| Danu | |
|---|---|
| Texts | Vedas,Puranas |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Daksha (father),Panchajani (mother) |
| Siblings | Aditi,Diti,Svaha, Khyati,Sati,Kadru,Vinata, Rohini, Revati, andRati |
| Spouse | Kashyapa |
| Children | Danavas |
| Equivalents | |
| Indo-European | Deh₂nu |
Danu (Sanskrit:दानु,IAST:Danu) is aHindu primordial goddess. She is mentioned in theRigveda to be the mother of the eponymous race known as thedanavas. The wordDanu described the primeval waters that this deity perhaps embodied. In laterHinduism, she is described as the daughter of thePrajapatiDaksha and his spousePanchajani, and the consort of the sageKashyapa.[1]
As a word for "rain" or "liquid",dānu is compared to Avestandānu, "river", and further to river names likeDon,Danube,Dnieper,Dniestr, etc. There is also a Danu river in Nepal. The "liquid" word is mostly neutral, but appears as feminine inRV 1.54.
In theRigveda (I.32.9), she is identified as the mother ofVritra, theasura slain byIndra.[2]
In thePadma Purana, the children of Danu are described:[3]
From Kaśyapa, Danu obtained a hundred sons proud of boons.Among them Vipracitti, of great power, was the chief. (Others were) Dviraṣṭamūrdhā, Śakuni, Śaṅkuśirodhara, Ayomukha, Śambara, Kapila, Vāmana, Marīci, Māgadha, and Hari. Gajaśiras, Nidrādhara, Ketu, Ketuvīrya Taśakratu, Indramitragraha, Vrajanābha, Ekavastra, Mahābāhu, Vajrākṣa, Tāraka, Asiloman, Puloman, Vikurvāṇa, Mahāpura, Svarbhānu, and Vṛṣaparvan—these and others were also Danu's sons. Suprabhā was Svarbhānu's daughter, and Śacī was the daughter of Puloman.
— Padma Purana, Book 1, Chapter 6
In the Brahmanda Purana, it is stated that while Aditi is habitually righteous, and Diti was habitually strong, Danu habitually practicesmaya.[4]
Danu was struck by Indra's thunderbolt after hearing him kill her sonVritra.[5]
