and the Vighnas, said these words, "...you who are the first progenitor of the world, to whom the Devas and Daityas owe their origin." Because Brahma had granted so many boons to the Asuras and this creates problems for the Devas as the Linga Purāṇa says. Hence, there is a legend that Brahma is not worshiped as God anymore because he granted boons surreptitiously to Asuras.

Surya and Chandramās are originally said to have been the gods of the Asuras but then they became a part of the Devas. Surya was a major god for the Asuras. The two Dānavas Canda and Munda had done penance after defeating Indra and then they were granted a boon from Surya. There is even a legend that a person named Suryakunda was made King Devasura Ṛṣi Agastya (in Rāmāyaṇa) said to Ramachandra, "Rāma, worship your ancestor the Sun. The Adityahṛdāya is one of the eldest of all mantras. Worship Surya Deva with it, whom the devas and the asuras both revere, and you will kill Rāvaṇa today." The Mahābhārata also mentions that all Asuras and other classes of people worship Surya, "For the acquisition of prosperity, I bow down to thee, O Bhaskara blazing like unto gold or fire, who is worshiped of the gods and the Pitris and the Yakṣas and who is adored by the Asuras, Nisacharas and Siddhas."[2] The Ṛgveda mentions that the "asurya" Surya is addressed as purohita of the Devas. As Chandra was a former Asura, his name had still been popular to use amongst Dānavas. For example, Chanda, Chandrahartar, Chandravimadana and Suchandra were Dānavas.

Spiritual scholarship and ascetic practices

It is said that Vritra's offspring were rakshasas and yet were brahmavid and dharmika. Daitya Madhu, the "father of the Asura race" practiced great penances and possessed very high spiritual values. Dhundhu, his son, was a great "Tapasvi" sage. Tapasya was always highlighted amongst the stories of the Danavas. For the enlargement of their kingdoms, some Daityas performed Aswamedha and other yajnas, performed penance and in many cases obtained boons from Śiva or Brahmā.

Priestly associations

There were also Brahmins amongst the Dānavas, such as Namuci and Vṛtra and as they was slain for harassing the Devas and civilians, by Indra, the latter incurred the sin of brahmahatyā.

Apart from Śukrācharya (a Bhārgava), the Dānavas are known to have had a few other priests. A Bhṛgu sage was angry at Viṣṇu and had struck Viṣṇu on his chest. Another Bhṛgu had cursed Viṣṇu. Śukra being a Bhārgava was a worshiper of Śiva. The Mahābhārata mentions that some Brahmins out of pride became the priests of Dānavas. The Mahābhārata states that a Sakra Ṛṣi had four children, Tashtadhara, Atri, Raudra and Kurmi that were priests of Asuras and that they were devoted Brahma and the welfare of the world.

Some Danavas were mendicants and through their austerities and/or piety, they became Brahmins. It is said that Vritra's offspring were rakshasas and yet were brahmavid and dharmika. Asura Dandavakta was son of the Karusha Dynasty's Brahmin Prince Vriddha Sharma and Śrutadeva. Writer F.E. Pargiter is in the opinion that the earliest Brahmins were priests either to the Manvas or the Daityas and Dānavas.

Temples associated with Danavas

Nageshvara Jyotirlinga, Jamnagar, Gujarat

As many Danavas had worshiped Brahma, there is the Brahma Temple in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Of it the Mahabharata says, "It is there that the Devas, Daityas, and Brahmin seers mortified themselves and possessed of great merit, achieved divine yoga...In that same ford swells forever and most joyously the Grandfather by the Devas and Dānavas. About Pushkara, the Brahma Purāṇa reads, "There is on Puṣkaradvipa a banyan tree, the supreme abode of Brahma, where Brahma dwells, being worshiped by gods and asuras." There is another temple nearby in Asotra village in Balotra taluka of Rajasthan's Barmer district, which is known as Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha.

Krittiveseshvar is the name of the linga that was ordered by Śiva to be placed on the spot where Gaja, who had obtained a boon from Śiva, was slained. Where Vidal and Utpal were slained also became the spot of a linga. Other major linga sites include, Nāgeśvara Jyotirlinga in Gujarat, commemorating the Dānava Daruka at Amerdak Kshetra. Śukrāchārya is also the guru of the Dānavas and his temples can be found in several parts of India also mostly with the Śaiva vibhuti mark on his forehead.

