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Maya Daanav
Read also
Vishwakarmaa
Maya Daanav is not any one scripture's character, but he appears in
V-Raamaayan as well as in Mahaabhaarat.
Maya Daanav is the son of Maharshi Kashyap and Diti.
MBH, G-3-Youth/16 says that Daitya
Namuchi, who was killed by Indra, was his brother. He is the architect
of Daitya and Daanav as Vishwakarmaa is the architect for Devtaa. There
are many incidents famous about Maya Daanav.
Maya Daanav's Family
Maya Daanav had a daughter from Hemaa Apsaraa, named
Mandodaree who was married to Raakshas Raaj Raavan and they had a son named
Meghnaad - Indrajeet.
He had two sons - Dundubhee and Maayaavee who challenged
Baali (Sugreev's brother) but both were killed by him.
Vyomaasur was also his son. He was killed by
Krishn, when he arrested Gop children in a cave of a mountain.
Creations of Maya Daanav
This Maya Daanav is the same Maya Daanav
(1) Who was saved by Arjun while burning Khaandav
Van in Indraparasth for Agni Dev.
(2) Who then built a Divine unique court for
Yudhishthir out of gratitude. And it was the same court, in which
Duryodhan saw dry land in place of
water and fell down in water.
(3) Who built three cities for three Asur - of gold, silver and iron. Eventually
Shiv destroyed these cities along
with their population and then was called Tripuraaree.
(4) Who constructed Lankaa which was made of gold on Trikoot Parvat in sea, for
three Raakshas, Maalee, Sumaalee and Maalyavaan. Later it was taken by Kuber
and then Raavan.
(5) Who built several Vimaan
--a Vimaan named Vaihaayas for Daitya Raaj Bali;
--another Vimaam for Brahmaa Jee -
Pushpak Vimaan. Later Brahmaa Jee gave that Pushpak Vimaan to
Kuber, and later Raavan took it from Kuber
when he defeated him and exiled from Lankaa. After Raavan's death, it came to Vibheeshan,
and Vibheeshan gave it to Raam. After Raam had used it, He sent it back.
--another Vimaan named Saubh Vimaan on the order of Shiv Jee for King Shaalv.
[Bhaagvat
Puraan, 10/u16,
MBH, G-4-Van/5]
(6) Rahah-Kreedaavatee - Maya Daanav built it for Daitya in Kali Yug.
[Bhavishya Puraan, 3/32]
(1) Maya Daanav in Vaalmeeki Raamaayan
From V-Raamaayan, 7/5,
Maya Daanav had a beautiful daughter Mandodaree
from Hemaa Apsaraa. When she had grown up, he started looking for a husband for her.
Once Raavan went for hunting that he met Maya Daanav with his beautiful daughter. He
asked his introduction and about his daughter. He said - "I am Maya Daanav, and
she is my daughter Mandodaree from Hemaa Apsaraa. I am looking for a suitable groom
for her. Now you tell me about yourself."
Raavan said - "I am the grandson of Pulastya Rishi and the son of Maharshi
Vishravaa. My name is Dashagreev." This much introduction was enough for
Maya Daanav to marry his daughter to him, so he happily married her to Raavan.
Later Mandodaree had even a mightier than Raavan son named Meghnaad Who won even
Indra, and that is why he was called Indrajeet.
(2) Maya Daanav in
Bhavishya Puraan
In Bhavishya Puraan - Maya Daanav had two sons also -
Dundubhee and Maayaavee who were killed by Baali. Read their description in Baali's
description. Bhavishya Puraan,
3/26, gives a name Maayee as his son's name. It seems that this Maayee and that
Maayaavee are the same; but a major difference is that it says that Maayee was the king
of Tri-Pur. Even in
Bhavishya Puraan, 3/25, it is said that Tri-Pur was ruled by one Daitya only, while
other Puraan say that Tri-Pur (three cities) belonged to three brothers - Taarakaaksh,
Kamalaaksh, and Vidyunmaalee.
