The Daityas are opposed to the Â-dityas. The root verb _dâ_ means to cut to pieces, to separate. _Diti_ is that which separates. _Aditi_ is that which does not separate. Jivâtmâ is the same in all beings. One life principle animates all the forms of creation. The idea of separateness did not exist from before. The elementals that began life in this Kalpa from the spiritual plane, have hardly any idea of separate existence. The Devas and Pitris are described as classes (_ganas_), and not as individuals. In the Mineral Kingdom, again, there is no individual existence. Individuality has to be worked out, and the sons of Diti bring about this great work in the evolution of life forms. When we have the sense of separate existence strong in us, we become capable of further evolution. By our individual experiences, we know what is right and what is wrong, what is pleasurable and what is painful. Things that give joy give pain as well. It is the measure of pleasure or pain that teaches us what to covet and what to shun. Then we have the fact that by our very existence we have duties to perform. The teachings of other ages that are revealed to the Rishis and proclaimed by them, give us a better idea of things, and they tell us more than we can know of by our own experience. The Asuras lead us on and on, till we reach the highest point that, with a sense of individuality, we may attain. When the individual soul gathers all experience that may be acquired by the idea of separateness, it traces back its way to that spiritual home whence it came. In the return journey, it is helped by the Âdityas, who gradually efface the idea of separateness, by an ever increasing infusion of Satva: Vishnu himself became Âditya and taught men the unity of all souls. The Âdityas who guided the early elementals had to be crushed, so that separateness might grow. Pushan and Bhaga were therefore overpowered by the attendants of Śiva at the sacrifice of Daksha. The Âdityas who guide humanity in their return to spirituality are themselves high spiritual energies, the highest Devas of our Trilokî. Our evolution is thus two-fold — individual and non-individual. When we work as individuals, we are under the influence of Daityas. When we want to cast off separateness, we are under the influence of the Âdityas. In both cases, however, it is the bliss element in us that is worked on by the Daityas and A-dityas. This bliss element is our eternal heritage from Ishvara, and it is this element that saves us in our contact with manifold matter. The measure of bliss, (_ananda_), enables us to judge what matter to accept and what not. Individuality developed under Hiranyakasipu, and all sorts of blissful experiences were acquired. The sons of Hiranyakasipu were all called Bliss (Hrâda), but the perfection of Bliss (Pra-Hrâda) was in Prahlâda, He found out that the worldly joys were unreal, and that the real joy could be had only from Him above, who was joy itself.