Superhuman capacities of Dānavas

Siddhis are yogic powers and many Dānavas are said to have had them. Besides unusual longevity, the Dānavas possessed many siddhi "superhuman" capacities. The Vedas indicate that they were wise, artful and knew secrets of magic, specifically [[Māyā|māyā]]. They could appear in various forms such as elephants, lions and tigers, and even rākṣasas, as well as becoming invisible Nāga. Their descendants continued to possessed these siddhi. The Dānavas also possessed advanced technology.

The Mahābhārata and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa record the Dānavas' use of magic in battles:

"In this battle [Daityas and Dānavas] were beaten and, to escape from death, they took advantage of magic and with its help had slayed a great number of the soldiers combating on the party of demigods. Demigods, without seeing another escape, had again given up themselves to the Sovereign Person of God Viṣṇu which counteracted against the illusions created by tricks of demons". "Then in the sky there were the terrible clouds driven by violent winds. Peals of thunder rattled and the shower of heated coals had poured down on land. The gigantic fire organized by Daitya Maharadzha Bali, incinerated the troops of demigods. This fire attended by frantic gusts, was as well awful as Samvartaka fire which are originated in the cycle of destruction of the Universe. Everywhere there were swirls and gigantic sea waves, foamed by furious gusts and in the face of all the deluge has started. When the invisible demons possessing skill of making of look-alike illusive mirages have transformed the battle field into such fantastic chaos, demigods have become despondent ".

Engineering Achievements

Māyā is accredited with having written the Vāstu Śāstra, which contains details on how to engineer certain structures, such as temples. It says, "The temple of Godhead should be situated in a beautiful place where rivers flow, on the banks of a lake, by the seashore on hilltops, mountain slopes or a hidden valley."

• The city of Lankapuri in Sri Lanka was built by Māyā, an architect and king of the Dānavas. However, Uttarakānda of Rāmāyaṇa says that Lankapuri was built by Viswakarma.
• Māyā built a palace of illusions called the Māyā Sabha at Indraprastha. It was full of ‘magical’ ponds and lakes as well as natural ponds and lakes. When Duryodhana, the cousin of the Pandavas came to visit, he fell in to a real pond, thinking that it was an artificial one. Māyā built this palace for the Pandavas, because Arjuna had spared his life in the Khāndava Dahanam.
• Māyā Dānava also built Tripura, three cities of gold, silver and iron. This was later destroyed by Śiva. Valmiki called this as Tripura Gopuram. There is a significant astronomical story along with this story.

List of Danavas

Viprachiti the Danava married Simhika the Daitya, having performed the Saitiyoga, had thirteen children that would be the thirteenth classes of Danavas. They were known as Saimhikeyas and the classes were, Vamsya, Salya, Mala, Vatapi, Namuci, Ilvala, Svasrma, Ankita, Naraka, Kalanabha, Saramana, and Surakalpa. These classes of Danavas are said to have produced 100,000 grandsons for Viprachiti and Simhika. According to the Vayu Purana, the most prominent of the Danavas were Marici, Suketu, Subahu, Taraka, Vaisvanara, Puloma, Svabhanu, Vrsaparva, Mahagiri, Asiloma, Sukesha, Mahodara, Hayagriva, Virupaksha, Sambara, and Sarabha. Further, the descendants of Puloma became known as Pulomas, Kelkayas from Kalaka, Kalkanjas from Kalkan, and Khalins from Khala. The daughter of Svarbhanu was Prabha, while of Puloma was Saci, Maya's were Mandodari, Upadanavi, and Kuhu.

