DaityasThe Daityas (Sanskrit: दैत्य) are a clan or race of Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers. Manu Smriti (XII – 48) classifies Daityas as ones possessing the quality of goodness but places them at a level lower than Devas: “Hermits, ascetics, Brahmanas,…
Ram-faced Daksha (right) propitiating Shiva in his Veerabhadra form DakshaDaksha is a Sanskrit word said to be a Prajapati (in-charge of creation) and one of the Brahma’s sons. The equivalent meaning in English is Competent.With his wife Prasuti, he is the father of fifty daughters, 27 of whom, representing the 27 Nakshatras, were married…
Devaki Devaki (देवकी) is the daughter of Devaka, sister of Kansa, wife of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi and biological mother of Balarama, Krishna and Subhadra. After the marriage ceremony, Kansa volunteered to escort the newly-weds to Mathura and drove their chariot. A celestial voice proclaimed that “The eighth child of this Devaki that you are ferrying shall become your death!” Angered,…
Deva Deva (Sanskrit: देव, Devá) means “heavenly, divine, anything of excellence”, and is also one of the terms for a deity in Hinduism. Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is Devi. In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Asuras. The concepts and legends evolve in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural…
Dhananjaya Dhanajaya is another name of Arjuna. Dhananjaya is also one of the thousand names of Vishnu.
Dharma In Mahabharata, Dharma is presented in two forms: (1) personified as a Deva and (2) a concept. Dharma as a Deva Mahabharata provides the following details of Dharma as a Deva: Was a son of Brahma, born from his chest. Married 10 (Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Medha, Pushti, Shraddha, Kriya,…
Dhrishtadyumna Dhrishtadyumna (Sanskrit: धृष्टद्द्युम्न, dhṛṣṭadyumna, lit. he who is courageous and splendorous), also known as Draupada (Sanskrit: द्रौपद, lit. son of Drupada), was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi and Shikhandi. He was the commander of the Pandava army during the Kurukshetra War. Dhrishtadyumna killed Drona, the royal guru, when he was meditating which was against the rules of engagement. Birth The king…
Dhristhaketu Dhrishtaketu, the king of Chedi, was the elder son of King Shishupala. During the time of Dhrishtaketu, Suktimati was the capital of Chedi. Dhrishtaketu was an army-general in the army of Pandavas in Kurukshetra War. He was the leader of the army of the Chedis, the Kashis, and the Karushas. He was a…