A class of beings, literally, in Sanskrit, “the sons of Danu.” They are enemies of the devas and often associated with the asuras. Under the leadership of Bali, they took over the world, creating a golden age, until they were tricked by Viṣṇu in the form of a brahmin dwarf. A version of that legend is described in a prominent passage in the Kāraṇḍa­vyūha Sūtra (The Basket’s Display, Toh 116), the principal Avalokiteśvara sūtra.

A class of asuras; the terms dānava and asura are virtually synonymous.

Another name for asuras.

As a subclass of asuras, dānavas are a class of nonhuman beings antagonistic to the devas (gods) and a consistently disruptive force in Indic mythology.