1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an input parameter, wherein the input parameter includes at least a set of path step descriptions that set criteria for a data graph traversal and a set of start vertices; recursively traversing an edge table in a data graph that is stored in a column oriented table in a cache memory, based on the input parameter, wherein the traversing identifies a set of traversed vertices and further comprises: identifying a path predicate included in a path step description; generating a set of valid edges based on the path predicate, wherein the set of valid edges reduces a scan range during the traversing; determining a direction for scanning the set of valid edges, based on the path set description, wherein the direction determines whether the scan begins at a vertex source column or a vertex target column in the edge table; generating the set of traversed vertices by scanning the set of valid edges against a set of vertices in the edge table until at least one terminating condition is met, wherein the set of vertices includes at least the set of start vertices or vertices identified when scanning with a previous path step description; and terminating the generating of the set of traversed vertices when the at least one terminating condition is met; and returning the set of traversed vertices.