(3) Maya Daanav In Bhaagvat Puraan
From Bhaagvat Puraan,
7/4, Daitya always on the look out to defeat Devtaa. Once Maya Daanav wanted
to defame Rudra, so Rudra won Daitya. Seeing this they went to Maya Daanav for
help. He built three ship for them - one each of gold, silver and iron. Those
ships were very special in two ways - one that they were invisible and second
that they could go anywhere very fast. All Daitya started living in them. Since
nobody could see them they could do anything they wanted to do. Seeing this Rudra
shot many fiery arrows which killed many Asur. But Maya Daanav knew man skills.
He took their bodies and dropped them into his own well of Amrit. All Asur had
come to life, and not only they were alive, but also they became healthier and
stronger than before - like Vajra.
Seeing this Rudra got very sad. Then Vishnu took the form of a cow and Brahmaa
Jee took the form a calf, and they both went to that well and drank that Amrit.
Although all Asur were seeing them drinking Amrit, but because of Bhagavaan's
Maayaa they could not do anything. When Maya Daanav came to know about it, he
just said - "Whatever is the Destiny, it has to happen, so do not be sad
about it." Then Bhagavaan built a special chariot, Shiv rode it and aimed
his arrow in Abhijeet Nakshatra and destroyed all the three ships together.
After this Shiv was known as Tri-puraari (Tri-Pur-ari).
There are three places in Bhaagvat Puraan where Maya Daanav is mentioned --
(1) The first mention is in
Skandh 1, Chapter 15, where he is the inhabitant of Khaandav forest. When
Arjun sets fire in that forest to satisfy Agni Dev's hunger, he asks protection
from Arjun and Arjun saves him. Later to show his gratitude to him he builds a
royal cort for his brother Yudhishthir.
(2) Second time he is mentioned in
Skandh 5, Chapter 24/9, when Shuk Dev Jee describes the Raahu etc planets'
position, and the lower Lok. He says that there are 7 Lok below Prithvi. These
Bil (burrows) are of a type of Swag where Maya Daanav's built cities are shining
with varieties of decorations.
(3) The third time his name is mention in
Skandh 7, Chapter 10,
where Naarad Jee describes to Yudhishthir as how Maya Daanav built Tripur for
demons. He told that Maya Daanav had surpassed even Shiv and Krishn restored
his respect. Once Devtaa defeated demons so they went to Maya Daanav and asked
his help, so Maya built three Vimaan (as big as three cities, in the sky [of
gold, silver and iron]. Those Viman had two qualities - one, they were invisible
to others and two, they could go anywhere very fast. Thus they hid in those Vimaan,
and started destroying others. Then Shiv killed those demons and destroyed their
cities [and then was called Tri-Puraari].
(4) Maya Daanav in Mahaabhaarat
Once when Arjun was appeasing Agni Devtaa (Fire god) by burning Khaandav Van (forest),
Maya Daanav was also there in that Van. He saved him from burning from that fire. To
show his gratitude to him, he offered to do something for him. Arjun did not want anything
from in return, so he sent him to Krishn. Krishn asked him to build an assembly hall for
Yudhishthir. he did that and did that so beautifully that people used to wonder seeing it.
Duryodhan was so much confused seeing it that he felt very jealous and planned to take
Indraprasth from Paandav.
His Works
Maya Daanav's most known and used work is
Soorya Sddhaant. Maya received not only Siddhaant Jyotish (not "astronomy"
in modern sense, which divorces astronomy from astrology), but also the knowledge of Vaastu
Shaastra, sculpture, temple-building, etc, without which Hinduism would have get reduced
to rubbish. Mathematics of Naarad Puraan and Sarg portion of all other Puraan give exactly
the same computations as described in Soorya Siddhaant, thus Maya Daanav and Soorya
Sidddhaant cannot be put outside Vaidik and Pauranic traditions. Maya was initially
against the Vaidik gods, but after penance he got reformed, received great wisdom, and
also immortality : the last fact is proven by his presence not only in Krit Yug or Tretaa
Yug, but also at the end of the Dwaapar Yug too when he helped Lord Krishn and Yudhishthir
in building Yudhishthr's Royal Court in Indra Prasth. After penance, Maya never opposed gods
and did not help even his son-in-law Raavan.
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