There is one example, however, of
an attempt by Daityas and Danavas to take over and rule human society, and this
forms the main plot of The Mahabharata.

The story begins a long time ago,
when human society was prospering. people were dedicated to principles of virtue,
and they did not decline into decadence as they began to experience material
success. However, this auspicious situation did not last. Just as in the story
of the Kaleya Danavas, human society began to be affected by events occuring in
celestial planetary systems. Here is what happened, as narrated by King
Janemejaya by the sage Vaishshampayana:

'But then, Oh best of Monarchs,
just as humankind was flourishing, powerful and demoniac creatures began to take
birth from the wives of earthly kings.

Once the godly adityas, who
administer the universe, fought their wicked cousins the Daityas [demoniac
creatures]  and vanquished them. Bereft of their power and positions, the
Daityas began to take birth on this planet, having carefully calculated that
they could easily become the gods of The Earth, bringing it under their demoniac
rule. And thus it happened, Oh mighty one, that the asuras  [also demoniac
creatures]  began to appear among different creatures and communities'.

As these demoniac creatures
continued to take birth upon The Earth, the Earth herself could not bear the
weight of their presence. Having fallen from their positions in the higher
planets, the sons of Diti and Danu thus appeared in this world as monarchs ,
endowed with great strength, and in many other forms. They were bold and haughty,
and they virtually surrounded the water-bounded Earth, ready to crush those who
would oppose them.

They harrassed the teachers,
rulers, merchants, and workers of The Earth, and all other creatures. Moving
about by the hundreds and thousands, they began to slay the Earth's creatures,
and they brought terror to the world. Unconcerned with the godly culture of the
brahmins, they threatened the sages, who sat peacefully in their forest ashrams,
for the so-called kings were meddened by the strength of their bodies'.

In response to this invasion,
Bhumi, the Earth goddess, approached Lord Brahma and asked him to save the Earth.
Brahma responded by ordering the devas to encarnate of Earth just as the Asuras
[demoniac creatures] had done: ...

In due course of time, various
Devas [pious celestials] appeared on the Earth, either by entering personally
into the wombs of earthly mothers or by impregnating earthly women and producing
offspring that partook of their own nature. Then Lord Vishnu appeared as Krishna,
the son of Vasudava and Devaki.

...

Several points can be made about
this complex story. The first point is that at the present time, much has been
written about beings from other planets who reincarnate in human bodies as 'Wanderers'
from other planets who reincarnate in human bodies with the aim of carrying out
some higher purpose. There is also talk of 'walk-ins', or souls that take over
the existing bodies and displace their original souls. These souls are similar
to the idea presented in the Mahabharat that the Devas [pious celestials] and
Asuras [demoniac creatures] could take birth on Earth with specific missions to
perform