daitya

Daitya, in Hindu mythology, refers to a class of beings traditionally described as the offspring of Diti, who was the wife of the sage Kashyapa. Daityas are commonly depicted as demons or adversaries of the Devas and are often portrayed as opposing cosmic order. In many scriptures they are treated as a subset of the broader category of asuras, though some texts distinguish Daityas as a specific lineage within the asuras.

Origin and role: The Daityas are said to be born from Diti and Kashyapa and recur in various myths that narrate the struggle between the gods and the demons. They are known for performing intense penances to gain boons from Brahma, which frequently leads to conflicts with Vishnu’s avatars and other gods. The Devas–Daityas conflicts symbolize the larger theme of order (dharma) versus chaos in the cosmos.

Notable Daityas: Prominent Daityas include Hiranyakashipu, a power-seeking king who opposes Vishnu and is slain by the avatar Narasimha; Hiranyaksha, slain by Varaha; Bali, the Daitya king central to the Vamana episode, who interacts with the Vishnu avatar in the form of Vamana; and Virochana, Bali’s father. These figures appear in various Puranic narratives and in broader mythological cycles, illustrating themes of pride, devotion, and divine intervention.

In literature and devotional traditions, Daityas are consistently presented as a demon lineage opposed to the Devas, often serving as archetypes of disruptive forces that are overcome by divine power. The term Daitya thus denotes a hereditary group within Hindu myth, associated with the antagonists of the gods.