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 asuras, the half-brothers to the devas and daityas that are found in a range of Hindu texts. The danavas are a part of a larger group of the asuras, and are typically portrayed as opposed to the Hindu deities. However, historically, their role in Hinduism is varied and at times, the distinction between the danavas and Hindu deities is complex and they are difficult to distinguish from one another.
Etymology
The name danavas stems from the mother's name: Danu. Both danavas and Danu are derived from the Vedic word Da meaning 'to give.' Ananda Coomaraswamy suggests this word connotes generosity. Another interpretation of their name is associated with Danu's relationship with her first son (and demon), Vritra. In Indian mythology, in an attempt to deceive the Vedic god Indra, Vritra hides away in the primordial water or blessed water from him. In this myth, Danu herself is embodied as being the primordial water in which he hides in. The names of Danu and danavas as well as the individual names given to many of the sons of Danu differ across Vedic and Puranic literature, causing confusion as to where their etymological origins lie.
Story
The devas exiled the danavas from Svarga during the Satya Yuga. After the exile, the danavas are held to have taken refuge in the Vindhya range.
Genealogy
The genealogical history of asuras is laid out in a range of texts, most notably in the Mahabharata. The genealogy of the demons or asuras begins with Brahma's six sons. One son, Marichi, fathered Kashyapa, who married thirteen of Daksha's daughters, including Diti and Danu. Diti and Danu's children are among the most well-known demons in Hindu mythology. Diti's children are known as the daityas and Danu's offspring are known as the danavas. It is important to note that the names of danavas and the daityas are irregularly found and depicted throughout early Vedic literature such as the Rig Veda along with the Mahabharata. The Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism states, "... in the Mahābhārata Vṛtra is the son of Danāyu, (and) the Ṛigveda (1.32.9) speaks of Vṛtra as the son of Danu." However, in books 2-7 of the Rig Veda, Vrta is not considered an asura or demon, and there is no mention of Danu or the danavas at all.
Brahma
Marici
Kashyapa
Danu
Ashva
Ashvagiri
Ashvagriva
Ashvapati
Ashvasanku
Ashvasiras
Ayumukha
Danayu
Dirghajibha
Ekacakra
Ekaksha
Gaganamurdhana
Gavisthar
Hara
Isrpa
Kabandha
Kapata (or Vegavat) Kabila Karambha Kesin Ketumat Kupatha Maydanav Mrtapa Naraka Nichandra Nikumbha Pralambha Puloman Rambha Salabha Sankara Sankusiras Sarabha Satha Satrutpana Swarbhanu Tuhundra Viprachitti Vritra
At other times, the genealogical roots of the demons are not emphasised. Demons are sometimes depicted as ancestral, deceased beings who had been mistreated in their human lifetime by relatives who had not performed the proper and correct funeral rites for these beings in their human form.
Physical appearance
The daityas and the danavas share the same physical features and characteristics as their counterparts, the devas. In Hindu religion, the power of Maya or the power of illusion is possessed by both good and evil supernatural beings. The power of illusion allows beings to change their physical form. Despite their extensive role in certain texts, there are not many examples of the physical characteristics of the danavas in their own right or even in conjunction with devas in literature and art.