List of Known Danavas

Generation	Name	Parent(s)	Region(s) of association	Sampradāya	Boon Granted	Significance	Defeated By
First	Ahara	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ajaka	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashva	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashvagiri	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashvagriva	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashvapati	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashvasanku	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ashvasiras	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ayumukha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Danayu	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Dirghajivha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ekacakra	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ekaksha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Gaganamurdhana	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Gavisthar	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Hara	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Isrpa	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Kabandha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Kāpata (also Vegavat)	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Kapila	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Karambha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Kesin	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Ketumat	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Kupatha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Maydānav	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Mrtapa	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Naraka	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Nichandra	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Nikumbha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Pralambha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Puloman	Kaśyapa and Dānu				Father of Indrani or Sachi
First	Rambhā	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Salabha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Śankara	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Sankusiras	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Sārabha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Satha	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Satrutpana	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Swarbhanu	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Tuhundra	Kaśyapa and Dānu
First	Viprachitti	Kaśyapa and Dānu				Husband of Sinhika
First	Vritra	Son of Dānu
Second	Chandrahartar	Viprachitti and Sinhika
Second	Chandravimadana	Viprachitti and Sinhika
Second	Rāhu	Viprachitti and Sinhika
Second	Anjaka
Second	Ilvala
Second	Kālanābha
Second	Khasrima
Second	Nabha
Second	Namuchi
Second	Naraka
Second	Salya
Second	Suchandra	Viprachitti and Sinhika
Second	Swabhanu
Second	Vaktrayodhin
Second	Vātapi
Second	Vyamsa
Third	Vṛshparva
Other	Atibala				After him is named the Atibaleshwar Śaiva temple, to commemorate his devotion to Śiva.
Other	Dantāvakra				Believed to be an incarnation of Durjaya.
Other	Dhenuka
Other	Dhundubhi	Māyā and Hema
Other	Durjaya
Other	Grasana						Yama
Other	Krura
Other	Jalandhara			A devotee of Śiva. He is referred to in Purāṇas, as both a "Daitya" and "Dānava".
Other	Kuhoo	Māyā and Hema
Other	Lavaṇa
Other	Mahābal
Other	Mandodari	Māyā and Hema
Other	Marutvasura
Other	Māyā
Other	Māyāvi	Māyā and Hema
Other	Mitha
Other	Pralamba
Other	Sambara			Ruled Chamba district and the area around Sambhar Salt Lake and Sambhar Lake town.			King Divodasa.
Other	Updanvi	Māyā and Hema
Other	Vinishakarva

Maya Danavas

Lineage :

• Māyā (Māyasura) is often called "Māyā Dānava" which means descendant of Dānu. According to the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, he was the son of Kaśyapa and Dānu, the husband of the apsarā Hemā, the father of sons, Māyāvi and Dundubhi and daughters, Mandodari, Somaprabhā and Svayamprabhā.
• Māyā is often called Dānava which means descendant of Dānu, one of Kaśyapa‘s 13 daughters.
• However, in the Uttarakānda of Rāmāyaṇa, Māyā is also described as Diti’s son (a Daitya and as the king of the Daityas). Diti is a different wife of Kaśyapa. Some modern people speak as if Daityas, Dānavas, Asuras and Rakṣasas are the same, but they are different jathis, though they all fought the Devas at some point or the other. The Mānavas and Brahmins were and are pro-Devas. So in that sense, they may have lumped all the ‘enemies’ together.
• The Māyā mentioned in the ṚgVeda as the son of Vipracitti and Simhika and a brother of Rāhu, may be a different Māyā, and not Māyāsura. Simhika is said to be a chāyā grahi rakṣasi, that is a demon who catches shadows. She tried to prevent Hanumān from reaching Sri Lanka. This is all the more interesting since Rāhu is also a chāyā graha. As the author of Surya Siddhantam, Maya described how eclipses were caused.. and it had nothing to do with anyone swallowing the sun.
• Māyā is also said to be the son of Dānu and the brother of Rahu.
  

Descendants :

• Māyā was the (foster) father of Mandodari, the wife of Rāvaṇa. Mandodari’s mother’s name was Hema and she was an Apsarasa. So Mandodari was a Dānava on her father’s side and an apsara on her mother’s side.
• Māyā’s grandson, Mandodari’s son, Meghanada, defeated Indra and was called Indrajit.
• Māyā’s sons Dundhubi and Māyāvi were killed by the Vānara, Vali.
• Māyā’s son-in-law Rāvaṇa was defeated by Vali. Rāvaṇa was later killed by Lord Rāma.
• The Vānaras and Rākṣasas were often in conflict and it was always the Vānaras who won.

Mention in non-traditional sources

In Buddhism the Dānava are known as the "bow-wielding" Dānaveghasa Asuras. In Jainism, the Daitya Mahābali is mentioned as a minister in Namuci's administration.

Identification with Turkic ancestry

The Dānavas in some cases, have been labelled in both Hindu and Zoroastrian scriptures, as outsiders. In some Hindu scriptures they are described as of a Yavana Kingdom, while in Zoroastrian scriptures they are described as Turanians. Both the Zoroastrian Aban Yasht and Farvadin Yasht mention then as "Dānavo Tura."

