Daitya, Daityā: 19 definitions

Introduction:

Daitya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi, biology. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Daity.

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In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Daitya (दैत्य).—The Asuras from Diti;1 one of the Marut gaṇas.2

  • 1) Vāyu-purāṇa 66. 1.
  • 2) Vāyu-purāṇa 46. 35; 67. 129.
Source: JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and places

Daitya (दैत्य) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. IX.44.24) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Daitya) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra

1) Daitya (दैत्य) is the Sanskrit name for a group of deities to be worshipped during raṅgapūjā, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra 3.1-8. Accordingly, the master of the dramatic art who has been initiated for the purpose shall consecrate the playhouse after he has made obeisance (e.g., to Daityas).

2) Daitya (दैत्य).—According to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 35, the role (bhūmikā) of actors playing Daityas is defined as, “persons who are fat, and have a large body and a voice like the peal of thunder (lit. cloud), furious looking eyes and naturally knit eyebrows, should be employed to take up the role of Rākṣasas, Dānavas and Daityas; for the performance of male actors should be in conformity with their limbs and movements.”.

Natyashastra book cover
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Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

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Shilpashastra (iconography)

Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (shilpa)

Daitya (दैत्य) refers to a certain class of personalities which follows specific guidelines in the tradition of ancient Indian Painting (citra), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the rules of Painting of different classes have been elaborately discussed. According to this work, the personalities like [e.g., Daitya], [...] are to be drawn to project them as noble and polite. The picture of the wives of Daityas, Dānavas, Yakṣas and Rākṣasas should be very beautiful. Thus the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa establishes the fact that even in the pictures; the people belonging to different class and profession [e.g., Daitya] were projected with specific attire so that general people can equate the picture with the practical character.

Shilpashastra book cover
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Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

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In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Daitya (दैत्य) refers to “demons”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Rudra, elephants of the quarters, gods, demons (daitya), aerial spirits, aquatic predators, the planets, the Vyantaras , the guardians of the quarters of the sky, the enemies [of Vāsudeva], Hari, Bala, the chief of the snakes, the lord of the discus (i.e. Viṣṇu) and others who are powerful, the wind, the sun, etc. all themselves having come together are not able to protect an embodied soul even for an instant [when death is] initiated by the servants of Yama”.

General definition book cover
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Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

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Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

Daitya in India is the name of a plant defined with Casearia esculenta in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Casearia ovata Wall. (among others).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Hortus Bengalensis, or ‘a Catalogue of the Plants Growing in the Hounourable East India Company's Botanical Garden at Calcutta’ (1814)
· Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniae (1858)
· Traité de Botanique Médicale Phanérogamique (1883)
· Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India (1972)
· Species Plantarum ed. 4 (1799)
· Numer. List (7192)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Daitya, for example chemical composition, side effects, extract dosage, diet and recipes, health benefits, pregnancy safety, have a look at these references.

Biology book cover
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This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

daitya (दैत्य).—n (S) The titan or giant of Hindu mythology.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

daitya (दैत्य).—m A demon; the Titan of Hindu mythology.

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Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य).—[diterapatyaṃ-ṇya] See दैतेय (daiteya).

Derivable forms: daityaḥ (दैत्यः).

--- OR ---

Daityā (दैत्या).—

1) A drug.

2) Spirituous liquor.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य).—m.

(-tyaḥ) A Daitya or demon: see the preceding. f.

(-tyā) 1. A perfume, commonly Mura. 2. A drug: see caṇḍā. 3. Spirituous liquor. 4. The wife of a demon. E. diti, and ṇya aff.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य).—i. e. diti + ya, m. An Asura or demon, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 12, 48; [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 30, 20 Gorr.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य).—[masculine] & [adjective] = [preceding]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Daitya (दैत्य):—[from daiteya] m. a son of Diti, a demon, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] mf(ā)n. belonging to the Daityas, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa]

3) Daityā (दैत्या):—[from daitya > daiteya] f. Name of plants (= caṇḍauhadhi and murā), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) [v.s. ...] spirituous liquor, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य):—(tyaḥ) 1. m. A daitya or demon. f. A perfume; drug; spirits.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Daitya (दैत्य) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Daicca.

[Sanskrit to German]

Daitya in German

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Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Daitya (दैत्य) [Also spelled daity]:—(nm) a demon, giant, ogre.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Daitya (ದೈತ್ಯ):—

1) [adjective] huge; gigantic.

2) [adjective] astonishingly great; extraordinary.

--- OR ---

Daitya (ದೈತ್ಯ):—

1) [noun] (myth.) a daemon, any son of Diti, as an enemy of the gods.

2) [noun] a very strong man.

3) [noun] (fig.) a bulky (and clumsy) man.

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Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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