Danu (Hinduism)

Danu ( Sanskrit दनु danu f. ) Is a Vedic goddess and is considered the mother of the demonic Danavas in Hindu mythology .

In Rigveda Danu is also the mother of the serpent demon Vritra , who is fought by Indra , one of the highest Vedic gods. In the post-Vedic period she is considered the daughter of Daksha and is one of the twelve wives of the sage Kashyapa , through whom she becomes the mother of the Danavas. Their head is Viprachitti , the father of Rahu .

literature

• Hans Wilhelm Haussig (Ed.): Gods and Myths of the Indian Subcontinent (= Dictionary of Mythology. Department 1: The ancient civilized peoples. Volume 5). Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-12-909850-X .
• Danu . In: John Dowson : A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. Trübner & co., London 1879, p. 80 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ danu . In: Monier Monier-Williams : Sanskrit-English Dictionary . Clarendon Press, Oxford 1899, p. 468, col. 2 .