It is noteworthy that Dānu's great-grand daughter Devyāni had married the Indian King Yayāti and had a son named Turvasu, who was "cursed" and began a Yavana dynasty. The ṚgVeda also names a Dāsa villain named Balbutha Taruksha. Another villain in the Ṛgveda is Pakth Turvayana, whom Divodasa triumps over. Turkic groups specifically are known are Turukshas and Tukhāras (Tusharas) in Hindu texts. Tukhara-Murunda dynasty was the name of the Kushānas. In ancient Vedic Kashmir itself, both King Nila of the Nagas and Kaśyapa had to come to a compromise with the foreign Pisacas to allow them to live in the region. The Pisacas were also Turanian nations that live in the Himalayas and Karakoram, as well as adjacent territories. Overtime they mixed in with the ethnic Indians and became culturally Indians themselves, speaking mainly Dardic languages.

Danavas outside of India

See also: The spread of Hinduism in Egypt

Danava connection to Egyptians, Greeks, Irish, and Mayans

"Under the reign of Viswāmitra, first king of the Dynasty of Soma-Vanga, in consequence of a battle which lasted five days, Manu-Vina, heir of the ancient kings, being abandoned by the Brahmans, emigrated with all his companions, passing through Arya and the countries of Barria, till he came to the shores of Masra [Cairo].” Unquestionably this Manu-Vina and Menes , the first Egyptian King, are identical. Arya, is Eran (Persia ); Barria, is Arabia, and Masra, was the name of Cairo, which to this day is called, Masr, Musr and Misro. Phoenician history names Maser as one of the ancestors of Hermes .” “Egypt herself had, in those unknown ages when Menes reigned received her laws, social institutions, arts and sciences, from pre-Vedic India.” Menes is undoubtedly the Manu of the second subrace and there is a close connection to India which persists to this day – as any traveler to both nations will attest. The Dānavas or children of Dānu came into Egypt from a country west of India.

Greeks

In Hellenic mythology, Danae was the daughter of King Acrisius. She and god Zeus together had baby Perseus.

Irish

As Dakṣa is the father of Dānu in Hinduism, in Irish folklore it is Dagda or Dago-devos, whom James Francis Katherinus Hewitt calls "the Celtic Daksha"

Mayans and Azteks (The Americas)

If the Mayans have a ‘perfect identity of the rites, ceremonies, traditions’ of Egypt then it is further proof that their genesis is in India, also known as ‘Bharata’ in ancient times. ”There is definitely an important connection between the old Vedic (Vedic period) people and Māyā-ancestors. The Mayas are actually referred to in The Mahābhārata , one of the main Hindu scriptures, as a tribe having left the Indian Subcontinent. There are sources who have revealed those people to be the same as the Nāga, one of the oldest Indian tribes recorded. Those Nāgās seem to have been a people, later called Dānavas, with a capital Nagapur. They are referred to in another main Hindu-scripture, the Rāmāyaṇa, as belonging to a Nāgā-Maya tribe, who is said to have transmitted their culture towards Babylonia, Egypt, Greece and was known as the Cara-Māyā.” Other known kingdoms is that of the Māyan Snake Dynasty Calakmul, Kingdom of the Snake or Snake Kingdom. Other historical factors are *Kukulkan, Q'uq'umatz of the K'iche' Maya and Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs. Nāgas in Hindu Mythology are the sons of Kaśyapa from Kadru and Surasa. Stories involving the nāgas are still very much a part of contemporary cultural traditions in predominantly Hindu regions of Asia (India, Nepal, and the island of Bali.) In India, nāgas are considered as the nature spirits and the protectors of springs, wells and rivers. They bring rain and thus fertility, but are also thought to bring disasters such as floods and drought. Nāgās are snakes that may take human form. They tend to be very curious. According to traditions nāgas are only malevolent to humans when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. They are also associated with waters bodies like rivers, lakes, seas, and wells. They are generally regarded as guardians of treasure.

See also

• Asura
• Calakmul
• Daityas
• Danava dynasty
• List of Asuras
• Kalakeyas
• Kukulkan
• Nivatakavacha
• Surasa
• The spread of Hinduism

Non-Indian relations with Danavas

• Denyen
• Tribe of Dan
• Tuatha Dé Danann

Contributors to this article

Himanshu Bhatt, Deval Sancheti

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