Asuras (Sanskrit: ????

) are a class of divine beings or power-seeking deities

related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism.

Asuras are sometimes considered nature spirits. They battle constantly with the
devas.[1] Asuras are described in Indian texts as powerful superhuman demigods with
good or bad qualities. The good Asuras are called Adityas and are led by Varuna,
while the malevolent ones are called Danavas and are led by Vritra.[2] In the
earliest layer of Vedic texts Agni, Indra and other gods are also called Asuras, in
the sense of them being "lords" of their respective domains, knowledge and
abilities. In later Vedic and post-Vedic texts, the benevolent gods are called
Devas, while malevolent Asuras compete against these Devas and are considered
"enemy of the gods".[3]

Asuras are part of Indian mythology along with Devas, Yakshas (nature spirits) and
Rakshasas (ghosts, ogres). Asuras feature in one of many cosmological theories in
Hinduism.[4][5]

Contents
1 Etymology and history
2 Discussion
2.1 Indo-Iranian context
2.2 Relation to Germanic deities
2.3 Characteristics of Asuras
2.4 Symbolism
3 Asuri
4 Hindu mythology
4.1 Vishnu Purana
4.2 Shiva Purana
5 Buddhism
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Etymology and history
Monier-Williams traces the etymological roots of Asura (????) to Asu (???), which
means life of the spiritual world or departed spirits.[6] In the oldest verses of
the Samhita layer of Vedic texts, the Asuras are any spiritual, divine beings
including those with good or bad intentions, and constructive or destructive
inclinations or nature.[6] In later verses of the Samhita layer of Vedic texts,
Monier Williams states the Asuras are "evil spirits, demons and opponents of the
gods". Asuras connote the chaos-creating evil, in Hindu and Persian (collectively,
Aryan) mythology about the battle between good and evil.[6]

Bhargava states the word, Asura, including its variants, asurya and asura, occurs
"88 times in the Rigveda, 71 times in the singular number, four times in the dual,
10 times in the plural, and three times as the first member of a compound. In this,
the feminine form, asuryaa, is included twice. The word, asurya, has been used 19
times as an abstract noun, while the abstract form asuratva occurs 24 times, 22
times in each of the 22 times of one hymn and twice in the other two hymns".[7]

Asura is used as an adjective meaning "powerful" or "mighty". In the Rigveda, two

generous kings, as well as some priests, have been described as asuras. One hymn
requests a son who is an asura. In nine hymns, Indra is described as asura. Five
times, he is said to possess asurya, and once he is said to possess asuratva. Agni
has total of 12 asura descriptions, Varuna has 10, Mitra has eight, and Rudra has
six. Bhargava gives a count of the word usage for every Vedic deity.[citation
needed] The Book 1 of Rig Veda describes Savitr (Vedic solar deity) as an Asura who
is a "kind leader".[8]
??????????? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??????????? ?
????????????? ??????????????????? ????????? ?????? ????[9]

May he, gold-handed Asura, kind leader, come hither to us with his help and favour.
Driving off Raksasas and Yatudhanas, [he] the god is present, praised in hymns at
evening.
� Translated by Ralph Griffith[8]

May the golden-handed, life-bestowing, well-guiding, exhilarating and affluent

Savitri [Asura] be present;
for the deity, if worshipped in the evening, is at hand, driving away Rakshasas and
Yatudhanas.
� Translated by HH Wilson[10]

�?Rigveda 1.35.10
In later texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas with the embedded Bhagavad
Gita, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.[11][12] According to
the Bhagavad Gita (16.6-16.7), all beings in the universe have both the divine
qualities (daivi sampad) and the demonic qualities (asuri sampad) within each.[12]
[13] The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita states that pure god-like saints
are rare and pure demon-like evil are rare among human beings, and the bulk of
humanity is multi-charactered with a few or many faults.[12] According to Jeaneane
Fowler, the Gita states that desires, aversions, greed, needs, emotions in various
forms "are facets of ordinary lives", and it is only when they turn to lust, hate,
cravings, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, hypocrisy, cruelty and such
negativity- and destruction-inclined that natural human inclinations metamorphose
into something demonic (Asura).[12][13]

Asko Parpola traces the etymological root of Asura to *asera- of Uralic languages,
where it means "lord, prince".[14]